A VISIT TO RUSTUM VAMBÉRY
BY MARTHA L. ROOT
The following interview of Miss Martha L. Root with Mr. Rustum Vambéry recalls the deep friendship which existed between his father and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá'. Prof. Vambéry, Sr., one of the great scholars of the last generation in Europe, an authority on Oriental civilization, in the course of his study of religions gained a first hand information and experience by actually joining, as a follower, the different religions. In the Bahá’í Faith he found at last the perfect religion. In a letter which he addressed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá', he expressed, among other things, this significant thought: "Every person is forced by necessity to enlist himself on the side of your excellency and accept with joy the prospect of a fundamental basis for a universal religion of God being laid through your efforts. . . . I am hoping that the ideals and accomplishments of your excellency may be crowned with success and yield results under all conditions; because behind these ideals and deeds I easily discern the eternal welfare and prosperity of the world of humanity.”
MR. RUSTUM VAMBÉRY of Budapest based on the individual struggle for life, pest, editor of one of the leading magazines whereas the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is based of Hungary, is a man of the New Day. He on co-operation and mutual aid of man is trying to work for national and inter— which is the leading idea of modern civilinational co-operation. zation. Therefore, Bahá’ísm is a religious Having tea with Mr. and Mrs. Vambéry equivalent of the structure of modern soin their charming home on the heights of ciety. It agrees with the thoughts of modBuda Hill overlooking the beautiful Danube, ern Europeans. What we are striving for, in the very center of Budapest, I asked Mr. —you may call it love, peace,——-all the same Vambéry to tell me about the meeting of it is the co-operation of man. This our his father, the late Arminius Vambéry, and aim is expressed in the Teachings of Baha’u’of himself, with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1913?’ llah, expounded and lived by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Mr. Vambéry searched through a package This is what struck me so forcibly. More of his father’s letters, and there in the or less we are unbelievers in Europe.” parcel of letters from the Prince of Wales, Mrs. Vambéry said all the different ChrisSir Henry Irving, Roland Bonaparte, and tian creeds which ruled Europe for centuries Lord Curzon, was the letter which ‘Abdu’l- and centuries had been unable to attain this Baha had written to his father, Arminius end of co-operation,—to convince people Vambéry. to love each other instead of fighting each “I first met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” my host re- other. Mr. Vambéry said: “For my partl marked, "in my father’s home, situated on consider it in a symbolic way as a solvent, the Pest Side of the Danube at 27 Francis this Bahá’ísm, which will unite all mankind Joseph Quai. Father later explained to me regardless of races and classes. This was much about the Bahá’í Movement. It why my late father had such esteem for struck me then, just as it does now, that Bahá’ísm. The Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh met the actual were coincident with my father’s general need of this day. Our different European View of the needs of the world, and because religions—Christian—are based on a more of this he was a great admirer of this Baprimitive idea of mankind than has de- ha’; Movement. I do not know Whether veloped in modern times. Our religion is you call it a religion, it depends on what you mean by a religion.” Then Mr. Vambéry went on to speak of the history of Hungary and her present sit343
"‘ See Vol. III, The Bahá’í World in section “References to the Bahá’í Faith." Also Star of the West, Vol. IV, pp. 284-286.
The late Professor Arminius Vambéry of Budapest, Hungary, one of Europe’s most renowned Orientalists who welcomed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Budapest in 1913.
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A VISIT TO RUSTUM VAMBERY
uation, but one feels that Hungary may become a center of peace. Suffering nations and sulfering men have high ideals. Other leaders, too, felt this for they said that Hungary is peculiarly fitted to unite the East and the West.
Mr. Vambéry stated that Hungarians were very devoted to grand ideals, and that the soul of Hungary is noble and tolerant. From the conversation with Mr. Vambéry, with members of the Peace Societies and many other thinkers of Hungary, the writer felt that the Bahá’í Movement could develop there very rapidly. The peasants of Hungary are very tolerant. Hungary was the first country to forbid sorcery and to
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have a law as far back as the twelfth century against burning or massacring people for religious sorcery. The tolerant Hungarian nation, it is said, was the first in the nineteenth century to receive the Jews and give them equal rights. It was one of the first countries on the Continent to abolish the slavery of peasants, and to give peasants freedom to go to other countries.
Mr. Vambéry has placed his father’s books in Persian, Arabic and English, upon the Bahá’í Movement, in the Library at Budapest, and like his father he has Written fairly and discerningly upon the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh for this universal age.
