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Bahá'í Administration
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Pages 165-175
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Letter of February 12, 1929.
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To the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful
throughout the West.
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Fellow-laborers in the Divine Vineyard:
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I feel impelled by the force of various circumstances to share
with you the news of recent happenings in those countries of the
Near and Middle East which, by the ruling of Providence, are in
these days undergoing a transformation which is as startling in its
features as it is significant in its bearings upon the interests of our
beloved Faith.
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I have already in my previous communication briefly referred to
the nature and effects of that momentous Revolution which has, with
surprising swiftness, substituted a westernized and rejuvenated
Turkey for the primitive and decrepit Ottoman Empire. I have also
attempted to describe the first stages of that recent and moving
episode which has served in a manner that is truly providential to
thrust the Bahá'í community in Turkey out of the obscurity of
oppressive neglect into the broad daylight of official and public
attention.
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Recently, however, from the reports that have been received
from the elected representatives of the believers in different parts of
Turkey, it appears that the investigations conducted by the Police
authorities in the capital and provinces of that land have proved
but a preliminary to a more official and detailed inquiry into the
Bahá'í position with respect to the laws recently promulgated by
the Republican government. For no sooner were the followers of
Bahá'u'lláh released from detention at the Police headquarters and
given the assurance that their Faith was in no way associated with
any political design or motive, than an official communication was
delivered to their representatives summoning them to appear before
the State's criminal Tribunal on the charge of infraction of the law
of the Republic requiring the registration and authorization of all
public gatherings and associations within the jurisdiction of the
State. To this summons our brethren yielded immediate and implicit
obedience. They indeed welcomed this further opportunity to
assert not only the innocence of their Faith but to vindicate as well
the sublimity of the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. Realizing that with
this fresh development their case has assumed a solemn and juridical
character, the undaunted champions of the Cause resolved to seek
the assistance of an expert and sympathetic advocate, who would
reinforce from a purely legal standpoint the spiritual argument
which they reserved for themselves to propound. For a period
ranging from a week to eighteen days the attention of the officers
of the Court, of the elected representatives of the believers, of their
officially appointed advocates, and of the visiting public was focused
upon the deliberations of a Court that closely scrutinized not only
the conduct and motives of the Bahá'í followers but the laws and
principles, the past history and the present position of the Faith
itself.
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Fortified by the reflection that never before in Bahá'í history
have the followers of Bahá'u'lláh been called upon by the officials
of a State, responsible for the administration of Justice, to unfold
the history and principles of their Faith, our brethren in Turkey
decided to assert in their entirety those distinguishing laws and
ordinances of the Bahá'í Revelation which the terrors of a suspicious
autocracy had so long compelled them to dissimulate and
ignore.
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I cannot do better than quote in this connection a few passages
from the text of the official defense which in a moving language was
pronounced by the President of the Constantinople Bahá'í Spiritual
Assembly at a plenary session of the Court on that historic occasion:
"La Behá'isme est une religion universelle, moderne et absolument
independante. Si l'on désiré une désignation plus moderne encore:
c'est une institution de Clémence, de bonne entente et d'amour, en
d'autres termes, de progrès moral et spirituel. Il n'est ni une secte,
ni une branche des autres religions et doctrines diverses. Il est
cependant leur aboutissement naturel, logique et pour ainsi dire
scientifique. C'est la raison pour laquelle l'on trouve parmi ses
adhèrents des personnes, venant de toutes les religions et doctrines
existantes dans le monde, et qui se comptent aujourd'hui par millions.
...Ces explications ne sauraient toutefois à dévoiler le suffire (?)
mystère qui est au fond des sacrifices, consentis dans ce siècle en
Orient, par plus de vingt mille martyrs du Behá'isme, parmi lesquels
se trouve Qurratu'l-`Ayn Táhirih (la joie des yeux, la pure), cette
jeune femme turque, dépeinté ainsi par notre illustre écrivain Suleyman
Nasif, et dont le martyre sans precèdent est cité aujourd'hui
par le monde entier comme l'epopée sans pareille de la cause humaine.
Je ne sais si ces explications peuvent elucider les raisons pour lesquelles
il se trouve à cette doctrine petrié également par le sang turc
des amis parmi des hommes de race turque, cette race qui dans tout
procès du genre humain et de ses nobles aspirations, n'a pas hesité
jusqu'ici à verser son sang.... Toutefois, les Beha'is n'ont point
dissimulé leur présence en Turquie, surtout depuis le régime de la
République. C'est ainsi qu'ils se sont fait inscrire comme Beha'is
sur les feuilles du dernier recensement à Constantinople. D'autre
part est-il admissible que le Gouvernement ignore leur présence dans
cette ville? Cela étant, il ne saurait etre imaginé que les Beha'is
soient sous le régime de la République, poursuivis comme tels, surtout
après avoir acquis leur liberté sous le régime de la Constitution qui a
suivi celui de la tyrannie durant lequel ils étaient persecutés....
Mais avant de terminer, je ne puis m'empecher de dire avec une
entière assurance, que les adeptes en Turquie de cette doctrine, sont
surs de la Justice d'un pays régi par la première véritable République
pleine de lumière dont s'honore adjourd'hui tout l'Orient....
Ces déclarations d'une part, et la conduite suivie par les Beha'is, a
l'occasion de cet incident qui a commencé par l'interrogatoire auquel
ils ont été soumis par la Police, de l'autre, sont la preuve convainquante
de la sincerité et de la bonne foie avec lesquelles nous
nous comportons tant vis à vis de la Justice que de celui du
Gouvernement. Ainsi, nous aurions pu soustraire certaines pièces
qui constituent les seuls documents pouvant servi à nous assimiler
à des societés. Ne nous voyant pas en contravention avec la loi,
nous n'avons rien voulu dissimuler, comme personellement je ne
cherche qu'a tout dire ici. Ce n'est lá d'ailleurs qu'une necessité
dicté par le Behá'isme et la conformation à une recommendation de
Bahá'u'lláh. Lui nous dit: "Devant la Justice, dites la Verité et ne
craignez rien."
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To these hotly contested debates two circumstances of unexpected
character lent color and force, and must have contributed in
no small measure to the successful conclusion of the issue. The
participation of a noted Turkish publicist and author whose expressed
sympathy for the Cause had identified him with the group
of the suspected believers, and the association of the name of the
Dowager Queen of Rumania with the Bahá'í Faith as a result of
the discovery among the seized documents of the Constantinople
Bahá'í Assembly of her public pronouncements on the Cause and
her personal message to the friends in that city, both served to
reinforce the position of the Bahá'ís and greatly encouraged them
in their task. I am assured by a letter addressed to me by the
President of the Constantinople Assembly that the sessions of the
Court were dignified in their proceedings, sublime in the presentation
of the ideals of the Cause, and representative in the character
of their attendants. He writes: "Ce fut une déclaration de la Cause
dans toute sa grandeur, et jamais l'Orient n'a vu retentir le nom
de Bahá dans une pareille formule.... J'ai prefère laisser l'avocat
qui n'est pas Behá'í en parler. En effet cela a eu plus d'effet
d'entendre l'avocat, emporté par je ne sais quelle mystèrieuse poussée,
crier, après avoir cité les principes ainsi: `Monsieur le Juge! n'est-ce
pas lá en somme l'idéal vers lequel marche actuellement notre pays
avec en tète notre Grand Gazi?'"
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The extravagant language of the newspapers in reporting the
details of this official inquiry served in turn to accentuate the publicity
already achieved, and induced the officials of the Court to
exercise scrupulous impartiality in the consideration and judgment
of the case. As to the verdict that has been pronounced on December
13, it is stated clearly that although the followers of Bahá'u'lláh,
in their innocent conception of the spiritual character of their Faith,
found it unnecessary to apply for leave for the conduct of their
administrative activities and have thus been made liable to the payment
of a fine, yet they have, to the satisfaction of the legal representatives
of the State, not only established the inculpability of the
Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, but have also worthily acquitted themselves in
the task of vindicating its independence, its Divine origin, and its
suitability to the circumstances and requirements of the present age.
It will be admitted that this recognition on the part of the authorities
would have never been so speedily secured had the representatives
of the believers proceeded through the ordinary and official channels
to obtain such a recognition from their government.
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Surely every unprejudiced observer, reviewing on one hand the
turbulent history of the Cause in Turkey and recalling on the other
the series of internal convulsions that have seized that country,
cannot but marvel at the contrast between the swift decline of an
all-powerful theocracy and the gradual consolidation of a persecuted
Faith. He will appreciate the significance of the circumstances that
have caused on one hand the dismemberment of what was the most
powerful institution of Islám, and contributed on the other to the
emergence upon its ruins of the very Faith it has vainly labored to
suppress. Should he look further into the past and consult the
annals of Christendom during the first century of the Christian era,
he cannot fail to observe the striking parallel between the cataclysmic
visitation of Providence that has afflicted the most sacred
institutions of the Jews in the Holy Land and the utter collapse in
this, the first century of the Bahá'í era, of the Sultanate and the
Caliphate, the highest institutions of orthodox Islám. He will recall
the severities which the hand of Titus inflicted upon the Jews, the
harassing siege of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Holy City, the
profanation of the Temple, the desecration of the Holy of Holies,
the transfer of its priceless treasures to the imperial city of Rome,
the erection on the site of Zion of the pagan colony of Oelia
Capitolina, the massacre of the Jews, and the exile and dispersion
of most of the survivors. In like manner, he will observe that almost
in the corresponding decade of the first century of the era of
Bahá'u'lláh, not at the hand of the infidel, but by a recognized ruler
professing the faith of Islám, a blow, unprecedented in its magnitude,
has been dealt to the highest seats of authority in the Islámic
world. He will call to mind the recent disestablishment of the state
religion of Turkey, the overthrow of the dynasty of the House of
Uthmán, the loss of the unity of the vast majority of the adherents
of the Muhammadan Faith, the humiliation inflicted upon the whole
hierarchy of its ecclesiastical exponents in that land, the abolition
of religious courts, the annulment of the provisions of the Qur'án,
the promulgation of a universal western code of civil law, the
suppression of its Orders and the closing of most of its seminaries
and establishments.
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Such a close correspondence between these historic retributions
which the Almighty's avenging arm has chosen to inflict upon the
persecutors of Christ and Bahá'u'lláh cannot but fortify the confidence
of every Bahá'í believer in the future glories of this Divine
Dispensation. Particularly will he feel strengthened when he recalls
the triumphs that have signalized the advance of Christianity after
the humiliation of its enemies. And as he ponders upon the circumstances
that have given such startling publicity to the Cause, not
only throughout Turkey but in the adjoining countries as well, he
cannot fail to recognize, in this strange episode, following so closely
upon the fall of the mighty stronghold of Bahá'í opposition, a
prelude to a higher recognition and fuller unfoldment of the Faith
of Bahá'u'lláh.
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In Persia, where, unlike its ill-fated sister nation Afghánistán,
the pace of reform has been wisely regulated, the salutary effects of
the progressive regime established by its enlightened ruler are not
only reacting upon the social and economic structure of its society,
but are being increasingly felt by the mass of the followers of
Bahá'u'lláh in that land. The welter of controversy into which the
drastic reforms of a determined government, aiming at the gradual
secularization of the State, has plunged a revolting clergy, has
afforded our Persian brethren their long-desired opportunity to pursue
untrammelled the course of their spiritual and humanitarian
activities. The deportation of a considerable number of Muslim
ecclesiastical officials, amongst them the heir of that notorious and
bloodthirsty Mujtahid of Isfahán, "the Son of the Wolf," has served
to clear the ground for the extension and consolidation of Bahá'í
institutions. Already, as reported from an outlying center in the
province of Yazd, a leading but fair-minded Mulláh has, upon the
discovery of the specific prophecy of `Abdu'l-Bahá regarding the
forced abandonment of the traditional headdress of Muslim clericals,
acknowledged the Divine origin of the Bahá'í Faith, embraced
its truth, and openly enlisted as an active supporter of its
institutions.
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Moreover, it is stated that in various quarters, and among responsible
sections of the community the matter of the codification
and introduction of a western civil code, and its universal application
to all the different communities is being freely discussed, and
its desirability increasingly emphasized. As a preliminary measure,
however, to the introduction of such a far-reaching reform, certain
changes of policy have been lately initiated, not in the form of hastily
conceived dictatorial edicts, but as a result of the mature deliberations
and with the sanction of the national representatives of the
people. The systematization of the laws of marriage and contract;
the establishment of a Land Registry wholly independent of ecclesiastical
control; the distribution of birth certificates of a purely
undenominational character; the increasing prominence accorded to
the social rights of womanhood; the close attention paid by State
authorities to the education of Persian youth in the Universities of
Europe; the banning of all Muslim Passion Plays throughout the
territory of the Sháh: the bold and various schemes that have been
launched for the embellishment of the Persian Capital--all are welcome
signs of the approaching era which is to witness the spiritual
and material ascendency of Persia among the people and nations
of the world.
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In this ever-improving environment and witnessing on every side
the downfall of those institutions that have crippled their struggling
Faith, the believers in Persia are joyously seizing every opportunity
to demonstrate the redeeming power of the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh.
An illuminating report, submitted by one of the most capable and
trusted itinerant teachers of the Cause in Persia, has lately reached
the Holy Land. In it the writer sets forth in graphic and accurate
language the many evidences of the increasing vitality displayed
by the Faith in different parts of Persia. Summoned by the
Persian National Spiritual Assembly to interrupt his travels in the
vicinity of the town of Mashhad in order to devote immediate
attention to a situation that had unexpectedly arisen in Isfahán, our
indefatigable teacher and brother was surprised upon his arrival in
that province to note in the various towns and villages he visited a
ten-fold increase in the number of the adherents of the Faith since
his last visit to those regions. He was moreover startled at the
hospitality which he received at the hands of those persons who
six years ago had been instrumental in expelling him from their
localities, and who now had freely enlisted under the banner of
Bahá'u'lláh. He was furthermore highly elated to learn that the
prestige, the integrity and ability of the local Bahá'í Assemblies in
that province had of late stood so high that non-Bahá'ís, exasperated
by the corruption and incompetence of their own judges, had more
than once freely submitted cases of dispute to the judgment of the
elected representatives of the Bahá'í community in their locality.
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Only a close and unbiased observer of the manner and habits of
the Persian people, already familiar with the prevailing tendencies
of different sections of the population, such as their apathy and
indolence, the absence of a sense of public duty and of loyalty to
principle, the lack of concerted effort and constancy in action, the
habit of secrecy and blind surrender to the capricious will of an
ignorant and fanatical clergy, can truly estimate the immensity of
the task that faces every conscientious believer in that land. He
will moreover readily testify to the high standard already attained
by the Bahá'ís of Persia in their efforts to inculcate in the minds
of their fellow-countrymen the principles of the Divine Civilization
ushered in by Bahá'u'lláh.
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We have only to glance at the soul-stirring written assurances
of `Abdu'l-Bahá in order to realize the magnitude and exalted character
of the mission entrusted by Him to the adherents of the Faith
in Bahá'u'lláh's native land. By the faithful application of the
spiritual principles which their present administration is endeavoring
to propagate; by the character of those indissoluble bonds of
Bahá'í fellowship that cement the union of the mass of the believers
with their elected councillors; by the distinctiveness of their future
contributions in the domain of art, of science and of trade, of education
and of industry--by these and by still other convincing manifestations
of the quickening vitality of their Faith, our Persian
brethren are destined to demonstrate to the ruling powers on earth
the majesty, the enduring stability and the unfailing efficacy of the
Government of Bahá'u'lláh.
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The following passage from the Tablet of `Abdu'l-Bahá, revealed
more than thirty years ago, while incarcerated within the walls of
the prison-city of Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of Khurásán,
will undoubtedly stimulate those energetic friends of the West who
long to contribute by every means in their power to the rehabilitation
of their Master's native land:--
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"Erelong will your brethren from Europe and America journey
to Persia. There they will promote to an unprecedented degree the
interests of art and industry. There they will rear the institutions
of true civilization, promote the development of husbandry and
trade, and assist in the spread of education.... Assuredly they will
come; assuredly they will contribute in making of the land of Írán
the envy and the admiration of the peoples and nations of the world."
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And as we ponder these words of `Abdu'l-Bahá in our hearts,
let us also remember the prophetic utterances of Bahá'u'lláh, which
reveal not only the merciless cruelty of the ecclesiastical leaders of
Islám but also the measure of Divine retribution which now afflicts
the oppressors of God's holy Faith:--
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"O people of the Qur'án! Verily the prophet of God, Muhammad,
sheddeth tears at the sight of your cruelty. Ye have assuredly
followed your evil and corrupt desires and turned away your face
from the light of guidance. Erelong will ye witness the result of
your deeds; for the Lord My God lieth in wait and is watchful of
your behavior.... Erelong He will raise in every city the standard
of His sovereignty, and will wipe away the traces of them that have
denied Him on the day of His return.... O concourse of Muslim
divines! By your deeds the exalted station of the nation hath been
abased, the standard of Islám hath been reversed and its mighty
throne hath fallen. Whenever the Divine Reformer has sought to
ennoble the rank of the people, ye have tumultuously risen against
Him and prevented Him from executing His purpose, wherefore the
realm hath remained in grievous loss."
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And in conclusion, I wish, in a few words, to pay a tribute, however
inadequate, to the magnificent services rendered by that exemplary
and indefatigable teacher of the Cause, our dearly-beloved
sister, Miss Martha Root. Her international travels on behalf of
the Bahá'í Faith, so wide in their range, so extensive in their duration,
so inspiring in their results, will adorn and enrich the annals
of God's immortal Faith. Her earliest journeys to the southernmost
limits of the American continent, to India and to South Africa,
to the eastern confines of Asia, to the islands of the Southern Seas
and the Scandinavian countries of the North; her more recent contact
with the rulers and crowned heads of Europe and the impression
which her undaunted spirit created in royal circles in the
Balkan countries; her close affiliation with international organizations,
peace societies, humanitarian movements and Esperantist
circles; and her latest victories in the university circles of Germany
--all constitute a compelling evidence of what the power of Bahá'u'lláh
can achieve. These historic labors, pursued single-handed and
in circumstances of financial stringency and ill-health, have been
characterized throughout by a spirit of fidelity, of self-effacement,
of thoroughness and vigor that none has excelled.
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I appeal to individual believers and Bahá'í Assemblies alike to
reinforce by every possible means the earnest strivings of such a
precious soul, to respond speedily and entirely to every request that
from time to time she feels moved to address to her fellow-workers
in every land, to strive to attain the high standard of stewardship
that she has set, and to pray from the very depths of their hearts for
the uninterrupted continuance of her noble endeavors.
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Your true brother,
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SHOGHI.
Haifa, Palestine,
February 12, 1929.
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