Edmond-area Baha'is plan prayer chain

EDMOND — Members of the Edmond Baha'i Center soon will begin a 24-hour prayer chain with an emphasis on praying for the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic, for the local community, for America and for members of their faith tradition in Iran who continue to live under extreme persecution.

Edmond Baha'is will sign up to say prayers in 30-minute increments throughout the 24-hour period, lifting up the community from 7 p.m. March 6 to 7 p.m. March 7.

The public will have an opportunity to participate in one of those hours through a special virtual devotional gathering on the topic of spiritual healing at 11 a.m. March 7. Those interested in attending the virtual devotional where a variety of interfaith prayers will be shared may look for event details on the Baha'i Faith Center of

Edmond's Facebook page @edmondbahaifaith.

Oklahoma Baha'is, along with Baha'is around the globe, are concerned for their fellow Baha'is in Ivel, Iran, due to a recent court ruling affirming the Iranian government's confiscation and demolition of Baha'i homes as legal. While Baha'is have lived in this region of Iran for more than a century, they continue to face persecution there and across the country purely for their faith alone. This latest action in Iran sets the precedent that it's acceptable for anyone to ransack and loot Baha'i homes without any ramifications.

This prayer effort on behalf of Iranian Baha'is and the local community coincides with the annual spring fast, scheduled for Monday through March 19 during the Baha'i month of Loftiness. Baha'is age 15 and older, who are medically able, fast by avoiding food and drink from sunrise to sunset those 19 days. This annual period helps Baha'is refresh themselves spiritually and prepare for a new year of 19 months of 19 days each.

For more information about the Edmond events, call the Edmond Baha'i Center at 348-9992, email edmond@edmondbahai. org, go to @edmondbahaifaith on Facebook or go to www.edmondbahai.org.

Additional information: Baha'is view the world's major religions as part of a single, progressive process through which God reveals His will to humanity. Other major Baha'i tenets include the oneness of humanity, equality of men and women, eradication of prejudice, harmony of science and religion and universal education. To learn more about the Baha'i Faith in America, go to www.bahai.us.