DECLARATION OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE

1960 to 21 April - 2 May 1961) made this Ridván 118 ( from 21 April to 2 May 1961).

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The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France for the year 117 of the Bahá’í era ( from the 23^rd of April to the 2^nd of May 1961), lawfully elected and obeying the Second Guardian, Mason Remey (Guardian designated by his predecessor Shoghi Effendi, in conformity to the Will and Testament of `Abdu’l-Bahá), declares and certifies the following:

1. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France was duly elected on the 23^rd of April 1960 during Ridván of the year 117, the only period during which National Spiritual Assemblies may be elected, in conformity with the instructions of the first Guardian, Shoghi Effendi and in conformity with the decisions and preparations of The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France for the year 116 ( from the 25^th of April 1959 to 22 April 1960) and in accord with its statutes.


Its members and elected officers are the following:

Mr. Joel B. Marangella, president;


Mr. Bernard Fillon, secretary;


Mr. Donald Harvey; treasurer;


Mr. Alain Tamenne, vice-president;


Mrs. Henriette Samimy, reporting secretary;


Mrs. Sara Kenny, member;


Mr. M. Barafroukhteh, member ;


Mr. Monir Derakhchan, member;


Mr. Jacques Soghomonian, member,


2. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France has never ceased to exist between Ridván 117 and Ridván 118, (the period of Ridván extends, according to the Bahá’í calendar, from the 21^st of April to the 2^nd of May).

3. No one person, nor group of persons, nor whatever institutions, excepting the Guardian or a future Universal House of Justice inseparable from the living Guardian, (Universal House of Justice whose date for establishment has not yet been fixed either by the first Guardian Shoghi Effendi, or his successor, the second Guardian Mason Remey) have not the right nor the power, nor the possibility to dissolve a National Spiritual Assembly, whatever it is or whatsoever it does.

   Note: The "forerunner" of the UHJ (Universal House of Justice) – The International Bahá’í Council – was established by Shoghi Effendi on 9 January, 1951.

4. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France has placed itself in status-quo of its own free will between the 7^th of May 1960 and the 14^th of August 1960. At that last date, it had resumed its normal activities, with the approbation of Mason Remey.

5. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France, once it had resumed its activities on the 14^th of August, 1960, convened for the meeting, only the five members remaining faithful to the living Guardian: Messrs. Monir Derakhchan, Bernard Fillon (secretary), Donald Harvey (treasurer), Joel B. Marangella (president) et Jacques Soghomonian. In fact, the four other members : Messrs Alain Tamenne (vice-president), A. M Barafroukhteh, et Mrs Henriette Samimy ( reporting secretary ) et Sara Kenny, who revolted and disobeyed, auto[matically]-expelled themselves, at their own behest, by repudiating the living Guardian as members of The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France, reconvened in its meeting of the 14^th of August, legalized this fact by approving these expulsions within its midst. (expulsions from The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France only) This legalization was obviously necessary in conformity with article 9 of the Statutes of The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France.

At the start of this reunion, the 14 August, 1960, whilst not in possession of the resignations of the five members in the majority, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France considered the latter in a manner which [would] put an end to its status quo. In order to do this, it refused [to accept] these five resignations by a motion unanimously moved and accepted. Furthermore, it made the following changes concerning its officers.

Vice-president: Mr. Jacques Soghomonian;


Reporting Secretary: Mr. Donald Harvey.


6. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France is the only proprietor of its Haziratu’l-Quds or central office, 11 rue de la Pompe, Paris 16^th, as well as all that it contains, material, documents, library, and others, and is the only one to retain the authority to receive and deposit funds in its name, whether these assets be cash or in the Bank.

7. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France does not recognize, in whatsoever manner, any organization, even those appropriating its own proper title,[NSABF] who pretends to or would claim to be its substitute. This includes, among others, the organization which, in June 1960, appropriated the name of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France as well as its goods and rights and prerogatives and was installed through illegal elections and whose members are the following: ( the list published by this organization which took on the title of [as thought it was] the proper publication of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France, June 1960, No. 1.): Mr. Alain Tamenne, Miss Lucienne Migette, Mr. A. M. Barafroukhteh, Mr. François Petit, Mrs. Sara Kenny, Mr. Yadullah Yazdanian, , Mr. Lucien McComb, Mr. A. E. Naimi and includes as well as those illegal organizations under the title of "Local Spiritual Assemblies" of Paris, Orléans, Chateauroux, Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Montpellier, who were auto[matically]-expelled from the Bahá’í community of France by their repudiation of the living Guardian, and who continue nonetheless to retain and usurp the title of this Local Spiritual Assembly of Bahai’s .

8. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France, having found, shortly after the 8^th of May 1960, the front door of its central office (Haziratu’l-Quds), 11 rue de la Pompe, Paris 16^th , locked with the new lock installed, without doubt, by this organization who appropriated its name and its goods and as a consequence did not have the key, decided then, in conformity to the statutes, to transfer temporarily its central office. It chose, for its means, the residence of its secretary Mr. Bernard Fillon, 135 Avenue Versailles , Paris, 16^th arrondissement.

9. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France no longer possessing at Ridván 118 a sufficient number of Local Spiritual Assemblies so that its delegates ( nineteen delegates, the number fixed by the first Guardian Shoghi Effendi) are able to elect the members of The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France for the Bahá’í year 118 ( not later than the 2^nd of May 1961 until at the latest the 2^nd of May 1962) ceases, naturally, to exist on the 2^nd of May, 1961.

10. Only the second Guardian, Mason Remey or one of his legal successors designated by him or by them, in conformity with the Will and Testament of `Abdu’l-Bahá, the Centre of the Covenant of Bahá’u’lláh, could designate the person or the group of persons who would be charged to prepare the election of the future National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France – successor to the present one – and only this new National Spiritual Assembly, resulting from this election, can then take possession of this document and the goods and chattels of the present National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France to use as they see fit.

11. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France had locked away during the night of the 7^th of May its most important documents, that of the registration of the modifications (stamped by the Prefecture of Police of Paris) as well as the cash funds and chequebook, within the safe (in the secretariat of its central office rue de la Pompe, Paris, 16^th) and changed the combination. The two keys to the safe (only two existed) together with the keys to the front door, which were held by the Secretary and Treasurer, were put away in a secure location, by the Treasurer, Mr. Donald Harvey, who alone knew where to find them. Only the Treasurer and the Secretary Mr. Bernard Fillon knew the combination to the safe, (Several members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France and the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Paris, in addition to the Treasurer and Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France, were also in possession of the front door keys to the central office of the said National Spiritual Assembly of France. The premises of the central office being loaned permanently to the Spiritual Assembly of Paris for its own activities.

If this safe is opened before the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France can present itself [to open it],the legal successor [to the NSABF] and loyal to the living Guardian by those who have undersigned this document, it will have only been done so by a professional, at the request of persons or the organization having illegally occupied the central office of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France and forced open by these same persons or organization.

12. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France recognizes the right of its legal successor described in paragraph 10 of the present declaration; to undertake every measure deemed necessary, measures both simple or judicial, to reclaim possession of its goods, assets ( cash and bank) and others.

13. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France certifies that as of the date of 2 May 1961, the persons whose names appear below, are part of the community of the Bahá’ís of France, loyal to the living Guardian, Mason Remey ( designated in accordance with the instructions of the Will and Testament of `Abdu’l-Bahá)




Mr. John Byers, 10, boulevard d’Angleterre,
          Le Vésinet (Seine-et-Oise) ;

Mrs. Madeleine Byers, 10, boulevard d’Angleterre,
          Le Vésinet (Seine-et-Oise);

Mrs. Margaret Aducat, 7, rue Jousselin,
          Orléans (Loiret) ;

Mrs. Georgine Carré, Maison L’Enfant, Uhart-Cize,
          par Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (B.-Pyr.) ;

Mrs. Inglis Carré, Maison L’Enfant, Uhart-Cize,
          par Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (B.-Pyr.) ;

Mr. John Carré, Maison L’Enfant, Uhart-Cize,
          par Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (B.-Pyr.) ;

Mr. Monir Derakhchan, 115, rue Paradis,
          Marseille 6 (B.-du-R.);

Miss Madeleine Férahian, 6, passage des Écoliers,
          Paris 15;

Monsieur Bernard Fillon, 135, avenue de Versailles,
          Paris 16 ;

Mrs. Marguerite-Marie Fillon , 135, avenue de Versailles,
          Paris 16 ;

Mr, Donald Harvey, 3, rue René-Bazin,
          Paris 16;

Mrs. M.-Antoinette Lacascade, 249 Le Corbusier, boulevard Michelet,
          Marseille 8 (B.-du-R.);

Mrs. Patricia Lilly, Maison L’Enfant, Uhart-Cize,
          par Saint Jean-Pied-de-Port (B.-Pyr.) ;

Mrs. Irene Marangella , 7, rue Jousselin,
          Orléans;

Mr. Joel B. Marangella, 7, rue Jousselin,
          Orléans (Loiret) ;

Miss Marguerite Mignon, 62, rue de Coulmier,
          Orleans ( Loiret ) ;

Miss Eulalie A. Ouvry, 232, rue Paradis,
          Marseille 6 (B.-du- R. ) ;

Mrs. Marie-Louise Péreira, Cours Lafayette,
          La Chaize-Dieu (Haute-Loire ) ;

Mrs. Aurore Reynaud, 33, rue Milly,
           Marsellle 6 (B.-du- R.) ;

Mr. Jacques Soghomonian 51 rue Paul-Bert,
          Lyon (Rhône )

14. To testify on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of France for the year 117 (from the 23^rd of April 1960 until the 2^nd of May 1961), the five remaining majority members whom are formed, sign the present declaration, three copies of which are:

	Joel B. Marangella (president)
	Jacques Soghomonian (vice-president)
	Bernard Fillon (secretary)
	Donald A. Harvey (treasurer and reporting secretary)
	Monir Derakhchan (member).