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chapter 17 | start page | single page | chapter 19 |  |
Chapter 18
BAHAI NEWS
Vol. 1. Chicago (Feb. 7, 1911) Malik No. 18
PROGRESS OF THE CAUSE IN ENGLAND.
The following articles, "A Wonderful Movement in the East" and "Message from Abdul-Baha," appeared in the December 28, 1910, issue of THE CHRISTIAN COMMONWEALTH, published at 133 Salisbury Square, London, E. C.
A WONDERFUL MOVEMENT IN THE EAST.
A VISIT TO ABDUL-BAHA AT ALEXANDRIA.
To most of us the world consists of modern Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, and since the Russo-Japanese war, in a lesser degree, Japan. Our daily newspapers keep us informed, more or less accurately, of movements social, political and religious, that occur within those lands, but of the rest of the world we are for the most part ignorant. In this there is a danger that we may fail to read the signs of the times, not because we are necessarily lacking in wisdom, but because we do not behold the signs. The Bahai movement is a good illustration of this. Not one Englishman in a thousand has heard of this religious and social uprising in the East, yet its adherents are estimated to number millions, and its power and influence are growing week by week! In order that our readers may be informed about this remarkable outpouring of the divine spirit, a representative of The Christian Commonwealth recently called upon Mr. Wellesley Tudor-Pole, who has just returned from the East, where he has been studying the movement at first hand.
"How did you come to be interested in the Bahai movement?" he said.
"I first heard of the movement when on a visit to Constantinople prior to the Turkish revolution in 1908, and I was very much impressed by the fact that Abdul-Baha could exert such an influence from within prison walls. When I returned to London I found that very little was known of the movement, and I determined to visit Abdul-Baha, known to the outside world by the name of 'Abbas Effendi,' on the
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first available opportunity and discover for myself the secret of his power."And it is most extraordinary," Mr. Pole continued, "that so little should be known of this movement in England. There are said to be between two and three million Bahais at least in Persia alone, and many more in India, the Middle East, America, France, Russia, and elsewhere. There is no religious freedom in Persia; if there were it would be found that very great numbers of men would declare themselves disciples. No less than thirty thousand men and women in Persia alone are reported to have sacrificed everything for the movement. I met an old Persian Bahai in Alexandria — his name was Sheik Mahommed — who joined the movement when he was a young man, and he was publicly flogged and all his property was taken from him. He and his whole household were sent out into the mountains in the heart of winter without food or money. Many times he has been imprisoned, and it has been a miracle how he has escaped with his life. In many towns and villages he has been stoned and brutally treated. Hundreds of men and women have proved themselves ready to endure such treatment, to leave home and country, for the sake of their great ideal."
"What is the ideal which has inspired such heroism?"
"The fundamental principle of what has come to be called the Bahai Revelation is a belief in the underlying unity of religions and peoples. It stands for the harmony of all spiritual truths and all faiths, for international peace and goodwill. It asserts the equality of the sexes, the duty of everyone to serve the community, and the duty of the community to give opportunity for such service. It desires a social order where the brotherhood of man shall be expressed in all the relationships of life, and where the community shall be responsible for the sick, the aged, the infirm, and all who cannot obtain their own livelihood."
"What gave birth to this movement?"
"It arose in 1844, when a young Persian, Mirza Ali Mohammed, went about Eastern Europe prophesying that a great teacher would follow him. He called himself the Bab (the Gate), and stood as the John the Baptist of the new movement. He affirmed that the coming teacher would not only fulfil the prophecies
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of the Koran, but also of the sacred scriptures of the Hindu and Hebrew peoples. Mirza Ali Mohammed was bitterly persecuted, and finally shot in 1850. By this time the movement had spread all over Persia, and in the early fifties Baha 'Ullah, the son of a noble Persian family, came forward and proclaimed himself the teacher who had been promised. Baha 'Ullah, by the way, had never met the Bab. In 1863, by an arrangement between the Persian and Turkish Governments, spurred on by the Mullahs, who were alarmed by the spread of the new teaching, Baha 'Ullah and his family were first sent to Constantinople, then banished to Adrianople, and finally, in 1868, exiled to Acca, a fortified Turkish town on the Syrian coast, where Baha 'Ullah was kept in more or less close confinement until his death, at the age of seventy-five, in 1892. At times he was treated in the most brutal way — chained to other men by the neck and subjected to torture. In spite of the imprisonment of the leader, the movement spread with tremendous rapidity throughout the Middle East. Pilgrims came from India and other distant parts to receive the blessing of Baha 'Ullah at the prison bars.""What happened when he died?"
"He left a book of laws and many other works, and instructed his followers to look to his eldest son, Abdul-Baha, to carry on his work and to expound his writings. Abdul-Baha, which means the 'Servant of God,' was kept in prison at Acca until the time of the Turkish Revolution in 1908, when, along with all political prisoners, he was released. He went to live near Haifa, close to Mt. Carmel, but about two months ago he started on a journey, and is now in Egypt. That is a bare outline of the progress of the movement, but it gives no idea of the extraordinary power that lies behind it."
"Did you meet Abdul-Baha on your recent visit to the East?"
"Yes, I met Abdul-Baha near Alexandria, where he was staying with some of his followers. Let me try to give you a word-picture of him. He is sixty-five years of age, of medium height and of commanding presence; he has long silver-gray beard and hair, blue-grey eyes, a fine forehead, a wonderful carriage, and a sweet but powerful voice. He was dressed when I saw him, in cream white robes and a white
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Persian headdress. You feel at once that here is a master of men and a marvellous spiritual personality. He seemed to me to focus in a truly divine manner the spiritual ideal of the coming age. When one has come in contact with Abdul-Baha's power, or rather the power behind him, one has no doubt that this movement will vitally affect the religious and social evolution of the whole world. At his table I met pilgrims who had come to receive his blessing from many parts of the world, and representing almost every faith the world knows. Jews, Mohammedans, Hindus, Zoroastrians and Christians sat around one table, all holding this one great belief — that God has again sent one of his messengers to earth, and that the great call that was focused in Baha 'Ullah is the call for the unity of nations, the brotherhood of man, the peace of the whole world, and the realization of those fundamental truths that lie behind all faiths. Baha 'Ullah did not say to the Christian, 'Come out of your religious order,' nor did he say to the Mohammedan 'Turn your back on your faith.' He said to every man, 'Go and live out your faith in unity and brotherhood with all mankind, and thus show that behind all expressions of religion there is one religion and one God.'"MESSAGE FROM ABDUL-BAHA TO "THE CHRISTIAN COMMONWEALTH."
November 30, 1910
To the Editor of The Christian Commonwealth.My Dear Friend: — I have received your letter, for the contents of which I am extremely grateful to you. I understand the aims of your movement, and hope that with the greatest spirituality and by the pursuit of truth, it will succeed in bringing about the unification of mankind.
Enclosed you will find some of the sayings of Baha 'Ullah: insert them in The Christian Commonwealth.
Be so kind as to accept for yourself and your honourable society my kindest regards.
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
The extracts enclosed from the sayings of Baha 'Ullah illustrate the universality of the Bahai outlook. We quote the following:
"Today the universal religion of God, the great Church of God, is divided into diverse faiths which are at enmity one with the other. All the powerful
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religions have appeared in the East; their differences arise only from the necessities of epoch, time, or century. O people of Baha, therefore fasten securely the girdle of endeavour so that the discussions and strifes between the various sects of the world may be destroyed. For the love of God, I call upon you, His servants, to bestir yourselves, in this momentous matter!""Associate with all religions in reverence and with tolerance."
"O peoples of the world! Ye are all leaves of the same branch and plants in the same garden; live in love, concord, friendship and union. I declare by the Sun of Truth that it is the light of fellowship which makes the heavens full of brightness."
"If you possess a saying, a treasure, of which other peoples are deprived, tell it to them with affection. The message of the prophets, the revelations of the sacred scriptures have no other aim but the knowledge of God, and the unity of mankind."
"O peoples, do not spill blood and do not seize the goods of others. By my life, the sword of good character and kindness is sharper than a sword of iron. Those men are truly wise who are decorated with the ornaments of science and character; these are the head of the body of mankind. The ruling of man has always been in their hands. I ask God to assist them to do what He wishes, what pleases Him. Truly He is the Master of creation, the Lord of the beginning and of the end!"
EXTRACTS FROM LETTER FROM MR. WELLESLEY
TUDOR POLE.
TO THE BAHAI NEWS:You may be interested in hearing of my recent visit to Abdul-Baha at Ramleh, near Alexandria. I spent nine days at Alexandria and Cairo during the second half of November, 1910. Abdul-Baha's health had very greatly improved since his arrival from Port Said. He was looking strong and vigorous in every way. He spoke much of the work in America, to which he undoubtedly is giving considerable thought. He also spoke a good deal about the work that is going forward in different European centres as well as in London, and he expects great things from England during the coming year. It may interest
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you to know, however, that the Bahai Movement is beginning to take a more serious hold on public attention in this country, and that during the next few weeks a number of meetings are to be held in London, Bristol and in the North, which are likely to produce far-reaching results. A Bahai paper is to be read at the Universal Races Congress in London next July.Yours faithfully,
Wellesley Tudor Pole.
LONDON NEWS NOTES.
Saturday, Dec. 31st, at 10 Cheniston Gardens, Kensington High St., W., a meeting was called for Mr. Tudor-Pole to speak of his visit to Abdul-Baha in Egypt and "The Glory of God as Revealed in Persia." It was the largest meeting we have had in London and the seed sown is already bearing fruit. In the opinion of the speaker, "the year 1911 is undoubtedly to be one of very great importance, and London will be the focus point for great events." He expressed the hope that among the numerous congresses, conferences, and Imperial gatherings to be held here, there would be a Bahai Congress, attended by delegates from all parts of the world. He thought the time had come for an international residential and social club, open to all comers without distinction of race, creed, or sex, and urged his hearers to do all in their power to work together in harmony and joy for the great ideal of universal unity and peace. The January 7th issue of Light, published at 110 St. Martin's Lane, W. C., contains a report of this address of Mr. Tudor-Pole.
John M. Watkins, 21 Cecil Court, Charing Cross Road, W. C., has recently issued an abbreviated publication of Fariddudin Attar's version of "The Seven Valleys," which is the work that led to BAHA'O'LLAH giving His Explanation thereof. Price Threepence.
An address on the Bahai Movement given at the City Temple, London, Sunday, Oct. 10, 1910, by Tamandun ul Molk, has been printed in pamphlet form by the Bahai Press, 47 Vicarage Road, East Sheen, S. W.
Arthur Cuthbert.
Mr. William J. Patchin, aged 28 years, a native of London, England, died at Teheran, Persia, Dec. 31, 1910. He lived the Bahai life and was constantly serving in the Cause. He had resigned his position with the Indo-European Telegraph Co. that he might go to Egypt to see Abdul-Baha, when he was suddenly summoned to the Supreme.
Susan I. Moody.
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THE MASHRAK-EL-AZKAR IN AMERICA.
TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA.
Through Zia Effendi, the son of Mostafa Effendi Bagdadi, to the maid-servant of God, Mrs. Corinne True, Chicago, Ill.Upon her be BAHA'O'LLAH!
HE IS GOD!
O thou attracted maid-servant of God!Verily I read thy letter which indicated thy steadfastness in the Covenant of God and evinced thy walking in the Straight Path toward the Kingdom of God.
Verily I entered in the country of Egypt, trusting in God, attracted to His Kingdom and enkindled with the Fire of His Love, hoping to arise in the Servitude of the Threshold of Baha, and I am always, day and night, serving. There is no rest, tranquility or composure.
I beg of God to encircle ye with the Most Great Bounty and confirm ye with the Most Eminent Grace which consists of building the Mashrak-el-Azkar of America in Chicago! This foundation will have the greatest effect in the hearts of the people of faithfulness. Therefore, endeavor ye with all your power and generosity so that ye may raise this first foundation in the Name of Baha on the continent of America.
I supplicate God to pour upon thee heavenly blessings and that thy family be protected from every sadness and sorrow in this world.
Upon thee be greeting and praise!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, January 11, 1911.
REPORT OF TREASURER.
On hand November 19th. $4,164.36
Received since 2,545.54
$6,709.90 Expended —
Payment on land $5,150.00
Interest 375.00
Taxes 439.60
Stenographic services to Secretary 4.00
5,968.60
—
$741.30
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BAHAI NEWS
ISSUED MONTHLY
ALBERT R. WINDUST — EDITORS — GERTRUDE BUIKEMA
Address all communications to
BAHAI NEWS SERVICE, P.O. Box 283, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.
Persian Editor. — MIRZA AHMAD SOHRAB, 1800 Belmont Road, Washington, D. C.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE PER YEAR
Sent postpaid throughout North America, including Canal Zone and Panama; and following islands: Cuba, Porto Rico, Hawaii, Philippines; also England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, and Shanghai City (China); Unsealed $1.00; single copy 10c. Sealed $1.25; single copy 12c.
Sent postpaid throughout other parts of Occident and adjacent islands including Newfoundland: Unsealed $1.00; single copy 10c. Sealed $1.75; single copy 15c.
Sent postpaid throughout Orient, including Egypt and Russia; Sealed $1.75; single copy 15c. Note — Through agents when established in Oriental centers: $1.00 per year.
VOL. 1. Chicago, (Feb. 7, 1911) Malik No. 18
BAHAI CALENDAR.
MONTH NAME FIRST DAYS1st Baha' (Splendor) Mar. 21
2nd Jalal (Glory) Apr. 9
3rd Jamal (Beauty) Apr. 28
4th Azamat (Grandeur) May 17
5th Nur (Light) June 5
6th Rahmat (Mercy) June 24
7th Kalamat (Words) July 13
8th Asma (Names) Aug. 1
9th Kamal (Perfection) Aug. 20
10th Eizzat (Might) Sept. 8
11th Masheyat (Will) Sept. 27
12th Elm (Knowledge) Oct. 16
13th Kudrat (Power) Nov. 4
14th Kowl (Speech) Nov. 23
15th Massa'ulk (Questions) Dec. 12
16th Sharaf (Honor) Dec. 31
17th Sultan (Sovereignty) Jan. 19
18th Mulk (Dominion) Feb. 7
Four intercalary days,
19th Ola (Loftiness) Mar. 2
(Month of fasting.)
TABLET FROM ABDUL-BAHA.
To the Editors of the STAR OF THE WEST:Upon them be BAHA'O'LLAH-el-ABHA!
O ye firm ones! O ye steadfast ones!The publication of the STAR OF THE WEST* is conducive to the happiness and beatitude of the friends; for it is a clear mirror in which the pictures of the events and happenings in the Cause and the news
* Continuing the BAHAI NEWS, after March 21, 1911.
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of the progress of the Kingdom throughout the world are reflected and can be observed. Praise flows from the tongue of every growing and firm believer after reading it, for he becomes informed of the events and thoughts. Unquestionably, this publication shall serve the world of humanity. If it is continued, its arena shall become broadened and it shall attain to such a station as to bring about the unity of the East and of the West.Do not become discouraged, nor yet dispirited! Show ye firmness and steadfastness, and, if possible, publish it in a larger size and more legible characters.
Upon ye be Baha-el-ABHA!
(Signed) ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
Translated by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, Jan. 26, 1911.
The Persian section of the BAHAI NEWS, No. 17, contained an exposition of the recent events in Mashad and Shiraz, calling the attention of the Government to stop the persecution of the Bahais and to deal justly with all their citizens so that other powers may not entertain the idea that they are not capable of self-government. The Persian section this issue contains (1) an article on Abdul-Baha's trip to Egypt, a few incidents relating to the trip, his promise to visit America, and the formation of an inter-assemblies' committee to prepare the way for his coming; (2) news of the death of Monsieur Lucien Dreyfus-Cardozo, father of Monsieur Hippolyte Dreyfus.
NEWS NOTES.
Monsieur Lucien Dreyfus-Cardozo, father of Monsieur Hippolyte Dreyfus, died suddenly the 4th of January at Paris, France. The family are all Bahais and this has enabled them to accept the separation with courage.
Laura Clifford Barney.
Excellent presentations of the Bahai Revelation have recently appeared in the October and November issues of The Journal of the Knights of Labor, Washington, D. C., by Col. Archie C. Fisk, and in the November 13th issue of The St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press, which contained an interview with Mr. Bernard Temple by their London correspondent.
During November and the early part of December, Mr. Louis G. Gregory of Washington, D. C., took a trip to several points south in the interest of the Revelation of BAHA'O'LLAH. Eight cities or towns were visited, and in the form of free public lectures the glad-tidings were heralded directly to about nine hundred souls. Indications are that the colored people of the south will be very deeply and vitally interested. The oppression of centuries having made many of them live very close to God, to them the Holy Spirit is a reality, and if the Message is presented with fragrance, their hearts respond and often yield.
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ASSEMBLIES IN THE OCCIDENT.
Secretaries are requested to see that their Assembly is correctly represented.CANADA.
MONTREAL, QUE. — Weekly meeting held Friday evenings at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Maxwell, 716 Pine Avenue.
ENGLAND.
LONDON, ENG. — Regular meeting of assembly Friday, 8:15 p. m., at 10 Cheniston Gardens, Wright's Lane, Kensington High Street.
GERMANY.
STUTTGART, WURTEMBERG. — Regular meetings of assembly, Friday evenings. Kanzlei strasse 24P. ZUFFENHAUSEN. — At the home of Herrn und Frau F. Schweizer, Karl strasse 26I.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
BALTIMORE, MD. — Regular weekly meetings Tuesday evenings at 629 West North Avenue, and Sunday evenings at 516 Broadway. Residence of Secretary, 629 West North Avenue.
BOSTON, MASS. — Sunday mornings, at 11 o'clock, in Beckton Hall, 200 Huntington Avenue.
BUFFALO, N. Y. — Meetings every Sunday and Thursday evening at 494 Elwood Avenue.
CHICAGO, ILL. — Regular weekly meeting, Sunday, 11 a. m., at Corinthian Hall, 17th floor Masonic Temple, State and Randolph Streets. Address of Assembly, P. O. Box 283, George Lesch, Secretary.
CINCINNATI, O. — Meeting held Wednesday evenings and the Feast every nineteen days, in the homes of believers. Residence of the Secretary, Annie L. Parmerton, 543 Mitchell Avenue.
CLEVELAND, O. — Meetings Wednesday evenings at the home of Dr. and Mrs. C. M. Swingle, 2101 Prospect Avenue.
DENVER, COLO. — G. Nathaniel Clark, Secretary, 4141 Xavier Street.
ITHICA, N. Y. — Regular meeting of assembly, Friday evenings at the residence of Dr. W. E. House, 241 South Cayuga Street.
KENOSHA, WIS. — Regular weekly meeting, Sunday, 10:30 a. m.; Sunday school, 9:30 a. m., at Gronquish Hall, 218 Park Street. Address of Assembly, Fountain Nicholas, Secretary, 868 Park Street.
LOS ANGELES, CAL. — Meetings, first Sunday in each month, at 3 p. m., at the Art Gallery, fourth floor Blanchard Hall. F. B. Beckett, Secretary, Box 225, R. F. D. No. 5. Address of Thornton Chase, 405 Exchange Building.
NEW YORK, N. Y. — Regular weekly meeting, Sunday, 11 a. m., at Genealogical Hall, 226 West 58th Street. Paul T. G. Marshall, Secretary, 139 Shippen Street, Weehawken Heights, New Jersey.
PHILADELPHIA, PA. — Miss Jessie E. Revell, Secretary, 1429 Mayfield Street.
PORTLAND, ORE. — Regular weekly meeting, Thursday, 2 p. m., at 501 Yamhill Street, corner Fifteenth Street. Mrs. M. M. Rabb, secretary, 1146 Willamette Boulevard, Station F.
SEATTLE, WASH. — Regular weekly meeting held at 2916 Beacon Avenue, South.
SPOKANE, WASH. — Regular weekly meeting held Friday evenings at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Killius, 124 Fifth Avenue. Miss E. Mabel King, Secretary, E413 Mission avenue.
SUMERDUCK, VA. — Meetings on fourth Sundays; address care Mrs. R. H. Duckett.
WASHINGTON, D. C. — Regular meetings Friday evenings at 8:15; Sunday mornings at 11:15, at 1219 Connecticut Avenue. Mail address of Assembly, P. O. Box 192. Residence of Secretary, Joseph H. Hannen, 1252 Eighth Street, N. W.
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