Bahá’í World/Volume 12/The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh

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[Page 276][Page 277]PART TWO

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I

THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

1 .

PRESENT DAY ADMINISTRATION OF

THE BAHA’T FAITH

THE FORMATION OF AN ORGANIC RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY

By HORACE HOLLEY

IN accepting the message of Bahá’u’lláh, every Bahá’í has opened his mind and heart to the dominion of certain fundamental truths. These truths he recognizes as divine in origin, beyond human capacity to produce. In the realm of spirit he attests that these truths are revealed evidences of a higher reality than man. They are to the soul what natural law is to physical body of animal or plant. Therefore the believer today, as in the Dispensation of Christ or Moses, enters into the condition of faith as a status of relationship to God and not of satisfaction to his own limited human and personal will or awareness. His faith exists as his participation in a heavenly world. It is the essence of his responsibility and not a temporary compromise efiected between his conscience or reason and the meaning of truth, society, virtue, or life.

The Bahá’í accepts a quality of existence, a level of being which has been created above the control of his own active power. Because on that plane the truth exists that mankind is one, part of his acceptance of the message of Bahá’u’lláh is capacity to see that truth as existing, as a heavenly reality to be confirmed on earth. Because likewise on that higher level the inmost being of Moses, Christ, Muhammad, the Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh is one being, part of the believer’s acceptance of the Bahá’í message is capacity to realize the eternal continuance of that oneness, so that thereafter never will he again think of those holy and majestic

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Prophets according to the separateness of their bodies, their countries and their times.

The Bahá’í, morever, recognizes that the realm of truth is inexhaustible, the creator of truth God Himself. Hence the Bahá’í can identify truth as the eternal flow of life itself in a channel that deepens and broadens as man’s capacity for truth enlarges from age to age. For him, that definition of truth which regards truth as tiny fragments of experience, to be taken up and laid down, as a shopper handling gems on a counter, to buy if one gem happens to please or seems becoming—such a definition measures man’s own knowledge, or interest, or loyalty, but truth is a living unity which no man can condition. It is the sun in the heavens of spiritual reality, while self—will denies its dominion because self—will is the shadow of a cloud.

There are times for the revelation of a larger area of the indivisible truth to mankind. The Manifestation of God signalizes the times and He is the revelation. When He appears on earth He moves and speaks with the power of all truth, known and unknown, revealed in the past, revealed in Him, or to be revealed in the future. That realm of heavenly reality is brought again in its power and universality to knock at the closed door of human experience, a divine guest whose entrance will bless the household eternally, or a divine punishment when debarred and forbidden and condemned.

Bahá’u’lláh reveals that area of divine

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truth Which underlies all human association. He enlarges man’s capacity to receive truth in the realm of experience where all men have condemned themselves to social chaos by ignorance of truth and readiness to substitute the implacable will of races, classes, nations and creeds for the pure spiritual radiance beneficently shining for all. Spiritual reality today has become the principle of human unity, the law for the nations, the devotion to mankind on which the future civilization can alone repose. As long as men cling to truth as definition, past experience, aspects of self-will, so long must this dire period of chaos continue When the separate fragments of humanity employ life not to unite but to struggle and destroy.

In the world of time, Bahá’u’lláh has created capacity for union and world civilization. His Dispensation is historically new and unique. In the spiritual world it is nothing else than the ancient and timeless reality of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad disclosed to the race in a stage of added growth and development so that men can take a larger measure of that which always existed.

Like the man of faith in former ages, the Bahá’í has been given sacred truths to cherish in his heart as lamps for darkness and medicines for healing, convictions of immortality and evidences of divine love. But in addition to these gifts, the Bahá’í has that bestowal which only the Promised One of all ages could bring: nearness to a process of creation which opens a door of entrance into a world of purified and regenerated human relations. The final element in his recognition Of the message of Baha’u’llah is that Bahá’u’lláh came to found a civilization of unity, progress and peace.

“O Children of Men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, O concourse of light! Heed ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.”

Thus He describes the law of survival revealed for the world today, mystical only

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in that He addressed these particular words to our deepest inner understanding. Their import is not confined to any subjective realm. The motive and the realization He invokes has become the whole truth of sociology in this era.

Or, as we find its expression in another passage: “All men have been created to carry forward an ever—advancing civilization.” And the truth reappears in still another form: “How vast is the tabernacle of the Cause of God! It hath overshadowed all the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and will, erelong, gather together the whole of mankind beneath its shelter.”

The encompassing reach of the Cause of God in each cycle means the particular aspect of experience for which men are held responsible. Not until our day could there be the creation of the principle of moral cause and effect in terms of mankind itself, in terms of the unifiable world.

The mission of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, following Baha’u’llah’s ascension in 1892, was to raise up a community of believers through whom collectively He might demonstrate the operation of the law of unity. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s mission became fulfilled historically in the experience of the Bahá’ís of North America. In them He developed the administrative order, the organic society, which exemplifies the pattern of justice and order Baha’u’llah had creatively ordained. By His wisdom, His tenderness, His justice and His complete consecration to Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá conveyed to this body of Bahá’ís a sense of partnership in the process of divine creation: that it is for men to re-create, as civilization, a human and earthly replica of the heavenly order existing in the divine will.

The Bahá’í administrative order has been described by the Guardian of the Faith as the pattern of the world order to be gradually attained as the Faith spreads throughout all countries. Its authority is Baha’u’llah, its sources the teachings He revealed in writing, with the interpretation and amplification made by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

The first conveyance of authority by Baha’u’llah was to His eldest son. By this conveyance the integrity of the teachings was safeguarded, and the power of action implicit in all true faith directed into channels of unity for the development of the Cause in its universal aspects. No prior Dispensation has ever raised up an instrument like ‘Abdu’l-Bahá through whom the

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spirit and purpose of the Founder could continue to flow out in its wholeness and purity until His purpose had been achieved. The faith of the Bahá’í thus remains untainted by those elements of self—will which in previous ages have translated revealed truth into creeds, rites and institutions of human origin and limited aim. Those who enter the Bahá’í community subdue themselves and their personal interests to its sovereign standard, for they are unable to alter the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh and exploit its teachings or its community for their own advantage.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s life exemplified the working of the one spirit and the one truth sustaining the body of believers throughout the world. He was the light connecting the sun of truth with the earth, the radiance e11abling all Bahá’ís to realize that truth penetrates human affairs, illumines human problems, transcends conventional barriers, changes the climate of life from cold to warm. He infused Himself so completely into the hearts of the Bahá’ís that they asso 281

2,;

a 18 of the United States of America, elected April, 1953. Left to right: H. B. Kavelin, Mrs. Mamie L. Seto, W. Kenneth Christian, Miss Elsie Austin, Paul E. Haney, Miss Edna M. True, Horace Holley, Mrs. Dorothy Baker, Matthew Bullock.

ciated the administrative institutions of the Faith with His trusted and cherished methods of service, so that the contact between their society and their religion has remained continuous and unimpaired.

The second conveyance of authority made by Bahá’u’lláh was to the institution He termed “House of Justice”:—“The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Bahá [i.e., nine] . . . It behooveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that Which is meet and seemly. . . .” “Those souls who arise to serve the Cause sincerely to please God will be inspired by the divine, invisible inspirations. It is incumbent upon all [i.e., all believers] to obey. . . . Administrative affairs are all in charge of the

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House of Justice; but acts of worship must be observed according as they are revealed in the Book.”

The House of Justice is limited in its legislative capacity to matters not covered by the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh Himself:“It is incumbent upon the Trustees of the House of Justice to take counsel together regarding such laws as have not been expressly revealed in the Book.” A high aim is defined for this central administrative organ of the Faith:—“The men of the House of Justice of God must, night and day, gaze toward that which hath been revealed from the horizon of the Supreme Pen for the training of the servants, for the upbuilding of countries, for the protection of men and for the preservation of human honor.”

In creating this institution for His community, Bahá’u’lláh made it clear that His Dispensation rests upon continuity of divine purpose, and associates human beings directly with the operation of His law. The House of Justice, an elective body, transforms society into an organism reflecting spiritual life. By the just direction of affairs this Faith replaces the institution of the professional clergy developed in all previous Dispensations.

By 1921, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laid down His earthly mission, the American Bahá’í community had been extended to scores of cities and acquired power to undertake tasks of considerable magnitude, but the administrative order remained incomplete. His Will and Testament inaugurated a new era in the Faith, a further conveyance of authority and a clear exposition of the nature of the elective institutions which the Bahá’ís were called upon to form. In Shoghi Effendi, His grandson, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá established the function of Guardianship with sole power to interpret the teachings and with authority to carry out the provisions of the Will. The Guardianship connects the spiritual and social realms of the Faith in that, in addition to the office of interpreter, he is constituted the presiding officer of the international House of Justice when elected; and the Guardianship is made to descend from generation to generation through the male line.

From the Will these excerpts are cited:

“After the passing away of this wronged one, it is incumbent upon . . . the loved ones of the ‘Abhá Beauty [i.e., Bahá’u’lláh]

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to turn unto Shoghi Effendi—the youthful branch branched from the two hallowed and sacred Lote-Trees [i.e., descended from both the Bath and Bahá’u’lláh] . . . as he is the sign of God, the chosen branch, the guardian of the Cause of God . . . unto whom . . . His loved ones must turn. He is the expounder of the words of God and after him will succeed the first-born of his lineal descendants.

“The sacred and youthful branch, the guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice, to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty. . . . Whatsoever they decide is of God. . . . The mighty stronghold shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who is the guardian of the Cause of God. . . . No doubt every vainglorious one that purposeth dissension and discord will not openly declare his evil purposes, nay rather, even as impure gold would he seize upon divers measures and various pretexts that he may separate the gathering of the people of Babel.”

“Wherefore, O my loving friends! Consort with all the peoples, kindreds and religions of the world with the utmost truthfulness, uprightness, faithfulness, kindliness, good-will and friendliness; that all the world of being may be filled with the holy ecstasy of the grace of Bahá. . . .”

“O ye beloved of the Lord! Strive with all your heart to shield the Cause of God from the onslaught of the insincere, for souls such as these cause the straight to become crooked and all benevolent efforts to produce contrary results. . . . To none is given the right to put forth his own opinion or express his particular convictions. A11 must seek guidance and turn unto the Center of the Cause and the House of Justice. . . .”

In each country where Bahá’ís exist, they participate in the world unity of their Faith through the office of the Guardian at this time, and they maintain local and national Bahá’í institutions fdr conducting their own activities.

In each local civil community, whether city, township or county, the Bahá’ís annually elect nine members to their local Spiritual Assembly. In America the Bahá’ís of each State join in election of delegates by proportionate representation and these delegates, to the full number of one hundred

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1,;

National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha IS of Persia, elected April, 1951.

and seventy-one, constitute the Annual Convention which elects the members of the National Spiritual Assembly. These national bodies, in turn, will join in the election of an international Assembly, or House of Justice, when the world Bahá’í community is sufficiently developed.

The inter-relationship of all these administrative bodies provides the world spirit of the Faith with the agencies required for the maintenance of a constitutional society balancing the rights of the individual with the paramount principle of unity preserving the whole structure of the Cause. The Bahá’í as an individual accepts guidance for his conduct and doctrinal beliefs, for not otherwise can he contribute his share to the general unity which is God’s supreme blessing to the world today. This general unity is the believer’s moral environment, his social universe, his psychic health and his goal of effort transcending any personal aim. In the Bahá’í order, the individual is the musical note, but the teachings revealed by Bahá’u’lláh are the symphony in which the note finds its real fulfillment; the person attains value by recognizing that truth transcends his capacity and includes him in a relationship which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said en dowed the part with the quality of the whole. To receive, we give. In comparison to this divine creation, the traditional claims of individual conscience, of personal judgment, of private freedom, seem nothing more than empty assertions advanced in opposition to the divine will. It cannot be sufficiently emphasized that the Bahá’í’s relationship to this new spiritual society is an expression of faith, and faith alone raises personality out of the pit of self-will and moral isolation into which so much of the world has fallen.

There can be no organic society, in fact, without social truth and social law embracing the individual members and evoking a loyalty both voluntary and complete. The political and economic groups which the individual enters with reservations are not true societies but temporary combinations of restless personalities, met in a truce which can not endure. Bahá’u’lláh has for ever solved the artificial dilemma which confuses and betrays the ardent upholder of individual freedom by His categorical statement that human freedom consists in obedience to God’s law. The freedom revolving around self—will He declares “must, in the end, lead to sedition, whose flames none can quench. . . . Know ye that the embodiment of lib [Page 284]284

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National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the British Isles, 1953.

erty and its symbol is the animal. . . . True liberty consists in man’s submission unto My commandments, little as ye know it.”

The Guardian, applying the terms of the Will and Testament to an evolving order, has given the present generation of Bahá’ís a thorough understanding of Bahá’í institutions and administrative principles. Rising to its vastly increased responsibility resulting from the loss of the beloved Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Bahá’í community itself has intensified its efforts until in America alone the number of believers has been more than quadrupled since 1921. It has been their destiny to perfect the local and national Bahá’í institutions as models for the believers in other lands. Within the scope of a single lifetime, the American Bahá’í community has developed from a small local group to a national unit of a world society, passing through the successive stages by Which a civilization achieves its pristine pattern and severs itself from the anarchy and confusion of the past.

In Shoghi Effendi’s letters addressed to this Bahá’í community, we have the statement of the form of the administrative order, its function and purpose, its scope and activity, as well as its significance, which

unites the thoughts and inspires the actions of all believers today.

From these letters are selected a number of passages presenting fundamental aspects of the world order initiated by Bahá’u’lláh.

1. On its nature and scope: “I cannot refrain from appealing to them who stand identified with the Faith to disregard the prevailing notions and the fleeting fashions of the day, and to realize as never before that the exploded theories and the tottering institutions of present-day civilization must needs appear in sharp contrast with those God-given institutions which are destined to arise upon their ruin. . . .

“For Bahá’u’lláh . . . has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit. He has not merely enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy, however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after Him, has, unlike the Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid down a set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of the Most

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Great Peace, and the one agency for the unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness and justice upon the earth. . . .

“Unlike the Dispensation of Christ, unlike the Dispensation of Muhammad, unlike all the Dispensations of the past, the apostles of Baha’u’llah in every land, wherever they labor and toil, have before them in clear, in unequivocal and emphatic language, all the laws, the regulations, the principles, the institutions, the guidance, they require for the prosecution and consummation of their task. . . . Therein lies the distinguishing feature of the Bahá’í Revelation. Therein lies the strength of the unity of the Faith, of the validity of a Revelation that claims not to destroy or belittle previous Revelations, but to connect, unify, and fulfill them. . . .

“Feeble though our Faith may now appear in the eyes of men, who either denounce it as an offshoot of Islam, or contemptuously ignore it as one more of those obscure sects that abound in the West, this priceless gem of Divine Revelation, now still in its embryonic state, shall evolve within the shell of His law, and shall forge ahead, undivided and unimpaired, till it embraces the whole of mankind. Only those who have already recognized the supreme station of Bahá’u’lláh, only those whose hearts have been touched by His love, and have become familiar with the potency of His spirit, can adequately appreciate the value of this Divine Economy—His inestimable gift to mankind. . . .

“This Administrative Order . . . will, as its component parts, its organic institutions, begin to function with efficiency and vigor, assert its claim and demonstrate its capacity to be regarded not only as the nucleus but the very pattern of the New World Order destined to embrace in the fullness of time the whole of mankind. . . .

“Alone of all the Revelations gone before it this Faith has . . . succeeded in raising a structure which the bewildered followers of bankrupt and broken creeds might well approach and critically examine, and seek, ere it is too late, the invulnerable security of its world—embracing shelter. . . .

“To what else if not to the power and majesty which this Administrative Orderthe rudiments of the future all-enfolding Bahá’í Commonwealth—is destined to manifest, can these utterances of Bahá’u’lláh al 285

lude: ‘The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System—the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed. . . .’ ”

2. On its local and national tions: “A perusal of some of the words of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the duties and functions of the Spiritual Assemblies in every land (later to be designated as the local Houses of J ustice), emphatically reveals the sacredness of their nature, the wide scope of their activity, and the grave responsibility which rests upon them.

“Addressing the members of the Spiritual Assembly in Chicago, the Master reveals the following:——‘Whenever ye enter the councilchamber, recite this prayer with a heart throbbing with the love of God and a tongue purified from all but His remembrance, that the All-powerful may graciously aid you to achieve supreme victory:—‘O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned with devotion to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all beside Thee in this glorious Day. We have gathered in this spiritual assembly, united in our views and thoughts, with our purposes harmonized to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind. 0 Lord, our God! Make us the signs of Thy Divine Guidance, the Standards of Thy exalted Faith amongst men, servants to Thy mighty Covenant. O Thou our Lord Most High! Manifestations of Thy Divine Unity in Thine Abhá Kingdom, and resplendent stars shining upon all regions. Lord! Aid us to become seas surging with the billows of Thy wondrous Grace, streams flowing from Thy all-glorious Heights, goodly fruits upon the Tree of Thy heavenly Cause, trees waving through the breezes of Thy Bounty in Thy celestial Vineyard. O God! Make our souls dependent upon the Verses of Thy Divine Unity, our hearts cheered with the outpourings of Thy Grace, that we may unite even as the waves of one sea and become merged together as the rays of Thine efiulgent Light; that our thoughts, our Views, our feelings may become as one reality, manifesting the spirit of union throughout the world. Thou art the Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful, the Compassionate.’

“In the Most Holy Book is revealed: institu [Page 286]286

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National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Germany and Austria for the Year 110 (1953-1954).

‘The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counsellors to the number of Babel, and should it exceed this number it does not matter. It behooveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, 0 ye that perceive.’

“Furthermore, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reveals the following2—‘It is incumbent upon every one not to take any step without consulting the Spiritual Assembly, and they must assuredly obey with heart and soul its bidding and be submissive unto it, that things may be properly ordered and well arranged. Otherwise every person will act independently and after his own judgment, will follow his own desire, and do harm to the Cause.’

“ ‘The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances,

humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long—suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Bahá shall be vouchsafed to them. In this day, assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a Vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory. The members thereof must take counsel together in such Wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should any one oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If after discussion, a decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, differences of opinion should arise, a majority of voices must prevail.’ “Enumerating the obligations incumbent upon the members of consulting councils, the Beloved reveals the following:—‘The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of

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287

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Canada, 1953-1954.

God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be non—existent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be brought to naught. The second condition2—They must when coming together turn their faces to the Kingdom on high and ask aid from the Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their Views. They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one’s views will lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. The honored members must With all freedom express their own thoughts, and it is in no wise permissible for one to belittle the thought of another, nay, he must with moderation set. forth the truth, and should differences of opinion arise a majority of voices must prevail, and all must obey and submit to the majority. It is again not permitted that any one of the honored members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at previously, though that decision be not right, for such criticism would prevent any decision from being en forced. In short, whatsoever thing is arranged in harmony and with love and purity of motive, its result is light, and should the least trace of estrangement prevail the result shall be darkness upon darkness. . . . If this be so regarded, that assembly shall be of God, but otherwise it shall lead to coolness and alienation that proceed from the Evil One. Discussions must all be confined to spiritual matters that pertain to the training of souls, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor, the help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation of His Holy Word. Should they endeavor to fulfill these conditions the Grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them, and that assembly shall become the center of the Divine blessings, the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their aid, and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of Spirit.’

“So great is the importance and so supreme is the authority of these assemblies that once ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. after having Himself and in His own handwriting corrected the translation made into Arabic of the Ishraqét (the Effulgences) by Sheil_<_h Faraj, a Kurdish friend from Cairo, directed him in a Tablet to submit the above—named translation to the Spiritual Assembly of Cairo, that

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National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Australia and New Zealand, Year 110 (1953-1954).

he may seek from them before publication their approval and consent. These are His very words in that Tabletz—‘His honor, Sheik_l_1 Faraju’llah, has here rendered into Arabic with greatest care the Ishréqét and yet I have told him that he must submit his version to the Spiritual Assembly of Egypt, and I have conditioned its publication upon the approval of the above-named Assembly. This is so that things may be arranged in an orderly manner, for should it not be so any one may translate a certain Tablet and print and circulate it on his own account. Even a non-believer might undertake such work, and thus cause confusion and disorder. If it be conditioned, however, upon the approval of the Spiritual Assembly, a translation prepared, printed and circulated by a non-believer will have no recognition whatever.’

“This is indeed a clear indication of the Master’s express desire that nothing whatever should be given to the public by any individual among the friends, unless fully considered and approved by the Spiritual Assembly in his locality; and if this (as is undoubtedly the case) is a matter that per tains to the general interest of the Cause in that land, then it is incumbent upon the Spiritual Assembly to submit it to the consideration and approval of the national body representing all the various local assemblies. Not only with regard to publication, but all matters without any exception whatsoever, regarding the interests of the Cause in that locality, individually or collectively, should be referred exclusively to the Spiritual Assembly in that locality, which shall decide upon it, unless it be a matter of national interest, in which case it shall be referred to the national body. With this national body also will rest the decision whether a given question is of local or national interest. (By national affairs is not meant matters that are political in their character, for the friends of God the world over are strictly forbidden to meddle with political affairs in any way whatever, but rather things that affect the spiritual activities of the body of the friends in that land.)

“Full harmony, however, as well as cooperation among the various local assemblies and the members themselves, and particularly between each assembly and the na [Page 289]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

tional body, is of the utmost importance, for upon it depends the unity of the Cause of God, the solidarity of the friends, the full, speedy and efficient working of the spiritual activities of His loved ones.

“Large issues in such spiritual activities that affect the Cause in general in that land, such as the management of the Star of the West and any periodical which the National Body may decide to be a Bahá’í organ, the matter of publication, of reprinting Bahá’í literature and its distribution among the various assemblies, the means whereby the teaching campaign may be stimulated and maintained, the work of the Mashriqu’l-A(flikar, the racial question in relation to the Cause, the matter of receiving Orientals and association with them, the care and maintenance of the precious film exhibiting a phase of the Master’s sojourn in the United States of America as well as the original matrix and the records of His voice, and various other national spiritual activities, far from being under the exclusive jurisdiction of any local assembly or group of friends, must each be minutely and fully directed by a special board, elected by the National Body, constituted as a committee thereof, responsible to it and upon which the National Body shall exercise constant and general supervi51on. . .

“Regarding the establishment of ‘National Assemblies,’ it is of Vital importance that in every country, where the conditions are favorable and the number of the friends has grown and reached a considerable size, such as America, Great Britain and Germany, that a ‘National Spiritual Assembly’ be immediately established, representative of the friends throughout that country.

“Its immediate purpose is to stimulate, unify and coordinate by frequent personal consultations, the manifold activities of the friends as well as the local Assemblies; and by keeping in close and constant touch with the Holy Land, initiate measures, and direct in general the affairs of the Cause in that country.

“It serves also another purpose, no less essential than the first, as in the course of time it shall evolve into the National House of Justice (referred to in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will as the ‘secondary House of Justice’), which according to the explicit text of the Testament will have, in conjunction with the other National Assemblies throughout the Bahá’í world, to elect directly the mem 289

bers of the International House of Justice, that Supreme Council that will guide, organize and unify the affairs of the Movement throughout the world.

“It is expressly recorded in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Writings that these National Assemblies must be indirectly elected by the friends; that is, the friends in every country must elect a certain number of delegates, who in their turn will elect from among all the friends in that country the members of the National Spiritual Assembly. In such countries, therefore, as America, Great Britain and Germany, a fixed number of secondary electors must first be decided upon. . . . The friends then in every locality where the number of adult declared believers exceeds nine must directly elect its quota of secondary electors assigned to it in direct proportion to its numerical strength. These secondary electors will then, either through correspondence, or preferably by gathering together, and first deliberating upon the aflairs of the Cause throughout their country (as the delegates to the Convention), elect from among all the friends in that country nine who will be the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.

“This National Spiritual Assembly, which, pending the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, will have to be re-elected once a year, obviously assumes grave responsibilities, for it has to exercise full authority over all the local Assemblies in its province, and will have to direct the activities of the friends, guard vigilantly the Cause of God, and control and supervise the affairs of the Movement in general.

“Vital issues, affecting the interests of the Cause in that country such as the matter of translation and publication, the Mashriqu’l-A(flikér, the Teaching Work, and other similar matters than stand distinct from strictly local affairs, must be under the full jurisdiction of the National Assembly.

“It Will have to refer each of these questions, even as the local Assemblies, to a special Committee, to be elected by the members of the National Spiritual Assembly, from among all the friends in that country, which will bear to it the same relation as the local committees bear to their respective local Assemblies.

“With it, too, rests the decision whether a certain point at issue is strictly local in its nature, and should be reserved for the consideration and decision of the local Assem [Page 290]290

bly, or whether it should fall under its own province and be regarded as a matter which ought to receive its special attention. The National Spiritual Assembly will also decide upon such matters which in its opinion should be referred to the Holy Land for consultation and decision.

“With these Assemblies, local as well as national, harmoniously, vigorously, and efficiently functioning throughout the Bahá’í world, the only means for the establishment of the Supreme House of Justice will have been secured. And when this Supreme Body will have been properly established, it will have to consider afresh the whole situation, and lay down the principle which shall direct, so long as it deems advisable, the affairs of the Cause. . . .

“The need for the centralization of authority in the National Spiritual Assembly, and the concentration of power in the various local Assemblies, is made manifest when we reflect that the Cause of Baha’u’llah is still in its age of tender growth and in a stage of transition; When we remember that the full implications and the exact significance of the Master’s world—wide instructions, as laid down in His Will, are as yet not fully grasped, and the whole Movement has not sufficiently crystallized in the eyes of the world.

“It is our primary task to keep the most vigilant eye on the manner and character of its growth, to combat effectively the forces of separation and of sectarian tendencies, lest the Spirit of the Cause be obscured, its unity be threatened, its Teachings suffer corruption; lest extreme orthodoxy on one hand, and irresponsible freedom on the other, cause it to deviate from that Straight Path which alone can lead it to success. . . .

“Hitherto the National Convention has been primarily called together for the consideration of the various circumstances attending the election of the National Spiritual Assembly. I feel, however, that in view of the expansion and the growing importance of the administrative sphere of the Cause, the general sentiments and tendencies prevailing among the friends, and the signs of increasing interdependence among the National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world, the assembled accredited representatives of the American believers should exercise not only the vital and responsible right of electing the National As THE BAHA’I WORLD

sembly, but should also fulfil] the functions of an enlightened, consultative and cooperative body that will enrich the experience, enhance the prestige, support the authority, and assist the deliberations of the National Spiritual Assembly. It is my firm conviction that it is the bounden duty, in the interest of the Cause we all love and serve, of the members of the incoming National Assembly, once elected by the delegates at Convention time, to seek and have the utmost regard, individually as Well as collectively, for the advice, the considered opinion and the true sentiments of the assembled delegates. Banishing every vestige of secrecy, of undue reticence, of dictatorial aloofness, from their midst, they should radiantly and abundantly unfold to the eyes of the delegates, by whom they are elected, their plans, their hopes, and their cares. They should familiarize the delegates with the various matters that will have to be considered in the current year, and calmly and conscientiously study and weigh the opinions and judgments of the delegates. The newly elected National Assembly, during the few days when the Convention is in session and after the dispersal of the delegates, should seek ways and means to cultivate understanding, facilitate and maintain the exchange of views, deepen confidence, and vindicate by every tangible evidence their one desire to serve and advance the common weal. Not infrequently, nay oftentimes, the most lowly, untutored and inexperienced among the friends will, by the sheer inspiring force of selfless and ardent devotion, contribute a distinct and memorable share to a highly involved discussion in any given Assembly. Great must be the regard paid by those whom the delegates call upon to serve in high position to this all—important though inconspicuous manifestation of the revealing power of sincere and earnest devotion.

“The National Spiritual Assembly, however, in view of the unavoidable limitations imposed upon the convening of frequent and long-standing sessions of the Convention, will have to retain in its hands the final decision on all matters that affect the interests of the Cause in America, such as the right to decide whether any local Assembly is functioning in accordance with the principles laid down for the conduct and advancement of the Cause. It is my earnest prayer that they will utilize their highly responsible po [Page 291]THE WORLD

2 « t a. _ A ,5)! , I M

ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH 291

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of India, Pakistan and Burma, 1952-1953 and 1953-1954.

sition, not only for the wise and efficient conduct of the affairs of the Cause, but also for the extension and deepening of the spirit of cordiality and wholehearted and mutual support in their cooperation with the body of their co-workers throughout the land. The seating of delegates to the Convention, i.e., the right to decide upon the validity of the credentials of the delegates at a given Convention, is vested in the outgoing National Assembly, and the right to decide who has the voting privilege is also ultimately placed in the hands of the National Spiritual Assembly, either when a local Spiritual Assembly is being for the first time formed in a given locality, or when differences arise between a new applicant and an already established local Assembly. While the Convention is in session and the accredited delegates have already elected from among the believers throughout the country the members of the National Spiritual Assembly for the current year, it is of infinite value and a supreme necessity that as far as possible all matters requiring immediate decision should be fully and publicly considered, and an endeavor be made to obtain

after mature deliberation, unanimity in vital decisions. Indeed, it has ever been the cherished desire of our Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, that the friends in their councils, local as well as national, should by their candor, their honesty of purpose, their singleness of mind, and the thoroughness of their discussions, achieve unanimity in all things. Should this in certain cases prove impracticable the verdict of the majority should prevail, to which decision the minority must under all circumstances, gladly, spontaneously and continually, submit.

“Nothing short of the all—encompassing, all-pervading power of His Guidance and Love can enable this newly-enfolded order to gather strength and flourish amid the storm and stress of a turbulent age, and in the fullness of time vindicate its high claim to be universally recognized as the one Haven of abiding felicity and peace.”

3. On its international institutions: “It should be stated, at the very outset, in clear and unambiguous language, that these twin institutions of the Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh should be regarded as divine in origin, essential in their functions

[Page 292]292

THE BAHA’I WORLD

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Egypt and Sfidén, 1950-1951.

and complementary in their aim and purpose. Their common, their fundamental object is to insure the continuity of that divinely-appointed authority which flows from the Source of our Faith, to safeguard the unity of its followers and to maintain the integrity and flexibility of its teachings. Acting in conjunction with each other these two inseparable institutions administer its affairs, coordinate its activities, promote its interests, execute its laws and defend its subsidiary institutions. Severally, each operates within a clearly defined sphere of jurisdiction; each is equipped with its own attendant institutions—instruments designed for the effective discharge of its particular responsibilities and duties. Each exercises, within the limitations imposed upon it, its powers, its authority, its rights and prerogatives. These are neither contradictory, nor detract in the slightest degree from the position which each of these institutions occupies. Far from being incompatible or mutually destructive, they supplement each other’s authority and functions, and are permanently and fundamentally united in their aims.

“Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh would be mutilated and permanently deprived of that hereditary principle which, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has written, has been invariably upheld by the Law of God. ‘In all the Divine Dispensations,’ He states, in a Tablet addressed to a follower of the Faith in Persia, ‘the eldest son hath been given

extraordinary distinctions. Even the station of prophethood hath been his birthright.’ Without such an institution the integrity of the Faith would be imperiled, and the stability of the entire fabric would be gravely endangered. Its prestige would suffer, the means required to enable it to take a long, an uninterrupted view over a series of generations would be completely lacking, and the necessary guidance to define the sphere of the legislative action of its elected representatives would be totally withdrawn.

“Severed from the no less essential institution of the Universal House of J ustice this same System of the Will of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would be paralyzed in its action and would be powerless to fill in those gaps which the Author of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas has deliberately left in the body of His legislative and administrative ordinances.

“ ‘He is the Interpreter of the Word of God,’ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, referring to the functions of the Guardian of the Faith, asserts, using in His Will the very term which He Himself had chosen when refuting the argument of the Covenant-breakers who had challenged His right to interpret the utterances of Bahá’u’lláh. ‘After him,’ He adds, ‘will succeed the first—born of his lineal descendants.’ ‘The mighty stronghold,’ He further explains, ‘shall remain impregnable and safe through obedience to him who is the Guardian of the Cause of God.’ ‘It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice, upon all the Aghṣán, the Afnán, the

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Hands of the Cause of God, to show their obedience, submissiveness and subordination unto the Guardian of the Cause of God.’

“ ‘It is incumbent upon the members of the House of Justice,’ Bahá’u’lláh, on the other hand, declares in the Eighth Leaf of the Exalted Paradise, ‘to take counsel together regarding those things which have not outwardly been revealed in the Book, and to enforce that which is agreeable to them. God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, and He verily is the Provider, the Omniscient.’ ‘Unto the Most Holy Book’ (the Kitab-i-Aqdas), ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states in His Will, ‘every one must turn, and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the truth and the purpose of God Himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice, and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant.’

“Not only does ‘Abdu’l-Bahá confirm in His Will Bahá’u’lláh’s above-quoted state ment, but invests this body with the additional right and power to abrogate, according to the exigencies of time, its own enactments, as well as those of a preceding House of Justice. ‘Inasmuch as the House of Justice,’ is His explicit statement in His Will, ‘hath power to enact laws that are not expressly recorded in the Book and bear upon daily transactions, so also it hath power to repeal the same . . . This it can do because these laws form no part of the divine explicit text.’

“Referring to both the Guardian and the Universal House of Justice we read these emphatic words: ‘The sacred and youthful Branch, the Guardian of the Cause of God, as well as the Universal House of Justice to be universally elected and established, are both under the care and protection of the Abhá Beauty, under the shelter and unerring guidance of the Exalted One (the Bab) (may my life be offered up for them both). Whatsoever they decide is of God.’

“From these statements it is made indubitably clear and evident that the Guardian of the Faith has been made the Interpreter of the Word and that the Universal

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of ‘Iráq, 1953-1954.

[Page 294]294

House of Justice has been invested with the function of legislating on matters not expressly revealed in the teachings. The interpretation of the Guardian, functioning within his own sphere, is as authoritative and binding as the enactments of the International House of Justice, whose exclusive right and prerogative is to pronounce upon and deliver the final judgment on such laws and ordinances as Bahá’u’lláh has not expressly revealed. Neither can, nor will ever, infringe upon the sacred and prescribed domain of the other. Neither will seek to curtail the specific and undoubted authority with which both have been divinely invested. . . .

“Let no one, while this System is still in its infancy, misconceive its character, belittle its significance or misrepresent its purpose. The bedrock on which this Administrative Order is founded is God’s immutable Purpose for mankind in this day. The Source from which it derives its inspiration is no less than Bahá’u’lláh Himself. Its shield and defender are the embattled hosts of the Abhá Kingdom. Its seed is the blood of no less than twenty thousand martyrs who have offered up their lives that it may be born and flourish. The axis round which its institutions revolve are the authentic provisions of the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Its guiding principles are the truths which He Who is the unerring Interpreter of the teachings of our Faith has so clearly enunciated in His public addresses throughout the West. The IaWS that govern its operation and limit its functions are those which have been expressly ordained in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. The seat round which its spiritual, its humanitarian and administrative activities will cluster are the Mashriqu’l-Acfllkér and its Dependencies. The pillars that sustain its authority and buttress its structure are the twin institutions of the Guardianship and of the Universal House of Justice. The central, the underlying aim which animates it is the establishment of the New World Order as adumbrated by Bahá’u’lláh. The methods it employs, the standard it inculcates, incline it to neither East 1101' West, neither Jew nor Gentile,

THE BAHA’I WORLD

neither rich nor poor, neither white nor colored. Its watchword is the unification of the human race; its standard the ‘Most Great Peace’; its consummation the advent of that golden millennium—the Day when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the Kingdom of God Himself, the Kingdom of Bahá’u’lláh.”

Sixty years have passed since the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh was first brought to North America. Three generations of believers have worked and sacrificed and prayed in order to produce a body of Bahá’ís large enough to demonstrate the principles here summarized in a few pages for the presentday student of these teachings. What ‘Abdu’l-Bahá employed as unifying element for the American community during a period before more than rudimentary local administrative bodies could be established was the construction of the House of Worship, the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, in Wilmette. He in fact referred to the House of Worship as the “inception of the Kingdom.” Around its construction devotedly gathered the American friends. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá approved their action in setting up a religious corporation to hold title to the property and provide a basis for collective action. In surveying those days from 1904 to 1921, one realizes how, in every stage of progress, the believers rushed forward in devotion before they could perceive the full results of action or comprehend the full unfoldment of their beloved Master’s intention. In their hearts they knew that unity is the keynote of their Faith, and they were assured that the new power of unity would augment until it encompassed the whole of mankind. But as to the nature of world order, the foundation of universal peace, the principles of the future economy, while the clear picture eluded them, they went forward with enthusiasm to the Light.

In a continent consecrated to the pioneer, the early American Bahá’ís pioneered in the world of spirit, striving to participate in a work of supreme importance whose final result Was the laying of a foundation on which human society might raise a house of justice and a mansion of peace.

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295

A PROCEDURE FOR THE CONDUCT OF A LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

Adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís Of the United States and Canada

INTRODUCTION

A PERUSAL of some of the words of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on the duties and functions of the Spiritual Assemblies in every land (later to be designated as the local Houses of Justice), emphatically reveals the sacredness of their nature, the wide scope of their activity, and the grave responsibility which rests upon them.”SHOGHI EFFENDI, March 5, 1922.

“The Lord hath ordained that in every city a House of Justice be established wherein shall gather counselors to the number of Baha. . . . It behooveth them to be the trusted ones of the Merciful among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests, and to choose that which is meet and seemly. Thus hath the Lord your God commanded you. Beware lest ye put away that which is clearly revealed in His Tablet. Fear God, O ye that perceive.”—BAHA’U’LLAH.

“It is incumbent upon every one not to take any step without consulting the Spiritual Assembly, and they must assuredly obey with heart and soul its bidding and be submissive unto it, that things may be properly ordered and well arranged. Otherwise every person will act independently and after his own judgment, will follow his own desire, and do harm to the Cause.

“The prime requisites for them that take counsel together are purity of motive, radiance of spirit, detachment from all else save God, attraction to His Divine Fragrances, humility and lowliness amongst His loved ones, patience and long-suffering in difficulties and servitude to His exalted Threshold. Should they be graciously aided to acquire these attributes, victory from the unseen Kingdom of Bahá shall be vouchsafed to them. In this day, Assemblies of consultation are of the greatest importance and a vital necessity. Obedience unto them is essential and obligatory. The members thereof

must take counsel together in such wise that no occasion for ill-feeling or discord may arise. This can be attained when every member expresseth with absolute freedom his own opinion and setteth forth his argument. Should any one oppose, he must on no account feel hurt for not until matters are fully discussed can the right way be revealed. The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing opinions. If, after discussion, a decision be carried unanimously, well and good; but if, the Lord forbid, diflerences of opinion should arise, ‘a majority of voices must prevail. . . .”

“The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the Assembly. They must be wholly free from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should harmony of thought and absolute unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed and that Assembly be brought to naught. The second condition: They must when coming together turn their faces to the Kingdom on High and ask aid from the Realm of Glory. They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their Views. They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one’s views will lead ultimately to discord and wrangling and the truth will remain hidden. The honored members must with all freedom express their own thoughts, and it is in no Wise permissible for one to belittle the thought of another, nay, he must with moderation set forth the truth, and should differences of opinion arise a majority of voices must prevail, and all must obey and submit to the majority. It is again not permitted that any one of the honored members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at previously, though that decision be not right, for such criticism

[Page 296]296

would prevent any decision from being enforced. In short, whatsoever thing is arranged in harmony and with love and purity of motive, its result is light, and should the least trace of estrangement prevail the result shall be darkness upon darkness. . . . If this be so regarded, that Assembly shall be of God, but otherwise it shall lead to coolness and alienation that proceed from the Evil One. Discussions must all be confined to spiritual matters that pertain to the training of souls, the instruction of children, the relief of the poor, the help of the feeble throughout all classes in the world, kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of the fragrances of God and the exaltation of His Holy Word. Should they endeavor to fulfill these conditions the grace of the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto them, and that Assembly shall become the center of the Divine blessings, the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their aid, and they shall day by day receive a new effusion of Spirit.”‘ABDU’L-BAHA.

“The importance, nay the absolute necessity of these local Assemblies is manifest when we realize that in the days to come they will evolve into the local House of Justice, and at present provide the firm foundation on which the structure of the Master’s Will is to be reared in the future.”

“In order to avoid division and disruption, that the Cause may not fall a prey to conflicting interpretations, and lose thereby its purity and pristine vigor, that its affairs may be conducted with efficiency and promptness, it is necessary that every one [that is, every member of the Bahá’í community] should conscientiously take an active part in the election of these Assemblies, abide by their decision, enforce their decree, and cooperate with them wholeheartedly in their task of stimulating the growth of the Movement throughout all regions. The members of these Assemblies, on their part, must disregard utterly their own likes and dislikes, their personal interests and inclinations, and concentrate their minds upon those measures that will conduce to the welfare and happiness of the Bahá’í community and promote the common wea .”—SHOGHI EFFENDI, March 12, 1923.

“Let us recall His explicit and oftenrepeated assurances that every Assembly elected in that rarefied atmosphere of selflessness and detachment is, in truth, appointed of God, that its verdict is truly in THE BAHA’I WORLD

spired, that one and all should submit to its decision unreservedly and with cheerfulness.”—-SHOGHI EFFENDI, February 23, 1924.

I. FUNCTIONS OF THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

The various functions of the local Spiritual Assembly, and its nature as a constitutional body, are duly set forth in Article VII of the By-Laws of the National Spiritual Assembly, and are more definitely defined in the By-Laws of a local Spiritual Assembly approved by the National Spiritual Assembly and recommended by the Guardian. Each local Spiritual Assembly, and all members of the local Bahá’í community, shall be guided and controlled by the provisions of those By-Laws.

II. MEETINGS OF THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

In addition to its observance of the general functions vested in the institution of a Spiritual Assembly, each Spiritual Assembly has need of a procedure for the conduct of its meetings. The following items represent the outline of the parliamentary rules of procedure which the National Spiritual Assembly has adopted and recommends to each and every local Spiritual Assembly throughout the United States.

Calling of Meetings

A meeting of the Spiritual Assembly is valid only when it has been duly called, that is, when each and every member has been informed of the time and place. The general practice is for the Assembly to decide upon some regular time and place for its meetings throughout the Bahá’í year, and this decision when recorded in the minutes is sufficient notice to the members. When the regular schedule cannot be followed, or the need arises for a special meeting, the secretary, on request by the chairman or any three members of the Spiritual Assembly, should send due notice to all the members.

Order of Business

Roll call by the Secretary (or Recording Secretary). Prayer.

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Reading and approval of Minutes of prev1ous meetings.

Report of Secretary (or Corresponding Secretary), including presentation of letters received by the Assembly since its last meeting, and of any and all recommendations duly adopted by the community at the last Nineteen Day Feast.

Report of Treasurer.

Report of Committees.

Unfinished business.

New business, including conferences with members of the community and with applicants for enrollment as members of the community.

Closing Prayer.

Conduct of Business

A Spiritual Assembly, in maintaining its threefold function of a body given (within the limits of its jurisdiction) an executive, a legislative and a judicial capacity, is charged with responsibility for initiating action and making decisions. Its meetings, therefore, revolve around various definite matters which require deliberation and collective decision, and it is incumbent upon the members, one and all, to address themselves to the subject under discussion and not engage in general speeches of an irrelevant character.

Every subject or problem before an Assembly is most efficiently handled when the following process is observed: first, ascertainment and agreement upon the facts; second, agreement upon the spiritual or administrative Teachings which the question involves; third, full and frank discussion of the matter, leading up to the offering of a resolution; and fourth, voting upon the resolution.

A resolution, or motion, is not subject to discussion or vote until duly made and seconded. It is preferable to have each resolution clear and complete in itself, but when an amendment is duly made and seconded, the chairman shall call for a vote on the amendment first and then on the original motion. An amendment must be relevant to, and not contravene, the subject matter of the motion.

The chairman, or other presiding officer, has the same power and responsibility for discussion and voting upon motions as other members of the Assembly.

Discussion of any matter before the Assembly may be terminated by a motion duly made, seconded and voted calling upon the chairman to put the matter to a vote or to proceed to the next matter on the agenda. The purpose of this procedure is to prevent any member or members from prolonging the discussion beyond the point at which full opportunity has been given all members to express their views.

When the Assembly has taken action upon any matter, the action is binding upon all members, whether present or absent from the meeting at which the action was taken. Individual Views and opinions must be subordinated to the will of the Assembly when a decision has been made. A Spiritual Assembly is an administrative unit, as it is a spiritual unit, and therefore no distinction between “majority” and “minority” groups or factions can be recognized. Each member must give undivided loyalty to the institution to which he or she has been elected.

Any action taken by the Assembly can be reconsidered at a later meeting, on motion duly made, seconded and carried. This reconsideration, according to the result of the consultation, may lead to a revision or the annulment of the prior action. If a majority is unwilling to reconsider the prior action, further discussion of the matter by any member is improper.

The Assembly has a responsibility in filling a vacancy caused by the inability of any member to attend the meetings. “It is only too obvious that unless a member can attend regularly the meetings of his local Assembly, it would be impossible for him to discharge the duties incumbent upon him, and to fulfill his responsibilities as a representative of the community. Membership in a local Spiritual Assembly carries with it, indeed, the obligation and capacity to remain in close touch with local Bahá’í activities, and ability to attend regularly the sessions of the Assembly.”—SHOGHI EFFENDI, January 27, 1935.

The Spiritual Assembly, as a permanent body, is responsible for maintaining all its records, including Minutes of meetings, correspondence and financial records, throughout its existence as a Bahá’í institution. Each officer, therefore, on completing his or her term of office, shall turn over to the Assembly all records pertaining to the business of the Assembly.

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III. CONSULTATION WITH THE COMMUNITY

A. The institution of the Nineteen Day Feast provides the recognized and regular occasion for general consultation on the part of the community, and for consultation between the Spiritual Assembly and the members of the community. The conduct of the period of consultation at Nineteen Day Feasts is a vital function of each Spiritual Assembly.

From Words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “The Nineteen Day Feast was inaugurated by the Báb and ratified by Bahá’u’lláh, in His Holy Book, the Aqdas, so that people may gather together and outwardly show fellowship and love, that the Divine mysteries may be disclosed. The object is concord, that through this fellowship hearts may become perfectly united, and reciprocity and mutual helpfulness be established. Because the members of the world of humanity are unable to exist without being banded together, cooperation and helpfulness are the basis of human society. Without the realization of these two great principles no great movement is pressed forward.” London, England, December 29, 1912. (Quoted in Bahá’í News, No. 33.)

The Nineteen Day Feast has been described by the Guardian as the foundation of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. It is to be conducted according to the following program: The first part, entirely spiritual in character, is devoted to readings from Bahá’í Sacred Writings; the second part consists of general consultation on the affairs of the Cause. The third part is the material feast and social meeting of all the believers, and should maintain the spiritual nature of the Feast.

Bahá’ís should regard this Feast as the very heart of their spiritual activity, their participation in the mystery of the Holy Utterance, their steadfast unity one with another in a universality raised high above the limitations of race, Class, nationality, sect, and personality, and their privilege of contributing to the power of the Cause in the realm of collective action.

Calendar of the Nineteen Day Feast

March 21 May 17 July 13 April 9 June 5 August 1 April 28 June 24 August 20

September 8 September 27 October 16

November 4 J anuary 19 November 23 February 7 December 12 March 2 December 31

The Spiritual Assembly is responsible for the holding of the Nineteen Day Feast. 1f the Bahá’í calendar for some adequate reason cannot be observed, the Assembly may arrange to hold a Feast at the nearest possible date.

Only members of the Bahá’í community, and visiting Bahá’ís from other communities, may attend these meetings, but young people of less than twenty-one years of age, who have studied the Teachings and declared their intention of joining the community on reaching the age of twenty-one, may also attend.

Regular attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast is incumbent upon every Bahá’í, illness or absence from the city being the only justification for absence. Believers are expected to arrange their personal affairs so as to enable them to observe the Bahá’í calendar.

Order of Business for the Consultation Period

The chairman or other appointed representative of the Spiritual Assembly presides during the period of consultation.

The Spiritual Assembly reports to the community whatever communications have been received from the Guardian and the National Spiritual Assembly, and provides opportunity for general discussion.

The Assembly likewise reports its own activities and plans, including committee appointments that may have been made since the last Feast, the financial report, arrangements made for public meetings, and in general shares with the community all matters that concern the Faith. These reports are to be followed by general consultation.

A matter of vital importance at this meeting is consideration of national and international Bahá’í affairs, to strengthen the capacity of the community to cooperate in promotion of the larger Bahá’í interests and to deepen the understanding of all believers concerning the relation of the local community to the Bahá’í World Community.

Individual Bahá’ís are to find in the Nineteen Day Feast the channel through which to make suggestions and recommendations

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to the National Spiritual Assembly. These recommendations are offered first to the 10cal community, and when adopted by the community come before the local Assembly, which then may in its discretion forward the recommendation to the National Spiritual Assembly accompanied by its own considered View.

Provision is to be made for reports from committees, with discussion of each report. Finally, the meeting is to be open for suggestions and recommendations from individual believers on any matter affecting the Cause.

The local Bahá’í community may adopt by majority vote any resolution which it wishes collectively to record as its advice and recommendation to the Spiritual Assembly.

Upon each member of the community lies the obligation to make his or her utmost contribution to the consultation, the ideal being a gathering of Bahá’ís inspired with one spirit and concentrating upon the one aim to further the interests of the Faith.

The Secretary of the Assembly records each resolution adopted by the community, as well as the various suggestions advanced during the meetings, in order to report these to the Spiritual Assembly for its consideration. Whatever action the Assembly takes is to be reported at a later Nineteen Day Feast.

Matters of a personal nature should be brought before the Spiritual Assembly and not to the community at the Nineteen Day Feast. Concerning the attitude with which believers should come to these Feasts, the Master has said, “You must free yourselves from everything that is in your hearts, before you enter.” (Bahá’í News Letter of the N. S. A. of Germany and Austria, December, 1934.)

B. The Annual Meeting on April 21, called for the election of the Spiritual Assembly, provides the occasion for the presentation of annual reports by the Assembly and by all its Committees.

The chairman of the outgoing Assembly presides at this meeting.

The order of business includes: Reading of the call of the meeting, reading of appropriate Bahá’í passages bearing upon the subject of the election, appointment of tellers, distribution of ballots, prayers for the spiritual guidance of the voters, the election,

299

presentation of annual reports, tellers’ report of the election, approval of the tellers’ report.

C. In addition to these occasions for general consultation, the Spiritual Assembly is to give consultation to individual believers whenever requested.

During such consultation with individual believers, the Assembly should observe the following principles: the impartiality of each of its members with respect to all matters under discussion; the freedom of the individual Bahá’í to express his views, feelings and recommendations on any matter affecting the interests of the Cause; the confidential character of this consultation, and the principle that the Spiritual Assembly does not adopt any resolution or make any final decision, until the party or parties have withdrawn from the meeting.

Appeals from decisions of a local Spiritual Assembly are provided for in the By-Laws and the procedure fully described in a statement published in Bahá’í News, February, 1933.

When confronted with evidences of unhappiness, whether directed against the Assembly or against members of the community, the Spiritual Assembly should realize that its relationship to the believers is not merely that of a formal constitutional body but also that of a spiritual institution called upon to manifest the attributes of courtesy, patience and loving insight. Many conditions are not to be remedied by the exercise of power and authority but rather by a sympathetic understanding of the sources of the difficulty in the hearts of the friends. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has explained, some of the people are children and must be trained, some are ignorant and must be educated, some are sick and must be healed. Where, however, the problem is not of this order but represents flagrant disobedience and disloyalty to the Cause itself, in that case the Assembly should consult with the National Spiritual Assembly concerning the necessity for disciplinary action.

Members of the Bahá’í community, for their part, should do their utmost by prayer and meditation to remain always in a positive and joyous spiritual condition, bearing in mind the Tablets which call upon Bahá’ís to serve the world of humanity and not waste their precious energies in negative complaints.

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IV. Bahá’í ANNIVERSARIES FESTIVALS AND , DAYS OF FASTING

The Spiritual Assembly, among its various duties and responsibilities, will provide for the general observance by the local community of the following Holy Days:

Feast of Riḍván (Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh) April 21-May 2, 1863. Declaration of the Báb, May 23, 1844.

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Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, May 29, 1892.

Martyrdom of the Báb, J uly 9, 1850.

Birth of the Báb, October 20, 1819.

Birth of Bahá’u’lláh, November 12, 1817.

Day of the Covenant, November 26.

Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, November 28, 1921.

Period of the Fast, nineteen days beginning March 2.

Feast of Naw-Rúz (Bahá’í New Year), March 21.

THE INSTITUTION OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

By HORACE HOLLEY

THE sacred Writings of the Bahá’í Faith create organic institutions having a membership elected by the Bahá’í community. Bahá’u’lláh called these institutions into being; their establishment, definition, training and development came later, in the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and in that of the Guardian appointed in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Testament.

Since the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1921, the formation of local Spiritual Assemblies has multiplied in East and West, and the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly has become firmly established. Concerning this national administrative body Shoghi Effendi has provided clear information and direction. Its purpose, its power, its responsibility and its functions and duties are definitely prescribed.

“Its immediate purpose is to stimulate, unify and coordinate by frequent personal consultations the manifold activities of the friends [believers] as well as the local Assemblies; and by keeping in close and constant touch with the Holy Land [Bahá’í World Center], initiate measures, and direct in general the affairs of the Cause in that country.

“It serves also another purpose, no less essential than the first . . . in conjunction with the other National Assemblies throughout the Bahá’í world, to elect directly the members of the International House of Justice, that Supreme Council that will guide, organize and unify the affairs of the [Faith] throughout the world.

“. . it has to exercise full authority over

all the local Assemblies in its province, and will have to direct the activities of the friends, guard vigilantly the Cause of God, and control and supervise the affairs of the [Faith] in general.

“Vital issues, affecting the interests of the Cause in that country . . . that stand distinct from strictly local affairs, must be under the full jurisdiction of the National Assembly. It will have to refer each of these questions . . . to a special Committee, to be elected by the members of the National Spiritual Assembly, from among all the friends in that country . . .

“With it, too, rests the decision whether a certain point at issue is strictly local in its nature . . . or whether it should fall under its own province and be regarded as a matter which ought to receive its special attention.”1

“The need for the centralization of authority in the National Spiritual Assembly, and the concentration of power in the various local Assemblies, is . . . manifest.”2 “The authority of the National Spiritual Assembly is undivided and unchallengeable in all matters pertaining to the administration of the Faith [throughout its country].”3

The individual Bahá’í has spiritual citizenship in a world community of believers acting through local, national and international bodies. There is no division of interest or conflict of authority among these institutions, for ever since the ascension of Baha’ IBahá’í Administration (1945 edition), pp. 39-40.

2 Ibid., p. 42. 3 Bahá’í Procedure (1942), P. 63.

[Page 301]THE WORLD ORDER OF

,1 , w

BAHA’U’LLAH 301

l "39%???" x, : 3w

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First National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Central America, Mexico and the Antilles, elected April, 1951. Seated, left to right: Dr. David Escalante (San Salvador) , James V. Facey (Colon) , Miss Elena Marsella (Ciudad Trujillo) , Artemus Lamb (San José). Standing, left to right: Mrs. Louise Caswell (Tegucigalpa), Zenayda Jurado C. (Mexico City), Mrs. Cora H. Oliver (Colon), Sra. Raquel J. Frangois de Constante (Panama City), Natalia A. Chévez (Tegucigalpa).

u’lláh in 1892 His Faith has uninterruptedly possessed an infallible Interpreter, a spiritual Head, in the person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá until 1921, and in the Guardianship after that date. The action of a Bahá’í administrative body, therefore, while rationally determined by constitutional principles, operates in a spiritual realm revealed by the Manifestation of God and maintained free from political pressure and the influence of materialism. Apart from the appointed Interpreter, no Bahá’í has individual authority. Decisions are confined to the sphere of action and are made by a body of nine persons.

The advice and direction clarifying the nature and operation of a National Spiritual Assembly have been compiled by the American Bahá’ís from letters written them by Shoghi Effendi.4

4 Bahá’í Administration; Declaration of Trust and ByLaws of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

During the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, after He had approved the petition submitted to Him by the American Bahá’ís expressing their desire to construct a House of Worship, these Bahá’ís formed a national body known as Bahá’í Temple Unity, incorporated for the purpose of gathering funds and coordinating plans to erect the Temple in Wilmette. That body, though national in scope and elected by delegates representing the various local Bahá’í communities, was not a National Spiritual Assembly. It is interesting to note that in Bahá’í Temple Unity the American Bahá’ís established a body reflecting their own national historical experience. The local communities preceded the national body in time and each exercised an independent authority in the conduct of its own affairs. When their representatives agreed to form a national Bahá’í body with full jurisdiction over Temple matters, they transferred to it powers which vested final

[Page 302]302

First National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South

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sew

America, elected April, 1951.

Front row, left to right: Edmund J. Miessler (Sao Paulo), Mrs. Margot Worley (Bahia), Miss Eve Nicklin (Lima), Manuel Vera (Lima).

Rear, left to right: Dr. Alejandro Reid (Punta Arenas), Mrs. Gayle Woolson (Bogoté), Estéban Canales L. (Asuncion), Srta. Mercedes Sanchez (Lima), Rangvald Taetz (Montevideo) .

decision not in its directors but in the Annual Convention. The vital distinction between Temple Unity and the National Spiritual Assembly when later established lay in this field of ultimate authority. The National Spiritual Assembly possessed original authority, powers and functions of its own. It came into existence through election of its nine members at a National Convention but constituted a continuing authority derived from the Bahá’í Teachings and not conferred by any action of the believers, whether as local communities or as delegates. This authority emerged supreme in relation to Bahá’í matters within the national community but subject to the higher authority of the Guardian and also of the future International House of J ustice.

Within its own realm the National Spiritual Assembly is an institution created by the Teachings of the Faith independent of the Bahá’ís who elect its members and of the Bahá’ís composing its membership. In no way does this institution reflect either the political or the ecclesiastical influences of its environment, whether in America, Europe or the East. This fact has paramount importance. On the one hand it reveals the existence of an organic religious society; on the other hand it demonstrates the freedom of this new community from the legalisms and devices acting within every human institution.

While the transition from Bahá’í Temple Unity to National Spiritual Assembly in North America emphasizes certain princi [Page 303]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

303

First Italo-Swiss Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly, 1953-1954. Seated, left to right: Prof. Mario Fiorentini, Mrs. Anna Kunz, Dr. Ugo R. Giachery, Miss Elsa Steinmetz, Mrs. Stella Lonzar. Standing, left to right: Mrs. Anne Lynch, Friedrich Sch’cir, Mrs. Marion Little, Prof. Alessandro Bausani.

ples inherent in Bahá’í institutions, the formation of a National Spiritual Assembly in a new area represents more profoundly the creation of a new type of society. Every national Bahá’í community has gone through some evolution reflecting its historical background before its National Spiritual Assembly was established.

In Central and South America, the preliminary teaching work and formation of local communities was conducted by a committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, and when the Bahá’ís of Canada formed their own National Assembly, by a committee appointed and sustained from the United States. The process of establishing new National Assemblies in those areas involved a number of steps.

The membership list of qualified adult Bahá’ís was carefully prepared. The number of delegates to be elected to each of the first Annual Conventions under the principle of proportionate representation was determined. The Convention date and site were chosen. A call was issued to the participating local communities through their Assemblies

for the election of the delegate or delegates assigned to each. The elected delegates were provided with ballots and a copy of the Convention agenda. The agenda, meanwhile, had been prepared in the light of the general nature of a Bahá’í National Convention and with respect to the particular conditions of the Bahá’í community.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States selected from its own membership two persons to attend each Convention, one to open the meeting as temporary chairman, the other to call the roll, and both to supervise the election of permanent convention officers from the membership of the delegates present. With that election the Convention proceeded as an independent body, but acting under friendly supervision, to fulfill its own special functions: consultation on current Bahá’í matters, and election of the members of the first National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’ís of Central and South America. The nine persons receiving the highest number of votes on the first ballot, in accordance with the principle of plurality, were declared and certified to be Assembly members.

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After the Conventions the newly elected bodies entered upon their duties in consultation with the representatives from the United States, who had prepared a list of actions to be taken annually by a national Bahá’í body.

Such an occasion as the birth of a national Bahá’í institution is cherished in the memory of all present. Among the significant events are the receipt of a message from the Guardian Of the Faith and greetings from all other National Spiritual Assemblies. Nine Assemblies existed at the time the two bodies were established in Latin America.5

The functions of a National Spiritual Assembly are manifold: the publication of Bahá’í literature; national teaching plans; supervision of local communities; encouragement and direction of all the Bahá’ís in their service to the Faith; and representation of the Bahá’ís in relation to the civil authorities. Each national body prepares and adopts its own constitution, formulated on

5These National Spiritual Assemblies were, in the order of their establishment, India and Burma (1923), Germany and Austria (1923), British Isles (1923), Egypt (1924), United States (1925), ‘Iráq (1931), Persia (1934), Australia and New Zealand (1934), and Canada (1948). (See God Passes By, p. 333.)

THE BAHA’I WORLD

the basis of the model approved by the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. All the National Spiritual Assemblies collectively, under the title of The Bahá’í International Community, constitute an international nongovernmental organization whose delegates are accredited by United Nations for attendance and participation in its regional conferences.

Through the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly, Bahá’ís are enabled to carry out plans of considerable magnitude, collaborate with Bahá’ís of all other lands in matters of international interest, maintain common standards of administrative principle, and take advantage, in the appointment of committees, of particular talents and aptitudes possessed by individual believers. The National Spiritual Assembly stands as one of the pillars supporting the Bahá’í world community. Participation in national Bahá’í activities serves to insulate the individual Bahá’í from infection by the psychic ills which afflict modern society as result of its lack of faith and spiritual direction. Within the shelter of this emerging order the storms of partisanship cannot engulf the soul.

A PROCEDURE FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE ANNUAL BAHA’l CONVENTION

I. THE ANNUAL Bahá’í CONVENTION

A SUMMARY of the constitutional basis of the Convention has been made by the National Spiritual Assembly and approved by the Guardian . . .

II. CONVENTION CALL

The National Spiritual Assembly determines the date, duration and place of the Annual Convention and provides for such meetings in connection with the Convention as it may feel are desirable.

III. CONVENTION PROCEDURE

The Twenty-sixth Annual Convention [of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada], held in 1934, voted 3 recommendation calling upon the National Spiritual Assembly to supply a parliamentary procedure for the conduct of the Annual Convention, and

the present material has been prepared to meet the need indicated by that recommendation.

Order of Business

Prayer and devotional readings, provided by the outgoing National Spiritual Assembly.

Opening of the Convention by Presiding Officer of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Roll call of delegates by the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly.

Election by secret ballot of Convention Chairman and Secretary. The Convention Officers are to be elected by the assembled delegates from among the entire number of delegates who are present at the Convention.

Annual Report of National Spiritual Assembly.

Annual Financial Report of National Spiritual Assembly.

Convention message to the Guardian of the Faith.

[Page 305]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH 305

Annual Committee Reports: These are to be considered as part of the Report of the National Spiritual Assembly. They are whenever possible published in Bahá’í News in advance of the Convention date, for the information of the delegates.

Subjects for Consultation. Any delegate may, before the Convention convenes, recommend to the National Assembly such topics as he deems of sufficient importance to be included in the Convention agenda; and the National Spiritual Assembly, from the list of topics received from delegates, and also suggested by its own knowledge and experience, is to prepare an agenda or order of business as its recommendation to the Convention.

This agenda may include, as part of the National Assembly’s Annual Report, the presentation of special subjects by well qualified members, committee representatives or non-Bahá’í experts whose exposition is necessary or desirable for the information of the delegates.

On motion duly made, seconded and voted, any such subject may be omitted, and also on motion duly made, seconded and voted, any other subject may be proposed for special consultation.

Annual Election. The election of members of the National Spiritual Assembly is to take place approximately midway during the Convention sessions, so as to enable the delegates to consult with both the outgoing and incoming Assemblies, in accordance with the Guardian’s expressed desire.

Conduct of Business

Every deliberative body, to fulfill its functions, must conduct its deliberations in accordance with some established rules of order. The parliamentary procedure here set forth for the Convention is based upon the procedure already adopted for meetings of local Assemblies and communities. It accordingly extends to sessions of the Annual Convention the same procedure under which the delegates, in their other Bahá’í activities, are accustomed to conduct discussion and consultation.

The purpose of consultation at the Annual Convention is threefold: to arrive at full and complete knowledge of the current conditions, problems and possibilities of the Faith in America; to give to the incoming National Assembly the benefit of the collective wisdom, guidance and constructive

suggestions of the assembled delegates; and to contribute to the unity, in spirit and in action, of the entire American Bahá’í community.

The freedom of each and every delegate to take part in discussion and to initiate motions is untrammeled save as the undue activity of one delegate might hamper the rights of the other delegates. Any necessary limitation to be placed upon individual discussion shall be determined by the Chairman in the absence of any specific motion duly voted by the delegates themselves.

It shall be the duty of the Chairman to encourage general consultation and make possible the active participation of the greatest possible number of delegates.

The Chairman has the same power and responsibility for discussion and voting upon motions as other delegates. Members of the outgoing and incoming National Assembly who are not delegates may participate in the consultation but not vote.

A resolution, or motion, is not subject to discussion or vote until duly made and seconded. It is preferable to have each resolution clear and complete in itself, but when an amendment is duly made and seconded, the Chairman shall call for a vote on the amendment first and then on the motion. An amendment must be relevant to, and not contravene, the subject matter of the motion.

The Chairman shall call for votes by oral expression of ayes and nays, but where the result of the vote is doubtful by a show of hands or a rising vote. A majority vote determines.

Discussion of any matter may be terminated by motion duly made, seconded and voted, calling upon the Chairman to bring the matter to an immediate vote or proceed to other business.

The transactions of the Convention shall be recorded by the Secretary, and when certified by the Convention officers shall be given to the National Spiritual Assembly.

Annual Election

The electors in the Annual Election shall consist of those delegates included in the Roll Call prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly.

Ballots and tellers’ report forms shall be provided by the National Assembly.

The election shall be conducted by the Convention, but delegates unable to attend

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the Convention shall have the right to vote by mail.

The Chairman shall appoint three tellers, chosen from among the assembled delegates.

The electoral method shall be as follows:

1. The Convention Secretary shall call the roll of delegates, whereupon each delegate, in turn, shall place his or her ballot in a ballot box; and as the names are called ballots received by mail shall be placed in the ballot box by the Secretary of the National Assembly.

2. The ballot box shall then be handed to the tellers, who shall retire from the Convention Hall to determine the result of the electlon.

3. The result of the election is to be reported by the tellers, and the tellers’ report is to be approved by the Convention.

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4. The ballots, together with the tellers’ report, certified by all the tellers, are to be given the National Spiritual Assembly for preservation.

IV. THE CONVENTION RECORD

The permanent record of each successive Annual Convention shall consist of the following:—(1) Convention Call as issued by the National Spiritual Assembly, including list of participating Bahá’í Communities; (2) list of accredited delegates; (3) Annual Reports of the National Spiritual Assembly and of its Committees; (4) Messages sent to and received from the Guardian; (5) Resolutions and other transactions of the assembled delegates; (6) the result of the Annual Election.

—NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

THE NON—POLITICAL CHARACTER OF THE BAHA’T FAITH

THE Bahá’í principles clearly define and explain the non-political character of the Faith, and serve as a guide for conduct in the relations of Bahá’ís with one another, with their fellow men, and in their relations with different departments of the civil government. A brief summary of excerpts from the Bahá’í Writings will show that non-participation in political affairs is one of the basic axioms of Bahá’í action.

The keynote to this theme may be found in the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh. He has stated:

“That one is indeed a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”1

“Sow not the seeds of discord among men, and refrain from contending with your neighbor . . . Open, O people, the city of the human heart with the key of your utterance .

“That which beseemeth you is the love of

1 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahd'u’lláh, p. 250.

God, and the love of Him Who is the Manifestation of His Essence, and the observance of whatsoever He chooseth to prescribe unto you, did ye but know it.

“Say: Let truthfulness and courtesy be your adorning. Sufler not yourselves to be deprived of the robe of forbearance and justice, that the sweet savors of holiness may be wafted from your hearts upon all created things. Say: Beware, O people of Bahá, lest ye walk in the ways of them whose words differ from their deeds. Strive that ye may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirror forth His commandments. Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, difler from their conduct. It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth . . .”2

The aim of the Faith is to produce the reality of virtue in souls and evolve institutions capable of dealing with social matters justly, 'in the light of the revealed truths. This is entirely distinct from the province filled by partisan civil institutions.

2 Ibid., pp. 303-305.

[Page 307]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH 307

‘Abdu’l-Bahá counseled the Bahá’ís from the early beginnings of the American Bahá’í community not to discuss political affairs:3

“. . . All conferences (i.e., all consultation and discussion) must be regarding the matters of benefit, both as a whole and individually, such as the guarding of all in all cases, their protection and preservation, the improvement of character, the training of children, etc.

“If any person wishes to speak of government affairs, or to interfere with the order of government, the others must not combine with him because the Cause of God is withdrawn entirely from political affairs; the political realm pertains only to the Rulers of those matters; it has nothing to do with the souls who are exerting their utmost energy to harmonizing affairs, helping character and inciting (the people) to strive for perfections. Therefore no soul is allowed to interfere with (political) matters, but only in that which is commanded.”

With the development of a world—wide administrative structure within the Bahá’í Faith, institutions have been set up in national and local areas which assure the unity and integrity of the Faith. In unfolding these administrative institutions Shoghi Effendi has reiterated the importance of the nonpolitical character of the Bahá’í teachings in a letter written March 21, 1932, to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canadaz“

“I feel it, therefore, incumbent upon me to stress, now that the time is ripe, the importance of an instruction which, at the present stage of the evolution of our Faith, should be increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its application to the East or to the West. And this principle is no other than that which involves the non-participation by the adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, whether in their individual capacities or collectively as local or national Assemblies, in any form of activity that might be interpreted, either directly or indirectly, as an interference in the political affairs of any particular government. Whether it be in the publications which they initiate and supervise; or in their official and public deliberations; or in the posts they occupy and the services they render; or in the communications they address to their fellow—disciples; or in their dealings with men of eminence

3 Bahá’í World Faith. p. 407. 4 World Order a] Bahd'u'llfih, pp. 64-67.

and authority; or in their afliliations with kindred societies and organizations, it is, I am firmly convinced, their first and sacred obligation to abstain from any word or deed that might be construed as a violation of this vital principle. Theirs is the duty to demonstrate, on one hand, their unqualified loyalty and obedience to whatever is the considered judgment of their respective governments.

“Let them refrain from associating themselves, whether by word or by deed, with the political pursuits of their respective nations, with the policies of their governments and the schemes and programs of parties and factions. In such controversies they should assign no blame, take no side, further no design, and identify themselves with no system prejudicial to the best interests of that world-wide Fellowship which it is their aim to guard and foster. Let them beware lest they allow themselves to become the tools of unscrupulous politicians, or to be entrapped by the treacherous devices of the plotters and the perfidious among their countrymen. Let them so shape their lives and regulate their conduct that no charge of secrecy, of fraud, of bribery or of intimidation may, however ill-founded, be brought against them. Let them rise above all particularism and partisanship, above the vain disputes, the petty calculations, the transient passions that agitate the face, and engage the attention, of a changing world. It is their duty to strive to distinguish, as clearly as they possibly can, and if needed with the aid of their elected representatives, such posts and functions as are either diplomatic or political from those that are purely administrative in character, and which under no circumstances are affected by the changes and chances that political activities and party government, in every land, must necessarily involve. Let them affirm their unyielding determination to stand, firmly and unreservedly, for the way of Bahá’u’lláh, to avoid the entanglements and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits of the politician, and to become worthy agencies of that Divine Polity which incarnates God’s immutable Purpose for all men.

“It shoud be made unmistakably clear that such an attitude implies neither the slightest indifference to the cause and interests of their own country, nor involves any insubordination on their part to the authority of recognized and established governments. Nor does it constitute a repudiation

[Page 308]308

of their sacred obligation to promote, in the most effective manner, the best interests of their government and people. It indicates the desire cherished by every true and loyal follower of Baha’u’llah to serve, in an unselfish, unostentatious and patriotic fashion, the highest interests of the country to which he belongs, and in a way that would entail no departure from the high standards of integrity and truthfulness associated with the teachings of his Faith.

“As the number of the Bahá’í communities in various parts of the world multiplies and their power, as a social force, becomes increasingly apparent, they will no doubt find themselves increasingly subjected to the pressure which men of authority and influence, in the political domain, will exercise in the hope of obtaining the support they require for the advancement of their aims. These communities will, moreover, feel a growing need of the good-will and the assistance of their respective governments in their efforts to widen the scope, and to consolidate the foundations, of the institutions committed to their charge. Let them beware lest, in their eagerness to further the aims of their beloved Cause, they should be led unwittingly to bargain with their Faith, to compromise with their essential principles, or to sacrifice, in return for any material advantage which their institutions may derive, the integrity of their spiritual ideals. Let them proclaim that in whatever country they reside, and however advanced their institutions, or profound their desire to enforce the laws, and apply the principles, enunciated by Bahá’u’lláh, they will, unhesitatingly, subordinate the operation of such laws and the application of such principles to the requirements and legal enactments of their respective governments. Theirs is not the purpose, while endeavoring to conduct and perfect the administrative affairs of their Faith, to violate, under any circumstances, the provisions of their country’s constitution, much less to allow the machinery of their administration to supersede the government of their respective countries.

“It should also be borne in mind that the very extension of the activities in which we are engaged, and the variety of the communities which labor under divers forms of government, so essentially different in their standards, policies, and methods, make it absolutely essential for all those who are the declared members of any one of these com THE BAHA’I WORLD

munities to avoid any action that might, by arousing the suspicion or exciting the antagonism of any one government, involve their brethren in fresh persecutions or complicate the nature of their task. How else, might I ask, could such a far-flung Faith, which transcends political and social boundaries, which includes within its pale so great a variety of races and nations, which will have to rely increasingly, as it forges ahead, on the good-will and support of the diversified and contending governments of the earthhow else could such a Faith succeed in preserving its unity, in safeguarding its interests, and in ensuring the steady and peaceful development of its institutions?

“Such an attitude, however, is not dictated by considerations of selfish expediency, but is actuated, first and foremost, by the broad principle that the followers of Bahá’u’lláh will, under no circumstances, sufler themselves to be involved, whether as individuals or in their collective capacities, in matters that would entail the slightest departure from the fundamental verities and ideals of their Faith. Neither the charges which the uninformed and the malicious may be led to bring against them, nor the allurements of honors and rewards, will ever induce them to surrender their trust or to deviate from their path. Let their words proclaim, and their conduct testify, that they who follow Bahá’u’lláh, in whatever land they reside, are actuated by no selfish ambition, that they neither thirst for power, nor mind any wave of unpopularity, of distrust or criticism, which a strict adherence to their standards might provoke.”

And again: “The Bahá’í Faith as it forges ahead throughout the western world and particularly in lands where the political machinery is corrupt and political passions and prejudices are dominant among the masses, should increasingly assert and demonstrate the fact that it is non-political in character, that it stands above party, that it is neither apathetic to national interests nor opposed to any party or faction, and that it seeks through administrative channels, rather than through diplomatic and political posts to establish, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the capacity, the sane patriotism, the integrity and highmindedness of its avowed adherents. This is the general and vital principle; it is for the National representatives to apply it with fidelity and vigor.”5 WNeu's, December, 1932.

[Page 309]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH 309

These instructions raised the question whether Bahá’ís should vote in any public election. A Tablet revealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Mr. Thornton Chase was sent to the Guardian, and the following reply was received, dated January 26, 1933}:6

“The Guardian fully recognizes the authenticity and controlling influence of this instruction from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá upon the question. He, however, feels under the responsibility of stating that the attitude taken by the Master (that is, that American citizens are in duty bound to vote in public elections) implies certain reservations. He, therefore, lays it upon the individual conscience to see that in following the Master’s instructions no Bahá’í vote for an officer nor Bahá’í participation in the affairs of the Republic shall involve acceptance by that individual of a program or policy that contravenes any vital principle, spiritual or social, of the Faith.” The Guardian added to this letter the following postscript: “I feel it incumbent upon me to clarify the above statement, written in my behalf, by stating that no vote cast, or office undertaken, by a Bahá’í should necessarily constitute acceptance, by the voter or office holder, of the entire program of any political party. No Bahá’í can be regarded as either a Republican or Democrat, as such. He is, above all else, the supporter of the principles enunciated by Baha’u’llah, with which, I am firmly convinced, the program of no political party is completely harmonious.”

In a letter dated March 16, 1933, the Guardian sent these further details:7

“As regards the non-political character of the Bahá’í Faith, Shoghi Effendi feels that there is no contradiction whatsoever between the Tablet (to Thornton Chase, referred to above) and the reservations to which he has referred. The Master surely never desired the friends to use their influence towards the realization and promotion of policies contrary to any of the principles of the Faith. The friends may vote, if they can do it, without identifying themselves with one party or another. To enter the arena of party politics is surely detrimental to the best interests of the Faith and will harm the Cause. It remains for the individuals to so use their right to vote as to keep aloof from party politics, and always bear in mind that they are voting on the

61bid., April, 1933. 7 Ibid., January, 1934.

merits of the individual, rather'than because he belongs to one party or another. The matter must be made perfectly clear to the individuals, who will be left free to exercise their discretion and judgment. But if a certain person does enter into party politics and labors for the ascendancy of one party over another, and continues to do it against the expressed appeals, and warnings of the Assembly, then the Assembly has the right to refuse him the right to vote in Bahá’í elections.”

That this principle, as do all Bahá’í principles, has world-wide application is made clear by Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated March 11, 1936:8

“The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh has assimilated, by virtue of its creative, its regulative and ennobling energies, the varied races, nationalities, creeds and classes that have sought its shadow, and have pledged unswerving fealty to its cause. It has changed the hearts of its adherents, burned away their prejudices, stilled their passions, exalted their conceptions, ennobled their motives, coordinated their efforts, and transformed their outlook. While preserving their patriotism and safeguarding their lesser loyalties, it has made them lovers of mankind, and the determined upholders of its best and truest interests. While maintaining intact their belief in the Divine origin of their respective religions, it has enabled them to Visualize the underlying purpose of these religions, to discover their merits, to recognize their sequence, their interdependence, their wholeness and unity, and to acknowledge the bond that vitally links them to itself. This universal, this transcending love which the followers of the Bahá’í Faith feel for their fellow-men, of whatever race, creed, class or nation, is neither mysterious nor can it be said to have been artificially stimulated. It is both spontaneous and genuine. They whose hearts are warmed by the energizing influence of God’s creative love cherish His creatures for His sake, and recognize in every human face a sign of His reflected glory.

“Of such men and women it may be truly said that to them ‘every foreign land is a fatherland, and every fatherland a foreign land.’ For their citizenship, it must be remembered, is in the Kingdom of Bahá’u’ lláh. Though willing to share to the utmost

8 World Order of Bahd’u’llzih, pp. 197-198.

[Page 310]

’,I

Delegates to the Eighteenth Annual Convention of the Bahá’ís of Persia, held at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, Ṭihrán, April 27-May 3, 1951.

[Page 311]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH ‘311

the temporal benefits and the fleeting joys which this earthly life can confer, though eager to participate in whatever activity that conduces to the richness, the happiness and peace of that life, they can, at no time, forget that it constitutes no more than a transient, a very brief stage of their existence, that they who live it are but pilgrims and wayfarers whose goal is the Celestial City, and whose home the Country of never-failing joy and brightness.

“Though loyal to their respective governments, though profoundly interested in anything that affects their security and welfare, though anxious to share in whatever promotes their best interests, the Faith with which the followers of Bahá’u’lláh stand identified is one Which they firmly believe God has raised high above the storms, the divisions, and controversies of the political arena. Their Faith they conceive to be essentially non-political, supra-national in character, rigidly non-partisau, and entirely dissociated from nationalistic ambitions, pursuits, and purposes. Such a Faith knows no division of class or of party. It subordinates, without hesitation or equivocation, every particularistic interest, be it personal, regional, or national to the paramount interests of humanity, firmly convinced that in a world of inter—dependent peoples and nations the advantage of the part is best to be reached by the advantage of the whole, and that no abiding benefit can be conferred upon the component parts if the general interests of the entity itself are ignored or neglected.”

The unity of Bahá’í action throughout the world is further emphasized in a letter from Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of Vienna, written in 1947 through his secretary, in which he said in part:9

“We Bahá’ís are one the world over; we are seeking to build up a new world order, divine in origin. How can we do this if every Bahá’í is a member of a different political party—some of them diametrically opposite to each other? Where is our unity then? We would be divided because of politics, against ourselves and this is the opposite of our purpose. Obviously if one Bahá’í in Austria is given freedom to choose a political party and join it, however good its aims may be, another Bahá’í in Japan or America, or India, has the right to do the same thing and he might belong to a party the very opposite

9Bahá’í News, April, 1949.

in principle to that which the Austrian Bahá’í belongs to. Where would be the unity of the Faith then? These two spiritual brothers would be working against each other because of their political affiliations (as the Christians of Europe have been doing in so many fratricidal wars). The best way for a Bahá’í to serve his country and the world is to work for the establishment of Bahá’u’lláh’s World Order, which will gradually unite all men and do away with divisive political systems and religious creeds. . . .”

In the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Bahá’ís are instructed to “obey and be the well-wishers of the governments of the land, regard disloyalty unto a just king as disloyalty to God Himself and wishing evil to the government a transgression of the Cause of God.”10 In explanation of this statement the Guardian wrote, in a letter dated July 3, 1948:“

“Regarding your question about politics and the Master’s Will; the attitude of the Bahá’ís must be twofold, complete obedience to the government of the country they reside in, and no interference whatsoever in political matters or questions. What the Master’s statement really means is obedience to a duly constituted government, whatever that government may be in form. We are not the ones, as individual Bahá’ís, to judge our government as just or unjust—for each believer would be sure to hold a different viewpoint, and within our own Bahá’í fold a hotbed of dissension would spring up and destroy our unity. We must build up our Bahá’í system, and leave the faulty systems of the world to go their way. We cannot change them through becoming involved in them; on the contrary, they will destroy us.”

Another application of this principle concerns the right, propriety or usefulness of exerting Bahá’í influence for the enactment of legislative measures reflecting more or less the purpose of some Bahá’í principle or teaching. For example, should a Bahá’í community, local or national, lend the name of the Bahá’í Faith to support legislation which seeks to abolish race and religious discrimination in matters of industrial employment, or intervene when measures concerning military training of youth are before a legislature?

The National Spiritual Assembly of the

10 Bahá’í Administration (1945 ed.), P. 4.

11 Bahá’í News, January, 1949.

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Bahá’ís of the United States has stated12 that, “as a general policy subject to the Guardian’s specific direction in special cases, Bahá’ís and their administrative institutions should not feel obligated to adopt a ‘Bahá’í’ attitude or course of action on matters of civil legislation. Our teachings and basic principles speak for themselves. These we can always declare and set forth with all possible energy Whenever occasions arise. But a truth which is sundered from its sustaining spiritual Source, lifted out of its organic relationship to the Bahá’í community, broken off from the other truths, and made subject to the storm and stress of secular controversy, is no longer a truth with which we can usefully have concern. It has become an enactment to be carried out by institutions and groups committed to other enactments, other aims and purposes and methods not in conformity with the ‘Divine Polity’ entrusted to those alone who give full loyalty to Bahá’u’lláh. Far better for us to strive to mirror forth radiantly the individual and community virtues of a new era than to hope others than believers will achieve the holy mission of the Faith. We Bahá’ís have in reality accepted a world order and not merely a new decalogue of truths 0r commands. On the other hand, obedience to civil government is an obligation laid by Bahá’u’lláh upon every Bahá’í.”

Shoghi Eflfendi13 points out, as a guiding principle of Bahá’í conduct, that “in connection with their administrative activities, no matter how grievously interference with them might affect the course of the exten 12 Bahá’í World, v01. 10, p. 278. 13 Bahá’í Administration (1945 ed.), p. 162.

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sion of the Movement, and the suspension of which does not constitute in itself a departure from the principle of loyalty to their Faith, the considered judgment and authoritative decrees issued by their responsible rulers must, if they be faithful to Bahá’u’lláh’s and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s express injunctions, be thoroughly respected and loyally obeyed. In matters, however, that vitally affect the integrity and honor of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, and are tantamount to a recantation of their faith and repudiation of their innermost belief, they [the Bahá’ís] are convinced, and are unhesitatingly prepared to vindicate by their life-blood the sincerity of their conviction, that no power on earth, neither the arts of the most insidious adversary nor the bloody weapons of the most tyrannical oppressor, can ever succeed in extorting from them a word or deed that might tend to stifle the voice of their conscience or tarnish the purity of their faith.”

“Small wonder if by the Pen of Bahá’u’lláh these pregnant words, written in anticipation of the present state of mankind, should have been revealed: ‘It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth‘ the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.’ And again, ‘That one indeed is a man who today dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race.’ ‘Through the power released by these exalted words,’ He explains, ’He hath lent a fresh impulse, and set a new direction, to the birds of men’s hearts, and hath obliterated every trace of restriction and limitation from God’s Holy Book.’ ”14

14 World Order of Bahd'u’llfih, p. 198.

LOYALTY TO GOVERNMENT

a;

Statement Prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha zs Of the United States of America

V- V HEN a great social crisis sweeps through a civilization, moral values become impaired. In the crisis of our own time, members of the Bahá’í Faith go on record as firmly upholding the principle of loyalty to government.

More than eighty years ago Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, set forth this cardinal principle: “In every country or

government where any of this community reside, they must behave toward that government with faithfulness, trustfulness, and truthfulness.”

Loyalty to government, in the Bahá’í view, is an essential spiritual and social principle. “We must obey and be the well-wishers of the government of the land. . .” “The

zy

essence of the Bahai spirit is that in order

[Page 313]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

to establish a better social order and economic condition, there must be allegiance to the laws and principles of government.” This allegiance is part of the strong emphasis on integrity of character found in the Bahá’í teaching. “Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts.” “Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that ye deal not treacherously with any one. Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the

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emblems of His generosity amidst His people.”

Without integrity of character in its citizens and without loyalty to government, a nation will find itself torn asunder and unable to function as an organic society. Not only do the Bahá’í teachings obligate members to be loyal to their government—they also specifically forbid them from taking any part in subversive political and social movements.

CONCERNING MEMBERSHIP IN NON—BAHA’I RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS*

THE instruction written by Shoghi Effendi concerning membership in non-Bahá’í religious organizations, published in the July, 1935, number of Bahá’í News, has brought forth some interesting and important communications from local Spiritual Assemblies and also from individual believers, to all of which the National Spiritual Assembly has given careful and sympathetic attention.

The National Assembly itself, on receiving that instruction, made it the subject of extensive consultation, feeling exceedingly responsible for its own understanding of the Guardian’s words and anxious to contribute to the understanding of the friends.

In October, 1935, the Assembly sent in reply to some of these communications a general letter embodying its thoughts on the subject, and a copy of that letter was forwarded to Shoghi Effendi for his approval and comment. His references to its contents, made in letters addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly on November 29 and December 11, 1935, are appended to this statement.

Now that Shoghi Effendi’s approval has been received, the National Assembly feels it desirable to publish, for the information of all the American believers, the substance of the October letter.

While so fundamental an instruction is bound to raise different questions corresponding to the different conditions existing throughout the Bahá’í community, the most important consideration is our collective need to grasp the essential principle under

• A statement prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

lying the new instruction, and our capacity to perceive that the position which the Guardian wishes us to take in regard to church membership is a necessary and inevitable result of the steady development of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

This essential principle is made clear when we turn to Shoghi Effendi’s further reference to the subject as published in Bahá’í News for October, 1935—words written by the Guardian’s own hand.

In the light of these words, it seems fully evident that the way to approach this instruction is in realizing the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh as an ever-growing organism destined to become something new and greater than any of the revealed religions of the past. Whereas former Faiths inspired hearts and illumined souls, they eventuated in formal religions with an ecclesiastical organization, creeds, rituals and churches, while the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, likewise renewing man’s spiritual life, will gradually produce the institutions of an ordered society, fulfilling not merely the function of the churches of the past but also the function of the civil state. By this manifestation of the Divine Will in a higher degree than in former ages, humanity will emerge from that immature civilization in which church and state are separate and competitive institutions, and partake of a true civilization in which spiritual and social principles are at last reconciled as two aspects of one and the same Truth.

No Bahá’í can read the successive World Order letters sent us by Shoghi Effendi without perceiving that the Guardian, for many

[Page 314]314

years, has been preparing us to understand and appreciate this fundamental purpose and mission of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. Even when the Master ascended, we were for the most part still considering the Bahá’í Faith as though it were only the “return of Christ” and failing to perceive the entirely new and larger elements latent in the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.

Thus, in the very first of the World Order letters, written February 27th, 1929, Shoghi Effendi said: “Who, I may ask, when viewing the international character of the Cause, its far-flung ramifications, the increasing complexity of its affairs, the diversity of its adherents, and the state of confusion that assails on every side the infant Faith of God, Can for a moment question the necessity of some sort of administrative machinery that will insure, amid the storm and stress of a struggling civilization, the unity of the Faith, the preservation of its identity, and the protection of its interests?”

Although for five years the Guardian had been setting forth the principles of Bahá’í Administration in frequent letters, in 1927 he apparently felt it necessary to overcome some doubts here and there as to the validity of the institutions the Master bequeathed to the Bahá’ís in His Will and Testament. The series of World Order letters, however, goes far beyond the point of defending and explaining their validity as an essential element in the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh—the Guardian vastly extended the horizon of our understanding by making it clear that the Administrative Order, in its full development, is to be the social structure of the future civilization.

Thus, in that same letter quoted above, he wrote: “Not only will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently in future, but will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power. And as the Bahá’í Faith permeates the masses of the peoples of East and West, and its truth is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world, will the Universal House of Justice attain the plenitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the

THE BAHA’I WORLD

Bahá’í Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the world’s future super-state.”

This passage stands as the keystone in the noble structure which Shoghi Effendi has raised in his function as interpreter of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. The Master developed the Cause to the point where this social Teaching, always existent in the Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, could be explained to the believers and given its due significance as the fulfillment of Bahá’í evolution. As the Guardian expressed it: “That Divine Civilization, the establishment of which is the primary mission of the Bahá’í Faith.” (World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 3-4.)

For us these words mean that a Bahá’í is not merely a member of a revealed Religion, he is also a citizen in a World Order even though that Order today is still in its infancy and still obscured by the shadows thrown by the institutions, habits and attitudes derived from the past. But since the aim and end has been made known, our devotion and loyalty must surely express itself, not in clinging to Views and thoughts emanating from the past, but in pressing forward in response to the needs of the new creation.

That true devotion, which consists in conscious knowledge of the “primary mission,” and unified action to assist in bringing about its complete triumph, recognizes that a Bahá’í today must have singleness of mind as of aim, without the division arising when we stand with one foot in the Cause and one foot in the world, attempting to reconcile diverse elements which the Manifestation of God Himself has declared to be irreconcilable.

The principle underlying the Guardian’s instruction about membership in non-Bahá’í religious bodies has already been emphasized by Shoghi Effendi in another connection—the instruction about the non-political character of the Faith which he incorporated in his letter entitled “The Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.” For example: “I feel it, therefore, incumbent upon me to stress, now that the time is ripe, the importance of an instruction which, at the present stage of the evolution of our Faith, should be increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its application to the East or to the West. And this principle is no other than that which involves the non-participation by the adherents of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, whether in their

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individual capacities or collectively as local or national Assemblies, in any form of activity that might be interpreted, either directly or indirectly, as an interference in the political affairs of any particular government.”

Again, when the question was raised as to membership in certain non-Bahá’í organizations not directly religious or political in character, the Guardian replied: “Regarding association with the World Fellowship of Faiths and kindred Societies, Shoghi Effendi wishes to reafl‘irm and elucidate the general principle that Bahá’í elected representatives as well as individuals should refrain from any act or word that would imply a departure from the principles, whether spiritual, social or administrative, established by Bahá’u’lláh. Formal affiliation with and acceptance of membership in organizations whose programs or policies are not wholly reconcilable with the Teachings is of course out of the question.” (Bahá’í News, August, 1933.)

Thus, not once but repeatedly the Guardian has upheld the vital principle underlying every type of relationship between Bahá’ís and other organizations, namely, that the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh is an ever-growing organism, and as we begin to realize its universality our responsibility is definitely established to cherish and defend that universality from all compromise, all admixture with worldly elements, whether emanating from our own habits rooted in the past or from the deliberate attacks imposed by enemies from without.

It will be noted that in the instruction published in July, 1935, Bahá’í News, the Guardian made it clear that the principle involved is not new and unexpected, but rather an application of an established principle to a new condition. “Concerning membership in non-Bahá’í religious associations, the Guardian wishes to re-emphasize the general principle already laid down in his communications to your Assembly and also to the individual believers that no Bahá’í who wishes to be a whole-hearted and sincere upholder of the distinguishing principles of the Cause can accept full membership in any non-Bahá’í ecclesiastical organization. . . . For it is only too obvious that in most of its fundamental assumptions the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh is completely at variance with outworn creeds, ceremonies and institutions. . . . During the days of the Master the Cause was still in a stage that

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made such an open and sharp dissociation between it and other religious organizations, and particularly the Muslim Faith, not only inadvisable but practically impossible to establish. But since His passing events throughout the Bahá’í world, and particularly in Egypt where the Muslim religious courts have formally testified to the independent character of the Faith, have developed to a point that has made such an assertion of the independence of the Cause not only highly desirable but absolutely essentia .”

To turn now to the Guardian’s words published in October Bahá’í News: “The separation that has set in between the institutions of the Bahá’í Faith and the Islamic ecclesiastical organizations that oppose it . . imposes upon every loyal upholder of the Cause the obligation refraining from any word or action that might prejudice the position which our enemies have . . . of their own accord proclaimed and established. This historic development, the beginnings of which could neither be recognized nor even anticipated in the years immediately preceding ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing, may be said to have signalized the Formative Period of our Faith and to have paved the way for the consolidation of its administrative order. . . . Though our Cause unreservedly recognizes the Divine origin of all the religions that preceded it and upholds the spiritual truths which lie at their very core and are common to them all, its institutions, whether administrative, religious or humanitarian, must, if their distinctive character is to be maintained and recognized, be increasingly divorced from the outworn creeds, the meaningless ceremonials and man-made institutions with which these religions are at present identified. Our adversaries in the East have initiated the struggle. Our future opponents in the West will, in their turn, arise and carry it a stage further. Ours is the duty, in anticipation of this inevitable contest, to uphold unequivocally and with undivided loyalty the integrity of our Faith and demonstrate the distinguishing features of its divinely appointed institutions.”

Nothing could be clearer or more emphatic. These words, asserting again the essential universality of the Cause, likewise repeat and renew the warning that the organized religions, even in America, will become bitterly hostile to the Faith of Baha’ [Page 316]316

u’llah, denounce and oppose it, and seek its destruction in vain effort to maintain their own “outworn creeds” and material power. Informed of this inevitable development, can a Bahá’í any longer desire to retain a connection which, however liberal and pleasing it now seems, is a connection with a potential toe of the Cause of God? The Guardian’s instruction signifies that the time has come when all American believers must become fully conscious of the implications of such connections, and carry out their loyalty to its logical conclusion. '

Shoghi Effendi’s latest words are not merely an approval of the foregoing statement, but a most helpful elucidation of some of the problems which arise when the friends turn to their local Assemblies for specific advice under various special circumstances.

“The explanatory statement in connection with membership in non-Bahá’í religious organizations is admirably conceived, convincing and in full conformity with the principles underlying and implied in the unfolding world order of Bahá’u’lláh.” (November 29, 1933.)

“The Guardian has carefully read the copy of the statement you had recently prepared concerning non-membership in non-Bahá’í religious organizations, and is pleased to realize that your comments and explanations are in full conformity with his views on the subject. He hopes that your letter will serve to clarify this issue in the minds of all the believers, and to further convince them of its vital character and importance in the present stage of the evolution of the Cause.

“. . . In this case,1 as also in that of suffering believers, the Assemblies, whether local or national, should act tactfully, patiently and in a friendly and kindly spirit. Knowing how painful and dangerous it is

1 A special case involving an aged Bahá’í, afflicted

with illness, for whom severance of church relations might have been too great a shock.

THE BAHA’I WORLD

for such believers to repudiate their former allegiances and friendships, they should try to gradually persuade them of the wisdom and necessity of such an action, and instead of thrusting upon them a new principle, to make them accept it inwardly, and out of pure conviction and desire. Too severe and immediate action in such cases is not only fruitless but actually harmful. It alienates people instead of winning them to the Cause.

“The other point concerns the advisability of contributing to a church. In this case also the friends must realize that contributions to a church, especially when not regular, do not necessarily entail affiliation. The believers can make such offerings, occasionally, and provided they are certain that while doing so they are not connected as members of any church. There should be no confusion between the terms affiliation and association. While affiliation with ecclesiastical organizations is not permissible, association With them should not only be tolerated but even encouraged. There is no better way to demonstrate the universality of the Cause than this. Bahá’u’lláh, indeed, urges His followers to consort with all religions and nations with utmost friendliness and love. This constitutes the very spirit of His message to mankind.” (December 11, 1935.)

The National Spiritual Assembly trusts that the subject will receive the attention of local Assemblies and communities, and that in the light of the foregoing explanations the friends will find unity and agreement in applying the instruction to whatever situations may arise. In teaching new believers let us lay a proper foundation so that their obedience will be voluntary and assured from the beginning of their enrollment as Bahá’ís. In our attitude toward the older believers who are affected by the instruction let us act with the patience and kindliness the Guardian has urged.

BAHA’IS AND MILITARY SERVICE

THE Bahá’í VIEW OF PACIFISM

IN a letter published in Bahá’í News, January, 1938, Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith wrote through his secretary:

“With reference to the absolute pacifists or conscientious objectors to war: their attitude, judged from the Bahá’í standpoint, is quite anti-social and due to its exaltation of the individual conscience leads inevitably to disorder and chaos in society. Extreme paci [Page 317]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

fists are thus very close to anarchists, in the sense that both of these groups lay an undue emphasis on the rights and merits of the individual. The Bahá’í conception of social life is essentially based on the subordination of the individual will to that of society. It neither suppresses the individual nor does it exalt him to the point of making him an anti—social creature, a menace to society. As in everything, it follows the ‘golden mean.’ The only way society can function is for the minority to follow the will of the majority.

“The other main objection to the conscientious objectors is that their method of establishing peace is too negative. Noncooperation is too passive a philosophy to become an effective way for social reconstruction. Their refusal to bear arms can never establish peace. There should first be a spiritual revitalization which nothing, except the Cause of God, can effectively bring to every man’s heart.”

THE Bahá’í POSITION ON MILITARY SERVICE

(A Public Statement issued by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States)

In view of the increasing importance of a clear understanding of the details of the Bahá’í position on military service, the National Bahá’í Assembly presents the following statement of general principles for the information and guidance of the members of the Bahá’í Community in the United States and others who may have an interest in the Bahá’í viewpoint.

The Bahá’í teachings require that followers of the Faith obey the laws of the government under which they live, and this requirement includes the obligation for military service which rests upon all citizens. However, Bahá’ís are also required to apply for noncombatant service whenever the opportunity to do so is legally provided by their government on the basis of religious training and belief.

While the religious convictions of Bahá’ís require them to seek whatever exemption from combatant duty may be granted by their government on the grounds of religious belief, they definitely are not pacifists in the sense of refusal to cooperate with and obey the laws of an established

317

government. Thus Bahá’ís do not, on the grounds of religious conviction, seek to abandon their obligation as citizens in time of war or national emergency. Neither do they attempt to avoid the dangers and hardships which are inevitable in time of war, and to which all citizens of military age are liable.

Thus Bahá’ís who are citizens of the United States are able to reconcile their fundamental spiritual convictions and their civil obligations as citizens by applying for noncombatant service under the. existing Selective Service law and regulations.

The members of the Bahá’í Faith make no reservations in claiming that they are fully obedient to all provisions of the laws of their country, including the constitutional right of the Federal government to raise armies and conscript citizens for military serv1ce.

Although it is necessary for Bahá’ís to be classified as “conscientious objectors” to combatant military service in order to obtain a noncombatant status under the Selective Service regulations, they are not “conscientious objectors” in the sense of a refusal to obey the laws of their country or to perform noncombatant military duties as members of the armed forces. Their status is rather that of “conscientious co-operators” with the military authorities of their country, since they serve as members of the armed forces in the Medical Corps, or in any capacity in which they may legally maintain a noncombatant status, regardless of the effect which this may have upon their personal safety, their convenience, the type of activity they must discharge, or the rank to which they may be assigned.

SUMMARY .OF THE GUARDIAN’S INSTRUCTIONS ON THE OBLIGATION OF Bahá’ís IN CONNECTION WITH MILITARY SERVICE

During World War II the Bahá’í position on military training and service, and the obligation of individual Bahá’ís to apply for and maintain a noncombatant status when this is possible under the laws of their country, were outlined specifically in a series of instructions and bulletins issued by the National Assembly.

Since 1945, two items on this subject have been published in Bahá’í News; one in the October, 1946 issue (pp. 9-10), and the

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other in the September, 1948 issue (p. 6). Both of these articles quoted the Guardian’s instruction contained in a letter to the National Assembly dated July 20, 1946, written in reply to a question as to whether the existence of the United Nations in its present form should change the attitude of Bahá’ís toward military duties which might require the taking of human life. The Guardian’s answer to this question is again quoted below:

“As there is neither an International Police Force nor any immediate prospect of one coming into being, the Bahá’ís should continue to apply, under all circumstances, for exemption from any military duties that necessitate the taking of life. There is no justification for any change of attitude on our pait at the present time.”

These words indicate that the Guardian still feels that a Bahá’í cannot voluntarily enter any form of combatant military duty, and must seek exemption from such service if this is possible under the laws of his country.

The instruction given in the July 20, 1946 letter was confirmed recently in a cable received from the Guardian by the National Assembly on January 17, 1951.

The Guardian, in these and earlier communications, has made it clear that it is obligatory, and not an optional matter, for all Bahá’ís to apply for and maintain a noncombatant status if this is possible under the law. When such a law exists, as is the case in the United States, Bahá’ís cannot voluntarily enlist in any branch of the armed

THE BAHA’I WORLD

forces where they would be subject to orders to engage in the taking of human life. It is only through the Selective Service machinery of classification and induction that a noncombatant status can be secured and maintained.

The N.S.A. statement in the September, 1948 issue of Bahá’í News called attention to passage of the Selective Service Act of 1948, and to the fact that Section 6 (j) of this Act provides an exemption from combatant service and training for those citizens who are opposed to such service by reason of religious training or belief. This provision is similar to the one in Section 5 (g) of the Selective Service Act of 1940, which was the legal basis for application for exemption from combatant duty during the last war by Bahá’ís subject to the draft.

It is the firm spiritual obligation of Bahá’ís residing in the United States who must fill out a Selective Service Questionnaire, to indicate on this form (Series XIV) in the space provided that they are opposed to combatant military service and to claim the exemption provided under the Selective Service Act on the grounds of religious training and belief. They should also request a copy of the special form (SS Form No. 150) provided for those claiming such exemption, and then fill this out in accordance with instructions contained in a special bulletin “Bahá’ís and the Selective Draft,” which may be obtained from the National Assembly or from Local Assembly Secretaries.

INTERPRETATION OF THE WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ‘ABDU’L-BAHA

V. VELL is it with him who fixeth his gaze

upon the Order of Bahá’u’lláh and rendereth thanks unto his Lord! For He assuredly will be made manifest. God hath indeed irrevocably ordained it in the Bayén. —THE B313.1L

The world’s equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind’s ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this

1 World Order of Bahd'u’lláh, pp. 146-147.

wondrous System—the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.—BAHA’U’LL{m.2

It is incumbent upon the Aglisén, the Afnán and My kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book: “When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed. Who hath branched from this An 2 Ibldt, p. 146.

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cient Root.” The object of this sacred verse is none except the Most Mighty Branch (‘Abdu’l-Bahá). Thus have We graciously revealed unto you Our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Powerful. —BAHA’U’LLAH.3

There hath branched from the Sadratu’lMuntahé this sacred and glorious Being, this Branch of Holiness; well is it with him that hath sought His shelter and abideth beneath His shadow. Verily the Limb of the Law of God hath sprung forth from this Root which God hath firmly implanted in the Ground of His Will, and Whose Branch hath been so uplifted as to encompass the whole of creation.—BAHA’U’LLAH.4

In accordance with the explicit text of the Kitáb—i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh hath made the Center of the Covenant the Interpreter of His Word—a Covenant so firm and mighty that from the beginning of time until the present day no religious Dispensation hath produced its like.——‘ABI:;U’L-BAHA.5

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who incarnates an institution for which we can find no parallel whatsoever in any of the world’s recognized religious systems, may be said to have closed the Age to which He Himself belonged and opened the one in which we are now laboring. His Will and Testament should thus be regarded as the perpetual, the indissoluble link which the mind of Him Who is the Mystery of God has conceived in order to insure the continuity of the three ages that constitute the component parts of the Bahá’í Dispensation. . .

The creative energies released by the Law of Bahá’u’lláh, permeating and evolving Within the mind of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, have, by their very impact and close interaction, given birth to an Instrument Which may be viewed as the Charter of the New World Order which is at once the glory and the promise of this most great Dispensation. The Will may thus be acclaimed as the inevitable offspring resulting from that mystic intercourse between Him Who communicated the generating influence of His divine Purpose and the One Who was its vehicle and chosen recipient. Being the Child of the Covenant—the Heir of both

smut, p. 134.

4 117121., p. 135. 5 11214., p. 136.

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the Originator and the Interpreter of the Law of God—the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá can no more be divorced from Him Who supplied the original and motivating impulse than from the One Who ultimately conceived it. Bahá’u’lláh’s inscrutable purpose, we must ever bear in mind, has been so thoroughly infused into the conduct of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and their motives have been so closely welded together, that the mere attempt to dissociate the teachings of the former from any system which the ideal Exemplar of those same teachings has established would amount to a repudiation of one of the most sacred and basic truths of the Faith.—SHOGHI EFFENDI.G

For Bahá’u’lláh, we should readily recognize, has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit. He has not merely enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy, however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after Him, has, unlike the Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid down a set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of the Most Great Peace, and the one agency for the unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness and justice upon the earth.SHOGHI EFFENDI.7

. the Spirit breathed by Bahá’u’lláh upon the world . . . can never permeate and exercise an abiding influence upon mankind unless and until it incarnates itself in a visible Order, which would bear His Name, wholly identify itself with His principles, and function in conformity with His Laws . . . —SHOGHI EFFENDI.8

The Administrative Order, which ever since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s ascension has evolved and is taking shape under our very eyes in no fewer than forty countries9 of the world, may be considered as the framework of the

Will itself, the inviolable stronghold wherein

61bid., pp. 143—144.

7 Ibid., p. 19.

8 Ibid., p. 19.

9 By 1950 this figure had reached over one hundred; by 1954, over two hundred. This excerpt is from World Order of Bahd’u’lhih, p. 144.

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this new-born child is being nurtured and developed. This Administrative Order, as it expands and consolidates itself, will no doubt manifest the potentialities and reveal the full implications of this momentous Document—this most remarkable expression of the Will of One of the most remarkable Figures of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh. It will, as its component parts, its organic institutions, begin to function with efficiency and vigor, assert its claim and demonstrate its capacity to be regarded not only as the nucleus but the very pattern of the New World Order destined to embrace in the fullness of time the whole of mankind.—SHOGHI EFFENDI.

. . . The Charter which called into being, outlined the features and set in motion the processes of, this Administrative Order is none other than the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His greatest legacy to posterity, the brightest emanation of His mind and the mightiest instrument forged to insure the continuity of the three ages which constitute the component parts of His Father’s Dispensation.—SHOGHI EFFENDI.10

It was ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Who, through the provisions of His weighty Will and Testament, has forged the Vital link which must for ever connect the age that has just expired with the one we now live in—the Transitional and Formative period of the Faith—a stage that must in the fullness of time reach its blossom and yield its fruit in the exploits and triumphs that are to herald the Golden Age of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.—SHOGHI EFFENDI.11

The Document establishing that Order, the Charter of a future world civilization, which may be regarded in some of its features as'supplementary to no less weighty a Book than the Kitáb-i—Aqdas; signed and sealed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; entirely written with His own hand; its first section composed during one of the darkest periods of His incarceration in the prison-fortress of ‘Akká, proclaims, categorically and unequivocally, the fundamental beliefs of the followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh; reveals, in unmistakable language, the twofold character of the Mission of the Báb;

1O God Passes By, 13. 325. 11 World Order of Bahti’u'lhih, p. 98.

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discloses the full station of the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation; asserts that “all others are servants unto Him and d0 His bidding”; stresses the importance of the Kitab-i—Aqdas; establishes the institution of the Guardianship as a hereditary office and outlines its essential functions; provides the measures for the election of the International House of J ustice, defines its scope and sets forth its relationship to that Institution; prescribes the obligations, and emphasizes the responsibilities, of the Hands of the Cause of God; and extolls the virtues of the indestructible Covenant established by Baha’u’llah. That Document, furthermore, lauds the courage and constancy of the supporters of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant; expatiates on the sufferings endured by its appointed Center; recalls the infamous conduct of Mirza Yaḥyá. and his failure to heed the warnings of the Báb; exposes, in a series of indictments, the perfidy and rebellion of Mirzá Muhammad-‘Ali, and the complicity of his son Shu‘a‘u’lláh and of his brother Mirza Badi‘u’lláh; reaffirms their excommunication, and predicts the frustration of all their hopes; summons the Afnán (the Bab’s kindred), the Hands of the Cause and the entire company of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh to arise unitedly to propagate His Faith, to disperse far and wide, to labor tirelessly and to follow the heroic example of the Apostles of Jesus Christ; warns them against the dangers of association with the Covenant-breakers, and bids them shield the Cause from the assaults of the insincere and the hypocrite; and counsels them to demonstrate by their conduct the universality of the Faith they have espoused, and vindicate its high principles. In that same Document its Author reveals the significance and purpose of the Huqfiqu’lláh (Right of God), already instituted in the Kitáb-i—Aqdas; enjoins submission and fidelity towards all monarchs who are just; expresses His longing for martyrdom, and voices His prayers for the repentance as well as the forgiveness of His enemies—SHOGHI EFFENDI.12

. . . We stand indeed too close to so monumental a document to claim for ourselves a complete understanding of all its implications, or to presume to have grasped the manifold mysteries it undoubtedly con tains. Only future generations can compre 12 God Passes By, p. 328.

[Page 321]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

hend the value and the significance attached to this Divine Masterpiece, which the hand of the Master-builder of the world has designed for the unification and the triumph of the world-wide Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Only those who come after us will be in a position to realize the value of the surprisingly strong emphasis that has been placed on

321

the institution of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship . . . To them alone will be revealed the suitability of the institutions initiated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the character of the future society which is to emerge out of the chaos and confusion of the present age . . . —SHOGHI EFFENDI.13 13 World Order of Bahd'u’lltih, p. 8.

EXCERPTS FROM THE WRITINGS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI

I HAVE been acquainted by the perusal of your latest communications with the nature of the doubts that have been publicly expressed, by one who is wholly misinformed as to the true precepts of the Cause, regarding the validity of institutions that stand inextricably interwoven with the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. Not that I for a moment view such faint misgivings in the light of an open challenge to the structure that embodies the Faith, nor is it because I question in the least the unyielding tenacity of the faith of the American believers, if I venture to dwell upon What seems to me appropriate observations at the present stage of the evolution of our beloved Cause. I am indeed inclined to welcome these expressed apprehensions inasmuch as they afford me an opportunity to familiarize the elected representatives of the believers with the origin and character of the institutions which stand at the very basis of the world order ushered in by Baha’u’llah. We should feel truly thankful for such futile attempts to undermine our beloved Faithattempts that protrude their ugly face from time to time, seem for a while able to create a breach in the ranks of the faithful, recede finally into the obscurity of oblivion, and are thought of no more. Such incidents we should regard as the interpositions of Providence, designed to fortify our faith, to clarify our vision, and to deepen our understanding of the essentials of His Divine Revelation.

It would, however, be helpful and instructive to bear in mind certain basic principles with reference to the Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l—Bahd, which, together with the Kitáb-i—Aqdas, constitutes the chief depository wherein are enshrined those priceless elements of that Divine Civilization, the establishment of which is the primary mission of the Bahá’í Faith. A study of the provi sions of these sacred documents will reveal the close relationship that exists between them, as well as the identity of purpose and method which they inculcate. Far from regarding their specific provisions as incompatible and contradictory in spirit, every fair-minded inquirer will readily admit that they are not only complementary, but that they mutually confirm one another, and are inseparable parts of one complete unit. A comparison of their contents with the rest of Bahá’í Sacred Writings will similarly establish the conformity of whatever they contain with the spirit as well as the letter of the authenticated writings and sayings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. In fact, he who reads the Aqdas with care and diligence will not find it hard to discover that the Most Holy Book [Aqdas] itself anticipates in a number of passages the institutions which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ordains in His Will. By leaving certain matters unspecified and unregulated in His Book of Laws [Aqdas], Bahá’u’lláh seems to have deliberately left a gap in the general scheme of Bahá’í Dispensation, which the unequivocal provisions of the Master’s Will has filled. To attempt to divorce the one from the other, to insinuate that the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh have not been upheld, in their entirety and with absolute integrity, by what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has revealed in his Will, is an unpardonable affront to the unswerving fidelity that has characterized the life and labors of our beloved Master.

I will not attempt in the least to assert or demonstrate the authenticity of the Will and Testament of ‘A bdu’l—Baha’, for that in itself would betray an apprehension on my part as to the unanimous confidence of the believers in the genuineness of the last written wishes of our departed Master. I will only confine my observations to those issues which may

[Page 322]

Bahá’ís of the British Isles, Convention, Year 110, London.

[Page 323]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH 323

assist them to appreciate the essential unity that underlies the spiritual, the humanitarian, and the administrative principles enunciated by the Author and the Interpreter of the Bahá’í Faith.

I am at a loss to explain that strange mentality that inclines to uphold as the sole criterion on the truth of the Bahá’í Teachings what is admittedly only an obscure and unauthenticated translation of an oral statement made by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in defiance and total disregard of the available text of all of His universally recognized writings. I truly deplore the unfortunate distortions that have resulted in days past from the incapacity of the interpreter to grasp the meaning of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and from his incompetence to render adequately such truths as have been revealed to him by the Master’s statements. Much of the confusion that has obscured the understanding of the believers should be attributed to this double error involved in the inexact rendering of an only partially understood statement. Not infrequently has the interpreter even failed to convey the exact purport of the inquirer’s specific questions, and, by his deficiency of understanding and expression in conveying the answer of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, has been responsible for reports wholly at variance with the true spirit and purpose of the Cause. It was chiefly in view of this misleading nature of the reports of the informal conversations of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with visiting pilgrims, that I have insistently urged the believers of the West to regard such statements as merely personal impressions of the sayings of their Master, and to quote and consider as authentic only such translations as are based upon the authenticated text of His recorded utterances in the original tongue.

It should be remembered by every follower of the Cause that the system of Bahá’í administration is not an innovation imposed arbitrarily upon the Bahá’ís of the world since the Master’s passing, but derives its authority from the Will and Testament of ‘A bdu’l-Baha’, is specifically prescribed in unnumbered Tablets, and rests in some of its essential features upon the explicit provisions of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. It thus unifies and correlates the principles separately laid down by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and is indissolubly bound with the essential verities of the Faith. To dissociate the administrative principles of the Cause from the purely spiritual and humanitarian teachings

would be tantamount to a mutilation of the body of the Cause, a separation that can only result in the disintegration of its component parts, and the extinction of the Faith itself.

LOCAL AND NATIONAL HOUSES OF JUSTICE

It should be carefully borne in mind that the local as well as the International Houses of Justice have been expressly enjoined by the Kitáb-i—Aqdas; that the institution of the National Spiritual Assembly, as an intermediary body, and referred to in the Master’s Will as the “Secondary House of Justice,” has the express sanction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; and that the method to be pursued for the election of the International and National Houses of Justice has been set forth by Him in His Will, as well as in a number of His Tablets. Moreover, the institutions of the local and national Funds, that are now the necessary adjuncts to all Local and National Spiritual Assemblies, have not only been established by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the Tablets He revealed to the Bahá’ís of the Orient, but their importance and necessity have been repeatedly emphasized by Him in His utterances and writings. The concentration of authority in the hands of the elected representatives of the believers; the necessity of the submission of every adherent of the Faith to the considered judgment of Bahá’í Assemblies; His preference for unanimity in decision; the decisive character of the majority vote; and even the desirability for the exercise of close supervision over all Bahá’í publications, have been sedulously instilled by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as evidenced by His authenticated and widely-scattered Tablets. To accept His broad and humanitarian Teachings on one hand, and to reject and dismiss with neglectful indifference His more challenging and distinguishing precepts, would be an act of manifest disloyalty to that which He has cherished most in His life.

That the Spiritual Assemblies of today will be replaced in time by the Houses of Justice, and are to all intents and purposes identical and not separate bodies, is abundantly confirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Himself. He has in fact in a Tablet addressed to the members of the first Chicago Spiritual Assembly, the first elected Bahá’í body instituted in the United States, referred to them as the members of the “House of Justice"

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for that city, and has thus with His own pen established beyond any doubt the identity of the present Bahá’í Spiritual Assemblies with the Houses of Justice referred to by Baha’u’llah. For reasons which are not difficult to discover, it has been found advisable to bestow upon the elected representatives of Bahá’í communities throughout the world the temporary appellation of Spiritual Assemblies, a term which, as the position and aims of the Bahá’í Faith are better understood and more fully recognized, will gradually be superseded by the permanent and more appropriate designation of House of Justice. Not only will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently in the future, but will be enabled also to add to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Baha’u’llah, not merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world, but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power. And as the Bahá’í Faith permeates the masses of the peoples of East and West, and its truth is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world, will the Universal House of Justice attain the plenitude of its power, and exercise, as the supreme organ of the Bahá’í Commonwealth, all the rights, the duties, and responsibilities incumbent upon the world’s future superstate.

It must be pointed out, however, in this connection that, contrary to what has been confidently asserted, the establishment of the Supreme House of Justice is in no way dependent upon the adoption of the Bahá’í Faith by the mass of the peoples of the world, nor does it presuppose its acceptance by the majority of the inhabitants of any one country. In fact, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Himself, in one of His earliest Tablets, contemplated the possibility of the formation of the Universal House of Justice in His own lifetime, and but for the unfavorable circumstances prevailing under the Turkish régime, would have, in all probability, taken the preliminary steps for its establishment. It will be evident, therefore, that given favorable circumstances, under which the Bahá’ís of Persia and of the adjoining countries under Soviet Rule may be enabled to elect their national representatives, in accordance with the guiding principles laid down in ‘Abd‘u’lBahá’s writings, the only remaining obstacle in the way of the definite formation of the

THE BAHA’I WORLD

International House of Justice will have been removed. For upon the National Houses of J ustice of the East and West devolves the task, in conformity with the explicit provisions of the Will, of electing directly the members of the International House of Justice. Not until they are themselves fully representative of the rank and file of the believers in their respective countries, not until they have acquired the weight and the experience that will enable them to function vigorously in the organic life of the Cause, can they approach their sacred task, and provide the spiritual basis for the constitution of so august a body in the Bahá’í world.

THE INSTITUTION 0F GUARDIANSHIP

It must be also clearly understood by every believer that the institution of Guardianship does not under any circumstances abrogate, or even in the slightest degree detract from, the powers granted to the Universal House of Justice by Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and repeatedly and solemnly confirmed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His Will. It does not constitute in any manner a contradiction to the Will and Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, nor does it nullify any of His revealed instructions. It enhances the prestige of that exalted assembly, stabilizes its supreme position, safeguards its unity, assures the continuity of its labors, without presuming in the slightest to infringe upon the inviolability of its clearly defined sphere of jurisdiction. We stand indeed too close to so monumental a document to claim for ourselves a complete understanding of all its implications, or to presume to have grasped the manifold mysteries it undoubtedly contains. On’ly future generations can comprehend the value and the significance attached to this Divine Masterpiece, which the hand of the Master-builder of the world has designed for the unification and the triumph of the world-wide Faith of Bahá’u’lla’th. Only those who come after us will be in a position to realize the value of the surprisingly strong emphasis that has been placed on the institution of the House of Justice and of the Guardianship. They only will appreciate the significance of the vigorous language employed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with reference to the band of Covenant—breakers that has opposed Him in His days. To them alone will be revealed the suitability of the institutions

[Page 325]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH 325

Bahá’ís attending the National Convention of the Bahá’ís of Germany and Austria, held in the newly erected Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, Frankfurt-am-Main, April, 1951.

initiated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the character of the future society which is to emerge out of the chaos and confusion of the present age. . . .

1,;

THE ANIMATING PURPOSE OF BAHAI INSTITUTIONS

And now, it behooves us to reflect on the animating purpose and the primary functions of these divinely-established institutions, the sacred character and the universal eflicacy of which can be demonstrated only by the spirit they diffuse and the work they actually achieve. I need not dwell upon what I have already reiterated and emphasized that the administration of the Cause is to be conceived as an instrument and not a substitute for the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, that it should be regarded as a channel through which His promised blessings may flow, that it should guard against such rigidity as would clog and fetter the liberating forces released by His Revelation. . . . Who, I may ask, when viewing the international character of the Cause, its far-flung ramifications, the increasing complexity of its af fairs, the diversity of its adherents, and the state of confusion that assails on every side the infant Faith of God, can for a moment question the necessity of some sort of administrative machinery that will insure, amid the storm and stress of a struggling civilization, the unity of the Faith, the preservation of its identity, and the protection of its interests? To repudiate the validity of the assemblies of the elected ministers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh would be to reject these countless Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, wherein they have extolled their privileges and duties, emphasized the glory of their mission, revealed the immensity of their task, and warned them of the attacks they must needs expect from the unwisdom of friends, as well as from the malice of their enemies. It is surely for those to whose hands so priceless a heritage has been committed to prayerfully watch lest the tool should supersede the Faith itself, lest undue concern for the minute details arising from the administration of the Cause obscure the vision of its promoters, lest partiality, ambition, and worldliness tend in the course of time to becloud the radiance, stain the

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purity, and impair the effectiveness of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh.1

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER

With the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the first century of the Bahá’í era, whose inception had synchronized with His birth, had run more than three quarters of its course. Seventy-seven years previously the light of the Faith proclaimed by the Báb had arisen above the horizon of Shiréz and flashed across the firmament of Persia, dispelling the age-long gloom which had enveloped its people. A blood bath of unusual ferocity, in which government, clergy and people, heedIess of the significance of that light and blind to its splendor, had jointly participated, had all but extinguished the radiance of its glory in the land of its birth. Bahá’u’lláh had at the darkest hour in the fortunes of that Faith been summoned, while Himself a prisoner in Ṭihrán, to reinvigorate its life, and been commissioned to fulfill its ultimate purpose. In Bag_hdéd, upon the termination of the ten-year delay interposed between the first intimation of that Mission and its Declaration, He had revealed the Mystery enshrined in the Báb’s embryonic Faith, and disclosed the fruit which it had yielded. In Adrianople Bahá’u’lláh’s Message, the promise of the Bábi as well as of all previous Dispensations, had been proclaimed to mankind, and its challenge voiced to the rulers of the earth in both the East and the West. Behind the walls of the prison-fortress of ‘Akká the Bearer of God’s newborn Revelation had ordained the laws and formulated the principles that were to constitute the warp and woof of His World Order. He had, moreover, prior to His ascension, instituted the Covenant that was to guide and assist in the laying of its foundations and to safeguard the unity of its builders. Armed with that peerless and potent Instrument, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His eldest Son and Center of His Covenant, had erected the standard of His Father’s Faith in the North American continent, and established an impregnable basis for its institutions in Western Europe, in the Far East and in Australia. He had, in His works, Tablets and addresses, elucidated its principles, interpreted its laws, amplified its doctrine, and erected

1 From World Order of Bahti’u’lláh, pp. 3-10. (This communication was dated February 27, 1929.)

THE BAHA’I WORLD

the rudimentary institutions of its future Administrative Order. In Russia He had raised its first House of Worship, whilst on the slopes of Mt. Carmel He had reared a befitting mausoleum for its Herald, and deposited His remains therein with His Own hands. Through His visits to several cities in Europe and the North American continent He had broadcast Bahá’u’lláh’s Message to the peoples of the West, and heightened the prestige of the Cause of God to a degree it had never previously experienced. And lastly, in the evening of His life, He had through the revelation of the Tablets of the Divine Plan issued His mandate to the community which He Himself had raised up, trained and nurtured, a Plan that must in the years to come enable its members to difiuse the light, and erect the administrative fabric, of the Faith throughout the five continents of the globe.

The moment had now arrived for that undying, that world-vitalizing Spirit that was born in Shiréz, that had been rekindled in Tihran, that had been fanned into flame in Baghdad and Adrianople, that had been carried to the West, and was now illuminating the fringes of five continents, to incarnate itself in institutions designed to canalize its outspreading energies and stimulate its growth. . . .

The Administrative Order which this historic Document has established, it should be noted, is, by virtue of its origin and character, unique in the annals of the world’s religious systems. No Prophet before Bahá’u’lláh, it can be confidently asserted, not even Muhammad Whose Book clearly lays down the laws and ordinances of the Islamic Dispensation, has established, authoritatively and in writing, anything comparable to the Administrative Order which the authorized Interpreter of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings has instituted, an Order which, by virtue of the administrative principles which its Author has formulated, the institutions He has established, and the right of interpretation with which He has invested its Guardian, must and will, in a manner unparalleled in any previous religion, safeguard from schism the Faith from which it has sprung. Nor is the principle governing its operation similar to that which underlies any system, whether theocratic or otherwise, which the minds of men have devised for the government of human institutions. Neither in the [Page 327]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

ory nor in practice can the Administrative Order of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh be said to conform to any type of democratic government, to any system of autocracy, to any purely aristocratic order, or to any of the various theocracies, whether Jewish, Christian or Islamic which mankind has witnessed in the past. It incorporates within its structure certain elements which are to be found in each of the three recognized forms of secular government, is devoid of the defects which each of them inherently possesses, and blends the salutary truths which each undoubtedly contains without vitiating in any way the integrity of the Divine verities on which it is essentially founded. The hereditary authority which the Guardian of the Administrative Order is called upon to exercise, and the right of the interpretation of the Holy Writ solely conferred upon him; the powers and prerogatives of the Universal House of Justice, possessing the exclusive right to legislate on matters not explicitly revealed in the Most Holy Book; the ordinance exempting its members from any responsibility to those whom they represent, and from the obligation to conform to their views, convictions or sentiments; the specific provisions requiring the free and democratic election by the mass of the faithful of the Body that constitutes the sole legislative organ in the world-wide Bahá’í community—these are among the features which combine to set apart the Order identified with the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh from any of the existing systems of human government.

Nor have the enemies who, at the hour of the inception of this Administrative Order, and in the course of its twenty—three year existence, both in the East and in the West, from within and from without, misrepresented its character, or derided and vilified it, or striven to arrest its march, or contrived to create a breach in the ranks of its supporters, succeeded in achieving their malevolent purpose. The strenuous exertions of an ambitious Armenian, who, in the course of the first years of its establishment in Egypt, endeavored to supplant it by the “Scientific Society” which in his shortsightedness he had conceived and was spon 327

soring, failed utterly in its purpose. The agitation provoked by a deluded woman who strove diligently both in the United States and in England to demonstrate the unauthenticity of the Charter responsible for its creation, and even to induce the civil authorities of Palestine to take legal action in the matter—a request which to her great chagrin was curtly refused—as well as the defection of one of the earliest pioneers and founders of the Faith in Germany, whom that same woman had so tragically misled, produced no effect whatsoever. The volumes which a shameless apostate composed and disseminated, during that same period in Persia, in his brazen efforts not only to disrupt that Order but to undermine the very Faith which had conceived it, proved similarly abortive. The schemes devised by the remnants of the Covenant-breakers, who immediately the aims and purposes of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will became known arose, headed by Mini Badi‘u’llah, to wrest the custodianship of the holiest shrine in the Bahá’í world from its appointed Guardian, likewise came to naught and brought further discredit upon them. The subsequent attacks launched by certain exponents of Christian orthodoxy, in both Christian and non-Christian lands, with the object of subverting the foundations, and distorting the features, of this same Order were powerless to sap the loyalty of its upholders or to deflect them from their high purpose. Not even the infamous and insidious machinations of a former secretary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who, untaught by the retribution that befell Bahá’u’lláh’s amanuensis, as well as by the fate that overtook several other secretaries and interpreters of His Master. in both the East and the West, has arisen, and is still exerting himself, to pervert the purpose and nullify the essential provisions of the immortal Document from which that Order derives its authority, have been able to stay even momentarily the march of its institutions along the course set for it by its Author, or to create anything that might, however remotely, resemble a breach in the ranks of its assured, its wide-awake and stalwart supporters.2

2 From God Passes By, pp. 323-324 and 326—328.

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THE BAHA’I WORLD

THE STANDARD OF BAHA’T CHARACTER

Excerpts from THE ADVENT 0F DIVINE JUSTICE*

By SHOGHI EFFENDI

DEARLY-BELOVED friends! Great as is my love and admiration for you, convinced as I am of the paramount share which you can, and will, undoubtedly have in both the continental and international spheres of future Bahá’í activity and service, I feel it nevertheless incumbent upon me to utter, at this juncture, a word of warning. The glowing tributes, so repeatedly and deservedly paid to the capacity, the spirit, the conduct, and the high rank, of the American believers, both individually and as an organic community, must, under no circumstances, be confounded with the characteristics and nature of the people from which God has raised them up. A sharp distinction between that community and that people must be made, and resolutely and fearlessly upheld, if we wish to give due recognition to the transmuting power of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, in its impact on the lives and standards of those who have chosen to enlist under His banner. Otherwise, the supreme and distinguishing function of His Revelation, which is none other than the calling into being of a new race of men, will remain wholly unrecognized and completely obscured.

THE SUPREME FUNCTION OF HIs REVELATION

How often have the Prophets of God, not excepting Bahá’u’lláh Himself, chosen to appear, and deliver their Message in countries and amidst peoples and races, at a time when they were either fast declining, or had already touched the lowest depths of moral and spiritual degradation. The appalling misery and wretchedness to which the Israelites had sunk, under the debasing and tyrannical rule of the Pharaohs, in the days preceding their exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses; the decline that had set in in the religious, the spiritual, the cultural, and the moral life of the Jewish people, at the time of the appearance of Jesus Christ; the barbarous cruelty, the gross Tagesn-zs.

idolatry and immorality, which had for so long been the most distressing features of the tribes of Arabia and brought such shame upon them when Muhammad arose to proclaim His Message in their midst; the indescribable state of decadence, with its attendant corruption, confusion, intolerance, and oppression, in both the civil and religious life of Persia, so graphically portrayed by the pen of a considerable number of scholars, diplomats, and travelers, at the hour of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh—all demonstrate this basic and inescapable fact. To contend that the innate worthiness, the high moral standard, the political aptitude, and social attainments of any race or nation is the reason for the appearance in its midst of any of these Divine Luminaries would be an absolute perversion of historical facts, and would amount to a complete repudiation of the undoubted interpretation placed upon them, so clearly and emphatically, by both Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

How great, then, must be the challenge to those who, belonging to such races and nations, and having responded to the call which these Prophets have raised, to unreservedly recognize and courageously testify to this indubitable truth, that not by reason of any racial superiority, political capacity, or spiritual virtue which a race or nation might possess, but rather as a direct consequence of its crying needs, its lamentable degeneracy, and irremediable perversity, has the Prophet of God chosen to appear in its midst, and with it as a lever has lifted the entire human race to a higher and nobler plane of life and conduct. For it is precisely under such Circumstances, and by such means that the Prophets have, from time immemorial, chosen and were able to demonstrate their redemptive power to raise from the depths of abasement and of misery, the people of their own race and nation, empowering them to transmit in turn to other races and nations the saving grace and the energizing influence of their Revelation.

In the light of this fundamental principle

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it should always be borne in mind, nor can it be sufficiently emphasized, that the primary reason why the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh chose to appear in Persia, and to make it the first repository of their Revelation, was because, of all the peoples and nations of the civilized world, that race and nation had, as so often depicted by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, sunk to such ignominious depths, and manifested so great a perversity, as to find no parallel among its contemporaries. For no more convincing proof could be adduced demonstrating the regenerating spirit animating the Revelations proclaimed by the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh than their power to transform what can be truly regarded as one of the most backward, the most cowardly, and perverse of peoples into a race of heroes, fit to effect in turn a similar revolution in the life of mankind. To have appeared among a race or nation which by its intrinsic worth and high attainments seemed to warrant the inestimable privilege of being made the receptacle of such a Revelation would in the eyes of an unbelieving world greatly reduce the efficacy of that Message, and detract from the self-sufficiency of its omnipotent power. The contrast so strikingly presented in the pages of Nabil’s Narrative between the heroism that immortalized the life and deeds of the Dawn-Breakers and the degeneracy and cowardice of their defamers and persecutors is in itself a most impressive testimony to the truth of the Message of Him Who had instilled such a spirit into the breasts of His disciples. For any believer of that race to maintain that the excellence of his country and the innate nobility of its people were the fundamental reasons for its being singled out as the primary receptacle of the Revelations of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh would be untenable in the face of the overwhelming evidence afforded so convincingly by that Narrative.

To a lesser degree this principle must of necessity apply to the country which has vindicated its right to be regarded as the cradle of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. So great a function, so noble a role, can be regarded as no less inferior to the part played by those immortal souls who, through their sublime renunciation and unparalleled deeds, have been responsible for the birth of the Faith itself. Let not, therefore, those who are to participate so predominantly in the birth of that world civilization, which is the direct offspring of their

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Faith, imagine for a moment that for some mysterious purpose or by any reason of inherent excellence or special merit Bahá’u’lláh has chosen to confer upon their country and people so great and lasting a distinction. It is precisely by reason of the patent evils which, notwithstanding its other admittedly great characteristics and achievements, an excessive and binding materialism has unfortunately engendered within it that the Author of their Faith and the Center of His Covenant have singled it out to become the standard-bearer of the New World Order envisaged in their writings. It is by such means as this that Bahá’u’lláh can best demonstrate to a heedless generation His almighty power to raise up from the very midst of a people, immersed in a sea of materialism, a prey to one of the most virulent and long-standing forms of racial prejudice, and notorious for its political corruption, lawlessness and laxity in moral standards, men and women who, as time goes by, will increasingly exemplify those essential virtues of self—renunciation, of moral rectitude, of chastity, of indiscriminating fellowship, of holy discipline, and of spiritual insight that will fit them for the preponderating share they will have in calling into being that World Order and that World Civilization of which their country, no less than the entire human race, stands in desperate need. Theirs will be the duty and privilege, in their capacity first as the establishers of one of the most powerful pillars sustaining the edifice of the Universal House of Justice, and then as the champion-builders of that New World Order of which that House is to be the nucleus and forerunner, to inculcate, demonstrate, and apply those twin and sorely—needed principles of Divine justice and order—principles to which the political corruption and the moral license, increasingly staining the society to which they belong, offer so sad and striking a contrast.

Observations such as these, however distasteful and depressing they may he, should not, in the least, blind us to those virtues and qualities of high intelligence, of youthfulness, of unbounded initiative, and enterprise which the nation as a whole so conspicuously displays, and which are being increasingly reflected by the community of the believers within it. Upon these virtues and qualities, no less than upon the elimination of the evils referred to, must depend, to a very great extent, the ability of that com [Page 330]330

munity to lay a firm foundation for the country’s future role in ushering in the Golden Age of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

How STAGGERING THE RESPONSIBILITY

How great, therefore, how staggering the responsibility that must weigh upon the present generation of the American believers, at this early stage in their spiritual and administrative evolution, to weed out, by every means in their power, those faults, habits, and tendencies which they have inherited from their own nation, and to cultivate, patiently and prayerfully, those distinctive qualities and characteristics that are so indispensable to their effective participation in the great redemptive work of their Faith. Incapable as yet, in view of the restricted size of their community and the limited influence it now wields, of producing any marked effect on the great mass of their countrymen, let them focus their attention, for the present, on their own selves, their own individual needs, their own personal deficiencies and weaknesses, ever mindful that every intensification of effort on their part will better equip them for the time when they will be called upon to eradicate in their turn such evil tendencies from the lives and the hearts of the entire body of their fellow—citizens. Nor must they overlook the fact that the World Order, whose basis they, as the advance-guard of the future Bahá’í generations of their countrymen, are now laboring to establish, can never be reared unless and until the generality of the people to which they belong has been already purged from the divers ills, whether social or political, that now so severely afflict it.

Surveying as a whole the most pressing needs of this community, attempting to estimate the more serious deficiencies by which it is being handicapped in the discharge of its task, and ever bearing in mind the nature of that still greater task with which it will be forced to wrestle in the future, I feel it my duty to lay special stress upon, and draw the special and urgent attention of the entire body of the American believers, be they young or old, white or colored, teachers or administrators, veterans or new-comers, to what I firmly believe are the essential requirements for the success of the tasks which are now claiming their undivided attention. Great as is the importance of fash THE BAHA’I WORLD

ioning the outward instruments, and of perfecting the administrative agencies, which they can utilize for the prosecution of their dual task under the Seven Year Plan; vital and urgent as are the campaigns which they are initiating, the schemes and projects which they are devising, and the funds which they are raising, for the efficient conduct of both the Teaching and Temple work, the imponderable, the spiritual, factors, which are bound up with their own individual and inner lives, and with which are associated their human and social relationships, are no less urgent and Vital, and demand constant scrutiny, continual selfexamination and heart—searching on their part, lest their value be impaired or their vital necessity be obscured or forgotten.

SPIRITUAL PREREQUISITES

Of these spiritual prerequisites of success, which constitute the bedrock on which the security of all teaching plans, Temple projects, and financial schemes, must ultimately rest, the following stand out as preeminent and vital, which the members of the American Bahá’í community will do well to ponder. Upon the extent to which these basic requirements are met, and the manner in which the American believers fulfill them in their individual lives, administrative activities, and social relationships, must depend the measure of the manifold blessings which the All-Bountiful Possessor can vouchsafe to them all. These requirements are none other than a high sense of moral rectitude in their social and administrative activities, absolute chastity in their individual lives, and complete freedom from prejudice in their dealings with peoples of a different race, class, creed, or color.

The first is specially, though not exclusively, directed to their elected representatives, whether local, regional, or national, who, in their capacity as the custodians and members of the nascent institutions of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, are shouldering the chief responsibility in laying an unassailable foundation for that Universal House of Justice which, as its title implies, is to be the exponent and guardian of that Divine Justice which can alone insure the security of, and establish the reign of law and order in, a strangely disordered world. The second is mainly and directly concerned with the Bahá’í youth, who can contribute so de [Page 331]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

cisively to the virility, the purity, and the driving force of the life of the Bahá’í community, and upon whom must depend the future orientation of its destiny, and the complete unfoldment of the potentialities with which God has endowed it. The third should be the immediate, the universal, and the chief concern of all and sundry members of the Bahá’í community, of whatever age, rank, experience, class, or color, as all, with no exception, must face its challenging implications, and none can claim, however much he may have progressed along this line, to have completely discharged the stern responsibilities which it inculcates.

A rectitude of conduct, an abiding sense of undeviating justice, unobscured by the demoralizing influences which a corruptionridden political life so strikingly manifests; a chaste, pure, and holy life, unsullied and unclouded by the indecencies, the vices, the false standards, which an inherently deficient moral code tolerates, perpetuates, and fosters; a fraternity freed from that cancerous growth of racial prejudice, which is eating into the Vitals of an already debilitated society—these are the ideals which the American believers must, from now on, individually and through concerted action, strive to promote, in both their private and public lives, ideals which are the chief propelling forces that can most effectively accelerate the march of their institutions, plans, and enterprises, that can guard the honor and integrity of their Faith, and subdue any obstacles that may confront it in the future.

This rectitude of conduct, with its implications of justice, equity, truthfulness, honesty, fair-mindedness, reliability, and trustworthiness, must distinguish every phase of the life of the Bahá’í community. “The companions of God,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself has declared, “are, in this day, the lump that must leaven the peoples of the world. They must show forth such trustworthiness, such truthfulness and perseverance, such deeds and character that all mankind may profit by their example.” “I swear by Him Who is the Most Great Ocean!” He again affirms, “Within the very breath of such souls as are pure and sanctified far-reaching potentialities are hidden. So great are these potentialities that they exercise their influence upon all created things." ”He is the true servant of God,” He, in another passage has written, "who, in this day, were he to pass through

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cities of silver and gold, would not deign to look upon them, and whose heart would remain pure and undefiled from whatever things can be seen in this world, be they its goods or its treasures. I swear by the Sun of Truth! The breath of such a man is endowed with potency, and his words with attraction.” “By Him Who shineth above the Day-Spring of sanctity!” He, still more emphatically, has revealed, “11‘ the whole earth were to be converted into silver and gold, no man who can be said to have truly ascended into the heaven of faith and certitua’e would deign to regard it, much less to seize and keep it. . . . They who dwell within the Tabernacle of God, and are established upon the seats of everlasting glory, will refuse, though they be dying of hunger, to stretch their hands, and seize unlawfully the property of their neighbor, however vile and worthless he may be. The purpose of the one true God in manifesting Himsel is to summon all mankind to truthfulness and sincerity, to piety and trustworthiness, to resignation and submissiveness t0 the will of God, to forbearance and kindliness, to uprightness and wisdom. His object is to array every man with the mantle of a saintly character, and to adorn him with the ornament of holy and goodly deeds.”

“We have admonished all the loved ones of God,” He insists, “to take heed lest the hem of Our sacred vesture be smirched with the mire of unlawful deeds, or be stained with the dust of reprehensible conduct.” “Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Bahd,” He thus exhorts them, "This, verily, is the commandment which this wronged One hath given unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained will for every one of you.” “A good character,” He explains, “is, verily, the best mantle for men from God. With it He adorneth the temples of His loved ones. By My life! The light of a good character surpasseth the light of the sun and the radiance thereof.” “One righteous act,” He, again, has written, “is endowed with a potency that can so elevate the dust as to cause it to pass beyond the heaven of heavens. It can tear every bond asunder, and hath the power to restore the force that hath spent itself and vanished. . . . Be pure, O people of God, be pure; be righteous, be righteous. . . . Say: 0 people of God! That which can insure the victory of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, His hosts and helpers on earth, hath been

[Page 332]mom». ma

' «m «,a MUMWM‘MH,

Australian and New Zealand Bahá’ís gathered at the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds, 2 Lang Road, Paddington (Sydney) , for the Jubilee Year Convention, April 30—May 3, and the First Pacific School, May 4—6, 1953. Mrs. Clara Dunn, Hand of the Cause, is seated in the center, middle row.

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set down in the sacred Books and Scriptures, and are as clear and manifest as the sun. T hese hosts are such righteous deeds, such conduct and character, as are acceptable in His sight. Whoso ariseth, in this Day, to aid Our Cause, and summoneth to his assistance the hosts of a praiseworthy character and upright conduct, the influence from such an action will, most certainly, be diflused throughout the whole world.” “The betterment of the world," is yet another statement, “can be accomplished through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct.” “Be fair to yourselves and to others,” He thus counseleth them, ”that the evidences of justice may be revealed through your deeds among Our faithful servants.”

“Equity,” He also has written, “is the most fundamental among human virtues. The evaluation of all things must needs depend upon it.” And again, “Observe equity in your judgment, ye men of understanding heart! He that is unjust in his judgment is destitute of the characteristics that distinguish man’s station.” “Beautify your tongues, O people,” He further admonishes them, “with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty. Beware, O people, that ye deal not treacherously with any one. Be ye the trustees of God amongst His creatures, and the emblems of His generosity amidst His people.” “Let your eye be chaste,” is yet another counsel, “your hand faithful, your tongue truthful, and your heart enlightened.” ”Be an ornament to the countenance of truth,” is yet another admonition, “a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue." “Let truthfulness and courtesy be your adorning,” is still another admonition, “suffer not yourselves to be deprived of the robe Of forbearance and justice, that the sweet savors of holiness may be wafted from your hearts upon all created things. Say: Beware, O people of Bahá, lest ye walk in the ways of 'them whose words differ from their deeds. Strive that ye may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirror forth His commandments. Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, differ from their conduct. It is through your deeds that ye

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can distinguish yourselves from others. T hrough them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth. Happy is the man that heea’eth My counsel, and keepeth the precepts prescribed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All—Wise.”

“0 army of God!” writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Through the protection and help vouchsafed by the Blessed Beauty—may my life be a sacrifice to His loved ones—ye must conduct yourselves in such a manner that ye may stand out distinguished and brilliant as the sun among other souls. Should any one of you enter a city, he should become a center of attraction by reason of his sincerity, his faithfulness and love, his honesty and fidelity, his truthfulness and lovingkindness towards all the peoples of the world, so that the people of that city may cry out and say: ‘This man is unquestionably a Bahá’í, for his manners, his behavior, his conduct, his morals, his nature, and disposition reflect the attributes of the Bahá’ís.’ Not until ye attain this station can ye be said to have been faithful to the Covenant and Testament of God.” “The most vital duty, in this day," He, moreover, has written, “is to purify your characters, to correct your manners, and improve your conduct. The beloved of the Merciful must show forth such character and conduct among His creatures, that the fragrance of their holiness may be shed upon the whole world, and may quicken the dead, inasmuch as the purpose of the Manifestation of God and the dawning of the limitless lights of the Invisible is to educate the souls of men, and refine the character of every living man.

. .” “Truthfulness,” He asserts, “is the foundation of all human virtues. Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God. are impossible for any soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also be acquired.”

Such a rectitude of conduct must manifest itself, with ever—increasing potency, in every verdict which the elected representatives of the Bahá’í community, in whatever capacity they may find themselves, may be called upon to pronounce. It must be constantly reflected in the business dealings of all its members, in their domestic lives, in all manner of employment, and in any service they may, in the future, render their government or people. It must be exemplified in the conduct of all Bahá’í electors,

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when exercising their sacred rights and functions. It must characterize the attitude of every loyal believer towards non-acceptance of political posts, non-identification with political parties, non-participation in political controversies, and non-membership in political organizations and ecclesiastical institutions. It must reveal itself in the uncompromising adherence of all, whether young or old, to the clearly enunciated and fundamental principles laid down by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His addresses, and to the laws and ordinances revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in His Most Holy Book. It must be demonstrated in the impartiality of every defender of the Faith against its enemies, in his fairmindedness in recognizing any merits that enemy may possess, and in his honesty in discharging any obligations he may have towards him. It must constitute the brightest ornament of the life, the pursuits, the exertions, and the utterances of every Bahá’í teacher, whether laboring at home or abroad, whether in the front ranks of the teaching force, or occupying a less active and responsible position. It must be made the hall-Inark of that numerically small, yet intensely dynamic and highly responsible body of the elected national representatives of every Bahá’í community, which constitutes the sustaining pillar, and the sole instrument for the election, in every community, of that Universal House whose very name and title, as ordained by Bahá’u’lláh, symbolizes that rectitude of conduct which is its highest mission to safeguard and enforce.

So great and transcendental is this principle of Divine justice, a principle that must be regarded as the crowning distinction of all Local and National Assemblies, in their capacity as forerunners of the Universal House of Justice, that Bahá’u’lláh Himself subordinates His personal inclination and wish to the all-compelling force of its demands and implications. “God is My witness!” He thus explains, “were it not contrary t0 the Law of God, I would have kissed the hand of My would—be murderer, and would cause him to inherit My earthly goods. I am restrained, however, by the binding Law laid down in the Book, and am Myself bereft of all worldly possessions.” “Know thou, of a truth,” He significantly affirms, “these great oppressions that have befallen the world are preparing it for the advent of the Most Great Justice.”

THE BAHA’I WORLD

“Say,” He again asserts, “He hath appeared with that Justice wherewith mankind hath been adorned, and yet the people are, for the most part, asleep.” “The light of men is Justice,” He moreover states, ”Quench it not with the contrary winds of oppression and tyranny. The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men.” “No radiance,” He declares, “can compare with that of justice. The organization of the world and the tranquillity of mankind depend upon it." ”O people of God!” He exclaims, “That which traineth the world is Justice, for it is upheld by two pillars, reward and punishment. These two pillars are the sources of life to the world.” “Justice and equity," is yet another assertion, “are two guardians for the protection of man. They have appeared arrayed in their mighty and sacred names to maintain the world in uprightness and protect the nations.” “Bestir yourselves, 0 people,” is His emphatic warning, “in anticipation Of the days of Divine justice, for the promised hour is now come. Beware lest ye fail to apprehend its import, and be accounted among the erring.”

“T he day is approaching,” He similarly has written, “when the faithful will behold the day-star of justice shining in its full splendor from the day-spring of glory.” “The shame I was made to bear,” He significantly remarks, “hath uncovered the glory with which the whole of creation had been invested, and through the cruelties I have endured, the day-star of justice hath manifested itself, and shed its splendor upon men.” “The world,” He again has written, “is in great turmoil, and the minds of its people are in a state of utter confusion. We entreat the Almighty that He may graciously illuminate them with the glory of His Justice, and enable them to discover that which will be profitable unto them at all times and under all conditions.” And again, “There can be no doubt whatever that if the day-star of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed.”

“God be praised!” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in His turn, exclaims, “The sun of justice hath risen above the horizon of Bahá’u’lláh. For in His Tablets the foundations of such a justice have been laid as no mind hath, from the beginning of creation, conceived.” “The canopy of existence,” He further explains, “resteth upon the pole of justice, and not of

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forgiveness, and the life of mankind dependeth 0n justice and not on forgiveness.”

Small wonder, therefore, that the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation should have chosen to associate the name and title of that House, which is to be the crowning glory of His administrative institutions, not with forgiveness but with justice, to have made justice the only basis and the permanent foundation of His Most Great Peace, and to have proclaimed it in His Hidden Words as “the best beloved of all things” in His sight. It is to the American believers, particularly, that I feel urged to direct this fervent plea to ponder in their hearts the implications of this moral rectitude, and to uphold, with heart and soul and uncompromisingly, both individually and collectively, this sublime standard—a standard of which justice is so essential and potent an element.

As to a chaste and holy life it should be regarded as no less essential a factor that must contribute its proper share to the strengthening and Vitalization of the Bahá’í community, upon which must in turn depend the success of any Bahá’í plan or enterprise. In these days when the forces of irreligion are weakening the moral fibre, and undermining the foundations of individual morality, the obligation of chastity and holiness must claim an increasing share of the attention of the American believers, both in their individual capacities and as the responsible custodians of the interests of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. In the discharge of such an obligation, to which the special circumstances resulting from an excessive and enervating materialism now prevailing in their country lend particular significance, they must play a conspicuous and predominant role. All of them, be they men or women, must, at this threatening hour when the lights of religion are fading out, and its restraints are one by one being abolished, pause to examine themselves, scrutinize their conduct, and with characteristic resolution arise to purge the life of their community of every trace of moral laxity that might stain the name, or impair the integrity, of so holy and precious a Faith.

A chaste and holy life must be made the controlling principle in the behavior and conduct of all Bahá’ís, both in their social relations with the members of their own community, and in their contact with the world at large. It must adorn and reinforce the ceaseless labors and meritorious exer 335

tions of those whose enviable position is to propagate the Message, and to administer the affairs, of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. It must be upheld, in all its integrity and implications, in every phase of the life of those who fill the ranks of that Faith, whether in their homes, their travels, their clubs, their societies, their entertainments, their schools, and their universities. It must be accorded special consideration in the conduct of the social activities of every Bahá’í summer school and any other occasions on which Bahá’í community life is organized and fostered. It must be closely and continually identified with the mission of the Bahá’í Youth, both as an element in the life of the Bahá’í community, and as a factor in the future progress and orientation of the youth of their own country.

Such a chaste and holy life, with its implications of modesty, purity, temperance, decency, and clean-mindedness, involves no less than the exercise of moderation in all that pertains to dress, language, amusements, and all artistic and literary avocations. It demands daily Vigilance in the control of one’s carnal desires and corrupt inclinations. It calls for the abandonment of a frivolous conduct, with its excessive attachment to trivial and often misdirected pleasures. It requires total abstinence from all alcoholic drinks, from opium, and from similar habit-forming drugs. It condemns the prostitution of art and of literature, the practices of nudism and of companionate marriage, infidelity in marital relationships, and all manner of promiscuity, of easy familiarity, and of sexual vices. It can tolerate no compromise with the theories, the standards, the habits, and the excesses of a decadent age. Nay rather it seeks to demonstrate, through the dynamic force of its example, the pernicious character of such theories, the falsity of such standards, the hollowness of such claims, the perversity of such habits, and the sacrilegious character of such excesses.

“By the righteousness of God!” writes Bahá’u’lláh, “The world, its vanities and its glory, and whatever delights it can offer, are all, in the sight of God, as worthless as, nay even more contemptible than, dust and ashes. Would that the hearts of men could comprehend it. Wash yourselves thoroughly, O people of Bahá', from the defilement of the world, and of all that pertaineth unto it. God Himself beareth Me witness!

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The things of the earth ill beseem you. Cast them away unto such as may desire them, and fasten your eyes upon this most holy and efiulgent Vision.” “O ye My loved ones!” He thus exhorts His followers, “Suffer not the hem of My sacred vesture to be smirched and mired with the things of this world, and follow not the promptings of your evil and corrupt desires.” And again, “O ye the beloved of the one true God! Pass beyond the narrow retreats of your evil and corrupt desires, and advance into the vast immensity of the realm of God, and abide ye in the meads of sanctity and of detachment, that the fragrance of your deeds may lead the whole of mankind to the ocean of God’s unfading glory.” “Disencumber yourselves,” He thus commands them, ”of all attachment to this world and the vanities thereof. Beware that ye approach them not, inasmuch as they prompt you to walk after your own lusts and covetous desires, and hinder you from entering the straight and glorious Path.” “Eschew all manner of wickedness,” is His commandment, “for such things are forbidden unto you in the Book which none touch except such as God hath cleansed from every taint of guilt, and numbered among the purified.” “A race of men,” is His written promise, “incomparable in character, shall be raised up which, with the feet of detachment, will tread under all who are in heaven and on earth, and will cast the sleeve of holiness over all that hath been created from water and clay." “T he civilization,” is His grave warning, “so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences, will, if allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great evil upon men. . . . If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a source of evil as it had been of goodness when kept within the restraints of moderation.”

“He hath chosen out of the whole world the hearts of His servants,” He explains, “and made them each a seat for the revelation of His glory. Wherefore, sanctify them from every defilement, that the things for which they were created may be engraven upon them. This indeed is a token of God’s bountiful favor.” “Say,” He proclaims, “He is not to be numbered with the people of Baha who followeth his mundane desires, or fixeth his heart on things of the earth. He is my true follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back,

THE BAHA’I WORLD

nor pause. Such a man is assuredly of Me. From his garment the Concourse on high can inhale the fragrance of sanctity. . . . And if he met the fairest and most comely of women, he would not feel his heart seduced by the least shadow of desire for her beauty. Such an one indeed is the creation of Spotless chastity. Thus instructeth you the Pen 01‘ the Ancient of Days, as bidden by your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.” “They that follow their lusts and corrupt inclinations,” is yet another warning, “have erred and dissipated their efforts. T hey indeed are of the lost.” “It behooveth the people of Bahá’,” He also has written, “to die to the world and all that is therein, to be so detached from all earthly things that the inmates of Paradise may inhale from their garment the sweet smelling savor of sanctity. . . They that have tarnished the fair name of the Cause of God by following the things of the flesh—these are in palpable error!” “Purity and chastity,” He particularly admonishes, “have been, and still are, the most great ornaments for the handmaidens of God. God is My Witness! The brightness of the light of chastity sheddeth its illumination upon the worlds of the spirit, and its fragrance is wafted even unto the Most Exalted Paradise.” “God,” He again affirms, “hath verily made chastity to be a crown for the heads of His handmaidens. Great is the blessedness of that handmaiden that hath attained unto this great station.” “We, verily, have decreed in Our Book,” is His assurance, “a goodly and bountiful reward to whosoever will turn away from wickedness, and lead a chaste and godly life. He, in truth, is the Great Giver, the All-Bountiful.” “We have sustained the weight of all calamities,” He testifies, “to sanctify you from all earthly corruption and ye are yet indifferent.

. We, verily, behold your actions. If We perceive from them the sweet smelling savor of purity and holiness, We will most certainly bless you. Then will the tongues of the inmates of Paradise utter your praise and magnify your names amidst them who have drawn nigh unto God.”

”The drinking of wine,” Writes ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “is, according to the text of the Most Holy Book, forbidden; for it is the cause of chronic diseases, weakeneth the nerves, and consumeth the mind.” “Drink ye, 0 handmaidens of God,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself has affirmed, “the Mystic Wine from the cup of My words. Cast away, then, from you that

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which your minds abhor, for it hath been forbidden unto you in His Tablets and His Scriptures. Beware lest ye barter away the River that is life indeed for that which the souls of the pure-hearted detest. Become ye intoxicated with the wine of the love of God, and not with that which deadeneth your minds, O ye that adore Him! Verily, it hath been forbidden unto every believer, whether man or woman. Thus hath the sun of My commandment shone forth above the horizon of My utterance, that the handmaidens who believe in Me may be illumined.”

It must be remembered, however, that the maintenance of such a high standard of moral conduct is not to be associated or confused with any form of asceticism, or of excessive and bigoted puritanism. The standard inculcated by Bahá’u’lláh, seeks, under

IMPORTANT MESSAGES

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no circumstances, to deny any one the legitimate right and privilege to derive the fullest advantage and benefit from the manifold joys, beauties, and pleasures with which the world has been so plentifully enriched by an All-Loving Creator. “Should a man,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself reassures us, “wish to adorn himself with the ornaments of the earth, to wear its apparels, 0r partake of the benefits it can bestow, no harm can befall him, if he alloweth nothing whatever to intervene between him and God, for God hath ordained every good thing, whether created in the heavens or in the earth, for such of His servants as truly believe in Him. Eat ye, O people, of the good things which God hath allowed you, and deprive not yourselves from His wondrous bounties. Render thanks and praise unto Him, and be of them that are truly thankful.”

FROM SHOGHI EFFENDI

1950-1954

To THE NATIONAL Bahá’í CONVENTION, U.S.A., 1950

HAIL (the) valiant acts (during the) course (of the) last twelve months (of) members (of) firmly knit World embracing divinely propelled Bahá’í Community, singly, collectively, both sexes, all ages laboring (in) near (and) distant fields, (in) Eastern (and) Western hemispheres, gathered (from) diverse classes, creeds (and) colors; as administrators, in (the) respective home lands or (as) settlers (or) itinerant teachers overseas; whether serving (in) private capacity or (in) official association (with) authorities.

Second half (of) opening decade (of) second Bahá’í century befittingly ushered in.

Recent exploits (in) virgin territories (of) Western hemisphere, Arabian Peninsula, South and East Asia raised (to) one hundred (the) number (of) sovereign states (and) dependencies, enrolled (under the) banner (of the) Faith.

Forthcoming celebrations, commemorating (the) Hundredth Anniversary (of the) Martyrdom (of the) Herald (of the) Faith,

doubly glorious, through association this historic victory, representing (an) increase (of) no less (than) twenty-two countries (in the) brief span (of) six years, since (the) Centennial (of the) Declaration (of) His Mission.

Number (of) centers (in) Australasia now exceeds sixty; Canadian Community nearing ninety centers already established; Alaskan territory eleven centers; European goal countries thirty—five, number (of) newly declared believers almost doubled (during) course (of) past year.

Bahá’í literature enriched (by) translation (into) Welsh, Eskimo, Swahili, Hausa, Chinyanja, raising (the) total number (of) languages (to) sixty-three.

Languages (in) process (of) translation, eleven.

Official recognition, constituting (a) unique victory (in the) annals (of the) Faith (in the) East, (and) West, extending (to) newly formed National Spiritual Assembly (of the) Dominion (of) Canada, through granting act (of) Parliament, enabling (the) National elected representatives (to) incorporate (as) religious organization.

Additional contract placed (for the) con [Page 338]338 THE BAHA’I WORLD

struction (of the) parapet, crowning (the) Arcade (of the) Báb’s Mausoleum (on) Mt. Carmel, raising (the) total tonnage ordered (to) almost eight hundred.

(The) erection (of the) ornamental columns (of the) Temple interior commenced; ventilation (and) heating systems installed; number (of) visitors since (the) opening (of the) edifice (to the) public, over four hundred thousand.

Six year plan (of the) British Bahá’í Community triumphantly concluded; almost

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Canadian National Bahá’í Convention,

quintupled number (of) Assemblies (in the) British Isles laid basis administrative structure (of the) Faith (in the) capital (of) Eire (and in the) chief cities (of) North Ireland (and) Scotland.

Plan initiated Persian Bahá’í Community consummated 31 Assemblies, 17 Groups, 11 Isolated Centers formed beyond prescribed objectives.

Recognition, long last, accorded (by) ‘Iráqi authorities (to) all marriages solemnized (by) Bahá’í Assemblies (in) ‘Iráq

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a p

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, April 29-30, 1953.

through official registration (of the) marriage certificate by court, first instance setting (a) momentous precedent throughout (the) Muslim East, constituting (a) significant landmark (in the) process (of the) emancipation (of the) Oriental followers (of the) Faith (from the) fetters (of) religious orthodoxy.

Certificate authorizing (the) celebration (of) Bahá’í marriages issued (by the) District of Columbia court.

Eight islands (of) Hawaii granted authority (to) recognize Bahá’í marriages.

Bahá’í marriage contract legalized (by) attorney general throughout (the) territory (of) Alaska.

Bahá’í Holy Days recognized (by) Educational Department (of the) State (of) Victoria, Australia.

Second European Teaching Conference convened (in the) capital city (of) Belgium, attended (by) hundred (and) thirty representatives (from) nineteen countries.

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(The) histon’c first all-Swiss Bahá’í Conference (the) latest, most promising fruit (of the) transatlantic enterprise initiated (by the) American Bahá’í Community, held (in the) Swiss capital, presaging (the) acquisition by (the) goal countries (of an) independent status within (the) family (of) Bahá’í national communities.

(The) process (of) extension (of) Bahá’í endowments accelerated through (the) donation (of) twenty acre property (near) Anchorage, Alaska; purchase (of) twentytwo acres (in) neighborhood (of) Auckland, site (of) projected New Zealand summer school; grant (of) burial ground by Egyptian authorities (to) Port Said Bahá’í Community.

Ties binding (the) Bahá’í International Community (to the) United Nations reinforced through participation (in) European Regional Conference (of) nongovernmental organizations (in) Geneva; (and in) Latin American Conferences (in) Chile, Uruguay; (and in) similar conferences (in) Kansas (and) Lake Success; (through) submission (in) response (to the) request (of the) UNO Committee (of) statement (on the) Bahá’í concept (and) method (of) community worship, subsequently transmitted (to the) Secretariat responsible (for the) planning (of) permanent headquarters (in the) United Nations.

Last (but) not least, may (the) crowning achievement (of the) year just concluded (are the) stupendous exertions (of the) vanguard (of the) resistlessly advancing Bahá’í World Community resulting (in the) raising (of) half (a) million dollars, virtually attaining (the) objective set (for the) twoyear drive (to) ensure (the) completion (of the) interior ornamentation (of the) Mother Temple (of the) West (in) anticipation (of) its approaching jubilee.

First stage (of) austerity period resolutely embarked upon, successfully traversed.

Resolution no less grim, seIf-abnegation no less heroic, solidarity in sacrifice no less striking, must needs distinguish (the) final phase (of the) stern struggle, still facing (the) dauntless highminded spartan-souled American Bahá’í Community, designed (to) liquidate (the) deficit (in the) General Fund, marring (the) otherwise spotless record (of) collective achievement, as well as (to) provide financial support imperatively required (to) meet, through prompt despatch (of) substantial number (of) compe THE BAHA’I WORLD

tent pioneers, (the) emergency existing (in) Central (and) South America, thereby ensuring (the) glorious consummation (of the) thirteen-year-old enterprise through (the) formation (of the) projected twin National Assemblies (in) Latin America.

—SHOGHI April 25, 1950.

“FIVEFOLD OFFERING”

Dearly beloved co-workers:

The first half of the two-year austerity period, inaugurated at so anxious an hour in the fortunes of the second Seven Year Plan, has been successfully traversed, and deserves to be regarded as a memorable episode in the history of the Faith and the unfoldment of the Plan in the North American continent. An effort, prodigious, nation-wide, sustained, and reminiscent in its heroism and consecration, of the immortal exploits of the Dawn—breakers of the Apostolic Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation, has been exerted by their spiritual descendents, in circumstances which, though totally different in character, are yet no less challenging and for a cause as meritorious—an effort that has indeed outshone the high endeavors that have distinguished for so long the record of service associated with the American Bahá’í Community. All of its members who have participated in this collective undertaking should be heartily congratulated, particularly those who, by their acts of self-abnegation, have emulated the example of the heroes of our Faith at the early dawn of its history. The entire Bahá’í world is stirred when contemplating the range of such an effort, the depth of consecration reached by those who have participated in it, the results it has achieved, the noble purpose it has served. My heart overflows with gratitude for the repeated evidences of worthiness demonstrated by this generous-hearted, valiant and dedicated Community which has, no matter how onerous the task, how challenging the issue, how distracting the external circumstances with which it has been surrounded, never shirked its duty or hesitated for a moment.

The high water mark of so gigantic an exertion, however, still remains to be reached. The year now entered, ushered in and consecrated by the Centenary of the tragic execution of the Martyr Prophet of our Faith, and packed with poignant memo [Page 341]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

ries of the persecutions of Zanjén which stained its history a hundred years ago and carried its fortunes to almost its lowest ebb, and were a prelude to the most ghastly holocaust ever experienced by its followers, must witness as it rolls forward to its close, a still more striking demonstration of the tenacity of the members of this Community, a still nobler display of acts of self-sacrifice, a still more inspiring manifestation of solidarity, and evidences of a grimmer determination, of a greater courage and perseverance in response to the triple call of this present hour.

The vital needs of the most holy House of Worship reared in the service, and for the glory of the Most Great Name, though virtually met, still require the last exertions to ensure its completion as the hour of its jubilee approaches. The Latin-American enterprise, initiated thirteen years ago, and marking the initial collective undertaking launched by the American Bahá’í Community beyond the confines of the Great Republic of the West, and under the mandate of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan, still in a state ofemergency and rapidly advancing towards its initial fruition, demands unrelaxing Vigilance, and calls for still more strenuous exertions and self—sacrifice on the part of those who have so enthusiastically embarked upon it, who have so conscientiously and painstakingly shepherded it along its destined course and throughout the early stages of its unfoldment, and who are now, as a result of their ceaseless exertions, witnessing the first efliorescence of their mammoth pioneer 1abors. The construction of the Superstructure of the Holy Sepulcher of the Blessed Bab, now, at this anxious and urgent hour, superimposed on the manifold responsibilities shouldered by members of the American Bahá’í Community, affording them the first historic opportunity of directly sustaining, through their contributions, the most sacred enterprise ever undertaken in the history of the Faith, the first and most holy edifice reared at its World Center, and the initial international institution heralding the establishment of the supreme legislative body at the World Administrative Center, requires the immediate and sustained attention of the members of a community whose destiny has been linked, ever since its inception, with the various stages marking the rise and consolidation of this divinely appointed, unspeakably holy Enterprise.

The hour is critical, laden with fate. Re 341

sponsibilities numerous and varied, as well as urgent and sacred, are crowding, in quick succession, upon a community youthful and valorous in spirit, rich in experience, triumphant in the past, sensible of its future obligations, keenly aware of the sublimity of its world mission, inflexibly resolved to follow with unfaltering steps the road of its destiny. The world situation is perilous and gloomy. Rumblings from far and near bode evil for the immediate fortunes of a sadly distracted society. The Second Seven Year Plan is now approaching its conclusion. The Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb with all its poignant memories is upon us. We are entering a period crowded with the centenaries of the direst calamities—massacres, sieges, captivities, spoliations and tortures involving thousands of heroes—men, women and children—the world’s greatest Faith has ever experienced. Another Centenary commemorating an event as tragic and infinitely more glorious is fast approaching. Time is short. Opportunities, though multiplying with every passing hour, will not recur, some for another century, others never again. However severe the challenge, however multiple the tasks, however short the time, however somber the world outlook, however limited the material resources of a hard-pressed adolescent community, the untapped sources of celestial strength from which it can draw are measureless, in their potencies, and will unhesitatingly pour forth their energizing influences if the necessary daily effort be made and the required sacrifices be willingly accepted.

Nor should it be forgotten that in the hour of adversity and in the very midst of confusion, peril and uncertainty, some of the most superb exploits, noising abroad the fame of this Community have been achieved. The construction of the superstructure of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár during one of the severest depressions experienced by the people of the United States in this century; the inauguration of the first Seven Year Plan on the eve of and during the anxious years preceding the second world conflagration; its vigorous prosecution during its darkest days and its triumph before its conclusion; the launching of the European campaign on the morrow of the most devasting conflict that rocked the continent of Europe to its foundation——these stand out as shining evidences of the unfailing protection, guidance and sustaining power

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fit! V V « fr-gmy,” ”\Px. A

Delegates and friends at the Twenty-Fourth Annual Bahá’í Convention and Jubilee Week Celebrations held in New Delhi, April 26—May 2, 1953.

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vouchsafed its members, so readily and so abundantly, in the hour of their greatest need and danger.

To consolidate the victories won, and reinforce the foundations of the unnumbered institutions so diligently established, in the North American continent; to rear the twin pillars of the Universal House of Justice in Latin America, with their concomitant administrative agencies functioning in no less than twenty Republics of Central and South America; to maintain in their present strength the strongholds of the Faith in the ten goal countries of Europe; to complete the interior ornamentation of the first Mashriqu’l-Acfllkér of the West, and its Mother Temple, in preparation of its jubilee; to assist in the erection of the superstructure of a still holier edifice, envisaged by its Founder and established by the Center of His Covenant on God’s holy mountain, at the very heart and center of our beloved Faith, would indeed constitute, by virtue of their scope, origin and character, embracing three continents and including within their range the world center of the Faith itself, a worthy, befitting fivefold offering placed on the Altar of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of His Mission by a community which, more than any sister community, in East or West, has contributed, since the inception of the Formative Age of His Faith to the enlargement of its limits, the rise and establishment of its Administrative Order and the spread of its fame, glory and power.

That this community may, in the course of these three coming years, discharge its fivefold task—now assuming, through the stress of Circumstances, still vaster proportions, and investing itself with still greater blessedness and merit, than originally envisaged—with a spirit outshining any hitherto shown in the course of its half—century stewardship to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, is my most fervent wish and the object of my special and ardent prayers at this time when my heart and mind are fixed upon the sufferings and passion of the Báb on the occasion of the Centenary of His Martyrdom.

Your true brother

July 5, 1950. SHOGHI

THE GUARDIAN’S TRIPLE ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE Bahá’í WORLD

Occasion approaching celebration ninth

343

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Naw-Rúz second Baha1 century, desire share following triple announcement Bahá’í world through National Assemblies East (and) West. First: Safe arrival (in) Holy Land (in the) course (of the) last six months successive consignments (of) stones (for the) remaining fagades (of the) Octagon (and) Pinnacles, eighteen window frames belonging (to the) Drum, one hundred tons (of) cement, thirty-five tons (of) timber, fifteen tons (of) steel, eight wrought iron balustrades, stones (for the) lower section (of the) Drum as well as (the) completion (of) construction (of the) Octagon (and the) erection (of) fifteen feet Pinnacles constituting, with (the) ornamental balustrades (the) central adornment (of the) Holy Edifice. (The) leaded glass required (for) twenty—four windows (of the) Octagon (and) eighteen lancet windows (of the) Drum, ordered. Investigations initiated (for the) fabrication (of) gilded tiles, (the) final material necessary (for the) construction (of the) Sepulcher.

Recall (with) feelings (of) humble thankfulness (and) intense joy (the) series (of) historic landmarks (in the) progress (of the) sacred enterprise, associated, first, (with the) formal entombment, Naw-Rúz 1909, sixty lunar years after (the) Báb’s martyrdom, (of) His dust (in the) vault (of the) Shrine; second, (the) laying, forty years later, Naw-RI’JZ 1949, (of the) first threshold stones (of the) Arcade (of the) Sepulcher; third, (the) completion, two years later, Naw-Rúz 1951, (of the) excavation (for) eight piers, designed to support (the) Dome, followed (by the) placing, (a) year later, (on the) eve (of) Naw-Rúz 1952, (of the) second crown (of the) same Edifice. (The) way (is) now prepared for (the) erection of (the) Drum, including eighteen windows symbolizing (the) eighteen Letters of the Living, (the) appointed transmitters (of the) dawning Light (of the) Author (of the) Bábi Dispensation, as well as (the) rearing (of the) golden Dome, constituting (the) third (and) final unit (of the) triple crown destined (to) irradiate its splendor (in the) heart (of) God’s Holy Mountain. Moved (to) pay warm, loving tribute (to the) Shrine’s immortal architect (and) Hand (of the) Cause, Sutherland Maxwell, (and the) services (of) Ugo Giachery, UNO Representative (of the) International Bahá’í Community, recently elevated (to the) rank (of) Hand (of the)

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Cause, (and) newly—appointed member (of the) International Bahá’í Council, (who is) ably discharging manifold responsibilities connected (with the) mighty undertaking.

Second announcement: (The) enlargement (of the) International Bahá’í Council. Present membership now comprises: Amatu’l—Bahá. Rúḥíyyih, chosen liaison between me (and the) Council. Hands (of the) Cause, Mason Remey, Amelia Collins, Ugo Giachery, Leroy Ioas, President, Vice-president, member at large, Secretary-General, respectively. Jessie Revel], Ethel Revell, Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím, Treasurer, Western (and) Eastern assistant Secretaries.

Third announcement: Following upon (the) missions entrusted (to the) Hands (of the) Cause (in) connection (with the) establishment (of) Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds (in the) Dominion (of) Canada (and) Central Africa, (have) instructed Ugo Giachery (to) take (in) conjunction (with the) European Teaching Committee, immediate steps, after (the) conclusion (of his) pilgrimage, aiming (at the) formation, ere (the) termination (of) (the) American Community’s second Seven Year Plan, (of the) first National Spiritual Assembly (of the) Bahá’ís (of) Italy (and) Switzerland. Advise United States National Assembly arrange, through European Teaching Committee (the) election (on the) occasion (of) Naw-Rúz 1953 (of) nineteen delegates by all local Assemblies already established (in) both countries. Urge convocation Riḍván same year, (in the) city (of) Florence, (on the) occasion (of the) festivities (of the) Bahá’í Holy Year, (of the) first Convention (for the) express purpose (of) electing through (the) delegates (the) projected National Assembly. Appeal (to the) American Bahá’í community, particularly (the) Bahá’ís residing (in) Italy (and) Switzerland, (to) exert (their) utmost (to) insure (in the) course (of the) coming year (the) multiplication of Spiritual Assemblies (in) both countries, thereby broadening (the) basis (of the) projected pillar (of the) future Universal House (of) Justice. Advise European Teaching Committee, upon consummation (of) the glorious enterprise (to) issue formal invitation (to) their spiritual offspring, (the) newly-emerged National Assembly, (to) participate, together (with its) sister National Assemblies (of the) United States, (the) British Isles, (and) Germany, (in the) Intercontinental Conference (in)

THE BAHA’I WORLD

August (of the) same year (in the) capital city (of) Sweden. Anticipate entrusting (to the) youngest among (the) twelve National Assemblies (of) the Bahá’í World (a) specific plan enabling it, (in) conjunction (with its) sister National Spiritual Assemblies (of the) Bahá’í World (to) promote (in the) course (of the) ten years separating (the) second from (the) Most Great Jubilee (the) Global Crusade designed (to) hoist (the) standard (of) Bahá’u’lláh (in the) remaining states, dependencies (and) islands (of the) whole planet. Invite (the) attendants (to the) third Bahá’í Intercontinental Conference (t0) befittingly commemorate (the) undreamt-of climax (of the) brilliant Victories won (in the) course (of the) second Seven Year Plan, eclipsing (the) feats accomplished (in the) Latin American field (in the) course (of the) first Seven Year Plan (and) presaging (the) tremendous triumph to be won (in the) course (of the) third Seven Year Plan (in the) African, Asiatic (and) Australian continents.

With throbbing heart call (to) mind (the) solemn affirmations (and) glowing promises recorded (in the) Tablets (of the) Divine Plan envisioning (the) evidences (of the) everlasting dominion destined (to) signalize (the) inauguration, (and) accompany (the) triumphal progress, (of the) mission (of the) vanguard (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s crusaders (and) champion builders (of) His world order (in the) European, Asiatic, African (and) Australian continents (and the) islands (of the) Pacific Ocean. Advise European Teaching Committee (to) cable (the) text (of the) third announcement (to the) Assemblies (of the) capital cities (of) Italy (and) Switzerland and urge on my behalf (the) participation (of the) Swiss believers (in the) first teaching conference (in) Rome (on the) eve (of) Naw-Rúz this year (for) consultation (with their Italian collaborators (0n the) prosecution (of the) souluplifting fateful undertaking (in the) heart (and) south (of the) European continent.

—SHOGHI March 8, 1952.

To THIRD Bahá’í EUROPEAN TEACHING CONFERENCE, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

Extend heartfelt greetings (to the) attendants (at the) third European Teaching Conference convened (in the) capital city (of) Denmark. (My) heart (is) uplifted

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(in) thanksgiving (to the) Martyr Prophet (of our) beloved Faith (on the) occasion (of the) first historic assemblage on Scandinavian soil, (on the) morrow (of the) centenary (of) His supreme sacrifice, representing diverse Bahá’í communities (of the) eastern and western hemispheres. (I) joyfully acknowledge (the) first evidences (of the) answer (to the) prayer (of the) Center (of the) Covenant voiced (in) His Tablet over thirty years ago, supplicating (that) holy souls be raised up (to) promulgate (the) Faith (in) northern lands. (I) recall (with) feelings (of) profound emotion Bahá’u’lláh’s own anticipation (of the) establishment (of) His Cause (in) lands.(of the) extreme north (and) south through provision (in) His Most Holy Book (of the) specific ruling related (to the) ordinance (of) obligatory prayers. (I am) highly gratified (to) witness (the) far-reaching effect (of the) magnificent response (by the) American Bahá’í community (to the) memorable summons issued (by the) Herald (of the) Faith (in) His Qayyfimu’l-Asmá’, calling (the) peoples (of the) West (to) forsake (their) homes (to) assure (the) triumph (of) God’s Cause. (I) welcome expansion (in) scope (of the) annual Conference through inauguration (of the) Summer School designed (to) prolong (the) sessions (of the) Conference, (to) stimulate (the) spirit (of) Bahá’í fellowship, (to) deepen understanding (of the) fundamental spiritual (and) administrative principles (of the) Faith, (to) fix (the) pattern (of) future independent national Summer Schools (in the) ten European goal countries. (1) appeal (to the) assembled representatives (of the) goal countries and through them (to the) entire body (of) believers (in the) respective homelands (to) rededicate themselves (to the) urgent tasks ahead (in the) course (of the) three coming years falling between (the) historic Centenaries (of the) Báb’s martyrdom (and the) birth of Bahá’u’lláh’s prophetic mission. Mindful (of the) struggles, sufferings (and) sacrifices (of the) heroes, saints, (and) martyrs (of the) Faith (in the) opening phase (of the) Apostolic Age (of the) Bahá’í Dispensation; fully aware (of the) circumstances attending (the) launching (of the) transatlantic project amidst (the) confusion (and) prostration afflicting (the) war-torn continent; heartened (by the) signal initial success achieved (in the) years immediately suc 345

ceeding (the) inauguration (of the) project, let them, undaunted (by the) perils (of the) progressively deteriorating international situation, pursue relentlessly (their) allotted tasks through rapid increase (in) membership, effective promotion (of the) recently initiated extension work, consolidation (of) all administrative agencies, energetic dissemination (of) Bahá’í literature, closer collaboration (with) sister Communities (in the) European continent, greater awareness (of their) inescapable responsibilities, deeper understanding (of the) verities (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation, (of) His Covenant, World Order, (and) above all, through constant daily effort aiming (at the) enrichment (of the) spiritual life (of the) individual, constituting (the) sole foundation whereon (the) stability (of the) structure (of) every Administrative edifice must depend.

—SHOGHI July 20, 1950.

To FOURTH EUROPEAN TEACHING CONFERENCE, SCHEVENINGEN, HOLLAND, AUGUST 31 T0 SEPTEMBER 10, 1951

Acclaim joyous occasion (of the) convocation on Dutch soil (of the) historic European Teaching Conference, constituting yet another link (in the) chain (of) annual gatherings (of the) representatives (and) followers (of the) Faith (of) Bahá’u’lláh (in the) ten European goal countries as well as (in) Bahá’í communities (of the) Eastern (and) Western hemispheres, stop.

Heart dilated, spirit uplifted (by the) contemplation (of the) range (and) quality (of the) service rendered; (by the) spirit demonstrated, (by the) degree (of) maturity attained (in the) diversified budding, virile communities rightly regarded (as the) first fruits (of the) operation (of) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan (on the) European continent stop.

Welcome with feeling (of) particular gratification (the) participation (of the) newly enrolled Dutch, Danish (and) Portuguese believers (in the) enterprises initiated (by the) Indian, Canadian, British, Bahá’í communities (in) Indonesia, Greenland (and) African continent, presaging undertakings destined (to) be systematically launched (by the) elected representatives (of the) newly emerged European communities throughout the remaining countries

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(of) Europe and possibly, beyond its confines, stop.

(The) concluding years (of the) second seven year plan must witness within each (and) every goal country, notable multiplication (of) centers, steady consolidation (of the) Assemblies, rapid increase (in the) number (of the) avowed supporters (of the) Faith, (a) clearer vision (of the) strenuous tasks ahead, deeper awareness (of) their significance, (a) firmer resolve (toward) their prosecution (and a) greater dedication (to) their purpose, stop.

Signal, wholly unexpected, manifold achievements, illuminating (the) annals (of the) first five years (of the) operation (of the) second seven year plan embolden me (to) confidently anticipate, upon (the) termination (of the) brief span (of the) remaining two years, (the) gradual formation (of) regional National Assemblies (as) prelude (to the) emergence (of a) separate National Assembly (in) each goal country as well as (the) launching (of) organized campaigns, in collaboration (With the) parent community (of the) great republic of the West (in) conjunction (with the) long standing, preeminent national community laboring (in the) heart (of the) European continent, aiming (at the) spiritual conquest (of the) remaining sovereign states (of) Europe and, God willing, reaching beyond its borders as far as (the) heart (of the) Asiatic continent, stop.

Interval separating us (from the) inauguration (6f) yet another stage (in the) unfoldment (of the) Divine Plan (is) swiftly diminishing, stop.

(The) perils confronting (the) sorely tried continent (are) steadily mounting, stop.

(The) auspiciously inaugurated, mysteriously unfolding, highly promising widely ramified crusade, embracing well nigh (a) score of dependencies (on the) African continent presenting (to the) privileged prosecutors (of the) Divine Plan (in the) European field (a) challenge at once severe, soulstirring (and) inescapable, stop.

(The) future edifice (Of the) Universal House of Justice, depending for its stability on (the) sustaining strength (of the) pillars erected (in the) diversified communities (of the) East (and) West, destined (to) derive added power through (the) emergence (of the) three National Assemblies (on the)

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American continents awaits (the) rise (of the) establishment (of) similar institutions (on the) European mainland, each depending directly (on the) efforts now consciously exerted by (the) champion builders (of the) Administrative Order (of the) Faith (of) Bahá’u’lláh (on the) European continent, stop.

May (the) Conference be aided through (the) outpouring grace (of the) author (of the) Revelation (to) hasten, through (the) deliberations (and) consecration (of its) attendants, so blissful (a) consummation, (to) lend unprecedented impetus (to the) present evolution (of the) Administrative Order and (to) accelerate (the) progress leading (to the) future emergence (of the) World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.

—SHOGHI

“SPIRITUAL CONQUEST OF THE . . . PLANET”

Dear and valued co-workers:

The virtual termination of the interior ornamentation of the first Mashriqu’l-A(flikér of the West; the forthcoming formation of the twin National Spiritual Assemblies of Latin America, following upon the establishment of a corresponding institution in the Dominion of Canada; the full attainment of the prescribed goals on the European continent in accordance with the provisions of the second Seven Year Plan and the consolidation already achieved in the North American continent, do not, under any circumstances, imply that the vast responsibilities, shouldered by a valiant, an alert and resolute community, have been fully and totally discharged, or that its members can afford, as the plan draws to its conclusion, to sink into complacency or relax for one moment in their high endeavors.

The hour destined to mark the triumphant conclusion of the second stage in their historic, divinely conferred world-encircling mission has not yet struck. Rumblings, loud and persistent, presaging a crisis of extreme severity in world affairs, confront them with a challenge which, in spite of what they have already accomplished, they cannot and must not either ignore or underrate. The rise of the World Administrative Center of their Faith, within the precincts and under the shadow of its World Spiritual Center, a process that has been kept in abeyance for well nigh thirty years, whilst the machinery

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347

Delegates to the National Convention of the Bahá’ís of Egypt and the Sfidén, 1950, attended for the first time by a delegate from the SL’ldén (seated at extreme right).

of the national and local institutions of a nascent Order was being erected and perfected, presents them with an opportunity which, as the Champion-builders of that Order and the torch—bearers of an as yet unborn civilization, they must seize with alacrity, resolution and utter consecration. The initiation of momentous projects in other continents of the globe, and particularly in Africa, as a result of the growing initiative and the spirit of enterprise exhibited by their fellow-workers in East and West, cannot leave unmoved the vanguard of a host summoned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, its Divine Commander, and in accordance with the provisions of a God—given Charter, to play such a preponderating role in the spiritual conquest of the entire planet. Above all, the rapid prosecution of an enterprise transcending any undertaking, whether national or local, embarked upon by the followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, destined to attain its consummation with the erection of the Dome of the Báb’s holy Sepulcher, imposes an added obligation, owing to unforeseen circumstances, on the already multitudinous duties assumed by a community wholly ab sorbed in the various tasks it shoulders. In fact, as the Centenary of the birth of Baht?u’lláh’s prophetic Mission approaches, His American followers, not content with the successful conclusion, in their entirety, of the tasks assigned to them, must aspire to celebrate befittingly this historic occasion, as becomes the chosen recipients, and the privileged trustees, of a divinely conceived Plan, through emblazoning with still more conspicuous exploits, their record of stewardship to a Faith whose Author has issued such a ringing call to the rulers of the American continent, and the Center of Whose Covenant has entrusted the American Bahá’í Community with so glorious a mission. Indeed the present stage in the construction of the superstructure of so holy a shrine imperatively demands a concentration of attention and resources commensurate with the high position occupied by this community, with the freedom it enjoys and the material means at its disposal. The signing of two successive contracts, for the masonry of the octagon, the cylinder and the dome of the edifice, necessitated by a sudden worsening of the international situation, which might

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cut off indefinitely the provision of the same stones used for the erection of the Arcade and the Parapet of that Sepulcher, and amounting to no less than one hundred and ninety thousand dollars; the subsidiary contracts for the provision of steel and cement for the erection of the wrought iron balustrade and the metal window frames of both the octagon and the cylinder, involving an additional expenditure of no less than twenty thousand dollars, to which must be added the cost of the excavation for, and the sinking of, the eight piers designed to support the weight of the dome and of the immediate construction of the octagon,these call for a stupendous effort on the part of all Bahá’í Communities and a self—abne< gation unprecedented in Bahá’í history. A drastic reduction of national and local budgets; the allocation of substantial sums by all National Assemblies; the participation of individuals through sustained and direct donations to the first international and incomparably holy enterprise synchronizing with the birth of the International Bahá’í Council at the very heart and center of a world—encircling Faith can alone ensure the uninterrupted progress of an undertaking which, coupled with the completion of the Mother Temple of the West, cannot fail to produce tremendous repercussions in the Holy Land, in the North American continent and throughout the world. A period of austerity covering the two-year interval separating us from the Centenary celebrations of the Year Nine, prolonging so unexpectedly the austerity period already traversed by the American Bahá’í Community, and now extended to embrace its sister communities throughout the Bahá’í world, is evidently not only essential for the attainment of so transcendient a goal, but also supremely befitting when we recall the nature and dimensions of the holocaust which a hundred years ago crimson-dyed the annals of our Faith, which posterity will recognize as the bloodiest episode of the most tragic period of the Heroic Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation, which involved the martyrdom of that incomparable heroine Táhirih, which was immediately preceded by the imprisonment of Bahá’u’lláh in the subterranean dungeon of Ṭihrán, and which sealed the fate of thousands of men, women and children in circumstances of unspeakable savagery and on a scale unapproached throughout subsequent stages of Bahá’í history.

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No sacrifice can be deemed too great, no expenditure of material resources, no degree of renunciation of worldly benefits, comfort and pleasures, can be regarded as excessive when we recall the precious blood that flowed, the many lives that were snuffed out, the wealth of material possessions that was plundered during these most tumultuous and cataclysmic years of the Heroic Age of our Faith.

Nor will the sacrifices willingly and universally accepted by the followers of the Faith in East and West for the sake of so noble a Cause, so transcendent an enterprise, fail to contribute their share towards the upbuilding of the World Administrative Center of that Faith, and the reinforcement of the ties already linking this Center with the recognized authorities of a State under the jurisdiction of which it is now functioning, ties which the newly-formed International Bahá’í Council are so assiduously striving to cement.

Already the completion of the construction of the Arcade of this majestic Sepulcher and of its ornamental Parapet has excited the admiration, stimulated the interest, and enlisted the support, of both the local authorities and of the central government, as evidenced by the series of acts which, ever since the emergence of that State, have proclaimed the good-will shown and the recognition extended by the various departments of that State to the multiplying international institutions, endowments, laws and ordinances of a steadily rising Faith.

The recognition of the sacred nature of the twin holy Shrines, situated in the Plain of ‘Akká and on the slopes of Mt. Carmel; the exemption from state and civic taxes, granted to the Mansion of Bahjí adjoining the Most Holy Shrine, to the twin Houses, that of Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Akká and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. in Haifa, to the twin Archives, adjoining the Shrine of the Báb and the restingplace of the Greatest Holy Leaf, and the twin Pilgrim Houses constructed in the neighborhood of that Shrine, and of the residence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; the delivery of the Mansion of Mazra‘ih by the authorities of that same State to the Bahá’í Community and its occupation after a lapse of more than fifty years; the setting apart, through government action, of the room occupied by Bahá’u’lláh in the Barracks of ‘Akká, as a place of pilgrimage; the recognition of the Bahá’í Marriage Certificate by the District Com [Page 349]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

missioner of Haifa; the recognition of the Bahá’í Holy Days, in an official circular published by the Ministry of Education and Culture; the exemption from duty accorded by the Customs Department to all furniture received for Bahá’í Holy Places as well as for all material imported for the construction of the Báb’s Sepulcher, the exemption from taxes similarly extended to all international Bahá’í endowments surrounding the Holy Tomb on Mt. Carmel, stretching from the ridge of the mountain to the Templar Colony at its foot, as well as to the holdings in the immediate vicinity of the restingplaee of the Greatest Holy Leaf and her kinsmen—all these establish, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the high status enjoyed by the international institutions of a world Faith, in the eyes of this new-born State.

The construction of the Mausoleum of the Báb, synchronizing with the birth of that State, and the progress of which has been accompanied by these successive manifestations of the good-will and support of the civil authorities will, if steadily maintained, greatly reinforce, and lend a tremendous impetus to this process of recognition which constitutes an historic landmark in the evolution of the World Center of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh,—a process which the newlyformed Council, now established at its very heart, is designed to foster, which will gather momentum, with the emergence in the course of time of a properly recognized and independently functioning Bahá’í court, which will attain its consummation in the institution of the Universal House of Justice and the emergence of the auxiliary administrative Agencies, revolving around this Highest Legislative Body, and which will reveal the plenitude of its potentialities with the sailing of the Divine Ark as promised in the Tablet of Carmel.

I cannot at this juncture, over—emphasize the sacredness of that Holy Dust embosomed in the heart of the Vineyard of God, or overrate the unimaginable potencies of this mighty institution founded sixty years ago, through the operation of the Will of, and the definite selection made by, the Founder of our Faith, on the occasion of His historic visit to that Holy Mountain, nor can I lay too much stress on the role which this institution, to which the construction of the superstructure of this Edifice is bound to lend an unprecedented impetus, is destined to play in the unfoldment of the World Ad 349

ministrative Center of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh and in the efflorescence of its highest institutions constituting the embryo of its future World Order.

For, just as in the realm of the spirit, the reality of the Báb has been hailed by the Author of the Bahá’í Revelation as “The Point round Whom the realities of the Prophets and Messengers revolve,” so, on this visible plane, His sacred remains constitute the heart and center of what may be regarded as nine concentric circles, paralleling thereby, and adding further emphasis to the central position accorded by the Founder of our Faith to One “from Whom God hath caused to proceed the knowledge of all that was and shall be,” “the Primal Point from which have been generated all created things.”

The outermost circle in this vast system, the visible counterpart of the pivotal position conferred on the Herald of our Faith, is none other than the entire planet. Within the heart of this planet lies the “Most Holy Land,” acclaimed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as “the Nest of the Prophets” and which must be regarded as the center of the world and the Qiblih of the nations. Within this Most Holy Land rises the Mountain of God of immemorial sanctity, the Vineyard of the Lord, the Retreat of Elijah, Whose Return the Báb Himself symbolizes. Reposing on the breast of this Holy Mountain are the extensive properties permanently dedicated to, and constituting the sacred precincts of, the Báb’s holy Sepulcher. In the midst of these properties, recognized as the international endowments of the Faith, is situated the Most Holy Court, an enclosure comprising gardens and terraces which at once embellish, and lend a peculiar charm to, these Sacred Precincts. Embosomed in these lovely and verdant surroundings stands in all its exquisite beauty the Mausoleum of the Báb, the Shell designed to preserve and adorn the original structure raised by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the Tomb of the Martyr-Herald of our Faith. Within this Shell is enshrined that PEarl of Great Price, the Holy of Holies, those chambers which constitute the Tomb itself, and which were constructed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Within the heart of this Holy of Holies is the Tabernacle, the Vault wherein reposes the Most Holy Casket. Within this Vault rests the alabaster Sarcophagus in Which is deposited that inestimable Jewel, the Báb’s Holy Dust. So precious is this Dust

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that the very earth surrounding the Edifice enshrining this Dust has been extolled by the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, in one of His Tablets in which He named the five doors belonging to the six chambers which He originally erected after five of the believers associated with the construction of the Shrine, as being endowed with such potency as to have inspired Him in bestowing these names, whilst the Tomb itself housing this Dust He acclaimed as the Spot round which the Concourse on high circle in adoration. .

To participate in the erection of the superstructure of an Edifice at once so precious, so holy; consecrated to the memory of so heroic a Soul; whose site no one less than the Founder of our Faith has selected; whose inner chambers were erected by the Center of His Covenant with such infinite care and anguish; embosomed in so sacred a mountain, on the soil of so holy a Land; occupying such a unique position; facing on the one hand the silver-white city of ‘Akká, the Qiblih of the Bahá’í world; flanked on its right by the hills of Galilee, the home of Jesus Christ, and on its left, by the Cave of Elijah; and backed by the plain of Sharon and, beyond it, Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest Shrine in Islamto participate in the erection of such an Edifice is a privilege offered to this generation at once unique and priceless, a privilege which only posterity will be able to correctly appraise.

In this supreme, this sacred and international undertaking in which the followers of Bahá’u’lláh, in all the continents of the globe, are summoned to show forth the noblest spirit of self-sacrifice, the members of the American Bahá’í Community must by virtue of the abilities they have already demonstrated and of the primacy conferred upon them as the chosen trustees of a Divine Plan, play a preponderating role, and, together with their brethren residing in the Cradle of their Faith, who are linked by such unique ties with its Herald, set an example of self—abnegation worthy to be emulated by their fellow-workers in every land.

Whilst the members of this privileged community, laboring so valiantly in the Western Hemisphere, are widening the range of their manifold activities, and thereby augmenting their responsibilities, in both the Holy Land and the African continent, the original tasks, associated with the

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prosecution of the Second Seven Year Plan, must, simultaneously with this added and meritorious effort which is being exerted, in memory of the beloved Bab, and for the spiritual emancipation of the down-trodden races of Africa, be carried to a triumphant conclusion. Though the present deficit in their National Fund may, in a sense, register a failure on their part to meet their pressing obligations, and may arouse in their hearts feelings of self—reproach and anxiety, I can confidently assert that the supplementary duties they have discharged, and the material support they have extended, and are now extending, for the conduct of activities, not falling within the original scope of their Plan, not only fully compensate for an apparent shortcoming, but constitute, instead of a stain on their record of service, additional embellishments to the scroll already inscribed with so many exploits for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

Assured that no blot has marred so splendid a record of service; confident of their destiny; reliant on the unfailing guidance of the Founder of their Faith as well as on His sustaining power, let them address themselves, with unrelaxing vigilance and undiminished vigor, to the task of rounding ofl the several missions undertaken by them in Latin America, and in the North American and European continents.

The extension of the necessary material support and administrative guidance to the forthcoming National Assemblies of Central and South America that will enable them to develop along sound lines and without any setback in the course of their unfoldment; the steady consolidation of the victories already won in the ten goal countries of Europe; the maintenance, at its present level and at whatever cost, of the status of the Assemblies and groups so laboriously built up; the provision of whatever is required to fully complete the interior of the Temple and beautify the grounds surrounding it, in preparation for its formal inauguration and its use for public worship—these should be regarded as the essential objectives of the American Bahá’í Community during the two year interval separating us from the Centenary celebrations of the prophetic Mission of the Founder of our Faith.

Time is running short. The effort required to discharge the manifold responsibilities now challenging the members of a lionhearted community is truly colossal. The is [Page 351]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH 351

sues at stake, demanding every ounce of their energy, are incomparably glorious. An ominous international situation emphasizes this challenge and reinforces the urgency of these issues. In the Holy Land, amid the tribes of a dark continent, over the wide expanses stretching from Panama to the extremity of Chile, in the heart of its own homeland, as well as in the new European field, marking the projection of its world mission across the seas, the American Bahá’í Community must deploy its forces, hoist still higher its pennants, and erect still more glorious memorials to the heroism, the constancy and the devotion of its members. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Whose Plan they are executing in both Hemispheres, and to Whose summons they are now responding in the African continent; the Báb, Whose Sepulcher they are helping to erect; above all Bahá’u’lláh, Whose embryonic World Order they are building in the Holy Land and in other continents of the globe, look down upon them from their retreats of glory, applauding their acts, guiding their footsteps, vouchsafing Their blessings, and laying up, in the storehouses of the Abhá Kingdom such treasures as only They can bestow.

May the members of this Community prove themselves, as they forge ahead and approach yet another milestone on the broad highway of their mission, worthy of still greater prizes, and fit to launch still mightier enterprises, for the glory of the Name they bear, and in the service of the Faith they profess.

—SHOGHI

March 29, 1951.

TO THE NATIONAL Bahá’í CONVENTION, USA, 1951

(My) heart (is) filled (with) thankfulness (at) contemplation (of the) chain (of) swiftly succeeding, epoch—making events transpiring (in the) course (of the) fifth year (of the) second Seven Year Plan, rendered memorable through association (with the) Centenary (of the) Martyrdom (of the) Prophet-Herald (of the) Bahá’í Dispensation testifying (to) God’s unfailing protection (and the) manifold blessings vouchsafed (to the) Community (of the) Most Great Name alike (in) its World Center ( and in) all continents (of the) globe.

Divine retributive justice (is) strikingly demonstrated through (a) series (of) sud den, rapid, devastating blows sweeping over leaders (and) henchmen (of) breakers (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant toiling (the) schemes, levelling (the) hopes, (and) wellnigh extinguishing (the) remnants (of the) conspiring crew which dared challenge (the) authority, succeeded (in) inflicting untold sorrow (and) assiduously plotted (to) disrupt (the) Will (and) Testament (of) its appointed Center.

(The) triumphant, resistlessly expanding Bahá’í Administrative Order now embraces (one) hundred (and) six sovereign states (and) dependencies constituting (an) addition (of) no less (than) twenty-seven countries since (the) Centenary celebration (of the) Declaration (of the) Mission (of the) Holy Báb.

(The) number of languages (into which) Bahá’í literature (is) translated (or in) process (of) translation (is) over eighty.

(The) number (of) incorporated Assemblies, local (and) national, (is) (one) hundred (and) ten.

(The) Centenary (of the) Martyrdom (of the) Herald (of the) Faith (was) befittingly commemorated, synchronizing (with the) completion (of the) Arcade (and) Parapet (of) His Sepulcher (on) Mt. Carmel, marking (the) termination (of the) two-year, quarter million dollar enterprise.

(The) preliminaries (for the) erection (of) two additional Pillars (of the) Universal House (of) Justice, culminating (in the) formation (of) National Assemblies (in) Central America, Mexico, (and the) Antilles, (and in) South America (has been) successfully concluded, following (the) raising (of a) similar Pillar (in the) Dominion (of) Canada.

(The) interior ornamentation (of the) Mother Temple (of the) West (is) virtually completed, paving (the) way (for the) provision (of) accessories (and) landscaping (in) preparation (of its) public dedication destined (to) coincide (with the) twin celebrations (of the) consummation (of the) fifty year old enterprise (and the) Birth (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s prophetic mission.

(The) prelude (to the) historic African campaign, (the) foremost objective (of the) two year plan (of the) Bahá’í Community (of the) British Isles, linking in formal association four National Assemblies (is) marked by (the) departure (of the) first pioneer (to) Tanganyika (and)

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Bahá’ís attending the First National Bahá’í Convention of South America, Lima, Peru, April, 1951.

plans (for) settlement Gold Coast (and) Uganda.

Contracts amounting (to) over two hundred ten thousand dollars successively placed (for) stones, window frames, railing, steel, cement required (for the) erection (of the) Octagon, Cylinder (and) Dome (of the) Báb’s Sepulcher raising (to) sixteen hundred tons total tonnage ordered (from) Italy.

(A) quarter—century old project (is) terminated through (the) construction (of the) last two terraces connecting (the) same edifice (with the) Templar Colony (at the) foot (of) Carmel.

(The) four year plan initiated (by the) Persian National Assembly (in the) promotion (of the) interests (of the) women members (of the) community (is) successfully concluded despite increasing disabilities resulting (from the) recrudescence (of) religious fanaticism afflicting (the) sorepressed homeland (of) Bahá’u’lláh.

(A) notable step (in the) progress (of) Bahá’í women (of the) Middle East (is)

taken through (the) extension (of the) right (of) membership (in) local Assemblies (to) women believers (in) Egypt.

(The) third European Teaching Conference (and) Summer School (was) held (in) Copenhagen (and) attended (by) (one) hundred seventy-seven (persons) representing twenty-two countries.

(The) second All-Swiss Conference convened (in) Zfirich, foreshadowing (the) closer integration (of the) ten goal countries (of the) European continent through (the) eventual formation (of) regional National Assemblies (in) Scandinavia, (the) Benelux countries, Switzerland, Italian (and) Iberian peninsulas.

Bahá’í literature (in) Greenlandic, previously disseminated as far (as) Thule, Etah, beyond (the) Arctic Circle, (has been) dispatched (to) radio station (in) Brondlundsfjord, Peary Land, eighty-second latitude, northernmost outpost (of the) globe.

Ties, linking (the) World Center (of the) Faith (with the) newly—emerged,

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rapidly consolidating sovereign state (in the) Holy Land, (have been) reinforced through (the) delivery (by the) Ministry (of) Religious Affairs (of the) Mazra‘ih Mansion (into) Bahá’í custody, (the) recognition (of) Bahá’í Holy Days (by the) Ministry (of) Education (and) Culture, following exemption granted (to) Bahá’í international endowments, (and) recognition accorded Bahá’í marriage certificate.

Bahá’u’lláh’s residence (in) ‘Akká, (the) scene (of) severe crises (in the) course (of the) ministries (of the) Founder (of the) Faith (and the) Center (of His) Covenant renovated (and) furnished, (are) added (to the) Holy Places already opened (to the) steadily swelling number (of) visitors both local (and) foreign.

(A) significant step (was) taken (by the) City Governorate (of) Cairo presaging (the) eventual recognition (by) state authorities (of the) Bahá’í laws (of) personal status, already codified (and) submitted (to the) central government (by the) Egyptian National Assembly.

Bonds binding (the) Bahá’í world community (to) United Nations strengthened (by) Bahá’í participation (in) regional conference (of) Non-Governmental Organizations (in) Geneva (and) Istanbul.

Preliminary steps taken (in) preparation (of) final design (for the) Mashriqu’l-A(fllkér (on) Mt. Carmel by President (of the) International Bahá’í Council, specifically appointed (by) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (to be) its architect.

Process (of the) unfoldment (of the) ever-advancing Administrative Order accelerated (by the) formation (of the) International Bahá’í Council designated (to) assist (in the) erection (of the) superstructure (of the) Báb’s Sepulcher, cement ties uniting (the) budding World Administrative Center with (the) recently established state, (and) pave (the) way (for the) formation (of the) Bahá’í Court, essential prelude (to the) institution (of the) Universal House (of) Justice.

(1) hail particularly (the) brilliant victory won (by the) American Bahá’í Community (in) meeting (the) financial requirements (for the) completion (of the) interior ornamentation (of the) Temple (and) eliminating (the) deficit (in the) Victory Fund, exploits doubly meritorious owing (to the) added responsibilities courageously assumed (to) assist enterprise (in

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the) African field, (and) construction (of the) Báb’s Sepulcher (in the) Holy Land. (I am) thrilled (by the) multiple evidences (of the) simultaneous prosecution (of) Bahá’í national plans, East (and) West, (and the) rise (and) steady consolidation (of the) World Center (of the) Faith, constituting (the) distinguishing features (of the) second epoch (of the) Formative Age whose inception (on the) morrow ( of the) Second World War coincided (with the) inauguration (of the) second Bahá’í century, and which bids fair (to) eclipse (the) splendors (of the) preceding epoch, which posterity will associate with (the) birth (and) rise (of the) embryonic World Order of Bahá’u’lláh. —SH0QHI Received April 25, 1951.

TO THE 1952 NATIONAL Bahá’í CONVENTION, U.S.A.

Soul stirred, heart uplifted (by) recollection (of) events signalizing (the) twelve month period preceding (the) fateful year destined (to) witness (the) consummation (of) series (of) plans formulated (by) Bahá’í National Assemblies (of) five continents, as well as (the) inauguration (of the) second, glorious Jubilee (of the) Bahá’í Dispensation. (The) irresistible march (of the) Faith marked simultaneously (by the) steady consolidation (of) its administrative institutions (and the) rapid enlargement (of its) limits. No less (than) eighteen countries (have been) enrolled, raising (the) total number (within) its orbit (to) (one) hundred twenty—four. Languages (in which) Bahá’í literature (is) printed (or is) being translated (are) now ninety, including twelve African languages. (The) vast process (of the) rise (and) establishment (of the) World Center (of the) Faith (has been) accelerated. Contingents (of) Hands (of the) Cause (have been) successively appointed (in) every continent (of the) globe, five (of) whom (are) shouldering responsibilities (in the) Holy Land. (The) International Bahá’í Council (has been) enlarged (and) officers designated.

(An) interview (was) accorded (by), (and) literature presented (to the) Israel Prime Minister (in the) course (of his) American visit (by) representatives (of the) American National Assembly. Eighteen plots, (a) twenty-two thousand square

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meter area, (have been) added (to the) International Bahá’í endowments (on the) slopes (of) Carmel. Government survey concluded paving (the) way (for the) acquisition (of) over (one) hundred forty thousand square meters (of) property (in the) precincts (of the) Most Holy Tomb (at) Bahjí. (The) design (for the) Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (on) Carmel, conceived (by the) President (of the) International Bahá’í Council, completed. Privileges, exemption already accorded Bahá’í Holy

Places (in) Israel (by) Ministry (of) Finance extended (to) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Home, Eastern (and) Western Pilgrim

Houses. Pilgrimages (to) World Center (of the) Faith resumed following decade (of) external hostilities (and) internal disturbances agitating (the) Holy Land. Eight piers, designed (to) support (the) thousand ton superstructure (of the) Báb’s Sepulcher constructed. Successive contracts, totaling approximately forty—seven thousand dollars, (for the) construction (of the) structural work (and the) erection (of the) Octagon signed, culminating (in the) completion (of the) first unit (of the) superstructure, (and the) raising (of) eight pinnacles, constituting (the) second crown (of the) Holy Edifice. Preparations (to) build (the) Drum, (the) foundation unit (of the) golden Dome (of the) Sepulcher, commenced.

Twin pillars (of the) future House (of) Justice erected (in) Central (and) South America, additional pillar projected (for) Europe uniting (the) heart (and) south (of the) continent.

Preliminary measures initiated (for the) convocation (of) four intercontinental conferences (in the) African, American, European (and) Asiatic continents, involving (the) participation (of) twelve National Spiritual Assemblies, designed alike (to) bcfiltingly celebrate (the) Centenary (of the) Year Nine (and to) launch ten year crusade destined (to) culminate (in the) Most Great Jubilee.

Two year plan (of the) Bahá’í community (of the) British Isles formally launched (on the) African continent through (the) dispatch (of) pioneers (to the) Virgin territories (of) Tanganyika, Uganda, (and the) Gold Coast, (has been) reinforced (by the) assignment (of) Liberia (to the) American, Somaliland, Nyasaland (and) North Rhodesia (to the) Persian,

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Zanzibar (and) Madagascar (to the) Indian, (and) Libya (and) Algeria (to the) Egyptian, National Assemblies, raising (the) number (of) States (and) Dependencies already soon (to be) opened (to the) Faith (to) twenty-five.

First fruits garnered comprise purchase (of) seventeen thousand dollar Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds (in) Kampala, settlement (of) Persian, American, British, Egyptian (and) Portuguese pioneers (in) Liberia, North Rhodesia, Angola, Libya, Spanish Morocco (and) Mozambique, inauguration (of) teaching classes, public meetings (and) firesides, enrollment (of) several native Africans belonging (to the) Teso, Yao, Buganda (and) Mutoco tribes, (and the) formation (of) Spiritual Assemblies (in) Kampala (and) Dar es Salaam.

European Teaching campaign, exceeding fondest hopes, stimulated successively (by) convocation (of the) fourth European Teaching Conference (in) Scheveningen, representative (of) twenty-one countries, (the) first Iberian Conference (in) Madrid, (the) third Swiss Conference (in‘)" Bern, (the) first Italian Conference (in) Rome, (the) first Benelux Conference (in) Brussels (and the) establishment (of) headquarters (in) Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg-Ville, Bern (and) Lisbon.

(The) process (of) consolidation (of the) Faith stimulated (by the) recognition (of) Bahá’í Holy Days (by the) Superintendent (of) Public Schools (in) Kenosha, Superintendent School (in) Milwaukee, (and) Rhode Island State Department (of) Civil Service, (and of the) Bahá’í marriage certificate (by) civil authorities (of) Indianapolis; (by the) authorization by Adjutant General (of) Bahá’í identification (for) believers serving (in) US. Armed Forces.

Bahá’í administrative centers steadily multiplying (in) Hijéz, Yemen, Bahrayn, Ahsa, Koweit, Qatar, Dubai, Masqat, Aden, heralding convocation (of) historic Bahá’í Convention (in the) Arabian Peninsula, destined (to) culminate (in the) erection (of a) pillar (of the) Universal House (of) Justice (in the) midmost heart (of the) Islamic world.

(The) nineteen month plan, formulated (by the) National Spiritual Assembly (of the) Indian subcontinent (and) Burma, aiming among other things (at the) introduction (and) consolidation (of the) Faith (in the) capital cities (of) Nepal, Siam,

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Indo-China, Malaya, Indonesia (and) Sarawak.

Ties binding International Bahá’í Community (to) United Nations reinforced (by) official participation (of) Bahá’í delegates (in) regional Non—Governmental Confer 355

with) Bahá’u’lláh’s imprisonment (in the) Siyéh-C_hél (in) Ṭihrán, (to) arise (and) scale still loftier heights (of) self-sacrifice (and) efi’ace (the) deficit (in the) National Fund. Address in particular fervent plea (to) brace itself (to) play (a) preponder

Reception, South American National Bahá’í Convention in Lima, Peru, 1953.

ences (in) Istanbul, Managua, Den Passar, Paris, (and) Lawrence, Kansas. Historic site (of) House occupied (by) Bahá’u’lláh (in) Istanbul (has been) partly purchased, (and) investigations conducted (for the) acquisition (of) similar sites associated (with the) exile (Of the) Founder (of the) Faith (in) Adrianople.

Northern outposts (of the) Faith reinforced (by the) settlement (of) pioneers (in) Egedesminde, Greenland, (and in) Yellowknife, Canadian North Western Territories.

Last (but) not least, (the) internal ornamentation (of the) Mother Temple (of the) West (has been) terminated, (and) design adopted, funds allocated (by the) Temple Trustees (for the) landscaping (of) its immediate surroundings, constituting (the) final step (for) its approaching Jubilee. Appeal American Bahá’í community standing (on) threshold (of) concluding year (of) second Seven Year Plan, traversing (the) last stage (of the) austerity period, confronted (by the) approaching centenary (of the) darkest, bloodiest episode (in) Bahá’í history, associated (with the) nation-wide holocaust (of) Táhirih’s martyrdom, (and

ating role (in the) impending world crusade, which (a) world community, utilizing (the) agencies (of a) divinely-appointed world administrative order, (is) preparing (to) launch, amidst (the) deepening shadows (of a) world crisis, (for the) execution (of) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s world-encircling plan (and the) subsequent unfoldment (of a) world civilization, (and the) ultimate attainment (of the) supreme objective, (the) illumination (and) redemption (of a) whole world. Advise share message National Assemblies East (and) West. ——SHOGHI Received April 23, 1952.

“DOUBLE ANNOUNCEMENT” TO THE Bahá’í WORLD

(On) morrow (of) sixtieth anniversary (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s Ascension share double announcement (with) Bahá’í world through all National Assemblies: (The) rapid progress (of the) enterprise majestically unfolding (in the) heart (of) God’s Holy Mountain, (and the) steady decline (in the) fortunes (of the) remnant (of) old Cove [Page 356]356

nant—breakers still defiantly challenging (the) combined strength (of the) Bahá’í world community.

(The) termination (of the) Octagon, setting (the) second crown (on the) Holy Edifice, synchronizing (with) last Naw-Rúz Festival, (was) followed (by the) erection (and) gilding (of the) balustrade (during the) course (of the) succeeding Riḍván period. Preliminary investigations culminated (in the) erection (of the) scaffolding (and the) commencement (of the) construction (of the) Drum (at an) estimated cost (of) thirteen thousand pounds, constituting (the) third unit (of the) Edifice preparatory (to) raising (the) golden Dome. Experiments, prior (to the) placing (of the) contract (for the) gilded tiles (for the) Dome, concluded. Confidently anticipate (the) completion (of) all preliminaries, enabling (the) builders (of the) mighty, sacred Structure (to) start construction (of the) Dome (011 the) morrow (of the) opening (of the) fast approaching Holy Year, paving (the) way (to the) fulfillment (of) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s prophecy, uttered (in the) dark days (of the) First World War, envisaging (the) glory (of the) resplendent Dome greeting (the) devout gaze (of) future pilgrims drawing nigh (to the) shores (of the) Holy Land.

Old Covenant-breakers, untaught (by the) lessons (of the) past sixty years, (the) reverses suffered (in) connection (with the) restitution (of) keys (to the) Shrine, (the) evacuation (and) restoration (of the) Mansion, (the) devastating loss (in) rapid succession (of) outstanding leaders (and) spokesmen, backed (by the) support (of the) perfidious Sohrab, engaging (the) services (of a) clever, hostile lawyer, unitedly challenged (the) authority conferred (by) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Testament, (and) instituted legal proceedings against (the) Guardian (of the) Faith, questioned (his) right (to) demolish dilapidated house situated (within the) precincts (and) constituting (an) affront (to the) Most Holy Shrine (of the) Bahá’í world, were rebuffed through (the) intervention (of the) Israel government denying (the) competence (of the) civil court (to) adjudicate (the) matter, subsequently threatened (to) appeal (the) government decision (to the) Supreme Court, provoked (the) authorities who, (in) consequence (of) my representations (to) both (the) Prime Minister (and the) Minister (of)

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Foreign Affairs, issued authorization (to) demolish (the) ruins.

Short-sighted action prompted (by) blind, uncontrollable animosity, resulted (in the) irretrievable curtailment (of) long-standing privileges extended (to the) Covenant-breakers (during the) course (of) six decades (on the) occasion (of the) celebration (of the) Bahá’í Holy Days.

(The) signal success (in the) removal (of the) ruins (was) immediately followed (by) landscaping (the) approaches (to the) Shrine, (the) erection (of a) gate (and the) embellishment (of the) surroundings (of the) Tomb (of) Bahá’u’lláh, long denied (a) befitting entrance through (the) deliberate obstruction (by the) enemies (of the) Faith. Public access (to the) heart (of the) Qiblih (of the) Bahá’í world (is) now made possible through traversing (the) sacred precincts leading successively (to the) Holy Court, (the) outer (and) inner sanctuaries, (the) Blessed Threshold ( and the) Holy (of) Holies. Recent events prelude (the) acquisition. (and) development (of) over thirty acres (of) property surrounding Bahá’u’lláh’s resting place (and are) paving (the) way (for the) erection (in the) course (of) future decades (of a) befitting Mausoleum destined (to) enshrine (the) Dust (of the) Founder (of) God’s Most Holy Faith.

-—SHOGHI Haifa, Israel, Junell, 1952.

“THE SUMMONS OF THE LORD OF HOSTS"

Dear and Valued Co—Workers:

The steady expansion of the activities conducted so devotedly and so efficiently, during the last twelve months, by the members of the valiant and exemplary American Bahá’í Community, under the aegis of their elected national representatives, is such as to evoke feelings of deep and sincere admiration in my heart, and will serve to heighten the esteem in which they are held by their brethren in every continent of the globe.

The completion of the interior ornamentation of the holiest House of Worship ever to be raised by the followers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, the initiation of the landscaping of the immediate approaches of this sacred and majestic Edifice, the actual launching of the highly promising, profoundly significant African Campaign, through the arrival and settlement of American pioneers in both

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East and West Africa; the energetic efforts exerted for the multiplication of Bahá’í administrative institutions and the stimulation and consolidation of the all-important teaching work throughout the States of the American Union; the generous, the unhesitating and effectual support extended to the newly fledged communities in Latin America in their efforts for the consolidation of the administrative structure so laboriously erected in recent years; the ready and enthusiastic response to the world-wide call for a befitting celebration by the entire Bahá’í world of the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh’s prophetic Mission; the magnificent services already rendered by the recently elevated American Hands of the Cause of God, in diversified spheres of Bahá’í activity, at the World Center of the Faith, in the triple function of hastening the construction of the Báb’s Sepulcher, of consolidating the ties binding the International Bahá’í Council to the civil authorities of Israel, and of completing the design of the projected Mashriqu’l-Adjkér on Mt. Carmel, as well as in Latin America; the repeated contributions made for the erection of that Sepulcher, for the extension of Bahá’í international endowments and the institution of the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Kampala; the marvelous loyalty demonstrated in connection with the repeated defection of members of the Holy Family and the nefarious activities of Covenant-breakers, both old and new; as well as the share a number of these Hands have had in administering a stunning defeat to the enemies of the Faith who, so boldly and shamelessly sought, through legal action, to challenge the authority of the Guardian of the Faith, and to publicly humiliate, the institution created through the provisions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Testament; the further unfoldment of the European project through the initiation of the two historic Conferences held in the Low Countries and in the Iberian Peninsula, and the convocation of the fateful Conference in Rome, heralding the formation of the Italo-Swiss National Assembly—the fairest fruit of that mighty Project—these stand out as the distinctive, the unforgettable, the infinitely meritorious achievements which posterity will record as the noblest exploits immortalizing the concluding years of the Second Seven Year Plan, and conferring untold benefits on its executors throughout the

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length and breadth of the Great Republic of the West.

So notable a record, such splendid achievements, investing, as they inevitably must, the American Bahá’í Community with the potentialities so essential for the adequate conduct of the impending Ten Year Plan, that Will constitute the third and last stage in the initial epoch, in the unfoldment of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Plan, and auguring well for the triumphant conclusion of the present Seven Year Plan, can, and must, if the star of this enviable community is to continue to rise, rapidly and uninterruptedly, to its meridian, be converted into a stepping—stone for the achievements of such feats as will, not only outshine the splendor of the services already enumerated, but constitute a befitting termination to the second collective enterprise undertaken in American Bahá’í history, in the service of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh, and for the execution of the grand Design conceived by the Center of His Covenant.

The support extended by a self—sacrificing, high-minded, ever alert community, for the erection of the Drum of the Sepulcher of the Báb and the raising of its crowning unit —the Dome itself—must, in the course of this current year, be consistently maintained, both by the individual members of this community, and the body of its elected representatives. The assistance required for the acquisition of extensive properties, comprising both lands and houses, in the immediate neighborhood of the Most Holy Tomb in Bahjí, and for the embellishment of the approaches of that hallowed Shrine—the Qiblih of the Bahá’í world—as a necessary prelude to the ultimate erection of a befitting Mausoleum to enshrine the remains of God’s Supreme Manifestation on earth, must be generously and systematically extended. The scheme of landscaping the area surrounding the recently completed Mother Temple of the West, in time for its consecration and formal opening for public Bahá’í worship, must be rapidly and carefully carried out. The subsidiary Plan, formulated for the intensification of the Campaign of internal expansion and consolidation in every State of the American Republic, must be assiduously executed, and under no circumstances, be allowed to deteriorate or to fall into abeyance. The flow of pioneers to the African continent, to Liberia, North Africa, West and East Africa, must, at What [Page 358]358

ever cost, and while there is yet time, be substantially accelerated, as the essential prerequisite to the Ten Year crusade to be launched by no less than five National Assemblies in the African continent, on the morrow of the celebrations of the impending Holy Year. The process of multiplication of Bahá’í local Assemblies in the ten goal countries of Europe, and particularly in Italy and Switzerland, and the preparatory measures required to ensure the success of the twin historic assemblages destined to commemorate the last year of the Seven Year enterprise launched in the European continent—the European Teaching Conference in Luxembourg and the Italo-Swiss Convention in Florence—must be pushed forward with extreme care, vigilance and vigor. The utmost help and the necessary guidance must be vouchsafed to the newly emerged sister communities, in both Central and South America, to enable them to consummate their spontaneously undertaken Plans, so vital to their future association with the organized communities, in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, in the prosecution of the world-wide undertaking destined to be launched on the morrow of the celebration of the approaching Great Jubilee. Above all, the most careful, prayerful, concentrated attention should be given by your Assembly, in conjunction with the several national committees, appointed for this purpose, to the adequate celebration of the fast approaching Holy Year, both 10cally, nationally and internationally, with particular emphasis on the three outstanding functions which the members of this Assembly must discharge, namely, the solemn consecration of the completed House of Worship and the commemoration of its Jubilee, the formal convocation of the Intercontinental Conference, and the holding of the Annual Convention in Wilmette, and the effective participation of the members of the American Bahá’í Community, both officially and unofficially, in the three other historic Intercontinental Conferences to be convened successively in Kampala, Stockholm and New Delhi.

The tasks ahead, calling for the expenditure of every ounce of energy on the part of the members of the indefatigable, irresistibly advancing, majestically unfolding American Bahá’í community and for the unrelaxing vigilance of its national elected representatives, are immense, highly diversified, truly

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challenging, sacred in character, undreamt of in their potentialities, urgent by their very nature, and inescapable in the responsibilities they involve. At the World Center of the Faith, where, at long last the machinery of its highest institutions has been erected, and around whose most holy shrines the supreme organs of its unfolding Order, are, in their embryonic form, unfolding; amidst the diversified tribes and races, peopling the Dependencies and Principalities of the Dark Continent of Africa; in the far-flung territories of Central and South America so alien in culture, temperament, habits, language and outlook; in the capital cities and traditional strongholds of a materially highly advanced yet spiritually famished, much tormented, fear-ridden, hopelessly—sundered, heterogeneous conglomeration of races, nations, sects and classes over-spreading the continent of Europe; in the heart of the African continent, in the capital city of the Indian sub-continent; in one of the leading capitals of the Scandinavian countries in Northern Europe, in the very heart of the leading Republic of the Western Hemisphere, the standard-bearers of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, the champion-builders of the Administrative Order, the vanguard of the Heralds of His World Order, and the Chief and appointed executors of the Master Plan of the Center of His Covenant, have, in the course of the few, fast-fleeting months ahead, separating them from the grandest crusade thus far launched in Bahá’í history, been assigned tasks, obligations and responsibilities that they can afford to neither minimize, neglect or shirk for a moment. Within only a few weeks the Bahá’í World will enter upon the centenary of that fateful day of August the fifteenth, when a dastardly act, fraught with such terrible consequences, unleashed a series of tragic events that stained the annals of the Faith, that precipitated calamities on a scale unprecedented since its inception and unsurpassed in their tragic character by any event except the martyrdom of its Herald, which culminated in an holocaust reminiscent of the direst tribulations undergone by the persecuted followers of any previous religion, and which, in turn, paved the way, even as the darkest hour of the night precedes the dawn, for the first glimmerings that were to proclaim, to an unsuspecting world, and amidst the gloom and stench of the Siyah-giél of Ṭihrán, the birth of the Mission of the

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Founder of our Faith. Less than four months separate us from the centenary celebrations designed to befittingly commemorate that glorious event in Bahá’í history, an event even more potent in its implications than the birth of the Bábi Dispensation, and

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that left their lasting imprint on His Ministry.

Little wonder that, in the months immediately ahead, when our thoughts are fixed upon those days which heralded the outbreak of this reign of unprecedented terror,

/,)

Bahá’í delegates and visting Bahá’ís attending the First Baha 1 Convention of Central America, Mexico and the Antilles, Panama City, April 22-24, 1951.

yielding in sacredness to none other except the memorable occasion when the Founder of the Faith Himself ascended the throne of His spiritual sovereignty and formally assumed, in the City of Bag_hdad, His Prophetic Office. The radiance of God’s infant light shining within the walls of that pestilential Pit—a radiance, an infinitesimal glimmer of which, as the Founder of the Faith, Himself, later testified, caused the dwellers of Sinai to swoon away—seemed, as it were, to be intermingled, whilst Bahá’u’lláh lay in chains and fetters in that subterranean dungeon, and, for many months after, with the somberness of the tragedy which enveloped the members of a persecuted community in almost every province of that hapless land. The dawning light of the Revelation promised and lauded by the Báb marks the tennination of the second and darker crisis in the annals of the Babi Dispensation, and signalizes the commencement of a ten-year-long crisis, the first of the three successive ones

and the outburst of a light of such inconceivable brightness and in the twelve-month period immediately following when we commemorate the centenary of that reign of terror as well as throughout the succeeding decade, constituting the hundreth anniversary of the period following the birth of so glorious a Mission—Iittle wonder that the followers of the Author of such a Revelation should be called upon to pour forth, as a ransom for so much suffering, and in thanksgiving for such priceless benefits conferred upon mankind, their substance, exert themselves to the utmost, scale the summits of self—sacrifice, accomplish the most‘ valorous feats, and, through a concerted, determined, consecrated ten-year-long effort, achieve their greatest victories in honor of the Founder of their Faith, in grateful memory of His unnumbered slaughtered servants, and for the world establishment, and ultimate triumph, of His embryonic World Order.

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The four Intercontinental Conferences, constituting the highlights of the centenary celebrations commemorating this unique period in Bahá’í history, commingling so much tragedy and glory, as well as the public consecration of the Most Holy House of Worship ever to be raised for the glory of the Most Great Name, must alike proclaim, in no uncertain voice, the significance of the happenings which, a hundred years ago, endowed mankind with a potency unapproached at any period in the world’s spiritual history, and signalize the inauguration of what may yet come to be regarded as a period of collective administrative and teaching accomplishments distinguishing the Formative Age of our Faith and endowed with a fertility comparable to that which marked the spiritual feats of the dawnbreakers of the Heroic Age which preceded it.

To the members of the valorous American Bahá’í Community, the chosen trustees and principal executors of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan, who, by virtue of the mission entrusted to them by the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, have been empowered, and are fully qualified, to assume a preponderating role in the conduct of this world—encompassing crusade; to the longsuffering, the unflinching, the much loved and steadfast members of the venerable and still persecuted community of Bahá’u’lláh’s followers laboring in His native land, whose spiritual ancestors have left a legacy of unsurpassed heroism and saintliness to the rising generation in both the East and the West; to the members of the small, yet intensely alive, community dwelling in the heart and center of the far-flung British Commonwealth of Nations, whose destiny is to lend a notable impetus to the progress of this world Crusade, through awakening the vast and heterogeneous multitudes that owe allegiance to the British Crown, and are dispersed throughout the five continents of the globe; to the members of the equally small yet virile and highly promising community, planted in the heart of the European continent, whose mission is to spread the light of the Faith throughout the regions that lie in its neighborhood and project its radiance as far as the heart of the Asiatic continent; to the members of the newly emerged yet swiftly advancing community established in the Dominion of Canada, worthy allies of the American Bahá’í Community in the fur THE BAHA'I WORLD

therance of the Grand Design delineated in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s immortal Tablets; to the members of the loyal, the assiduously laboring and highly diversified community in the Indian sub-continent, whose geographic position entitles them to extend substantial assistance to the prodigious task of awakening the peoples of South East Asia to the redemptive Message of Bahá’u’lláh; to the members of the second most persecuted yet resolute community established in the heart of both the Arab and Muslim worlds, who, by virtue of the position they occupy, must play a distinctive part in the emancipation of a proscribed Faith from the fetters of religious orthodoxy; to the members of the youthful yet vigorously functioning community, championing the Cause of Baha’u’llah in the Antipodes who, by reason of their close proximity, are expected to contribute a substantial share to the establishment of the institutions of the Faith in the numerous and widely scattered islands and archipelagoes of the South Pacific Ocean; to the members of a long-established yet still persecuted community dwelling in a territory which may well rank, next to the Holy Land and the Cradle of our Faith, as the most holy in the entire Bahá’í world, who are destined to share with their brethren in Persia, Egypt and Pakistan in the task of achieving the recognition of a down-trodden Faith, by the ecclesiastical leaders of Islam; to the newa-fledged, spiritually alert communities of Central and South America, who, by virtue of the responsibilities invested in the inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere through the ringing call of Baha’u’llah in the Aqdas and the utterances of the Center of His Covenant, are expected by their brethren, in both the East and the West, to worthily play their part as associates of the chief executors of the Plan bequeathed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; to the members of the communities in Italy and Switzerland, as yet in the embryonic stage of their development, and who will soon take their place as an independent entity in the international Bahá’í community, and must assume their share in planting the banner of a triumphant Faith in the heart of a continent regarded as the cradle of Western civilization as well as in the stronghold and nerve-center of the most powerful church in Christendom; indeed, to each and every believer, Whether isolated, or associated with any local Assembly or group, who, though as yet unidenti [Page 361]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH 361

fied with any specific national Plan for the systematic prosecution of this Crusade, can still, and indeed must, lend his particular assistance in this gigantic enterprise—to all, Without distinction of race, nation, class, color, age or sex, I feel moved, as the fateful hour of a memorable centenary approaches, to address my plea, with all the fervor that my soul can command and all the love that my heart contains, to rededicate themselves, collectively and individually, to the task that lies ahead of them.

Under whatever conditions, the clearly loved, the divinely sustained, the onward marching legions of the army of Baha’u’llah may be laboring, in whatever theater they may operate, in whatever climes they may struggle, whether in the cold and inhospitable territories beyond the Arctic Circle, or in the torrid zones of both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres; on the borders of the jungles of Burma, Malaya and India; on the fringes of the deserts of Africa and of the Arabian Peninsula; in the lonely, far—away, backward and sparsely populated islands dotting the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian Oceans and the North Sea; amidst the diversified tribes of the Negroes of Africa, the Eskimos and the Lapps of the Arctic regions, the Mongolians of East and South East Asia, the Polynesians Of the South Pacific Islands, the reservations of the Red Indians in both American continents, the Macries of New Zealand, and the aborigines of Australia; within the time-honored strongholds of both Christianity and Islam, whether it be in Mecca, Rome, Cairo, Najaf or Karbilá; or in towns and cities whose inhabitants are either immersed in crass materialism, or breathe the fetid air of an aggressive racialism, or find themselves bound by the chains and fetters of a haughty intellectualism, or have fallen a prey to the forces of a blind and militant nationalism, or are steeped in the atmosphere of a narrow and intolerant ecclesiasticism—to them all, as well as to those who, as the fortunes of this fate-laden Crusade prosper, will be called upon to unfurl the standard of an allconquering Faith in the strongholds of Hinduism, and assist in the breaking up of a rigid age-long caste system, who will replace the seminaries and monasteries acting as the nurseries of the Buddhist Faith with the divinely—ordained institutions of Baha’u’llah’s victorious Order, who will penetrate the jungles of the Amazon, scale the moun tain-fastnesses of Tibet, establish direct contact with the teeming and hapless multitudes in the interior of China, Mongolia and Japan, sit with the leprous, consort with the outcasts in their penal colonies, traverse the steppes of Russia or scatter throughout the wastes of Siberia, I direct my impassioned appeal to obey, as befits His warriors, the summons of the Lord of Hosts, and prepare for that Day of Days when His victorious battalions will, to the accompaniment of hozannas from the invisible angels in the Abhá Kingdom, celebrate the hour of final victory.

“O, that I could travel,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, crying out from the depths of His soul, gives utterance to His longing, in a memorable passage in the Tablets of the Divine Plan, addressed to the North American believers, “even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and raising the call of ‘Yé—Bahá’u’l-Abhá’ in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans, promote the Divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye

, may achieve it!”

“Teach ye the Cause of God, O people of Baha,” the Author of our Faith, Himself, admonishes His followers, “. . . for God hath prescribed unto every one the duty of proclaiming His Message, and regardeth it as the most meritorious of all deeds. . . . Should any one arise for the triumph of Our Cause, him will God render victorious though tens of thousands of enemies be leagued against him.” “They that have forsaken their country,” He assures them, for the purpose of teaching Our Cause—these shall the Faithful Spirit strengthen through its power. . . . Such a service is, indeed, the prince of all goodly deeds, and the ornament of every goodly act.” “When the hour cometh that this wronged and brokenwinged bird will have taken its flight unto the celestial Concourse,” is ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s last poignant call to the entire body of the followers of His Father’s Faith, as recorded in His Will and Testament, “it is inchmbent upon . . . the friends and loved ones, one and all, to bestir themselves and arise, with heart and soul, and in one accord . . . to teach His Cause and promote His Faith. It behoveth them not to rest for a moment. . . . They must disperse themselves in every land . . . and travel throughout all regions. Bestirred, without rest, and steadfast to the end, they must raise in every land

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Bahá’ís attending the First Italo-Swiss Bahá’í Convention, Florence, Italy, April 23-27, 1953.

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the cry of ‘Yé—Baha’u’l—Abhá’ . . . that throughout the East and the West a vast concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word of God, that the sweet savors of holiness may be wafted, that men’s faces may be illumined, that their hearts may be filled with the Divine Spirit and their souls become heavenly.”

No matter how long the period that separates them from ultimate victory; however arduous the task; however formidable the exertions demanded of them; however dark the days which mankind, perplexed and sorely-tried, must, in its hour of travail, traverse; however severe the tests with which they who are to redeem its fortunes will be confronted; however afflictive the darts which their present enemies, as well as those whom Providence, will, through His mysterious dispensations raise up from within or from without, may rain upon them, however grievous the ordeal of temporary separation from the heart and nervecenter of their Faith which future unforeseeable disturbances may impose upon them, I adjure them, by the precious blood that flowed in such great profusion, by the lives of the unnumbered saints and heroes who were immolated, by the supreme, the glorious sacrifice of the Prophet-Herald of our Faith, by the tribulations which its Founder, Himself, willingly underwent, so that His Cause might live, His Order might redeem a shattered world and its glory might suffuse the entire planet—I adjure them, as this solemn hour draws nigh, to resolve never to flinch, never to hesitate, never to relax, until each and every objective in the Plans to be proclaimed, at a later date, has been fully consummated.

Your true brother —SHOGHI June 30, 1952.

To THE EUROPEAN TEACHING CONFERENCE IN LUXEMBOURG

(On the) occasion, auspicious opening Luxembourg Teaching Conference coinciding (with the) eve (of the) historic Holy Year marking (the) conclusion (of the) series (of the) memorable annual gatherings, leaving (an) indelible imprint (on the) annals (of the) second stage (of the) evolution (of) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan, wholeheartedly share feelings (of) joy, pride (and) gratitude evoked (in the)

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hearts (of the) assembled representatives (of the) Bahá’í Communities (on the) European Continent (at the) prospect (of the) forthcoming convocation (of the) epoch-making convention (in) Florence, (the) harbinger (of the) birth (of the) Italo-Swiss Bahá’í National Assembly. Stop. (The) projected institutions called (into) being amidst (the) world-wide celebrations commemorating (the) inception (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s prophetic Mission, constituting fairest fruit (of the) initial stage (of the) European crusade, bopnd (to) add its valuable support (to the) triple pillars recently erected under (the) aegis (of the) same plan (in the) course (of the) same stage (of) its evolution designed (to) sustain (the) weight, (to) broaden (the) basis, (to) enhance (the) prestige, (to) add diversity (to the) elements (that are) destined (to) participate (in) six continents (of the) globe, (in the) future election (of the) Universal House (of) Justice. Stop.

Moved (to) warmly congratulate (the) American National Spiritual Assembly, ably directing (the) vast operations (of the) European crusade from (the) heart (of the) North American Continent; (the) European Teaching Committee, (the) principal executor (of the) plan, inaugurating (the) European phase (of) America’s unfolding mission; (the) European representative (of the) Committee established (in) Geneva, vigilantly coordinating (the) ramifications (of the) newly launched project; every subsidiary agency, regional (and) local, contributing its share (to the) triumph (of the) common cause; all pioneers, past (and) present; settlers, itinerant teachers, worthy emissaries (of the) Center (of the) Covenant, who nobly responded (to) His call (in the) length (and) breadth (of the) ten goal countries; (the) entire body (of the) steadily multiplying native believers, constituting (the) core (of the) vanguard (of the) army, singled out by (the) Lord (of) Hosts (for the) quickening (and the) ultimate conquest (of the) spiritually slumbering continent, particularly (the) members (of the) twin rapidly rising communities (of) Italy (and) Switzerland, who singly (and) collectively hastened, through high endeavors, (the) consummation (of the) enterprise, exceeding fondest expectations. Stop. Hail this crowning exploit (of the) Second Seven Year Plan as (the) forerunner (of the) formation (in) rapid succession, (in

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the) course (of the) third phase (of the) Plan conceived (by the) Center (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, (of) Regional National Assemblies (in) Scandinavia, Benelux countries, Iberian Peninsula, themselves a prelude (to the) establishment (in) present (and) succeeding epochs (of the) evolution (of the) Divine Plan, (of) separate National Assemblies (in) each sovereign state, principality, (and) chief dependency (on the) European Continent, as well as (on the) neighboring principal islands (of the) Mediterranean, Atlantic Ocean, (and) North Sea. Stop.

Earnestly appeal (to) all participants (in the) phenomenal birth (and) rise (of the) communities constituting weighty elements (in the) life (of the) firmly knit world Bahá’í family (to) prepare themselves during present Conference (for the) future close collaboration (with the) long established sister communities (in the) British Isles, France (and) Germany (to) meet (the) challenge (of the) major strenuous task constituting (the) pivot (of the) deliberations (of the) approaching Stockholm Intercontinental Conference, designed (to) expand (and) consolidate (the) framework (of the) administrative order (of the) Faith (of) Bahá’u’lláh (in the) north, south, west (and) heart (of the) European Continent, foreshadowing (the) launching (of) future enterprises (in) collaboration (with the) German, Persian, ‘Iráqi Bahá’í Communities, calculated (to) extend (the) regenerating influence (of the) same order (to) eastern (and) southeastern territories (of the) same continent (and) eventually beyond its confines, across (the) Ural Mountains (to the) north, west (and) ultimately (to the) heart (of the) Asiatic Continent. Stop.

Urge all attendants (to) dedicate part (of the) sessions (of this) Conference synchronizing (with) Centenary (of the) imprisonment (of) Bahá’u’lláh (in the) Siyéh-Qlél (in) prayerful remembrance (of the) somber tragedy preceding (the) rise (of the) resplendent Orb (Of the) august Revelation, (to) draw nigh (to) His spirit, (to) fix (their) thoughts (on) His promises, (to) derive fresh inspiration (from the) glorious triumph, following so closely (upon) His agonizing ordeal, (to) contemplate (the) magnitude (of) His Cause, (to) pledge themselves (to) ensure (in the) course (of the) decade opening before them (the) success (of the) twin colossal tasks assigned

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them, (the) propagation (of) His Faith (and the) consolidation (of the) agencies (of) His rising Administrative Order throughout (the) entire European Continent.

—SHOGHI Haifa, August 23, 1952.

ACQUISITION OF VITALLY-NEEDED PROPERTY SURROUNDING THE TOMB OF BAHA’U’LLAH

Announce (to) Bahá’í communities, East (and) West, (on the) joyous occasion (of the) hundred (and) thirty-fifth Anniversary (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s Birthday, (the) successful termination (of the) protracted negotiations, initiated two years ago (and) culminating (in the) signature (to the) contract providing (the) eventual, formal transfer by (the) Development Authority (of the) State (of) Israel to (the) Palestine Branch (of the) American National Spiritual Assembly (of the) extensive, long—desired, vitallyneeded property surrounding (and) safeguarding for posterity (the) Most Holy Tomb (of the) Founder (of the) Faith, as well as (the) adjoining Mansion.

(The) acquired area, raising Bahá’í holdings (on the) holy plain (of) ‘Akká from four thousand to one hundred and fifty-five thousand square meters, (was) exchanged against property donated by children (of) Zikru’lláh, grandchildren (of) Mirzá Muhammad Quli, Bahá’u’lláh’s faithful halfbrother (and) companion (in) exile.

(This) spontaneous offer contrasts (with the) shameful action (of the) family (in the) sale to non-Bahá’ís (of the) property (in the) neighborhood (of the) Jordan valley purchased (through the) instrumentality (of) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during Bahá’u’lláh’s lifetime, pursuant (to) His instructions (and) alluded (to in) His writings.

(The) forty acre property acquired (in this) single transaction almost equals (the) entire Bahá’í international endowments purchased (in the) course (of) sixty years (in the) vicinity (of the) Báb’s Sepulcher (on the) slope (of) Mt. Carmel.

(The) exchange (of) said property, including land (and) houses (was) made possible (by the) precipitate flight (of the) former Arab owners, traditional supporters (of the) old Covenant-breakers (and) descendents (of the) notorious enemy (of) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá who placed (his) residence

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(at the) disposal (of the) Committee (of) Investigation.

(The) signature (to the) agreement signalized (the) commencement (of) largescale landscaping, aiming (at the) beautification (of the) immediate precincts (of the) holiest spot (in the) entire Bahá’í world, itself (the) prelude (to the) eventual erection, as happened (in the) case (of the) Báb’s Sepulcher, (of a) befitting Mausoleum enshrining (the) precious Dust (of the) Most Great Name.

Desire (to) acknowledge (the) indefatigable efforts exerted (by) both Larry Hautz (and) Leroy Ioas enabling (the) consummation (of the) initial stage (of the) enterprise destined (to) eclipse in its final phase (the) splendor (and) magnificence (of the) Báb’s resting-place (on) Mt. Carmel.

——SHOGHI Haifa, Israel, November 12, 1952.

THE GUARDIAN’S MESSAGE TO THE FORTYFIFTH ANNUAL Bahá’í CONVENTION

THE UNITED STATEs’ TASKS IN THE WORLD CRUSADE

Presented by Rflhiyyih K_h¢inum

My soul is uplifted in joy and thanksgiving at the triumphant conclusion of the second Seven Year Plan immortalized by the brilliant Victories simultaneously won by the vanguard of the hosts of Bahá’u’lláh in Latin America, in Europe and in Africavictories befittingly crowned through the consummation of a fifty year old enterprise, the completion of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Western World. The signal success that has attended the second collective enterprise undertaken in the course of the American Bahá’í history climaxes a term of stewardship to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, of almost three score years duration,a period which has enriched the annals of the concluding epoch of the Heroic, and shed luster on the first thirty years of the Formative Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation. So fecund a period has been marked by teaching activities unexcelled throughout the western world and has been distinguished by administrative exploits unparalleled in the annals of any Bahá’í National Community whether in the East or in the West. I

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am impelled, 0n the occasion of the anniversary of the Most Great Festival, coinciding with a triple celebration—the dedication of the Mother Temple of the West, the launching of a World Spiritual Crusade and the Commemoration of the Birth of Bahá’íu’lláh’s Mission—to pay warmest tribute to the pre-eminent share which the American Bahá’í Community has had in the course of over half a century in proclaiming His Revelation, in shielding His Cause, in championing His Covenant, in erecting the administrative machinery of His embryonic World Order, in expounding His teachings, in translating and disseminating His Holy Word, in despatching the messengers of His Glad-Tidings, in awakening Royalty to His Call, in succoring His oppressed followers, in routing His enemies, in upholding His Law, in asserting the independence of His Faith, in multiplying the financial resources of its nascent institutions and, last but not least, in rearing its greatest House of Worship—the first Mashriqu’l-Adilkér of the Western World.

The hour is now ripe for this greatly gifted richly blessed Community to arise and reaffirm, through the launching of yet another enterprise, its primacy, enhance its spiritual heritage, plumb greater depths of consecration and capture loftier heights in the course of its strenuous and ceaseless labors for the exaltation of God’s Cause.

The Ten Year Plan, constituting the third and final stage of the initial epoch in the evolution of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Master Plan, which, God willing, will raise to greater heights the fame of the stalwart American Bahá’í Community, and seat it upon “the throne of an everlasting dominion,” envisaged by the Author of the Tablets of this same Plan, involves:

First, the opening of the following Virgir territories, eleven in Africa: Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands, French Somaliland, French Togoland, Mauritius, Northern Territories Protectorate, Portuguese Guinea, Reunion Island, Spanish Guinea, St. Helena and St. Thomas Island; eight in Asia: Caroline Islands, Dutch New Guinea, Hainan Island, Kazakhstan, Macao Island, Sakhalin Island, Tibet and Tonga Islands; six in Europe: Andorra, Azores, Balearic Islands, Lofoten Islands, Spitzbergen and Ukraine, and four in America: Aleutian Islands, Falkland Islands, Key West and Kodiak Island.

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Second, the consolidation of the Faith in the following territories, six in Asia: China, Formosa, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Philippine Islands; two in Africa: Liberia and South Africa; twelve in Europe: the ten Goal Countries, Finland and France; three in America: the Hawaiian Islands, Alaska and Puerto Rico.

T hird, the extension of assistance to the National Spiritual Assemblies of the Bahá’ís of Central and South America, as well as to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Italy and Switzerland, in forming twenty National Spiritual Assemblies in the Republics of Latin America and two in Europe, namely in Italy and Switzerland; the extension of assistance for the establishment of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in the capital of each of the aforementioned countries as well as of national Bahá’í endowments in these same countries.

F ourth, the establishment of ten National Spiritual Assemblies in the following European countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, France and Finland.

Fifth, the establishment of a National Spiritual Assembly in Japan and one in the South Pacific Islands.

Sixth, the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of Bahá’ís of Alaska.

Seventh, the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of South and West Africa.

Eighth, the incorporation of each of the fourteen above-mentioned National Spiritual Assemblies.

Ninth, the establishment of national Bahá’í endowments by these same National Spiritual Assemblies.

T enth, the establishment of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in the capital city of each of the eleven of the aforementioned countries, as well as one in Anchorage, one in Suva, and one in Johannesburg.

Eleventh, the erection of the first Dependency of the first Mashriqu’l-Acfllkér of the Western World.

Twelfth, the extension of assistance for the purchase of land for four future Temples, two in Europe: in Stockholm and Rome; one in Central America, in Panama City; and one in Africa, in Johannesburg.

Thirteenth, the completion of the landscaping of the grounds of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Wilmette.

Fourteenth, the raising to one hundred of

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the number of incorporated local assemblies within the American Union.

F ifteenth, the raising to three hundred of the number of local spiritual assemblies in that same country.

Sixteenth, the incorporation of spiritual assemblies in the leading cities of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Spain and Portugal, as well as of the spiritual assemblies of Paris, of Helsingfors, of Tokyo, of Suva and of Johannesburg.

Seventeenth, the quadrupling of the number of the local spiritual assemblies and the trebling of the number of localities in the aforementioned countries.

Eighteenth, the translation of Bahá’í literature into ten languages in Europe: Basque, Estonian, Flemish, Lapp, Maltese, Piedmontese, Romani, Romansch, Yiddish and Ziryen; ten in America: Aguaruna, Arawak, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Iroquois, Lengua, Mataco, Maya, Mexican and Yahgan.

Nineteenth, the conversion to the Faith of members of the leading Indian tribes.

Twentieth, the conversion to the Faith of representatives of the Basque and Gipsy races.

Twenty-first, the establishment of summer schools in each of the Scandinavian and Benelux countries, as well as those of the Iberian Peninsula.

Twenty-second, the proclamation of the Faith through the Press and Radio throughout the United States of America.

Twenty-third, the establishment of a Bahá’í Publishing Trust in Wilmette, Illinois.

Twenty-fourth, the formation of an Asian Teaching Committee designed to stimulate and coordinate the teaching activities initiated by the Plan.

May this Community—the spiritual descendents of the Dawn-Breakers of the Heroic Age of the Bahá’í Faith, the chief repository of the immortal Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan, the foremost executors of the Mandate issued by the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, the champion-builders of a divinely conceived Administrative Order, the standard-bearers of the all-conquering army of the Lord of Hosts, the torch-bearers of a future divinely inspired world civilization—arise, in the course of the momentous decade separating the Great from Most Great Jubilee, to secure, as befits its rank, the lion’s share in the prosecution of a global crusade designed to difl‘use the

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Light of God’s Revelation over the surface of the entire Planet.

——SHOGHI Apri129, 1953.

“A TURNING POINT IN AMERICAN Bahá’í HISTORY”

Dear and valued co-workers:

My soul is thrilled and my heart is filled with gratitude as I contemplate—looking back upon six decades of eventful American Bahá’í history—the chain of magnificent achievements which, from the dawn of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the West until the present day, have signalized the birth, marked the rise and distinguished the unfoldment of the glorious Mission of the American Bahá’í Community. Of all Bahá’í Communities in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, with the sole exception of its venerable sister—community in Bahá’u’lláh’s native land, it alone may well claim to have released forces, and set in motion events, which stand unparalleled in the annals of the Faith; while in the course of the last fifty years, comprising the concluding years of the Heroic and the opening Epochs of the Formative Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation, it can confidently boast of a record of stewardship which, for its scope, effectiveness and splendor, is unmatched by that of any other community in the entire Bahá’í world.

The first to awaken to the Call of the New Day in the Western world; the first to spontaneously arise to befittingly erect the Mother Temple of the West; the first to grasp the implications, evolve the pattern and lay the basis of the structure of the Bahá’í Administrative Order in the entire Bahá’í world; the first to openly and systematically proclaim the fundamental principles of the Faith, to adopt efiectual measures for its defense, to invite the attention of Royalty to its teachings, to devise an adequate machinery for the translation, the publication and the dissemination of its literature and to provide the means for the creation of its subsidiary institutions; the first to champion the cause of the oppressed and to generously contribute to the alleviation of the sufferings of the needy and persecuted among the followers of Bahá’u’lláh; the first to inaugurate collective enterprises for the propagation of His Cause; the first to assert its independence in the west; the

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first to lay an unassailable foundation for the erection of auxiliary institutions designed to multiply its financial resources; and, more recently, the first to achieve, as befits its primacy, the initial task devolving upon it in pursuance of the newly-launched world spiritual Crusade, this Community has abundantly merited, by the quality of its deeds and the magnitude of its exploits, the distinctive titles of the Cradle of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, of the Vanguard of His world-conquering Host, of the standardbearers of the Oneness of Mankind, of the Chief Trustees of the Plan devised by the Center of the Covenant and of the torchbearers of an as yet unborn world civilization.

The services rendered by this same Community in recent years, in its capacity as the chief executors of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan, in the course of the second stage of the initial epoch in its evolution, are of such importance and significance as to deserve particular mention at this time. In the North American continent, throughout the Republics of Latin America, in the Ten Goal countries of Europe, on the shores and in the heart of the African continent, the members of this community have, in conformity with the provisions of the second Seven Year Plan, performed feats of such noble and enduring heroism as to enhance immensely their prestige, demonstrate unmistakably the caliber of their faith and qualify them to assume a preponderating share in the prosecution of the Ten Year Plan whose operations are to extend over the entire surface of the globe.

In the multiplication and consolidation of Bahá’í Administrative institutions and their auxiliary agencies throughout Central America, the Antilles and every South American Republic—a task supplementing the initial enterprise undertaken, in pursuance of the first Seven Year Plan, in connection with the introduction of the Faith into the Republics of Latin America; in the even more rapid development of nascent institutions of the Faith in Scandinavian, in the Benelux countries, in Switzerland, in the Italian and Iberian Peninsulas; in the laying of the administrative basis of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh in the capital and in some of the major cities of each of the ten European sovereign states included within the scope of the Plan; in the convocation of a series of historic teaching Conferences in

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the North and in the heart of the European continent—heralding the convocation of the recently held, epoch—making intercontinental Teaching Conferences; in the translation, the publication and dissemination of Bahá’í literature in various European languages; in the still more dramatic evolution of the Faith in the African continent, culminating in the convocation of the first intercontinental Teaching Conference of the Holy Year in the heart of Africa; in the tremendous sacrifices spontaneously and repeatedly made to broaden and reinforce the foundations of the Faith in the North American continent, to sustain the campaigns undertaken in Latin America, Europe and Africa, and to meet the many demands of the Bahá’í Temple, rapidly nearing completion in Wilmette; in the successive emergence of three National Spiritual Assemblies in the Western Hemisphere—an outstanding contribution to the evolution and consolidation of the structure of the world administrative order of the Faith; in the completion of the interior ornamentation of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the West, the provision of its accessories and the initiation of the landscaping of its grounds; in the support extended to the development of the institutions of the World Center of the Faith; in the role played by its representatives, whether as Hands of the Cause or members of the International Bahá’í Council; in the financial aid unhesitatingly given to hasten the construction, and insure the completion, of the Superstructure of the Báb’s Sepulcher on Mt. Carmel—above all, in the share its national elected representatives have assumed in providing the means for the convocation Of the second intercontinental Teaching Conference of the Holy Year; in commemorating worthily the dedication to public worship of the Mother Temple of the West, on the occasion of its Jubilee; in befittingly inaugurating the launching of the World Spiritual Crusade, and in celebrating the climax of the Holy Year marking the centenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh’s Mission—in all these the American Bahá’í Community has fully deserved the praise and gratitude of posterity, has merited the applause of the Concourse on high and earned a full measure Of the Divine blessings and of the celestial sustenance of which it will stand in such great need in the course of the prosecution of still mightier and more glorious enterprises in the days to come.

THE BAHA’I WORLD

The stage is now set, and the hour propitious, for a deployment of forces, and for the revelation of the indomitable spirit animating this community, on a scale and to a degree unprecedented in the entire course of American Bahá’í history. To the Antilles and the seventeen Republics of Central and of South America—the scene of the initial exploits of a community inaugurating the opening phase of its world-girding Mission —to the ten sovereign states of Europe which, at a subsequent stage in the unfoldment of that Mission, the members of this community enthusiastically and determinedly arose to open up and conquer; to the African Territories which, in addition to their allocated task under the second Seven Year Plan, they spontaneously endeavored to win to the all-conquering Cause of Bahá’u’lláh—to these numerous islands and archipelagoes, bordering the American, the European and African continents; Dependencies extensive, well—nigh inaccessible, and remote from the base of their operations throughout the Asiatic continent; lastly, the South Pacific area, the home of the one remaining race not as yet adequately represented in the Bahá’í world community, occupying spiritually so strategic a position owing to its proximity to the Bahá’í communities already firmly entrenched in South America, in the Indian sub-continent and in Australasia, at once challenging the resources of no less than eight National Spiritual Assemblies, and the theater destined to witness the noblest and the most resounding victories which the chosen executors of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan have been called upon to win in the service of the Cause of God—all these have now, in accordance with the requirements of an irresistibly unfolding Plan, been added, completing thereby the full circle of the world-wide obligations devolving upon a community invested With spiritual primacy by the Author of the immortal Tablets constituting the Charter of the Master Plan of the appointed Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant.

“The moment this Divine Message,” He Who penned these Tablets and conferred this primacy has most significantly affirmed, “is propagated through the continents of Europe, of Asia, of Africa and of Australasia, and as far as the islands of the Pacific, this Community will find itself securely established upon the throne of an everlasting dominion.” Then, and only then, will, as He

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Himself has so remarkably prophesied, “the whole earth" “resound with the praises of its majesty and greatness.”

Now, indeed, is the time, after the lapse of two score years; following the triumphant conclusion of two successive historic Plans, marking the opening stages of the first Epoch in the unfoldment of that same Master Plan; on the morrow of the brilliant celebrations climaxing the world-wide festivities of a memorable Holy Year; and while a triumphant Community, in the first flush of enthusiasm, has just garnered the first fruits of its campaigns in four continents of the globe and is laden with its freshly won trophies, for this community to bestir itself, and, assuming its rightful preponderating share in the conduct of a newly launched world Spiritual Crusade, to demonstrate, through a supreme and sustained effort embracing the entire surface of the planet, its ability to safeguard that primacy, to enrich immeasurably the record of its stewardship and to bring to a majestic conclusion the opening Epoch in the evolution of a Plan destined to reveal the full measure of its potentialities, not only throughout the successive Epochs of the Formative Age of the Faith, but in the course of the vast reaches of time stretching into the Golden, the last Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation.

This decade-long global Crusade must mark a veritable turning point in American Bahá’í history. It must prove itself to be, as it develops, a force so pervasive and revolutionary in its character as to leave a lasting imprint not only on the destinies of the American Bahá’í Community but on the fortunes of the American nation as well. It must, even as a baptismal fire, so purge its members from self as to enable them to scale heights never as yet attained. It must, in its initial stages, witness a dispersal, combined With a consecration, reminiscent of the dawn of the Heroic Age in Bahá’u’lláh’s native land. It must, as it gathers momentum, awaken the select and gather the spiritually hungry amongst the peoples of the world, as well as create an awareness of the Faith not only among the political leaders of present-day society but also among the thoughtful, the erudite in other spheres of human activity. It must, as it approaches its climax, carry the torch of the Faith to regions so remote, so backward, so inhospitable that neither the light of Christianity or Islam has, after the revolution of centuries,

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as yet penetrated. It must, as it approaches its conclusion, pave the way for the laying, on an unassailable foundation, of the structural basis of an Administrative Order whose fabric must, in the course of successive Crusades, be laboriously erected throughout the entire globe and which must assemble beneath its sheltering shadow peoples of every race, tongue, creed, color and nation.

Seconded by the neighboring fully fledged Canadian Bahá’í Community flourishing beyond the northern frontier of its homeland; supported by the newly emerged Latin American Communities established in the Antilles and in each of the Central and Southern Republics of the Western Hemisphere; ably aided by its sister community vigorously functioning in the heart of a farflung Empire, and destined to lend its inestimable assistance in the spiritual conquest of the numerous and widely scattered Dependencies of the British Crown; reinforced by the oldest and youngest national Bahá’í communities on the European mainland which are to play a prominent part in the eastern and southern regions, and across the frontiers of Europe, along the shores and in the islands of the Mediterranean; assisted by its venerable sister-community in the cradle of the Faith and by the second oldest national community in the Bahá’í world actively engaged in the propagation of the Faith in the Asiatic continent; confident of the help of its Egyptian and Indian sistercommunities, whose destiny is closely linked with the African continent and Southeast Asia, respectively, and, lastly, assured of the unfailing cooperation of yet another national Community in the Antipodes which, owing to its geographical position, is bound to assume a notable share in the introduction of the Faith in the Islands of the South Pacific Ocean, the American Bahá’í Community must, as befits its rank as the chief executor of the Divine Plan, play a dominant and decisive role in the direction and control of the manifold operations involved in the prosecution of the North American, the Latin American, the European, the African, the Asian and the South Pacific campaigns of this world Crusade, and ensure, by every means at its disposal and in conjunction with its junior partners, its ultimate and total success.

Within its own sphere, extending to every continent of the globe, embracing no less

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than twenty-nine virgin territories and islands, the members of this stalwart and preeminent Community are called upon, among other things and within the relatively brief span of a single decade, to create nuclei, around which will crystallize future assemblies, in no less than eleven territories and islands of Africa, eight of Asia, six of Europe, four of America; to inaugurate the establishment of the future Dependencies of the Mother Temple of the West, and to terminate the landscaping of its grounds; to consolidate and broaden the basis of the Administrative Order already laid in twentythree territories and islands distributed in four continents of the globe and situated in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; to assist in the erection of no less than thirty—six pillars, twenty in Latin America, twelve in Europe, two in Asia, one in the North American continent and one in Africa, designed to help in sustaining the weight of the crowning unit of the Bahá’í Administrative Order, and in the establishment of national Bahá’í headquarters, of national endowments, and of national incorporations in all of these continents; to lend its aid for the acquisition of land in anticipation of the erection of four Temples, two in Europe, one in Africa and one in Central America; to lend an impetus to the progress of the Faith in its homeland through raising to three hundred the number of local Spiritual Assemblies and to one hundred the number of incorporated Assemblies, as well as through the founding of a Bahá’í Publishing Trust and the proclamation of the Faith through the Press and Radio; to enroll in the ranks of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh members of the Indian, of the Basque and Gipsy races; to assume responsibility for the translation and publication of Bahá’í literature in twenty languages, ten in the Americas and ten in Europe; and to contribute to the consolidation of the Faith in eight of the European goal countries through the establishment of local incorporations, as well as through the quadrupling of the number of local Assemblies and the trebling of the number of local Bahá’í centers in each one of them.

While this colossal task, which in its magnitude and potentialities transcends any previous collective enterprise launched in the course of American Bahá’í history, is being energetically carried out, it should be constantly borne in mind—and this applies to all communities without exception partici THE BAHA’I WORLD

pating in this world Crusade—that the twofold task of extension and consolidation must be supplemented by continuous and strenuous efforts to increase speedily not only the number of the avowed followers of the Faith in both the virgin and opened territories and islands included within the scope of the Ten Year Plan, but also to swell the ranks of its active supporters who will consecrate their time, resources and energy to the effectual spread of its teachings and the multiplication and consolidation of its administrative institutions.

The movement of pioneers, the opening of virgin territories, the initiation of Houses of Worship and of administrative headquarters, the incorporation of local and national elective bodies, the multiplication of assemblies, groups and isolated centers, the increase in the number of races, represented in the world Bahá’í Fellowship, the translation, publication and dissemination of Bahá’í literature, the consolidation of administrative agencies and the creation of auxiliary bodies designed to support them, however valuable, essential and meritorious, will in the long run amount to little and fail to achieve their supreme purpose if not supplemented by the equally vital task—which is one that primarily concerns continually and challenges each single individual believer whatever his rank, capacity or origin —of winning to the Faith fresh recruits to the slowly yet steadily advancing army of the Lord of Hosts, whose reinforcing strength is so essential to the safeguarding of the victories which the band of heroic Bahá’í conquerors are winning in the course of their several campaigns in all the continents of the globe.

Such a steady flow of reinforcements is absolutely vital and is of extreme urgency, for nothing short of the vitalizing influx of new blood that will reanimate the world Bahá’í Community can safeguard the prizes which, at so great a sacrifice involving the expenditure of so much time, effort and treasure, are now being won in virgin territories by Bahá’u’lláh’s valiant Knights, whose privilege is to constitute the spearhead of the onrushing battalions which, in diverse theaters and in circumstances often adverse and extremely challenging, are vying with each other for the spiritual conquest of the unsurrendered territories and islands on the surface of the globe.

This flow, moreover, will presage and

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hasten the advent of the day which, as prophesied by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, will witness the entry by troops of peoples of divers nations and races into the Bahá’í world—a day which, viewed in its proper perspective, will be the prelude to that long—awaited hour when a mass conversion on the part of these same nations and races, and as a direct result of a chain of events, momentous and possibly catastrophic in nature, and which cannot as yet be even dimly visualized, will suddenly revolutionize the fortunes of the Faith, derange the equilibrium of the world, and reinforce a thousandfold the numerical strength as well as the material power and the spiritual authority of the Faith of Baha’u’llah.

Of all the Objectives enumerated in my message to the representatives of this Community, assembled on the occasion of the celebration of the climax of the Holy Year, of the convocation of the second intercontinental Teaching Conference, of the inauguration of the Mother Temple of the West and of the launching of the World Spiritual Crusade, the most vital, urgent and meritorious, in this the opening year of the initial phase of this world-embracing enterprise, is, without doubt, the settlement of pioneers in all the virgin territories and islands assigned to this Community in all the continents of the globe, with the exception of the few which, owing to present political obstacles, can not as yet be opened to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh. This process already so auspiciously inaugurated, which, in the course of the first eight months of the Holy Year has gathered such splendid momentum, and which bids fair to astonish, stimulate and inspire the entire Bahá’í world, must, during the concluding months of this same year and the one succeeding it, be so accelerated as to ensure the attainment of this paramount objective before the lapse of two years from the official launching of this World Crusade.

While this goal is being vigorously pursued close attention must be directed to the preliminary measures for the establishment of the first Dependency of the Mother Temple of the West, as well as to the completion of the landscaping of its grounds, a double task that will, on the one hand, mark the termination of the fifty—year old process of the construction of the Central Bahá’í House of Worship, and proclaim, on the other, the commencement of another de signed to culminate in the establishment in its plenitude Of the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár as conceived by Bahá’u’lláh and envisaged by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Moreover, immediate consideration should be given to two other issues of prime importance, namely the purchase of land, which need not exceed for the present one acre, in anticipation of the construction of the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of South Africa, and the prompt translation of a suitable Bahá’í pamphlet into the American and European languages allocated to your Assembly, and its publication and wide dissemination among the peoples and tribes for whom it has been primarily designed.

The followers of the Most Great Name, citizens of the Great Republic of the West; constituting the majority and the oldest followers of His Faith in a continent wherein, in the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “the splendors of His (Baha’u’llah’s) Light shall be revealed” and “the mysteries of His Faith shall be unveiled,” addressed by Him in His Tablets of the Divine Plan as the “Apostles” of His Father; the recipients of the overwhelming majority of these same Tablets constituting the Charter of that Plan; conquerors of most of the territories, whether sovereign states or Dependencies, already included within the pale of the Faith; the Champion—builders of a world Administrative System which posterity will regard as the Harbinger of the World Order of Baha’u’llah, must, if they wish to retain their primacy and enrich their heritage, insure that, ere the opening of the second phase of this World Crusade, the names of the first American Bahá’í conquerors to settle in virgin territories and islands will, as befits their primacy, be inscribed on the Scroll of Honor, now in process of preparation, and designed to be permanently deposited at the entrance door of the Inner Sanctuary of Baha’u’llah’s Most Holy Tomb, that the limited area of land required for the erection of four future Bahá’í Temples, in Rome, Stockholm, Panama City and Johannesburg, will be bought, that the landscaping of the grounds of the Temple in Wilmette will be completed, and that the translation and the publication of the aforementioned pamphlet in the specified languages will be accomplished.

The two years that lie ahead, three months of which have already elapsed, will swiftly and imperceptibly draw to a close

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Tasks even more onerous, equally weighty and requiring in a still greater measure the expenditure of effort and substance, lie ahead, which will brook of no delay, which will carry the Faith to still higher levels of achievement and renown, which will enlarge, through the forging of fresh instruments, the framework of a steadily rising world Administrative Order, and which will eventually, if worthily discharged, seal the triumph of the most prodigious, the most sublime, the most sacred collective enterprise launched by the adherents of the Cause of God in both hemispheres since the early days of the Heroic Age of the Faithan enterprise which in its vastness, organization and unifying power, has no parallel in the world’s spiritual history.

To them, and indeed to the entire body of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh, engaged in this global Crusade, I direct my appeal to arise and, in the course of these fast fleeting years, in every phase of the campaigns that are to be fought in all the continents of the globe, prove their worth as gallant warriors battling for the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh. Indeed, from this very hour until the eve of the Most Great Jubilee, each and every one of those enrolled in the Army of Light must seek no rest, must take no thought of self, must sacrifice to the uttermost, must allow nothing whatsoever to deflect him or her from meeting the pressing, the manifold, the paramount needs of this preeminent Crusade.

“Light as the spirit, pure as air,” “blazing as fire,” “unrestrained as the wind"for such is Bahá’u’lláh’s own admonition to His loved ones in His Tablets, and directed not to a select few but to the entire congregation of the faithful—let them scatter far and wide, proclaim the glory of God’s Revelation in this Day, quicken the souls of men and ignite in their hearts the love of the One Who alone is their omnipotent and divinely appointed Redeemer.

Bracing the fearful cold of the Arctic regions and the enervating heat of the torrid zone; heedless of the hazards, the loneliness and the austerity of the deserts, the faraway islands and mountains wherein they will be called upon to dwell; undeterred by the clamor which the exponents of religious orthodoxy are sure to raise, or by the restrictive measures which political leaders may impose; undisrnayed by the smallness of their numbers and the multitude of their

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THE BAHA’I WORLD

potential adversaries; armed with the efficacious weapons their own hands have slowly and laboriously forged in anticipation of this glorious and inevitable encounter with the organized forces of superstition, of corruption and of unbelief; placing their whole trust in the matchless potency of Baha’u’llah’s teachings, in the all-conquering power of His might and the infallibility of His glorious and oft-repeated promises, let them press forward, each according to his strength and resources, into the vast arena now lying before them, and which, God willing, will witness, in the years immediately lying ahead, such exhibitions of prowess and of heroic seIf—sacrifice as may well recall the superb feats achieved by that immortal band of God-intoxicated heroes who have so immeasurably enriched the annals of the Christian, the Islamic and Bábi Dispensations.

On the members of the American Bahá’í Community, the envied custodians of a Divine Plan, the principal builders and defenders of a mighty Order and the recognized champions of an unspeakably glorious and precious Faith, a peculiar and inescapable responsibility must necessarily rest. Through their courage, their self-abnegation, their fortitude and their perseverance; through the range and quality of their achievements, the depth of their consecration, their initiative and resourcefulness, their organizing ability, their readiness and capacity to lend their assistance to less privileged sister-communities struggling against heavy odds; through their generous and sustained response to the enormous and ever—increasing financial needs of a worldencompassing, decade-long and admittedly strenuous enterprise, they must, beyond the shadow of a doubt, vindicate their right to the leadership of this world Crusade.

Now is the time for the hope voiced by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that from their homeland “heavenly illumination” may “stream to all the peoples of the world” to be realized. Now is the time for the truth of His remarkable assertion that that same homeland is “equipped and empowered to accomplish that which will adorn the pages of history, to become the envy of the world and be blest in both the East and the West,” to be strikingly and unmistakably demonstrated. “Should success crown” their “enterprise,” He, moreover, has assured them, “the throne of the Kingdom of God will, in

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the plenitude of its majesty and glory, be firmly established.”

Would to God that this Community, boasting already of so superb a record of achievements both at home and overseas, and elevated to such dazzling heights by the hopes cherished and the assurance given by the Center of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant, may prove itself capable of performing deeds of such distinction, in the course of the opening, as well as the succeeding phases of this World Spiritual Crusade, as will outshine the dedicated acts which have already left their indelible mark on the Apostolic Age of the Faith in the West; will excel the enduring, the historic achievements associated, at a later period, with this Community’s memorable contribution to the rise and establishment of the world Administrative Order of Bahá’u’lláh; will surpass the magnificent accomplishments which, subse 373

quently, as the result of the operation of the first Seven Year Plan, illuminated the annals of the Faith in both the North American continent and throughout Latin America and will eclipse the even more dramatic exploits which, during the opening years of the second Epoch of the Formative Age of the Faith, and in the course of the prosecution of the second Seven Year Plan, have exerted so lasting an influence on the fortunes of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh in the Antilles, throughout the Republics of Central America, in each of the ten Republics of South America, in no less than ten sovereign states in the continent of Europe, and in various Dependencies on the eastern and western shores, as well as in the heart of the African continent.

—SHOGHI Haifa, Israel, July 18, 1953.

THE PROCESS OF INTERNATIONAL CONSOLIDATION

By the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States

THE publication in this issue of Bahá’í News [June, 1951] of a general communication from the International Bahá’í Council, signed on its behalf by its President, Mr. Charles Mason Remey, signalizes in a most impressive manner the nature of the new Bahá’í era in which we now live.

There are three stages in the evolution of the Bahá’í world community. First, the formation of local groups and assemblies under the Master’s loving care. How many Tablets He revealed, charged with the spirit of unity, to raise up on this earth even small bodies of believers inspired with mutual love and trust and able to render united service to a divine Faith! American Bahá’ís still live who witnessed, and took active part in, that miraculous work.

In the Master’s time also, the beginning of the national Bahá’í community could be discerned. The Temple project itself enlarged the horizon of the believer from his own local community to the larger body of Bahá’ís. The Guardian took up this work, defined the duties and responsibilities of the Local and National Assemblies, and trained

the believers of East and West in the administration of the activities of their Faith.

Now the consolidation of the international Bahá’í community is taking place before our eyes. The call has been raised to individual Bahá’ís and not alone to National Assemblies, to enter into this greatest arena of Bahá’í sacrifice, understanding and action as a direct and permanent element in our lives. Together with a host of Bahá’ís in other lands, we raise our eyes to the larger goal, accepting personal responsibility for the success of the Guardian’s noble plans to complete the Shrine of the Báb and develop the Bahá’í world center in the Holy Land.

This new stage in the evolution of the Bahá’í community expects and requires a fuller maturity than we have ever manifested before. It means the most conscientious balancing of effort and resource as we serve simultaneously on the three levels of Bahá’í action: local, national and international.

Just as we have for years devoted resources for national projects, limiting the scope of local action for the sake of the

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greater and more important collective task, so now we, and all other Bahá’ís, while maintaining the essential work in both local and national fields, extend our devotion to the supreme world purpose. We do not eliminate responsibility for local and national support, for the power of the local community stands at the foundation of the entire Bahá’í structure, and the unity of the national community constitutes the pillar on which will rest the future House of Justice and the fullest expression of the Guardian’s spirit in the establishment of world order and peace.

It is a matter of enlargement of our Bahá’í life and not of choosing between different alternatives. This process of international consolidation prepares the Bahá’ís for the formation and operation of the House of Justice. Just as every Bahá’í in former days felt an inner relationship to the Master, and now an inner relationship to the Guardian, so now we are to experience a new sense of loyalty and devotion to an unfolding World Center, fulfilling the loyalty we have learned to render local and national administrative institutions. What to the child and the youth seems to be an end, to the adult becomes a

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means to a true and supreme end. The end of our Bahá’í service is to create a world in which humanity is one and citizenship is both spiritual and social integrity.

Great effort is needed for us to make the transition from youth to maturity. Culturally and psychologically this experience parallels those vast historic changes when family union enlarged to the unity of the tribe, and when tribal union became loyalty to the nation.

The Guardian’s messages have been preparing us for this new stage. In April, 1950, for example, he referred to the members of a “firmly knit, world embracing, divinely propelled Bahá’í community.” On July 5, 1950, he emphasized the “first historic opportunity of directly sustaining, through their contributions, the most sacred enterprise ever undertaken in the history of the Faith,” and on March 21, 1951—“1 am moved to renew my fervent plea addressed to all National and local Assemblies and believers in all continents of the globe.”

The degree to which we accept our whole responsibility will supply a true measure of the value of our faith.

APPOINTMENT OF THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD

IN the unfoldment of the World Order of Bahá’u’lláh there is provision for the existence of the Hands of the Cause of God, a body of believers who are to serve directly under the Guardian of the Faith. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá defines the functions of the Hands of the Cause in His Will and Testament:

“O friends! The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and appointed by the guardian of the Cause of God. All must be under his shadow and obey his command. . . .

“The obligations of the Hands of the Cause of God are to diffuse the Divine Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to promote learning, to improve the character of all men and to be, at all times and under all conditions, sanctified and detached from earthly things. They must manifest the fear of God by their conduct, their manners, their deeds and their words.

“This body of the Hands of the Cause of

God is under the direction of the guardian of the Cause of God. He must continually urge them to strive and endeavor to the utmost of their ability to diffuse the sweet savors of God, and to guide all the peoples of the world, for it is the light of Divine Guidance that causeth all the universe to be illumined.”

THE GUARDIAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

Recall feelings profound thankfulness joy chain recent historic events heralding long anticipated rise establishment World Administrative Center Faith Bahá’u’lláh Holy Land regarded third most momentous epoch—making development since inception Formative Age morrow ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Ascension.

Quarter century constituting opening epoch this age signalized successively by erection consolidation over period no less

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sixteen years local, national institutions Bahá’í Administrative Order five continents globe conformity provisions Will Center Covenant and initiation first Seven Year Plan American Bahá’í Community marking inauguration first epoch execution ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan unavoidably held abeyance over two decades pending creation divinely-appointed administrative agencies designed by its Author for its effective prosecution.

Opening years second epoch Formative Age now witnessing long last commencement third vast majestic fate-laden process following two above-mentioned developments destined through gradual emergence manifold institutions World Center Faith crown administrative structure Bahá’u’lláh’s embryonic World Order. Gigantic process now set motion opening decade second Bahá’í Century synchronizing with, deriving notable impetus through, birth sovereign State, Holy Land, greatly accelerated through series swiftly succeeding events originated World Center Faith.

First, inauguration most holy world-wide enterprise unprecedented annals Faith construction heart Mount Carmel superstructure Báb’s Sepulcher. Second, creation International Bahá’í Council precincts Holy Shrine forerunner International House Justice, supreme legislative organ nascent divinely conceived world-encircling Bahá’í Administrative Order. Third, acquisition restoration embellishment historic sites associated incarceration Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, recognition their sacred character, exemption taxes newly formed State, accessibility appreciative general public. Fourth, initiation formal negotiation central municipal authorities same State twofold purpose preserve posterity immediate directly threatened neighborhood Most Holy Tomb Founder Faith outskirts ‘Akká, acquire extensive, sorely needed properties vicinity Bab’s Sepulcher destined serve site future edifices envisaged ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to house auxiliary agencies revolving twin institutions Guardianship House Justice. Fifth, preparation design future Mashriqu’l-A(fllkér Mount Carmel outstanding indispensable feature unfoldment rising World Administrative Order. Sixth, forthcoming convocation four conferences embracing eleven National Assemblies all continents globe marking inauguration beyond limits World Center Faith intercontinental stage

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Bahá’í activity precursor final step summoning assemblage representative communities all sovereign states, chief dependencies, islands, entire planet.

Hour now ripe take long inevitably deferred step, conformity provisions ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Testament, conjunction with six above-mentioned steps through appointment first contingent Hands Cause God, twelve in number, equally allocated Holy Land, Asiatic, American, European continents. Initial step now taken regarded as preparatory full development institution provided ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Will, paralleled preliminary measure formation International Council destined culminate emergence Universal House Justice. Nascent institution forging fresh links binding rising World Center Faith to consolidating World Community followers Most Great Name paving way adoption supplementary measures calculated reinforce foundations structure Bahá’í Administrative Order.

Nominated Hands comprise, Holy Land, Sutherland Maxwell, Mason Remey, Amelia Collins, President, Vice-President International Bahá’í Council; cradle Faith, Valiyu’lláh Varqa, Tarézu’lláh Samandari, ‘AliAkbar Furfitan; American continent, Horace Holley, Dorothy Baker, Leroy Ioas; European continent, George Townshend, Hermann Grossmann, Ugo Giachery. Nine elevated rank Hand three continents outside Holy Land advised remain present posts continue discharge vital administrative teaching duties pending assignment specific functions as need arises. Urge all nine attend as my representatives all four forthcoming intercontinental conferences as well as discharge whatever responsibilities incumbent upon them at that time as elected representatives national Bahá’í communities.

Communicate text announcement all National Assemblies.

—SHOGHI Haifa, Israel, December 24, 1951. Announce friends East (and) West, through National Assemblies, following

nominations raising (the) number (of the) present Hands (of the) Cause of God (to) nineteen. Dominion Canada (and) United States, Fred Schopflocher (and) Corinne True, respectively. Cradle (of) Faith, Iflaikru’lláh K_ha’.dem, Shu‘é’u’lláh ‘Alá’í. Germany, Africa, Australia, Adelbert Miihl [Page 376]376

schlegel, Mfisé Banani, Clara Dunn, respectively. Members august body invested (in) conformity (with) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Testament, twofold sacred function, (the) propagation (and) preservation (of the) unity (of the) Faith (of) Bahá’u’lláh, (and) destined (to) assume individually (in the) course (of) time (the) direction (of) institutions paralleling those revolving around (the) Universal House (of) Justice, (the) supreme legislative body (of the) Bahá’í world, are now recruited (from) all five continents (of) the globe (and) representative (of the) three principal world religions (of) mankind. Recently urged newlyappointed Hand (of) Canada, (on) occasion (of his) pilgrimage (to) Holy Land, (to) undertake preliminary measures, (in) conjunction (with) Canadian National Assembly (for the) establishment (of) national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds similar (to) those already founded (in) Ṭihrán, Wilmette, Bag_hdad, Sydney, Frankfurt, Cairo (and) New Delhi. Identical instructions (were) given appointed Hand (of) Africa (in) course (of his) just concluded pilgrimage, (for the) acquisition (of) property (in) Kampala (to) serve (as) local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds (to) synchronize (with) formation (of) first Assembly (in) heart (of) Africa, (to) be regarded (as) nucleus (of) national administrative headquarters (of) Faith destined (to) arise (on) morrow (of) formation (of) National Spiritual Assembly (of) Central (and) Eastern Territories (of) African continent.

—SHOGHI Cable received February 29, 1952.

“(The) mantle (of) Hand (of) Cause now falls (upon the) shoulders (of) his distinguished daughter Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih, who (has) already rendered (and is) still rendering manifold no less meritorious self—sacrificing services (at) World Center (of) Faith (of) Bahá’u’lláh.”

March 26, 1952.

“Announce (to) all National Assemblies elevation (of) Paul Haney (to) rank (of) Hand of the Cause.”

—SHOGHI Haifa, Israel, March 19, 1954.

THE BAHA’I WORLD

“Inform National Assemblies elevation (of) Jalél K_hézeh (to) rank (of) Hand (of) Cause.”

—SHOGHI

(On) occasion (of) Centenary (of) Bahá’u’lláh’s release (from) oppressive imprisonment (in the) Siyah-C_hé1, Ṭihrán, synchronizing (with the) termination (of the) epoch-making, two-month period associated (with the) Birth (of) His Revelation, unsurpassed, with (the) sole exception (of the) Declaration (of) His mission, (by) any episode (in the) world’s spiritual history, call upon Bahá’í communities, East (and) West, (to) ponder (the) unique significance, focus attention (on) imperative requirements (and to) respond worthily (to the) challenge offered each (of the) four fate-laden, fast-approaching Intercontinental Conferences, constituting (the) highlights (of) recently ushered-in Holy Year.

Desire (to) announce (the) appointment (of the) Hands (of the) Cause, honored (by) direct association (with the) newlyinitiated enterprises (at the) world center (of the) Faith, (to) act, (in) addition (to) their individual participation (in the) deliberations (at the) forthcoming Conferences, (as) my special representatives, entrusted (with a) fourfold mission: (to) bear, for (the) edification (of the) attendants, a precious remembrance (of the) Cofounder (of the) Faith, deliver my official message (to the) assembled believers, elucidate (the) character (and) purposes (of the) impending decade-long spiritual World Crusade (and) rally (the) participants (to) energetic, sustained, enthusiastic prosecution (of the) colossal tasks ahead.

Instructing (the) President (of the) International Bahá’í Council, Mason Remey, Member at Large Ugo Giachery, (and) Secretary-General Leroy Ioas, (to) discharge these functions (in the) course (of the) New Delhi, Stockholm (and) Kampala Conferences, respectively.

Delegating Amatu’l-Bahá, accompanied (by) Vice-President (of the) International Council, Amelia Collins, (to) fulfill three of (the) above mentioned functions, as well as carry (on) my behalf, (to) unveil (on the) occasion (of the) completion (of the) construction (of the) Mother-Temple (of the) West, (to the) privileged attendants (at the) Wilmette Conference (a) most prized remembrance (of the) Author (of the) Faith,

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(which) never before left (the) shores (of the) Holy Land, to be placed beneath (the) dome (of the) consecrated edifice. Moreover assigning her (the) task (to) act (as) my deputy (at the) historic ceremony marking (the) official Dedication (of the) holiest Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (of the) Bahá’í world reared (to the) everlasting glory (and) honor (of the) Most Great Name (in the) heart (of the) North American continent. —SHOGHI Haifa, Israel, December 15, 1952.

UNFOLDMENT OF THE INSTITUTION OF THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE

Message from the Guardian

To all the Hands of the Cause and all National Assemblies of the Bahá’í World:

Hail emergence (of the) unfoldment (in the) opening years (of the) second epoch (of the) formative age (of the) Bahá’í Dispensation (of the) august Institution foreshadowed (by the) Founder (of the) Faith (and) formally established (in the) Testament (of the) Center (of) His Covenant, closely associated (in) provisions (of the) same Will (with) Institution (of the) Guardianship, destined (to) assume (in the) fullness (of) time, under (the) aegis (of the) Guardian, (the) dual sacred responsibility (for) protection (and) propagation (of the) Cause (of) Bahá’u’lláh.

Desire (to) pay warm tribute (to the) services rendered severally (and) collectively (by) appointed Hands (at the) World Center (of the) Faith (and in) territories beyond its confines.

Greatly value (their) support (in the) erection (of the) Báb’s Sepulcher (on Mt.) Carmel; (in) reinforcing ties (with the) newly emerged State (of) Israel; (in the) extension (of the) International Endowments (in the) Holy Land; (in the) initiation (of the) preliminary measures (for the) establishment (of the) Bahá’í World Administrative Center, as well as (in their) participation (in) four successive Intercontinental Teaching Conferences; (in their) extensive travels (in) African territories, (in) North, Central (and) South America, (in the) European, Asiatic (and) Australian Continents.

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(This) newly constituted body, embarked (on) its mission (with) such auspicious circumstances, (is) now entering (the) second phase (of) its evolution signalized (by) forging (of) ties (with the) National Spiritual Assemblies (of the) Bahá’í world (for the) purpose (of) lending them assistance (in) attaining (the) objectives (of the) Ten Year Plan.

(The) hour (is) ripe (for the) fifteen Hands residing outside (the) Holy Land (to) proceed during Riḍván (With the) appointment, (in) each continent separately, from among (the) resident Bahá’ís (of) that Continent, (of) Auxiliary Boards, whose members. acting (as) deputies, assistants (and) advisers (of the) Hands, must increasingly lend (their) assistance (for the) promotion (of the) interests (of the) Ten Year Crusade.

Advise (the) Hands (of the) Asiatic, American (and) European Continents (to) convene (in) Ṭihrán, Wilmette (and) Frankfurt respectively (for the) purposes (of) consultation (and) nomination.

(The) Hands (of the) Cause (of the) African (and) Australian Continents must exercise (their) functions (in) Kampala (and) Sydney, respectively.

(The) Auxiliary Boards (of the) American, European (and) African Continents must consist (of) nine members each, (of the) Asiatic (and) Australian continents (of) seven (and) two, respectively.

(The) allocation (of) areas (in) each continent to (the) members (of the) Auxiliary Boards, as well as subsidiary matters regarding (the) development (of the) activities (of the) newly appointed bodies, (and the) manner (of) collaboration (with the) National Spiritual Assemblies (in their) respective Continents, (is) left (to the) discretion (of the) Hands.

All Boards must report (and) be responsible (to the) Hands charged (with) their appointment.

(The) Hands (of) each Continent (in) their turn must keep (in) close touch (with, and) report (the) result (of the) nominations (and) progress (of the) activities (of the) Boards (to the) National Assemblies (in their) respective continents, as well as (to the) four Hands residing (in the) Holy Land destined (to) act (as) liaison between themselves (and the) Guardian (of the) Faith.

Urge (the) initiation (of) five Continen [Page 378]378

tal Bahá’í Funds which, as they develop, will increasingly facilitate (the) discharge (of the) functions assigned (to the) Boards.

Transmitting five thousand pounds (as) my initial contribution (to) be equally divided (among the) five Continents.

Appeal (to the) twelve National Assemblies (and) individuals (to) insure (a) steady augmentation (of these) Funds through annual assignment (in) National Budgets (and by) individual contributions.

Advise transmit contributions (to) Varqé, Holley, Giachery, Banéni (and) Dunn acting (as) Trustees (of the) Asiatic, American, European, African (and) Australian Funds respectively.

Fervently supplicating (at the) Holy

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Threshold (for an) unprecedented measure (of) blessings (on this) Vital (and) indispensable organ (of the) embryonic (and) steadily unfolding Bahá’í Administrative 01'der, presaging (the) emergence (of the) World Order (of) Bahá’u’lláh which must pave (the) way (for the) establishment (of the) World Civilization destined (to) attain maturity (in the) course (of) successive Dispensations (in the) Five Thousand Century Bahá’í Cycle.

Airmail copies (to) all Hands and National Assemblies.

—SHOGHI

April 6, 1954. (Transmitted through Dr. Ugo Giachery,

Hand of the Cause.)

FORMATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BAHA’l COUNCIL

THE GUARDIAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

PROCLAIM National Assemblies (of) East (and) West weighty epoch-making decision (of) formation (of) first International Bahá’í Council, forerunner (of) supreme administrative institution destined (to) emerge (in) fullness (of) time within precincts beneath shadow (of) World Spiritual Center (of) Faith already established (in) twin cities (of) ‘Akká (and) Haifa. Fulfillment (of) prophecies uttered (by) Founder (of) Faith (and) Center (of) His Covenant culminating (in) establishment (of) Jewish State, signalizing birth after lapse (of) two thousand years (of an) independent nation (in the) Holy Land, (the) swift unfoldment (of) historic undertaking associated (with) construction (of) superstructure ( of the) Báb’s Sepulcher (on) Mount Carmel, (the) present adequate maturity (of) nine vigorously functioning national administrative institutions throughout Bahá’í World, combine (to) induce me (to) arrive (at) this historic decision marking most significant milestone (in) evolution (of) Administrative Order (of the) Faith (of) Bahá’u’lláh (in) course (of) last thirty years. Nascent Institution now created (is) invested (with) threefold function: first, (to) forge link (with) authorities (of) newly emerged State; second, (to) assist me (to) discharge responsibilities involved (in) erection (of) mighty superstructure (of the) Báb’s Holy Shrine; third,

(to) conduct negotiations related (to) matters (of) personal status (with) civil authorities. To these will be added further functions (in) course (of) evolution (of) this first embryonic International Institution, marking its development into officially recognized Bahá’í Court, its transformation into duly elected body, its efflorescence into Universal House (of) Justice, (and) its final fruition through erection (of) manifold auxiliary institutions constituting (the) World Administrative Center destined (to) arise (and) function (and) remain permanently established (in) close neighborhood (of) Twin Holy Shrines. Hail (with) thankful, joyous heart (at) long last (the) constitution (of) International Council which history will acclaim (as the) greatest event shedding luster (upon) second epoch (of) Formative Age (of) Bahá’í Dispensation potentially unsurpassed (by) any enterprise undertaken since inception (of) Administrative Order (of) Faith (on) morrow (of) ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Ascension, ranking second only (to) glorious immortal events associated (with) Ministries (of the) Three Central Figures (of) Faith (in) course (of) First Age (of) most glorious Dispensation (of the) five thousand century Bahá’í Cycle. Advise publicize announcement through Public Relations Committee.

—SHOGHI Haifa, Israel, January 9, 1951.

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Second announcement: (The) enlargement (of the) International Bahá’í Council. Present membership now comprises: Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih, chosen liaison between me (and the) Council. Hands (of the) Cause, Mason Remey, Amelia Collins, Ugo Giachery, Leroy Ioas, President, Vice-president, Member at Large, Secretary-General, respectively. Jessie Revell, Ethel Revell, Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím, Treasurer, Western (and) Eastern assistant Secretaries.

COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL Bahá’í COUNCIL HAIFA, ISRAEL

Mr. Horace Holley, Secretary, National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

Dear Bahá’í Friends:

Following the momentous decision of our beloved Guardian to further consolidate the work he has been doing here for thirty years by the appointment of the first International Bahá’í Council, he has given us the privilege and joy of keeping our fellow Bahá’ís informed of not only the progress being made in the construction of the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel, but also of developments in our relationship to the authorities of the State of Israel.

The year 108 of the Bahá’í Era is obviously one of very great importance to all believers, for it is during this year that we must put forth our greatest united effort to date on behalf of the first undertaking here in the Holy Land, which has been characterized by the Guardian as not only of international scope and paramount importance, but as also being the most sacred task ever entrusted to our hands; namely, the raising of the dome of the Sepulcher of the Báb.

It had been the hope of the Guardian to carry forward this historic undertaking in easy stages; but the very critical international situation, the growing scarcity of primary materials, which is felt in the world market, and the uncertainty of what the outcome would be if there was any interruption in the quarrying, cutting and preparation of the stones in Italy for the Shrine, have forced him to greatly quicken the tempo of this work. What could have been done in a matter of years, he now sees must be done in a matter of months, unless the completion

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of the Shrine is to be perhaps indefinitely postponed.

The friends the world over who are now being called upon to share in the period of austerity which the American Bahá’ís have already passed through during the past two years, and to do their utmost to economize in local and national affairs during the coming twenty—four months, in order to provide the funds required so pressingly for the work of the Shrine, will no doubt be keenly interested to hear the details of the plans being made here.

As you are aware, from the time when Bahá’u’lláh pointed with His own hand to the present site of the Shrine, and instructed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to purchase this land, and bring the Body of the Báb from Persia and inter it here, the constant thought of first, the Master, and now, the Guardian has been to complete this sacred undertaking. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá succeeded in terminating, before His ascension, six rooms of the nine rooms of the Shrine. After His passing, Shoghi Effendi added the three more rooms which had been contemplated, and then for a period of over twenty years, concentrated on purchasing land around the Shrine, and extending both the terraces approaching it and the gardens immediately encircling it. It was not until the Centenary in 1944 that he was able to disclose to the Bahá’ís the plan for the completion of the building—a plan which followed the wishes expressed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá himself.

You are all familiar, through previous reports, with the difficulties Which were overcome in placing the initial contracts for the arcade. You know from photographs published how very beautiful the first part of the structure is. What perhaps the friends cannot realize is the great effect this building has produced locally. There is no doubt that it has not only interested the public in genera], and tourists, but that it has become a source of pride to the people of Haifa, and warmed the cockles of the hearts of the authorities, as neither literature, nor admiration for the high principles they associate with the Bahá’ís could ever have done. It stands four-square on the soil of Israel, and has become an advertisement for confidence in the future, no small thing, to a struggling people in a new State, surrounded by hostile elements.

In March, 1949, the first threshold stones were laid. By March, 1950, the carved para [Page 380]380

pet, inlaid with green and gold mosaic, was being placed in position. At the beginning of March of this year, the most delicate operation associated With the entire structure, was commenced; namely the excavation, within the walls of the 01d original building, of the eight shafts required for the piers which will support the dome. Perhaps the friends do not realize that until a few weeks ago, every bit of work associated with placing 800 tons of granite, chiampo stone and mosaics in place, was carried out beyond the walls of the old building and upon its roof. But of course in order to erect the octagon, the drum of the dome, and the dome upon the existing building, new foundations had to be dug—foundations capable of holding up more than 1,000 tons of weight. After much consideration on the part of the architect, Mr. W. S. Maxwell, and the engineer, Prof. H. Neumann, it was decided that the only feasible way of doing this was to conceal within the eight partition walls of the eight rooms which surround the ninth central innermost room, which is the Tomb of the Báb, eight reinforced concrete piers. This required excavation to bedrock in eight places under the floors of the rooms of the Shrine.

At present these eight shafts have been successfully dug without in any way endangering the walls of the Shrine, some of them to a depth of over ten feet, and have been filled with concrete. The complementary eight shafts in the roof have likewise been excavated, and eight channels cut down the walls within which the concrete piers will be concealed, when they have been poured. This part of the work has been very delicate, necessitating as it did, cutting through the vaultings of the old ceilings, where in some places, the roof is over eight feet thick. We have all been impressed with the immense strength of the building which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá constructed. It was indeed sufficiently strong to practically serve the purpose of a fortress, which as you remember, the enemies of the Faith accused it of being to the Turkish Commission which came to ‘Akká to investigate ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s activities.

When the Guardian decided to place the order for the octagon of the Shrine, he discovered that steel and cement were practically unobtainable in this country, and that the quickest and most economical procedure would be to order these materials from Italy,

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along with the three hundred tons of stone, trimmed and carved and ready to be built into position, which are required for the octagon and its eight pinnacles. He consequently instructed our dear Bahá’í brother, Dr. Ugo Giachery, to place the contract for the stone work of the octagon, which amounted to $63,000.00.

Reference to a photograph of the model of the Shrine will show that the octagon has a wrought iron railing, which forms an ornamental balustrade at this level. As such work is not procurable in this country, a further contract for $5,900.00 was signed in Italy, covering this item. Likewise the twenty—four windows of the octagon require metal frames, wholly unobtainable here, and a further contract for these was signed, amounting to $1,855 .00. In addition to these two contracts, fifty tons of cement, and thirty-three tons of steel were ordered. Upon being informed by Dr. Giachery of the extreme difficulty he had in getting permission to export to us cement and steel, the Guardian decided that the sooner the contract was placed in Italy for the remaining portions of the building, the better. He therefore cabled Dr. Giachery to order all the stone work for the dome, the stone lantern surmounting it, and the drum supporting it, at once. This necessitated committing us to another contract, amounting to $130,000.00, to which must be added $3,210.00 for the metal window frames of the drum of the dome, which are eighteen in number. Whilst contemplating the magnitude of the work which has been ordered in Italy, we must bear in mind that these contracts do not include the surfacing of the dome with whatever material is chosen to give it its golden appearance, nor the actual cost of construction of the entire edifice above the roof level of the old Shrine, which must now be undertaken in this country.

In coming to the decision to commit the Bahá’í World and its resources so heavily at this time to this sacred enterprise, the Guardian took two important points into consideration: One was the quality of workmanship of the building, and the other was the state of the world at present. When work requiring such high standards of craftsmanship is undertaken, if the original staff is dispersed in the middle of the undertaking, it is very problematic whether, when construction is again resumed, the same standard can be maintained. Different workers have a dif [Page 381]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

ferent touch, and later work might be far below the level of what has so far been received. We must remember that the arcade was ordered shortly after the end of World War II, when first-class labor was available. The other side of the picture which undoubtedly has most strongly influenced the Guardian in coming to his decision, is the gloomy political outlook at present, and the fact that any postponement of the construction of the Shrine might have turned out to be practically an indefinite postponement.

We know that the Cause of God moves ahead in mysterious ways, and no doubt in the future, when the Shrine is completed, not the least interesting of the facts associated with it and the romance of its construction will be that about sixteen hundred tons of granite was quarried, cut and carved in Italy and imported to Israel during undoubtedly one of the most disturbed periods in the world’s history, and more particularly, in the history of the Holy Land.

In addition to the above~mentioned momentous decisions, the Guardian has been able to carry out this winter another enterprise most dear to his heart, and one which he had been prevented from doing for over ten years, owing to the machinations of the Covenant-breakers. The many friends who have been pilgrims to Haifa, will recall that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, having Himself built one terrace directly in front of the Shrine of the Bab, had expressed the desire that a series of these should link the Holy Tomb with Carmel Avenue in the Templar Colony at the foot of Mt. Carmel, thus forming a direct line to the sea from the central door of the Shrine. This spring the municipality looked favorably upon our application for permission to complete the last two terraces, and the Guardian was able to extend the line of staircases, cypress trees, and walls, which comprise these terraces, by approximately another thirty—five meters. He beautified this termination of the Bahá’í properties leading to the Shrine of the Báb by erecting four more lamp-posts, two pedestals with beautiful lead vases, a temporary iron gate and considerable landscape gardening. The effect of the whole is most impressive, and has now made it possible for visitors to go straight up the staircases to the Shrine itself from the lower part of the town.

Recently the President and one of the Secretaries of the International Bahá’í Council visited Jerusalem, where, in the course of

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several days, arrangements were made with the Ministry of Trade for receiving import licenses for the various materials to be used in the building of the Shrine on Mt. Carmel, including all stone work, structural steel, cement, wrought-iron decorative balustrades, metal window frames, etc. The Customs Department has likewise been most cooperative, and invariably frees all materials for the Shrine and objects for the Gardens, as well as the Holy Tombs and the Archives, from duty. When the Shrine is completed, this will mean that over sixteen hundred tons of material for its construction have come in duty-free.

On March 30th, the President of the International Bahá’í Council was received by Rabbi J . L. Hacohen Maimon, Minister for Religious Affairs in Israel. His Excellency, the Minister, welcomed this representative of our beloved Guardian, assuring him of the friendship of the State of Israel toward all the religious communities in Israel, saying that it was the desire of his government that freedom of religion exist in this country and that their attitude toward all religious communities was one of friendship and of respect, and of the extension of their protection to the Holy Places of these various religions, adding: “Have we not all one Father? Has not the one God created us all?”

The President of the International Bahá’í Council then spoke of Israel as being the Holy Land of the Bahá’ís, as well as that of the Jews, Christians and Muslims; telling the Minister that fifty and more years ago the Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had written that Palestine would eventually become the Home of the Jewish people; and that this was published in print at that time. The interview was characterized by a sincere spirit of welcome on the part of the Minister and his associates who were present. A colored print of the architect’s design for the fagade of the Tomb of the Báb was presented to the Minister, and an invitation was extended to him and to Mrs. Maimon to visit the Shrine of the Báb and surrounding gardens when they could arrange to come to Haifa.

The President and Vice President of the International Council have likewise paid calls upon both the Mayor of Haifa and the Mayor of ‘Akká, as well as the Military Governor of Galilee. These visits were in the nature of courtesy calls, and established a friendly contact between these officials and the officers of the Council.

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The President likewise had a very pleasant interview with the United States Ambassador to Israel, Mr. Monett B. Davis.

On April 13, the International Bahá’í Council gave a reception in the nature of a tea party at the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahjí. This was the first formal entertainment done by this body, and Government officials, Consuls, Representatives from the Ministry of Religions in Jerusalem, as Well as many friends and acquaintances, were present. The reception received a friendly write-up in the social column of the Englishspeaking newspapers of Israel, and was generally considered a great success.

It is interesting to note that the formation of the International Council was mentioned in various newspapers in this country in different languages, and “K01 Israel” has also on a number of occasions broadcast news concerning the Bahá’ís, amongst other items, to wish them a Happy Feast on such days as Naw-Rúz and Riḍván.

Bahá’í books have for a long time been in the library of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and recently, at the request of the Ministry, some of our literature has been placed in the library of the Ministry of Religions in Jerusalem. Books have also been presented to His Excellency, Rabbi Maimon, for his own personal library, he, himself, being a profound student of the religions of the past. The books were given to him at his request.

The nature of our contacts with the Government might be said to be of two kinds: Sometimes we procure assistance from them after considerable effort on our part; other times, we receive attention from authorities in very agreeable and unexpected ways. An important case in point is that of the room in the fortress of ‘Akká, which was occupied by Bahá’u’lláh upon His arrival in that city, for two years. Without our having made any solicitation regarding this historic spot, so sacred in our eyes for the memories it holds, we were informed by the Government Doctor who is in charge of the Hospital which has been established there, that he wished to deliver to the Bahá’ís the keys of Bahá’u’lláh’s room, and that it had been especially set aside for us. This gesture was greatly appreciated, and the room is now available for Bahá’í pilgrims and local believers to visit. His Worship, the Mayor of Haifa, likewise was extremely cooperative and suggested that he would be glad to assist in any way

THE BAHA’I WORLD

he could in connection with completing the Shrine of the Báb, as he considered it a great embellishment to the city of Haifa. This kind otter was followed up, and through his good offices, the Government has released to us fifty tons of cement. One would have to be a resident of this country to realize just what that means.

Masra‘ih is a Muslim religious endowment, and it is consequently impossible, under existing laws in this country, for it to be sold. However, as the friends are aware, the Ministry of Religions, due to the direct intervention of the Minister himself, Rabbi Maimon, consented, in the face of considerable opposition, to deliver Masra’ih to the Bahá’ís as a Holy Place to be visited by Bahá’í pilgrims. This means that we rent it from the Department of Muslim and Druze affairs in the Ministry of Religions. The head of this Department is also a Rabbi, Dr. Hirschberg. Recently he, his wife and party, Visited all the Bahá’í properties in Haifa and ‘Akká, following upon a very pleasant tea party in the Western Pilgrim House with the members of the International Bahá’í Council.

After completing his visit to Masra‘ih, Dr. Hirschberg and his party spent an hour going through the Mansion of Bahjí, and were much interested in the archives, records, photographs, maps, etc., which the Guardian has so impressively assembled in that building. The friends will be astonished to know that during Passover Week, over 1,000 people visited the Mansion. They come on conducted tours, by foot, in busses, and comprise important foreign visitors and whole schools of children and young people from the Kibutzim.

The party of Dr. Hirschberg, accompanied by the President and Vice President of the International Bahá’í Council, then motored to ‘Akká and visited the House of Baha’u’llah, in which He spent so many years, and where the Aqdas was revealed, as well as other important writings. Last of all, a Visit was made to the Mosque of ‘Akkáit was Friday—the Muslim Sabbath, and a large congregation was assembled there. As the worshippers came out of the Mosque, the Muslim Imam who had been conducting the prayers, came from the Mihréb, and welcomed our party, insisting that we have coffee with him and the judge and other Muslim officials of ‘Akká, within the courtyard precincts of the Mosque.

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We see that the Faith towards which the authorities of the New State of Israel have always been friendly, is now gaining prestige in their sight, and that they have recognized it to be a World Faith in scope, a World Religion—distinct and apart from the other religions of the past, yet nevertheless closely related to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions in their purity, as revealed by Christ and the Prophets.

Already, a Bahá’í marriage certificate has been recognized by the local authorities of this new State, and its Ministry of Education and Culture, unsolicited by us, has exempted Bahá’í school children throughout the State from attending school on Bahá’í Holy Days. This was done in a circular issued to all schools. Our institutions, comprising two Holy Shrines, those of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, two Archives housing sacred relics, one adjoining the Tomb of the Báb, the other, adjacent to the resting—place of the Greatest Holy Leaf; two historical mansions, that of Bahjí, where Bahá’u’lláh passed away, and that of Masra‘ih, where He first resided upon leaving the prison walls of ‘Akká; two Houses associated with Bahá’u’lláh and the Master, namely, the one in ‘Akká, where the Manifestation of God revealed the Aqdas, and the one in Haifa, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away, have all been exempted from both Government and Municipal taxes; and objects received for them permitted to enter, duty free.

Likewise the area of over forty acres of land, surrounding the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel, has been exempted from taxation. These things are the evidences of a spirit of true understanding and cooperation between the Bahá’í Community and the Israeli authorities. We like to say to interested Jewish inquirers, that something very interesting and beautiful is happening here—the world’s newest religion is growing up within the world’s youngest State.

Faithfully yours in El Bahá —INTERNATIONAL Bahá’í COUNCIL Charles Mason Remey

May, 1951. President

National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States, Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.A.

Dear Bahá’í Friends:

The International Bahá’í Council wishes to share with the friends news of the prog 383

ress of the Faith at its World Center, and to inform them of what has been done during the past year, under the guidance of the beloved Guardian.

The Shrine of the Báb

With the steady progress in the construction of the Shrine of the Báb on Mt. Carmel, the eyes, not only of the Bahá’ís, are becoming increasingly fixed upon it, but also of the people of Israel. As the friends are already aware, the octagon of the Shrine is now complete. The eight minaret-like pinnacles, as well as the wrought-iron panels of the balustrade are now erected, and constitute, as Shoghi Effendi so beautifully said, the second crown of the building, the first crown being the carved marble parapet of the arcade with its green mosaic panels. This balustrade has now been painted a deep green, and the motif brought out through the application of gold leaf. The effect is truly exquisite, so much so that many local people seem to be under the misapprehension that the building is now completed. Evidently what exists is to them sufficiently charming to constitute the end of the enterpnse.

On April 8, the preliminary work commenced 0n the third unit, which consists of the drum section of the Shrine, containing eighteen lancet windows, symbolic in number of the Eighteen Letters of the Living. It is upon this intermediary unit, 11 meters (33 feet) high, that the dome of the Shrine must rest. In spite of the fact that this drum is much smaller in circumference than the two previous units already built, it constitutes a knotty construction problem because it must be a perfect circle, and because if has two walls, an outer stone wall and an inner thin reinforced concrete one, which must be built simultaneously. The fact that we are gaining in height constantly, also increases the difficulty of the operation.

From the unveiling of the Shrine model in 1944, on the occasion of the first Centenary of the Declaration of the Báb, the question of what material to use for the dome was really the main problem which faced Mr. Sutherland Maxwell, its architect. He had an original and very beautiful idea: The dome of the Shrine of the Báb was to be covered with a fish-scale pattern of tiles, in diminishing sizes. His concept had been of either a green or a gold dome; but the

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Guardian considered that a golden dome was much more suitable for this Second Holiest Structure in the Bahá’í world; the Qiblih of the Faith, the Tomb of Baha’u’llah, being naturally the Most Sacred. The problem of discovering a means of materializing this design faced the builders. Italian gold mosaic was considered a possibility, but discarded by the Guardian because of the uniform effect which the multitude of small facets would create at a distance, the original and highly decorative concept of tiles being entirely lost by such a treatment. Copper was out of the question because of the weight and the oxide staining which always occurs when this metal is used. That left only some form of porcelain or clay tile, or possibly a plastic material. The investigations of Dr. Ugo Giachery showed that plastic material was a risk, as no one can predict at present how it will react to years of exposure in this climate. There remained therefore only tile as a feasible solution.

While attending the 1951 European Teaching Conference in Holland, Dr. Giachery located an enterprising and long-established firm of tile makers in Utrecht. After a great deal of inquiry and experimentation on the part of this firm, a suitable solution to the problem of the dome seems to have been reached, and one which will realize the architect’s design. An under-glaze gold tile has now been developed and an order will shortly be placed for over 27,000 tiles, ranging in height from eight centimeters to twenty centimeters. The cost of these tiles will be approximately $11,000.

Hand in hand with the work on the Shrine, the fame of the Shrine is spreading, and one hears more and more comments upon it. The people not only of Haifa, but from many parts of Israel, take pride in it, and when they learn something of the teachings of the Faith, greatly admire what we stand for and what we are doing here in their country.

The friends are no doubt aware that ever since the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi has been extending not only the terraces between the Shrine and the Templar Colony at the foot of Mt. Carmel, but has been widening, eastward and westward, the terrace upon which the Shrine itself rests. One section has remained to be extended for a number of years, but the engineering problem involved was complicated, and the expense very great. This year, however, the

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Guardian has felt that the longer the delay in building this extension, the more hopelessly expensive such a construction would be, and he has consequently commenced work which will when completed add approximately 350 square meters to the terrace of the Shrine towards the east. This addition necessitates the construction of a nine meter high wall of more than 350 cubic meter content of stone. It is interesting to note that the stones for the work are being carriedlup from the ruins of the old city of Haifa, which are being removed in order to make way for a new development. When this portion of the terrace is completed, people visiting the Shrine will get the most wonderful view from this spot of the entire building, with the rays of the rising sun bringing out the Greatest Name in brilliant gold relief, in the northeastern corner of the arcade. It is anticipated that in about a month and a half, this extension will be completed. The cost of the work will be about $12,600.

Bahjí, comprising the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and His Mansion, receives an even greater flow of Visitors than the Gardens here in Haifa; owing to the fact that because of construction, the immediate surroundings of the Shrine on Mt. Carmel are closed to the public. During the recent Passover celebrations, more than 1,500 people visited Bahjí, 500 of these in one day. The interiors of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and the Mansion, as well as the House of Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Akká and the Mansion of Mazra‘ih, have been greatly beautified during the past year, in preparation for the coming of the pilgums.

The Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh

For six months, the Cause at its International Center went through a most irritating crisis and one which, had not the divine protection been so clearly vouchsafed to the Guardian and the friends serving him here, might have led to serious repercussions.

Ever since the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, as the friends are aware, the party of Mnhammad-‘Ali, his children, his relatives and a few supporters, have clustered around the Sacred Tomb. Upon the death of their Father, the sons of Bahá’u’lláh inherited shares in the Mansion where He passed away. In the course of many years, this building, so full of sacred associations, has witnessed the

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evidences of. the violent animosity Of the Covenant-breakers toward the Center of the Covenant.

The friends will remember from their perusal of Bahá’í history that already, while Bahá’u’lláh’s body was being prepared for the grave, Muhammad—‘Ali was concentrating on his opposition to the Master. After the Ascension, and indeed until 1932, Muhammad-‘Ali and his relatives resided in the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh, in spite of the fact that the majority of the shares in this building were owned by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Badi‘u’lláh himself, in order to raise funds for his seditious activities, sold his share of the house of his Father to the Inspector of Police of ‘Akká.

After the death of this man, and with tremendous inconvenience and legal complications, the Guardian succeeded in arranging to purchase back Badi‘u’lláh’s original one-third share of the property. At this time, his son Musa Bahá’í was the Registrar of Lands in ‘Akká, and catching wind of the transaction, succeeded at the last moment in bringing pressure to bear on the Police Inspector’s heirs, and instead of the Cause coming into possession of the remaining one-third of the title deed, the Guardian, succeeded in getting only one-sixth, and the other one-sixth fell into the hands of the Covenant-breakers and was registered in their names.

About 1932, the Mansion of Baha’u’llah, which had been occupied by Muhammad‘Ali and his family ever since 1892, had fallen into such a state of disrepair that the roof was caving in. Shoghi Effendi considered this not only a disgrace to the memory of the Blessed Perfection, but also a responsibility which devolved upon the Bahá’ís, and he therefore represented to Muhammad-‘Ali, the necessity of repairing the building. Muhammad—‘Ali, claiming he had no funds for such a purpose refused, but accepted the Guardian’s proposal that he should evacuate the building, and allow the Bahá’ís to restore it; he moved into the adjacent building, where his son still lives.

After the Mansion had been restored to its original glory (and such a term is not an exaggeration, for it is a beautiful oriental palace built by a wealthy resident of ‘Akká during the last century), the Guardian invited the British District Commissioner to inspect it with him——furnished, its walls

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lined with bookcases and pictures of interest to the Bahá’í world, its cabinets containing Writings of Bahá’u’lláh in the original, the Room of Bahá’u’lláh itself restored, and original relics of His placed in it. It made such an impression that he agreed to ask the High Commissioner to include it as a Bahá’í Holy Place along with the Shrines and the House in ‘Akká, and exempt it from taxation. This was done. The status of the building changed from the personal residence of a son of Bahá’u’lláh to a Museum and Pilgrim House for the Bahá’ís; Muhammad‘Ali could no longer return, and was forced to remain where he had taken up his residence nearby.

A ruined blacksmith’s shop which had existed, owned and worked by one of the Covenant-breakers, right next to the wall of the Holy Tomb towards the east, the Guardian had likewise destroyed. He had removed the old stables, and the unsightliness and disorder had been cleared away, and a quiet inner court created between the block of buildings in which the Tomb is situated, and the wall of the Mansion Garden.

Towards the south, however, a small onestory building with five rooms, remained, and although since the days of Bahá’u’lláh and the Master, it had been in Bahá’í possession, its title deed was part of the Mansion itself, of which the Covenant-breakers own one-sixth.

Last December, the Guardian, in view of the fact that the roofs of three of the rooms had caved in and the walls were crumbling, and the building becoming daily a more complete and dangerous ruin, instructed the caretaker of the Holy Shrine to demolish it. While he was doing this, the police arrived with an Order of Stay from the Haifa Court, to which the Covenant-breakers had appealed, in view of the fact that without their permission, property in which they had a share was being destroyed. As the Covenant-breakers had been left in their portion of the Mansion property, in other words, part of the building towards the north and some rooms toward the east, unmolested and uninterfered with by the Guardian, he naturally supposed that after the Center of the Faith had been in undisputed possession of the building in question since 1892, he was at liberty, as Custodian of the Bahá’í Holy Places, to tear it down. The bitterness, however, of the Covenant-breakers still moti [Page 386]386

vated by the evil genius of Majdi’d-Din, who although only a few years short of 100, and paralyzed, is still living in the building adjacent to the Mansion, and led by the widow of Musa Bahá’í, the daughter of Badi‘u’llah, their hatred and their perennial desire to create mischief, again surged to the surface.

At the express request of the Covenant-breakers, a meeting was arranged at which two of them were present with their lawyer, the lawyer of the Guardian and two representatives of the Guardian, in an effort to settle the question peacefully out of court. However, the interview proved fruitless, because they continually raised the same old issues of sixty years ago which arose when Muhammad—‘Ali challenged the authority of the Master. They did, however, make a few requests which the Guardian considered were justified, such as being allowed to pray alone in the Tomb, and that they would be permitted to enter during certain hours, etc. In spite of this concession on his part, they decided to go to the Court and place the matter before the Judge informally, rather than in the form of a trial. Twice the respective lawyers and parties concerned met in the Judge’s presence, but at both meetings the unreasoning animosity of the daughter of Badi‘u’lláh, in particular, made any agreement impossible. Indeed, it became evident that working through her advocate, one of the sharpest in the country, and one whom she had carefully filled with all kinds of misrepresentations as to the true situation which arose after the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, she had no other intention than to prolong the existing condition, which was that the Guardian had been prevented legally from tearing down the building, and, in the meantime the case was neither being decided out of Court nor being brought up in Court. Every reasonable solution having been consistently set aside by the Covenant-breakers, the first hearing of the Case was set.

The Guardian, in spite of his desire to remove the unsightly rubble that the ruined house had become after its semi—demolition, was willing that the case should as expeditiously as possible be tried, knowing full well that any verdict could not but be in his favor, not only on religious grounds, but because the building had been in his possession for over twenty years, which, according to the laws of this land, give a person certain well~defined rights.

It was not until the Covenant-breakers

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had the temerity to summon the Head of the Faith himself as a witness, that he decided to appeal to the Government to lift the matter entirely out of the jurisdiction of the Civil Court.

The three members of the International Bahá’í Council, Mr. Remey, Dr. Giachery and Mr. Ioas, consequently had interviews with high-ranking officials of the Foreign Office and the Prime Minister’s office, as well as with the Attorney-General and the Vice-Minister of Religions. It was evident immediately that the Government was quite aware of the fact that the Bahá’í Faith is united under the leadership of its legitimate Guardian, and that he is the true Custodian of the Bahá’í Holy Places. In view of this, the Attorney-General, in pursuance with instructions from the Minister of Religions, informed the President of the Haifa Court that according to a law existing in the Statutes since 1924, the case in question should not be tried by a Civil Court as it was a religious matter.

To the astonishment of all concerned, the lawyer of the Covenant-breakers decided to challenge the authority of this order of the Attorney-General on a technicality and to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. This in fact meant that the case would no longer be against the Guardian but against the Government itself!

Again interviews were had with the higher authorities in Jerusalem and Hakirya, and the Guardian’s own appeal to the Prime Minister was transmitted to him. This produced an immediate reaction. The legal adviser of the Prime Minister met with the Vice-Minister of Religions, the advocate of the Guardian and the advocate of the Covenant-breakers, and brought pressure to bear. The three Hands of the Cause, representing Shoghi Effendi, were in one room in the Ministry of Religions, and the Covenant-breakers in another, as the Bahá’ís had refused to meet with them any more. A stiff tussle ensued in which the lawyer of the Covenant-breakers repeatedly brought back more claims from Badi‘u’lláh’s daughter, and the lawyer of the Guardian as consistently brought back from the members of the Council refusals to accept them. Finally the representative of the Prime Minister informed them that any further fight they wished to carry on would be with the Government and if they wanted to do that, they

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could. The result was acceptance on their part to drop the case and the appeal.

From December until the end of May, they had succeeded in preventing the Guardian from doing what he wished to in the precincts of the Holy Tomb. They had, from giving the impression of being poor people whose rights were being denied and who objected to the demolition of a building in which they had a slight interest, gradually revealed themselves as being vindictive, revengeful, and pursuing with great determination and skill, a definite object, which had nothing whatsoever to do with the building in question, or whether it was torn down or rebuilt; but which revealed itself as being a plan to either get a key for themselves to the Holy Shrine, which would give them the position of joint Custodian with the Guardian, or of securing rooms in the Mansion itself for their own “Bahá’í Archives.”

It would be no exaggeration to say that the entire course of the case was providential; and indeed all those here had the feeling that from beginning to end, it was pursuing a plan which no one could check or interfere with. Over and over again, when it seemed that the case would be dropped or settled out of Court or brought before the Judge and speedily dismissed, or the demolition Stay removed pending a hearing, or that the ruins would be torn down because the proper Civil authority had issued a demolition order, at the last moment, everything would go awry and the case would continue, growing and growing in importance, and going to ever higher official levels until it reached the Prime Minister himself. In fact, it gathered itself up like a big summer thunder cloud, and when it burst, crashed with full force on the heads of those who have disputed Bahá’u’lláh’s instructions, the Successorship of His beloved Son, the Will and Testament, and the Guardianship, for sixty years.

When the three members of the International Bahá’í Council left the Ministry of Religions in Jerusalem, they had in their possession a paper giving them full authority to tear down the ruins at once.

Within forty-eight hours of their return, a flat surface of rubble was all that remained. Servants, Arab laborers and Bahá’í pilgrims had scattered the stones of the building in a blast of joy.

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New Garden at Bahjí

One week later, the Guardian of the Cause, who went over to Bahjí himself to supervise the work, had created, in time for the night of the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh a beautiful entrance, into what is now called the Holy Court leading to the Shrine. In front of the Mansion, and in the very spot where the ruined house had stood, a wide expanse of garden sprung from the dust, marble vases, carved white Carrara marble ornaments, lamp posts, cypress trees, borders, pebbled walks—lo! like a dream they spread before the eyes of the Bahá’ís. Indeed the Arab laborers would quote to each other an old saying: “The ring of Solomon has been found!”, which stems from a tradition that the king lost his ring, and that whoever found it and turned it on his finger —whatever he wished for would materialize instantly.

Without the innocent remark thrown out by the Guardian one day as he left Bahjí after visiting the Holy Tomb to the keeper: “Bring laborers and destroy these ruins,” and which he made because he could no longer tolerate this dilapidation so near the Holy Shrine, and because he desired to build a befitting entrance at the end of the Garden adjacent to the Shrine, which had never had, for sixty years, any entrance, befitting or otherwise, the Covenant-breakers would not have once again been routed, suffered defeat and lost many of the privileges they enjoyed for sixty years in respect to Visiting the Holy Shrine. Indeed, it has been extraordinary the way this case has brought to the attention of almost every important Government Department in Israel, the true stature of the Faith, what it is doing here, who is its Head, what its plans are for the future, what it has already accomplished. One could almost say that the International Council were strangers to the Government in December, but, thanks to the good offices of our enemies, they became warm acquaintances!

The Purchase of Eighteen Additional Plots on Mt. Carmel

One of the most important events during this past year has been the purchase at long last of eighteen additional plots on Mt. Carmel, in the vicinity of the resting-places of the Sister, the Mother and the Brother

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of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Upon the formation of the State of Israel in 1948, all enemy property was seized and placed under the Controller of Absentee Property. Within the last eighteen months the Government established, after the passing of suitable legislation in the Knesset (Parliament), a body known as the “Development Authority,” empowered to dispose of lands, subject to the approval of the Cabinet, either by lease or outright sale for dollars. After over a year’s negotiations with the Government, the eighteen plots were purchased for the sum of $118,000, and in April, 1952, transferred to the name of the Palestine Branch of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. In addition to these eighteen plots, totaling about six acres in area, the Guardian was able to purchase at the same time the remaining half of an empty plot facing both the Western Bahá’í Pilgrim House and the House of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, for the sum of $16,000. It was largely due to the intervention of His Worship the Mayor of Haifa, Mr. Aba Khoushy, that the Cause was able to secure this land at this price, the original price having been very much higher. The assurance it would be kept as a private open space induced His Worship to urge the Government to make a concession to the Bahá’ís in this matter.

Embryo Of the Universal House of Justice

The International Bahá’í Council has been, during the past year, not only enlarged but strengthened through the addition to its membership of Mr. Leroy Ioas, who fulfills the function of SecretaryGeneral; and Dr. Ugo Giachery, Member at Large. On more than one occasion, the Guardian has pointed out to the members of the Council that the Charter upon which the Spiritual and Administrative activities of the Faith in Israel rest is the Tablet of Carmel, revealed by Bahá’u’lláh on Mt. Carmel. The “City of God" mentioned in this Tablet, is the Shrine of the Báb, and the “Ark” means the Laws of God, and refers to the Universal House of Justice, the embryo of which is the present International Bahá’í Council, which through successive stages will develop into the Universal House of Justice to be established and function on this Holy Mountain. Its membership now consists of:

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Amatu’l-Bahá Rúḥíyyih Khánum, Liaison between the Guardian and the Council

Charles Mason Remey, President

Amelia Collins, Vice-President

Ugo Giachery, Member at Large

Leroy Ioas, Secretary-General

Jessie Revell, Treasurer

Ethel Revell, Western Assistant Secretary

Luṭfu’lláh Ḥakím, Eastern Assistant Secre tary

There are now four Hands of the Cause serving the Faith permanently at its International Center, as members of this Body. Dr. Giachery has paid two visits to Israel during the past three months, in order to assist with the work being undertaken here and this has meant that five Hands of the Cause were in the Holy Land. In addition to this, Mr. Dhikru’lláh Khádem, Mr. Shu’a’u’lláh ‘Alá’í, Mr. Siegfried Schopflocher and Mr. Mfisé Banéni, Hands of the Cause, have recently been in Haifa as pilgrims; in fact, two of them had the inestimable privilege of hearing from the Guardian’s own lips that he had appointed them as part of the second contingent of Hands of the Cause.

Plans Completed for Mashriqu’l-Azflzka’r on Mt. Carmel

The President of the Council, Mr. Charles Mason Remey, has now completed his design for the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, which will be erected at a future date, somewhere on Mt. Carmel. During the past winter, he has had the opportunity of consulting with the Guardian about the final details, and having received his suggestions and approval, is now ready to order the model of his Temple in Italy, so that it can be exhibited in the Mother Temple of the West in Wilmette during the historic Convention of 1953. This building is very monumental in character. While not resembling synagogue, church, mosque or any of the temples of former religions, it will have a distinctive religious character and dignity of its own. When constructed, it will greatly enhance the institutions of the Faith at the World Center and fulfill yet another of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s cherished hopes. How soon work on it could be undertaken is not known at present; but the design carried out by the architect chosen for this purpose by the Master Himself, has now been safe [Page 389]THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA’U’LLAH

guarded for posterity, and is ready for execution when the appointed time comes.

Recognition of the Faith by the Israeli Government

The relations of the State of Israel with our beloved Guardian and the International Bahá’í Council have been friendly and cordial. We are happy to report that steady progress is being made in obtaining suitable legal recognition of the Faith here, from the Government. During the past few months, the exemption already given by both the Mandate Authorities and the Jewish State to material gifts received for the Shrine of Baha’u’llah, the Shrine of the Báb, Mazra‘ih, the House of Bahá’u’lláh in ‘Akká and the Gardens on Mt. Carmel, has been extended to cover all things received for the Western and Eastern Pilgrim Houses and the Home of the Head of the Faith. In addition to this, the Government has been both understanding and cooperative as regards the reduction of the heavy charges made in the port on material sent for the Shrine of the Bab, and gifts received for the Holy Places.

Aside from the very pleasant interview two of the present members of the International Bahá’í Council, Mrs. Collins and Mr. Ioas, had with the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. David Ben-Gurion, during his trip to America last summer, when they formed part of a delegation from the American National Spiritual Assembly received by him, contact has been made by various members of the Council and by Mr. Lawrence Hautz, with the following high~ranking officials of the State: Dr. Chaim Weizmann, President, at a reception at Rehovot; Miss Golda Myerson, Minister of Labor; Dr. David Z. Pinkas, Minister of Communications; Mr. Eliezer Kaplan, Minister of Finance; as well as Dr. W. Walter Eytan, Director General of the Foreign Ministry; Dr. Kurt Mendelsohn, Director of Customs and Excise; Dr. Zerah Warhaftig, Minister of Religions; Mr. Ahoud Avril, Director General to the Prime Minister, Mr. Shimon Eynat, Legal Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Attorney General, Mr. Kalman Cohen. It is both significant and interesting to note that the higher one goes in government circles, the greater is the courtesy shown and the wider the knowledge of the Faith possessed by its officials. Likewise at high levels we

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meet with ready understanding, and when assistance is necessary, we get it.

Pilgrims to Haifa—from the East and from the West

No report of Bahá’í activities during the past year could convey any sense of the stirring progress being made here that did not mention the arrival of the pilgrims. The first believer from the east to reach the Holy Land after more than ten years, during which the pilgrimage had been perforcesuspended by the beloved Guardian, was Mr. Sami Doktoroglu, of Istanbul. After years of persecution, quiescence and obscurity, the Turkish believers have at last found themselves in a position to go ahead with their work in the service of Bahá’u’lláh. Thanks to the instructions carried back to them by this Bahá’í brother from the presence of the Guardian, they have organized their first three Spiritual Assemblies in the historic city of Istanbul, in Aintab and in Adana, and have recently purchased a portion of the land which is the site of the building once occupied by Bahá’u’lláh during his sojourn there in Constantinople.

The first Bahá’í pilgrim to arrive from the west was Mr. Lawrence Hautz of Milwaukee. His eagerness to render any assistance within his power to the work here attracted the eye of Shoghi Effendi, who is ever ready to embark on new activities when he finds willing hands! It was in no small measure due to the enthusiasm and eagerness of this western Bahá’í friend that the purchase of the additional plots here in Haifa was so speedily and successfully concluded. He made many contacts with the Government and impressed upon them the importance of the International Center of the Faith here to the Bahá’ís the world over, assuring them that Israel has no better friends than the people who believe that what Bahá’u’lláh promised will be fulfilled, and that His promises about Israel will likewise be fulfilled.

During four months, more than a hundred friends have been the guests of the Guardian, and carried back from his presence inspiration, guidance, love and boundless zeal to their fellow Bahá’ís, upon their return to their own countries. The pilgrimage, due to lack of adequate accommodation here, for large numbers of people, has been limited to nine days, in order to

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enable more of the believers to come, and there is now so much to see that the friends are indeed kept very busy during their stay. They visit the two Holy Shrines, spending at least one night at Bahjí, in the Mansion of Bahá’u’lláh. They likewise visit the Room in the Most Great Prison once occupied by Bahá’u’lláh, and pray there. This room is now in the hands of the Bahá’ís, delivered officially by the authorities to them. They also visit the House in ‘Akká occupied by Bahá’u’lláh for many years, and in which He revealed the Aqdas, the Garden of the Ridvz’m, Mazra‘ih, the two International Bahá’í Archives, and other local sites of historic interest. Their hearts are full of joy when they arrive, and their eyes full of tears when they depart. They constitute, as the Guardian has often pointed out, the stream of life—blood flowing in and out of the great heart of the Faith here. The members of the International Bahá’í Council look forward

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to the day when it will be feasible for everincreasing numbers of the believers to have the inestimable privilege of meeting their Guardian face to face, imbibing from him the essence of their Faith, laying their foreheads on the Thresholds of their Holiest Shrines, and gazing with wonder at the Sepulcher of the Báb, as we often see it at night, illumined, shining like a glorious white queen on the slope of the dark mountain, under a sky studded by brilliant stars, and the deep purple of the Mediterranean stretching like a velvety carpet before it. Faithfully yours in El Bahá, —INTERNATIONAL Bahá’í COUNCIL Charles Mason Remey, President Leroy C. Ioas, Secretary-General Haifa, Israel, July 1, 1952.