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334. Three Central Figures Cannot be Portrayed
"…the Faith can certainly be dramatized, but two things must be remembered: no personal presentation of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh or the Master, only Their words can be used, but no figure must represent Them: great dignity must be the keynote."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, August 19, 1951)
*(See also: 1360–1371)
335. Dramatic Works
"With reference to your question whether the Figures of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh should be made to appear as characters in dramatic works written by the believers, Shoghi Effendi's opinion is that such an attempt to dramatize the Manifestations would be highly disrespectful, and hence should be avoided by the friends, even in the case of the Master. Besides it would be practically impossible to carry out such a plan faithfully, and in a dignified and befitting manner."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, January 27, 1935)
336. Dancers Must be Decently Clad
"Dancers may appear, but great care should be used that they are not indecently clad or the dances vulgar in any way. Naturally, there should be no dancers at regular Bahá’í meetings. Vocal soloists, of course, may appear."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, August 19, 1951)
337. The Artistic Presentation of the Faith Will Attract a Certain Type of Individual
"Lighting, sound, floral decorations, etc.; the House of Worship, too, may all be used, but the point to remember is that real beauty and dignity must be achieved, and all impression of our being in any remote sense a cult, or a group of 'artistes' be avoided.
"It is always good to remember that this more artistic presentation of the Cause will attract only a certain type—and, fortunately, a type hitherto ignored in our approach to the public—of person; other methods must also be used to attract other types, such as the intellectual and more reserved type."
- (Ibid.)
338. Art Can Better Awaken Noble Sentiments
"Shoghi Effendi was very much interested to learn of the success of the 'Pageant of Nations' you reproduced…
"It is through such presentations that we can arouse the interest of the greatest number of peoples in the spirit of the Cause. That day will the Cause spread like wild fire when its spirit and teachings will be presented on the stage or in art and literature as a whole. Art can better awaken such noble sentiments than cold rationalizing especially among the mass of the people.
"We have to wait only a few years to see how the spirit breathed by Bahá’u’lláh will find expression in the work of the artists. What you and some other Bahá’ís are attempting are only faint rays that precede the effulgent light of a glorious morn. We cannot yet value the part the Cause is destined to play in the life of society. We have to give it time. The material this spirit has to mould is too crude and unworthy, but it will at last give way and the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh will reveal itself in its full splendour."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, October 10, 1932)
339. Taking Part in Dramas—Dancing
"In the teachings there is nothing against dancing, but the friends should remember that the standard of Bahá’u’lláh is modesty and chastity. The atmosphere of modern dance halls, where so much smoking and drinking and promiscuity goes on, is very bad, but decent dances are not harmful in themselves. There is certainly no harm in classical dancing or learning dancing in school. There is also no harm in taking part in dramas. Likewise in cinema acting. The harmful thing, nowadays, is not the art itself but the unfortunate corruption which often surrounds these arts. As Bahá’ís we need to avoid none of the arts, but acts and the atmosphere that sometimes go with these professions we should avoid."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of India, June 30, 1952: Dawn of a New Day, p. 153)
340. Film Companies
"With regard to your question relative to the advisability of having Bahá’ís join film companies. Although on principle there is no objection if any believer wishes to become a cinema actor, yet in view of the excessive corruption that now prevails along such a line of occupation, the Guardian would not advise any believer to choose this kind of profession, unless he finds this to be the only means of earning his livelihood."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, September 4, 1935)
341. Movies
"With reference to … question whether it is permissible for the Bahá’ís to see pictures: There is nothing in the Teachings that would forbid such a practice."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of India, December 14, 1940: Dawn of a New Day, p. 85)
342. Dramatizing Historic Episodes of the Faith
"As to your question concerning the advisability of dramatizing Bahá’í historic episodes: The Guardian would certainly approve, and even encourage that the friends should engage in such literary pursuits which, no doubt, can be of an immense teaching value. What he wishes the believers to avoid is to dramatize the Personages of the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, that is to say to treat Them as dramatic figures, as characters appearing on the stage. This, as already pointed out, he feels would be quite disrespectful. The mere fact that They appear on the scene constitutes an act of discourtesy which can in no way be reconciled with Their highly exalted station. Their message, or actual Words, should be preferably reported and conveyed by Their disciples appearing on the stage."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 25, 1936)
343. If Light Suggests Personification of the Manifestation, It Should not be Used
"The use of light, either of great intensity or in different colours, needs your careful consideration. If the use of light in any way at all suggests a personification of the Manifestation of God it should not be used, but if it can be done without in any way giving the impression that the Prophet is being represented or personified then there is no objection to its use."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, August 12, 1975)
344. Prohibition on Representing Manifestations of God in Paintings or Drawings Applies to All Manifestations
"The prohibition on representing the Manifestation of God in paintings and drawings or in dramatic presentations applies to all the Manifestations of God. There are, of course, great and wonderful works of art of past Dispensations, many of which portrayed the Manifestations of God in a spirit of reverence and love. In this Dispensation however the greater maturity of mankind and the greater awareness of the relationship between the Supreme Manifestation and His servants enable us to realize the impossibility of representing, in any human form, whether pictorially, in sculpture or in dramatic representation, the Person of God's Manifestations. In stating the Bahá’í prohibition, the beloved Guardian pointed out this impossibility."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, March 9, 1977)
345. Need for Skill to Produce an Effective Film about History of the Faith
"As you are no doubt aware, it is not permissible to portray the Manifestations of God in dramatic works and it can be understood that great skill will be needed to produce an effective film about the history of the Faith in which neither the Báb nor Bahá’u’lláh could actually appear. Because of the overwhelming significance of the Bahá’í message and the Bahá’í Revelation, any such film produced under the aegis of the Bahá’í community would have to be of the very highest quality in all respects."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, September 24, 1978)
