Baha'is of Central Minnesota hosting 'Unity BBQ' at Lake George Sunday

The Baha'is of Central Minnesota are hosting a "Unity BBQ" at Lake George by the Splash Pad at 1 p.m. Sunday. This is the second barbeque hosted by the organization since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a media release, the purpose of the event is to "meet and visit with individuals from different neighborhoods, backgrounds, cultures and races" and to bring "greater understanding and appreciation for the variance of human experience and the common aspirations we all share. "

Ron Marotte, chairperson of the spiritual assembly of the Baha'is of St. Cloud, said the event "springs from the Baha'i belief that we are members of one race, the human race. Living on a common homeland, the Earth."

Marotte also said the barbeque will answer the "divisiveness that is so prevalent in our society today," citing a racially-motivated attack on a Cold Spring family's home in July 2021.

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120 people showed up in the barbeque last year despite the Baha'i population being relatively small. The actual Baha'is that did show up at last year's event was around 20 people, according to Marotte. The Baha'is of Central Minnesota are expecting more this year.

Like last year, members coming to the event may experience or participate in "spontaneous music," as Marotte puts it. He also shared that in previous events people brought drums for drum circles.

Ron Marotte said that the first "noted Baha'i" members appeared in Central Minnesota around the 1950s.

The Baha'i religion originated in Iran in the mid-19th century and founded by Mirza Husayn 'Ali Nuri who took the title Baha'u'llah ('the Glory of God'). It is believed that the population of the faith is under 10 million world wide.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Baha'is of Central Minnesota hosting 'Unity BBQ' at Lake George Sunday