MUHJ63-86/259/Arrest of National Spiritual Assembly of Iran and Two Auxiliary Board Members

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Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1963-1986
Arrest of National Spiritual Assembly of Iran and two Auxiliary Board members

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24 August 1980

[Page 456]To selected National Spiritual Assemblies

259.1 WITH HEARTS BURNING INDIGNATION DISTRESS ANNOUNCE ALL MEMBERS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IRAN TOGETHER WITH TWO AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBERS FORCIBLY AND PEREMPTORILY TAKEN FROM MEETING IN PRIVATE HOME ON EVENING 21 AUGUST TO UNKNOWN DESTINATION. VIEWING RISING TIDE PERSECUTIONS STEADFAST HEROIC LEADERS HARASSED COMMUNITY HAD ALREADY ANTICIPATED POSSIBILITY SUCH AN UNWARRANTED ACTION AND HAD MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR NINE ALTERNATIVE MEMBERS ASSUME RESPONSIBILITIES NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN CASE THEY WERE UNABLE FUNCTION. NINE MEMBERS APPOINTED BODY NOW AT HELM DETERMINED DISCHARGE SACRED DUTIES FOLLOW IN FOOTSTEPS THEIR COURAGEOUS PREDECESSORS, REMINISCENT SPIRIT EVINCED UNDAUNTED HEROES FAITH DURING MEMORABLE EPISODE BÁRFURÚSH.^[1] NEW NATIONAL ASSEMBLY TOGETHER WITH WIVES CLOSE RELATIVES ARRESTED FRIENDS HAVE APPEALED AUTHORITIES FOR RELEASE LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS. THROUGH THEIR CONSTANCY AND VALOUR PERSIAN FRIENDS HAVE ONCE AGAIN SET AN EXAMPLE OF SERVITUDE AT SACRED THRESHOLD WORTHY EMULATION ALL FRIENDS EVERY LAND PARTICULARLY THOSE PRIVILEGED SERVE ACTIVELY ON BAHÁ’Í INSTITUTIONS. CALL ON FRIENDS EVERYWHERE JOIN US IN FERVENT PRAYERS THAT SELF-SACRIFICING PERSIAN BRETHREN MAY AT LAST YIELD GOLDEN FRUIT THEIR RELEASE FROM YOKE TRIBULATION OPPRESSION SO NOBLY BORNE IN PATH HIS LOVE MORE THAN ONE CENTURY. . . .

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

Notes[edit]

↑ In 1848 Mullá Ḥusayn set out with a company of Bábís for the province of Mázindarán to rescue Quddús, a Letter of the Living who was being held in the town of Sárí. Nabíl reports in The Dawn-Breakers (pp. 337–38) that, after a skirmish with the citizens of Bárfurúsh that ended with the villagers’ begging for peace, Mullá Ḥusayn and his companions proceeded to the caravansary. Detecting signs of continued hostility, Mullá Ḥusayn had the gates of the inn closed. As evening approached, he asked whether any of his companions was willing to arise and renounce his life for the sake of the Faith by ascending to the roof of the caravansary to sound the call to prayer. A youth gladly responded. No sooner had he uttered the opening words of a prayer than a bullet struck and killed him. Another youth arose, and, in the same spirit, proceeded with the prayer. He, too, was struck down by an enemy bullet. A third youth attempted to complete the unfinished prayer; but he, too, suffered the same fare as he neared the end of the prayer.

[1] In 1848 Mullá Ḥusayn set out with a company of Bábís for the province of Mázindarán to rescue Quddús, a Letter of the Living who was being held in the town of Sárí. Nabíl reports in The Dawn-Breakers (pp. 337–38) that, after a skirmish with the citizens of Bárfurúsh that ended with the villagers’ begging for peace, Mullá Ḥusayn and his companions proceeded to the caravansary. Detecting signs of continued hostility, Mullá Ḥusayn had the gates of the inn closed. As evening approached, he asked whether any of his companions was willing to arise and renounce his life for the sake of the Faith by ascending to the roof of the caravansary to sound the call to prayer. A youth gladly responded. No sooner had he uttered the opening words of a prayer than a bullet struck and killed him. Another youth arose, and, in the same spirit, proceeded with the prayer. He, too, was struck down by an enemy bullet. A third youth attempted to complete the unfinished prayer; but he, too, suffered the same fare as he neared the end of the prayer.

[1]