set for victim of African violence Gunmen murder Baha’i teacher at religious meeting in South Africa A BAHA’! man who was one of three whites gunned down in South Africa was a “pio- neer” of peace on the frontier of racial war, say his North . Shore relatives. “ By Kate Zimmerman News Reporter “He died as a soldier in the field of the ‘Baha'i cause.” said Hooshmand Anvari's brother-in- law, Bahram Noizadan. ~~ Anvari had been teaching South Africans the Baha'i faith. which is devoted to promoting racial harmo- ny. - Anvari's. sister. Mahvash Noizadan heard the news of his 66 He died asa soldier i in the field of - the Baha’ i cause. 99 ‘death’ from another sister in Ontario , Sunday. . Reports from: ‘the site of the : : murders vary. | The facts appear, to be that either wey? “four or'six black. ‘gunmen entered ae _Teligious meéting at noon in the ‘: Baha’i centre in Mdanisane, outside = East London.” “a They told the black members of the congregation, including chil- “ dzen.who ‘were gathered for Sunday school; te stay'seated. They asked the three whites, Who were all Iranian, to empty: “their ' pockets and relinquish. their car ' keys, oo. Th gunmen “then lined the whites | up them. . , sAnvari and another man died - immediately: the: third died-in hos- “pital! ee “No one‘else was harmed,” . “A spokesman for‘a‘militant black: fringe group cailed the Azanian Liberation Army claimed responsibility. : The, group opposes April’ s - national election .on grounds that blacks should simply seize power _ from whites. “Anvari, 45, had moved to the ’ READERS VOICE CALL US: 983-2208 ainst the wall and shot; country six years ago from Dallas. Texas. He had been working as a com- puter salesman and a tutor of black high school students in addition to his Baha‘i teaching. He Jeaves a wife and three children, ranging in age from 18 months to eight years. “He had always said to me, ‘You come over too,’ “ said Mahvash Noizadan. Local Baha’is wonder why any meeting ef their religious commu- nity would be targeted, since their faith is dedicated to pacifism, sexu- al and racial equality, and unity. Mahvash and Bahram also point out that Iranians in South Africa do not fit in cither the “white” or “black” racial categories. Mahvash said her brother's skin was the color of her own, caramel, “We see it more as an act of ignorance.” said local Baha‘i com- munity, spokesman Sandra Azizi, who called the incident “ironic.” “We're very, very sad, but we don’t seek revenge,” Azizi contin- ued. “The whole issue reinforces our own commitment to bringing about racial harmony and racial unity in the world.” Mahvash described her family’s approach’ to. the ‘news of Hooshmand’s murder. . “You know, my father now. is 86,” she said. “And. when my brother told him (Hooshmiand) was killed in Africa, he laughed, and he say, ‘I knew. 1 have a dream last night. (My brother) was worried. how.can he explain:to him. But he carried (the burden of the informa- ‘tion) very good. And he say; ‘OK » Lf he was sick, and died — noth- ing for the faith.” But...” -He died for the cause, Bahram . explained as his wife’ $ voice fal- tered. The Baha'i i faith claims to be the ; second widest-spread religion in ‘the world after Christianity. It is > monotheistic and represents over .2,000 racial and ethnic groups. The murders came in the middle of.a- particularly significant month “ for Baha'is, who celebrate: the New Year on March 21. The North Shore community, which numbers about 300, will hold a: prayer -service for Hooshmand Anvari in April. “We believe in a life after death, survival of the soul,” said Azizi. “We' believe that the soul will live on....That’s why we have prayer service, : “We don’t like to.use the word ‘mourning,’ [t wilf be a memorial service, in memory of these friends who were killed.” Should the police have more leeway in chases? Joha Sercher North Vancouver I don’t believe that they should be able to chase people through resi- dential districts, because it's dan- gerous. Friday, March 18, 1994 - North Shore News - 3 Proposed Logging Activity —_ oN, Crean Be ense teeny SFOS Zo » ’ Proposed 2 Upper Level 4-Lane Expressway Proposed . . erence wns *. * * é « - ry “ee 8 . - Recreation Reserve Extent of Old Growth Forest Low Level Highway * Britannia Comprehensive ° if, Development Area UY, a Terminal Site [J TourisYCommercial Site Proposed Waterfront Park Howe Sound ros ‘ ul NEWS graphic David Bigger . A MAJOR development is planned for the Howe Sound Britannia area. Plans cali for the con- struction of a paper mill and a townsite complete with a new. terminal for Ships and realigned routes for BC Rail and Highway 99. owe Sound planned by paper community . - : ill co. : Developers promise a non-poljuting industrial base . A PLAN to construct a “European-style” com- munity based around’a paper mill on 500 acres (200 hectares).of the Howe Sound corridor will . be presented to the Squantish- -Lillooet Regional District this year. By Kate Zimmerman News Reporter “The. industry that we're proposing is non-pollut- ing,” said Derek Ashford, general manager of Britannia Beach Holdings. “it's going to look good, be part of the community... It” s the type of facility that you can live right next coor to." Ashford and company president Ernest Mahood rave about the towns which have sprung up around industries in Europe. Mahood recalls with special fond- ness a pulp and paper mill located near a major trout stream in Germany. He also recommends that travellers inspect a container port on the ltalian coast at Amalfi. “It’s a beautiful. clean operation and there isn’t a speck of dust on it. That’s what's going on in this world. But it’s not going on in this country. “There's entirely new techuology’ * elsewhere in the world, said Mahood. In Canada, he said, “they’re still. making buggy whips.” . The Makin Pulp and Paper Plant “can only be a ben. efit” to the area, he added. “The best. piece of land-is being proposed as a park,” said Ashford, noting that the. site used to bea. copper mine. The paper plant. would ‘be a non-polluting: ‘factory. ‘importing prepared pulp-and fibre 10 make’ paper pri- marily -for domestic use and export. Fibre, sources will: be mostly arboreal.: The proposed community will consist of single fam- ily, semi-attached and cluster housing, townhouses and low-rise apartments, with freehold, condominium and cooperative ownership available. Common facilities for recycling, composting; activity rooms, workshops and daycare ure being incorporated into the plan: A full-: service marina and port will also be constructed. . Britannia Beach jis planned to feature an internation-~ al school, an ice-skating arena, ‘a rock-climbing centre | and’a fitness centre. The atrium of the mill will be used | for community meetings. The development company has enlisted the help of. Vancouver architectural firm Baker McGarva Hart and . the Calgary firm of Simpson R Roberts Wappel. Index BY AUTOMOUVE..cseceeereee ed & Classified....... veo @ Comics ee @ Crime Alert... .12 B Crossword saesaverossetenssenaseatene Oo @ Home & Garden wo TS G Mailbox .. i News Briefs.. WD INSIQhts oo. essseececseteeneesnenes BB Trevor Lautens «0... .cccecscsereene Paul St. Pierre we cscs Sunshine Girl occ ET What's Going OM ee 2) ee Weather . Saturday: mostly cloudy skies with showers high 9°C, low 3°C Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238" ished, Mike Jebnichen North Vancouver Dave Boyle North Vancouver I think if they (criminals) are going to give a high speed chase; they should be subject to whatever. that occurs. Yes, the criminals should be held fully responsible for any damage THE WEST Vancouver Police came under fire from some residents recently over a stolen car chase that ended in a crash in the Dundarave business district. Two suspects were Caught. The stolen car was demol- Kurt Bennett. West Vancouver Yes, | think police should have more leeway. My only regret is that the idiots in the fleeing vehicle were not seriously injured. THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Do you feel the province gives enough funding to local school districts?