September 30. On this date in 1912, The Evening Standard of Salt Lake City introduced "'Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, leader of the Bahá’í movement, which he says has 10,000,000 followers in the world."

September 30. On this date in 1912, The Evening Standard of Salt Lake City introduced "'Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, leader of the Bahá’í movement, which he says has 10,000,000 followers in the world."

Salt Lake, Sept. 30 — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, leader of the Bahá’í movement, which he says has 10,000,000 followers in the world, is in Salt Lake City. He is making a tour of the United States and plans to lecture on his religion here.
The principal tenets of the Bahá’í doctrines are the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God; the establishment of universal peace, the creation of a universal language and the establishment of a tribunal to which all the nations in the world would come to settle arguments. Its followers must seek out the truth in all matters of religion and conduct for themselves. They must have no pre-conceptions, handed down from their fathers, but must search and decide the truth for themselves.
'Abdu’l-Bahá is the son of the founder of the Bahá’í movement, Bahá’u’lláh. He is a Persian. His native government imprisoned him and his father in Acca, Syria, where the son was held in exile for forty-two years. Upon the dethronement of 'Abdul Hamid in Turkey, the young Turks released 'Abdu’l-Bahá from his Syrian prison and he was again oaleldw to go forth and preach his doctrines.
He arrived in this country with his suite on April 11 of this year and has been making a lecture tour of the country. Attired in his flowing native robes of a somber gray with a white fez on his broad brow, he presented a striking appearance as he walked the downtown streets last evening, followed respectfully by his attendants. With him are Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, the interpreter, and three others, all from Teheran, the Persian capital.

September 30. On this date in 1949, Shoghi Effendi wrote "the theocratic systems, such as the Catholic Church and the Caliphate, which are not divinely given as systems, but man-made, and yet, being partly derived from the teachings of Christ and Muhammad are in a sense theocracies. The Bahá'í theocracy, on the contrary, is both divinely ordained as a system and, of course, based on the teachings of the Prophet Himself."

September 30. On this date in 1949, Shoghi Effendi wrote "the theocratic systems, such as the Catholic Church and the Caliphate, which are not divinely given as systems, but man-made, and yet, being partly derived from the teachings of Christ and Muhammad are in a sense theocracies. The Bahá'í theocracy, on the contrary, is both divinely ordained as a system and, of course, based on the teachings of the Prophet Himself."

September 30. On this date in 1968, the Local Spiritual Assembly of Chicago wrote the Universal House of Justice that "there should be one day in the year in which all of the religions should agree," to which the Universal House of Justice replied "However, this is not the underlying concept of World Religion Day, which is a celebration of the need for and the coming of a world religion for mankind, the Bahá'í Faith itself. Although there have been many ways of expressing the meaning of this celebration in Bahá'í communities in the United States, the Day was not meant primarily to provide a platform for all religions and their emergent ecumenical ideas."

September 30. On this date in 1968, the Local Spiritual Assembly of Chicago wrote the Universal House of Justice that "there should be one day in the year in which all of the religions should agree," to which the Universal House of Justice replied "However, this is not the underlying concept of World Religion Day, which is a celebration of the need for and the coming of a world religion for mankind, the Bahá'í Faith itself. Although there have been many ways of expressing the meaning of this celebration in Bahá'í communities in the United States, the Day was not meant primarily to provide a platform for all religions and their emergent ecumenical ideas."

1710. World Religion Day, Purpose of
Your letter of September 30, with the suggestion that 'there should be one day in the year in which all of the religions should agree' is a happy thought, and one which persons of good will throughout the world might well hail. However, this is not the underlying concept of World Religion Day, which is a celebration of the need for and the coming of a world religion for mankind, the Bahá'í Faith itself. Although there have been many ways of expressing the meaning of this celebration in Bahá'í communities in the United States, the Day was not meant primarily to provide a platform for all religions and their emergent ecumenical ideas. In practice, there is no harm in the Bahá'í communities' inviting the persons of other religions to share their platforms on this Day, providing the universality of the Bahá'í Faith as the fulfillment of the hopes of mankind for a universal religion are clearly brought forth."
(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Chicago, October 22, 1968)

September 30. On this date in 1950, Shoghi Efendi wrote that "it is not necessary to repeat the Bab's prayer so many times."

September 30. On this date in 1950, Shoghi Efendi wrote that "it is not necessary to repeat the Bab's prayer so many times."

1517. There Are No Special Instructions for Repeating Prayers of the Bab
"Concerning the prayer for difficulty revealed by the Bab: He wishes me to inform you that it is not accompanied by any instructions for its recital. (1)"
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 6, 1937)
"Regarding your questions: The Guardian feels it is not necessary to repeat the Bab's prayer so many times.(2)"
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, September 30, 1950)
(1) Written in response to a question as to how often this prayer should be repeated to produce the greatest results.
(2) Written in response to a question about the repetition 114 times in the morning for 19 days of the prayer of the Bab, 'Say! God sufficeth all things above all things...' (See also: No. 1528)

September 30. On this date in 1912, Thornton Chase, the first American convert to the Bahá'í Faith to remain in the religion, died. Thornton Chase was also named a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Hand of the Cause of God.

September 30. On this date in 1912, Thornton Chase, the first American convert to the Bahá'í Faith to remain in the religion, died. Thornton Chase was also named a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Hand of the Cause of God.

Born on February 22, 1847, Thornton Chase converted to the Bahá'í Faith in 1894 after attending "Truth Seeker" lessons taught by Ibrahim George Kheiralla in Chicago. Although not the first Bahá'í convert chronologically, Thornton Chase was the first to remain a Bahá'í and is therefore often referred to as the first American convert to the Bahá'í Faith.

In 1898, Kheiralla undertook a Bahá'í pilgrimage to Palestine to meet 'Abdu'l-Bahá with other American pilgrims, including Phoebe Hearst, Lua Getsinger and May Boles. In Akka, Kheiralla witnessed first hand the conflict between 'Abdu'l-Bahá and his brothers. Ultimately, in the conflict between 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Mírzá Muhammad 'Alí, Kheiralla sided with the latter for which he was declared a Covenant-breaker.

Chase was able to go on pilgrimage in 1907, by which time he had emerged as the principal organizer of the Chicago Bahá'í community until moving out of Chicago in 1909.

Thornton Chase died on September 30, 1912 in Los Angeles, of complications following unsuccessful surgery. 'Abdu'l Bahá was on a train en route to California at the time and went to visit Chase's grave on arrival. There he praised Chase's qualities highly, instructed the Bahá'ís to hold a commemoration of Chase annually at his grave, and encouraged Bahá'ís to visit the gravesite.

From Star of the West, vol. 4, no. 11, pp. 187–8.

TO THE CENTER OF THE COVENANT: ABDUL-BAHA ABBAS.
May the Souls of all Mankind be a Sacrifice to Him!
O THOU David of the Promised Kingdom of GOD!
Thou Princely Leader of all Humanity!
Thou Warrior against the Tribes of Infidelity!
Thou Conqueror of Darkness and Radiator of Light!
Thou Bearer of the Banner of Divine Peace and Prosperity to the Nations!
Thou First Born in the Kingdom of Baha! Beloved of GOD and Men!
Thou First Citizen of the Royal and Holy City!
Thou Branch of the LORD, Beautiful and Glorious!
Thou Greatest Branch from the Ancient Root!
Thou Fruit-bearing Branch of the Divine Tree!
Thou Host of the Divine Table!
Thou Cup-Bearer of the Divine Knowledge!
Thou Diffuser of the Holy Fragrances!
Thou Interpreter of the Revealed Word!
Thou Liver of the Bahai Law!
Thou Establisher of the New Jerusalem descended from the Heaven of the Will of God!
Thou Builder of the Temple of the LORD!
Thou Light of the City of GOD!
Thou Brilliant Moon reflecting the Sun's full Disc of Splendor!
Thou Enlightener of the Spirits of Men!
Thou Heart of the World, sending the Blood of Truth through the arteries of Humanity!
Thou Physician of Souls, raising the dead to Life by the Elixir of the Word!
Thou Possessor of the Philosopher's Stone!
Thou Master of Transmutation!
Thou Kindler of Love and Life in the Heart of Humanity!
Thou Ambassador of Heaven and the Manifestation of Righteousness!
Thou King of servitude and Defender of the Faith!
Thou Temple of the Divine Testimony!
Thou Witness and Aim of THE COVENANT!
Thou Prince of Peace and Ensign of United Humanity!
Thou Guide of mortals to Immortality!
Thou Pathfinder of the Right Way, and Conductor of man from Earth to Heaven!
Thou Lover of GOD and Man; Exemplar of the New Humanity!
Thou Shepherd of the Sheep, and Shelter of the Birds of the Air!
Thou Keeper of the Vineyard, and Trainer of the Children of GOD!
Thou Servant of the Highest, declared by Isaiah!
Thou Right Arm of the Mighty, proclaimed by Israel!
Thou Holy One in the Hand of GOD!
Thou Lord of the Sabbath of Ages!
Thou Unique One of the Millennial Age!
Thou Lion of the Tribe of Judah!
Thou Lamb of the sacrificial Love!
Thou Baptizer of Evanescence!
Thou Sum of Spiritual and Human Perfections!
Thou MYSTERY OF GOD!
Reveal Thyself to those who can bear the Knowledge!
This grain of human dust, stirred by the Breath of the Spirit, longs for Thy
Presence, for the Life-giving touch of Thy Glorious Love. These captives of
Love yearn for Thy Nearness! These ignorant ones seek Thy instruction. These isolated ones hope for the Unity of Thy Meeting. These helpless ones trust in Thine Attraction to awaken the hearts of their friends and relatives.
O my Beloved! What can we say but to praise Thee; to thank GOD for Thee, His Greatest Gift to man; to implore Thee to pray for His Mercy upon these impotent ones, His Strength for these powerless ones, I-lis Guidance for those erring ones, His Guard to protect us from ourselves!
Teach us to serve. Guide us in the paths of Knowledge and Wisdom.
Unite us in mutual purpose and aim, and grant us the favor of Thy personal Presence and Voice.
(SIGNED) THORNTON CHASE.
August 9, 1912, San Francisco, California.

September 30. On this date in 1949, Shoghi Effendi wrote an individual whose visit to a Bahá'í Temple had elicited an "emotional reaction produced by disappointment and the fact you were still exalted by your happy days at the Moral Re-Armament camp."

September 30. On this date in 1949, Shoghi Effendi wrote an individual whose visit to a Bahá'í Temple had elicited an "emotional reaction produced by disappointment and the fact you were still exalted by your happy days at the Moral Re-Armament camp."

30 September 1949
To an individual believer
Dear Bahá'í Sister:
Your letter to our beloved Guardian, dated August 16, reached him and he has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.
He was grieved to hear of some of the things you describe. It shows great spiritual immaturity on the part of some of the Bahá'ís and an astonishing lack of understanding and study of the teachings. To live up to our Faith's moral teachings is a task far harder than to live up to those noble principles the Moral Re-Armament inculcates, fine and encompassing as they are! Every other word of Bahá'u'lláh's and `Abdu'l-Bahá's writings is a preachment on moral and ethical conduct; all else is the form, the chalice, into which the pure spirit must be poured; without the spirit and the action which must demonstrate it, it is a lifeless form.
He judges, from what you say, that the friends have not or at least many of them have not, been properly taught in the beginning.
There is certainly no objection to stressing the "four standards" of the Moral Re-Armament -- though any teaching of our precious Faith would go much more deeply into these subjects and add more to them.
When we realize that Bahá'u'lláh says adultery retards the progress of the soul in the afterlife -- so grievous is it -- and that drinking destroys the mind, and not to so much as approach it, we see how clear are our teachings on these subjects.
You must not make the great mistake of judging our Faith by one community which obviously needs to study and obey the Bahá'í teachings. Human frailties and peculiarities can be a great test. But the only way, or perhaps I should say the first and best way, to remedy such situations, is to oneself do what is right. One soul can be the cause of the spiritual illumination of a continent. Now that you have seen, and remedied, a great fault in your own life, now that you see more clearly what is lacking in your own community, there is nothing to prevent you from arising and showing such an example, such a love and spirit of service, as to enkindle the hearts of your fellow Bahá'ís.
He urges you to study deeply the teachings, teach others, study with those Bahá'ís who are anxious to do so, the deeper teachings of our Faith, and through example, effort and prayer, bring about a change.
With Bahá'í love,
R. Rabbani
P.S. He feels your experience at the Temple should be regarded as in part an emotional reaction produced by disappointment and the fact you were still exalted by your happy days at the Moral Re-Armament camp. No doubt, if you visit the Temple under different circumstances, you will feel there an entirely different atmosphere -- the one you expected to find, and which does exist.
May the Almighty guide, bless and sustain you, remove all obstacles from your path, and enable you to serve, effectively and at all times, the vital interests of His Faith and of its institutions,
Your true brother,
Shoghi

September 30. On this date in 1949, Shoghi effendi wrote Adelbert Mühlschlegel that "He fully appreciates your point about certain well-known names of Persian and other Oriental cities being spelt according to the general usage in German literature. However, he feels that it is necessary to follow in full the transliteration used in God Passes By, even for the names of famous cities, etc., which have in European languages an accepted way of being spelt. Only by doing this can confusion be avoided in our Bahá'í translations and uniformity be maintained."

September 30. On this date in 1949, Shoghi effendi wrote Adelbert Mühlschlegel that "He fully appreciates your point about certain well-known names of Persian and other Oriental cities being spelt according to the general usage in German literature. However, he feels that it is necessary to follow in full the transliteration used in God Passes By, even for the names of famous cities, etc., which have in European languages an accepted way of being spelt. Only by doing this can confusion be avoided in our Bahá'í translations and uniformity be maintained."

30 September 1949 [to Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel]
He fully appreciates your point about certain well-known names of Persian and other Oriental cities being spelt according to the general usage in German literature. However, he feels that it is necessary to follow in full the transliteration used in God Passes By, even for the names of famous cities, etc., which have in European languages an accepted way of being spelt. Only by doing this can confusion be avoided in our Bahá'í translations and uniformity be maintained.
A key to pronunciation should be printed, in order to coordinate it with the German language, and also an explanation of the reason for this system being used: namely that it was adopted by an international Congress as being the most practical and universal means of spelling these oriental names in the latin alphabet.
He hopes that the fact that two people translated different parts of this book will not be noticeable in the style, and thus detract from its literary value in German?
Your labours, and those of the other friends concerned in getting this valuable history ready to be printed in German, are deeply appreciated....
In the Guardian's own handwriting:
May the Beloved of our hearts, whose Faith you are serving with distinction, zeal and loyalty, reward you a thousandfold for your constant and notable services, aid you to extend continually the range of your activities, and win still greater victories for its institutions,
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi

Bahá'í orthography is peculiar for a several reasons. Despite a purported purpose of systematizing pronunciation, Bahá'í orthography fails to accomplish this goal for the very name of the religion itself. While the accent and phonemic diacritic marks in the word "Bahá'í" indicate a three syllable pronunciation as [bæhɒːˈʔiː], the official pronunciation guide of the Bahá'í World News Service gives a two syllable pronunciation of "Ba-High," /bəˈhaɪ/. Amin Banani's A Bahá'í Glossary and Pronunciation Guide notes that the exact realization of the English pronunciation varies. The Oxford English Dictionary has /bæˈhɑːiː/ ba-HAH-ee, Merriam-Webster has /bɑːˈhɑːiː/ bah-HAH-ee, and the Random House Dictionary has /bəˈhɑːiː/ bə-HAH-ee, all with three syllables.

For many common names, the Bahá'í orthographic transliteration can often differ markedly from more common standard transliterations presently in use.

Bahá'í Orthography	Standard Transliteration	Persian pronunciation	Arabic pronunciation	Perso-Arabic Spelling
Ádhirbáyján	Azerbaijan	[ɒzeɾbɒːjˈdʒɒːn]	[ʔæðeɾbiːˈdʒæːn]	آذربایجان
Fátimih	Fatima	[fɒːteˈme]	[fɑːˈtˤɪmæ, ˈfɑːtˤɪmæ]	فاطمه
Shoghi	Shawki	[ˈʃoːɣi]	[ˈʃæwʔi, ˈʃɑwqi]	شوقی
Siyyid	Sayyid	[sejˈjed]	[ˈsæjjɪd]	سید

September 29. On this date in 1977, a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer stated that "the Tablets of the Divine Plan, which were revealed by Abdu'l-Bahá during the First World War, are the Charter for the teaching of the Faith. All the teaching plans launched by the beloved Guardian, as well as those subsequently directed by the Universal House of Justice, are stages in the implementation of this master plan conceived by the Centre of the Covenant for the diffusion of the Message of Bahá'u'lláh."

 

September 29. On this date in 1977, a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer stated that "the Tablets of the Divine Plan, which were revealed by Abdu'l-Bahá during the First World War, are the Charter for the teaching of the Faith. All the teaching plans launched by the beloved Guardian, as well as those subsequently directed by the Universal House of Justice, are stages in the implementation of this master plan conceived by the Centre of the Covenant for the diffusion of the Message of Bahá'u'lláh."

1628. The Tablets of the Divine Plan Are the Charter for Teaching
"As you are no doubt aware, the Tablets of the Divine Plan, which were revealed by Abdu'l-Bahá during the First World War, are the Charter for the teaching of the Faith. All the teaching plans launched by the beloved Guardian, as well as those subsequently directed by the Universal House of Justice, are stages in the implementation of this master plan conceived by the Centre of the Covenant for the diffusion of the Message of Bahá'u'lláh."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, September 29, 1977)

September 29. On this date in 1986, an NSA wrote the International Teaching Centre seeking guidance on an article titled "The Infallibility of the Prophets" which "concludes, by means of logical analysis, based in part on his understanding of an article by Mr. Juan Ricardo Cole on the Tablet of Wisdom, that Bahá’u’lláh, and indeed all the Prophets of God, are not infallible."

September 29. On this date in 1986, an NSA wrote the International Teaching Centre seeking guidance on an article titled "The Infallibility of the Prophets" which "concludes, by means of logical analysis, based in part on his understanding of an article by Mr. Juan Ricardo Cole on the Tablet of Wisdom, that Bahá’u’lláh, and indeed all the Prophets of God, are not infallible."



The Universal House of Justice

Department of the Secretariat

26 November 1986

[To a National Spiritual Assembly]

Dear Bahá’í Friends,

The International Teaching Centre has referred to the Universal House of Justice your letter of 29 September 1986 in which you seek comment on the draft of the letter you plan to send to the Local Spiritual Assembly of … for the guidance of … , a believer who has written an article entitled, “The Infallibility of the Prophets.”

The House of Justice has studied your draft response and …’s paper in which he concludes, by means of logical analysis, based in part on his understanding of an article by Mr. Juan Ricardo Cole on the Tablet of Wisdom, that Bahá’u’lláh, and indeed all the Prophets of God, are not infallible.… expresses the opinion that attempts to resolve apparent contradictions in the Writings by seeking a broader context only serve to create insoluble logical difficulties, and he indicates that he is aware that the Institutions of the Faith may not agree with his views causing his status as a Bahá’í to be called into question. We are instructed by the Universal House of Justice to make the following reply.

…’s article raises fundamental issues about the station of the Manifestations and Their authority, as well as about the nature of individual interpretation.

It is clear from a study of the Text that infallibility is an essential attribute of the Manifestation of God. Bahá’u’lláh wrote:

… the Most Great Infallibility is confined to the One Whose station is immeasurably exalted beyond ordinances or prohibitions and is sanctified from errors and omissions.…

… Were He to pronounce right to be wrong or denial to be belief, He speaketh the truth as bidden by God. This is a station wherein sins or trespasses neither exist nor are mentioned.

(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp. 108, 109)

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in Some Answered Questions, stresses the inseparability of “essential infallibility” from the Manifestation of God, and states:

… as the supreme Manifestations certainly possess essential infallibility, therefore whatever emanates from Them is identical with the truth, and conformable to reality. They are not under the shadow of the former laws. Whatever They say is the word of God, and whatever They perform is an upright action.

The following extract from a letter dated 11 January 1942 written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer underlines the vital link between Revelation and the infallibility of the Manifestation:

Regarding your Bahá’í friend who does not fully understand the infallibility of the Manifestation of God: You should influence that person to study the matter more deeply, and to realize that the whole theory of Divine Revelation rests on the infallibility of the Prophet, be He Christ, Muḥammad, Bahá’u’lláh, or one of the others. If They are not infallible, then They are not divine, and thus lose that essential link with God which, we believe, is the bond that educates men and causes all human progress.

As to the infallibility of the content of Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation, … cites issues concerning the chronology of philosophical figures mentioned in Mr. Cole’s article in the World Order magazine in 1979, as a basis for questioning the infallibility of Bahá’u’lláh.… appears to have misconstrued the tenor of Mr. Cole’s article. Mr. Cole’s article does not challenge the infallibility of Bahá’u’lláh, on the contrary, he shows that Bahá’u’lláh, Himself, states in the Tablet of Wisdom that He is quoting the writings of past sages. Bahá’u’lláh wrote:

Thou knowest full well that We perused not the books which men possess and We acquired not the learning current amongst them, and yet whenever We desire to quote the sayings of the learned and of the wise, presently there will appear before the face of thy Lord in the form of a tablet all that which hath appeared in the world and is revealed in the Holy Books and Scriptures. Thus do We set down in writing that which the eye perceiveth. Verily His knowledge encompasseth the earth and the heavens.

(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 149)

Mr. Cole confirms this statement by comparison of the texts concerned. There is nothing in the text of this Tablet to show conclusively whether, by quoting these passages, Bahá’u’lláh was intending to confirm their assertions, or whether He was merely referring to historical authorities that were accepted by the audience He was addressing. It must be borne in mind that accounts of past events as recorded by historians of the East do not always agree with the accounts set down by chroniclers in other parts of the world. Perhaps in the future studies will be undertaken to ascertain the facts scientifically, if this is at all possible.

In reference to His Revelation, Bahá’u’lláh provides the following assurance that when viewed from the perspective of the Manifestation, the divine purpose of the verses will become apparent and questions will be resolved:

The verses are sent down at one time in a form that is untroubled by the rules of grammarians, transcending what the minds of men have yet conceived; and at another time they are sent down in a style that conformeth to the standards of men. Thy Lord, verily, is potent over whatsoever He willeth by virtue of His words “Be, and it is.” Wert thou to view them with Mine eyes thou wouldst see that they are in conformity with the most consummate rules, and wouldst give thanks to the Lord, the Almighty, the Best-Beloved.

(Newly translated)

As to the question of individual interpretation, while individual interpretation is the fruit of man’s rational power and conducive to a better understanding of the teachings, the application of logical analysis has inherent limitations. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated:

Therefore, if the criterion of reason or intellect constituted a correct and infallible standard of judgment, those who tested and applied it should have arrived at the same conclusions. As they differ and are contradictory in conclusions, it is an evidence that the method and standard of test must have been faulty and insufficient.

(The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912, p. 254)

Understanding of the Writings requires belief in the Manifestation of God, for, as the Master states:

… the knowledge of God is the cause of spiritual progress and attraction, and through it the perception of truth, the exaltation of humanity, divine civilization, rightness of morals and illumination are obtained.

(Some Answered Questions, p. 300)

Other important components in this process include an attitude of prayerful humility, acceptance of the statements of the Manifestation, confidence in the knowledge that understanding of their meaning will emerge with meditation, study of the texts and the passage of time, willingness to acknowledge that one’s views may be erroneous, and, courage to follow in the direction defined by the authentic sacred texts.

The House of Justice urges your National Spiritual Assembly to use the guidance contained in this letter as a basis for guiding and educating the believer in question about some of the fundamental verities of Bahá’í belief as a means of assisting him to determine his relationship to the Faith.…

We are asked to assure you of the prayers of the House of Justice for the implementation of this weighty responsibility.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

September 29. On this date in 1977, the Universal House of Justice wrote "the Guardian quotes many passages from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh lauding the principle of kingship and envisaging an increase of monarchies in the future."

September 29. On this date in 1977, the Universal House of Justice wrote "the Guardian quotes many passages from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh lauding the principle of kingship and envisaging an increase of monarchies in the future."

1470. Kingship in the Future
"As to your query whether or not there will be kingship throughout the world in future, the Universal House of Justice calls to your attention Shoghi Effendi's statement on page 219 of 'God Passes By':
'The establishment of a constitutional form of government, in which the ideals of republicanism and the majesty of kingship, characterized by Him as 'one of the signs of God', are combined, He recommends as a meritorious achievement.'
"In 'The Promised Day Is Come' on pages 73 to 76, the Guardian quotes many passages from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh lauding the principle of kingship and envisaging an increase of monarchies in the future. The House of Justice suggests that a study of this section of the book will provide you with the understanding you seek."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, September 29, 1977)

September 29. On this date in 2004, an article by the Bahá'í New Service begins "Participants at a Baha'i summer school here visited the summer residence of Queen Marie of Romania (1875-1938), the first monarch to embrace the Baha'i Faith."

 

September 29. On this date in 2004, an article by the Bahá'í New Service begins "Participants at a Baha'i summer school here visited the summer residence of Queen Marie of Romania (1875-1938), the first monarch to embrace the Baha'i Faith."

While Bahá'í sources claim Queen Marie was the first monarch to convert to the faith, her daughter Ileana denied any such conversion had taken place.

September 29. On this date in 1990, Harold Collis Featherstone, a Hand of the Cause of God, died in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he was visiting Bahá’ís.

September 29. On this date in 1990, Harold Collis Featherstone, a Hand of the Cause of God, died in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he was visiting Bahá’ís.

On May 13, 1913, Harold Collis Featherstone, later named a Hand of the Cause of God, was born in Quorn, Australia.

After spending a childhood in Adelaide, Collis Featherstone initially studied accounting but took up engineering in 1932. He worked for a large engineering firm and by the time he married his wife, Madge, in 1938, he was already a partner in an engineering business making pressed metal parts.

The Featherstones converted to the Bahá’í Faith in 1944. From 1949 to 1962, Collis Featherstone served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia.
In 1954 he was appointed as an Auxiliary Board member for Australia by Hand of the Cause of God Clara Dunn.

Shoghi Effendi appointed him a Hand of the Cause of God in October 1957.
He died on September 29, 1990 in Kathmandu, Nepal, while visiting the Bahá’ís there.

September 29. On this date in 1906, Charles Wolcott was born. He would serve on the Universal House of Justice from 1963 to until his death in 1987, and before that on the International Bahá’í Council from 1961 to 1963 and the National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S. from 1953 to 1961.

September 29. On this date in 1906, Charles Wolcott was born. He would serve on the Universal House of Justice from 1963 to until his death in 1987, and before that on the International Bahá’í Council from 1961 to 1963 and the National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S. from 1953 to 1961.

Born in Flint, Michigan on September 29, 1906, Wolcott was a music composer who had a career in various Holywood film studios. In 1953 he was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. In 1960, when he was elected secretary of the National Assembly, he resigned from his position at MGM Studios and moved to Wilmette, Illinois. In 1961 he was elected to the International Bahá’í Council and moved to Haifa, Israel. He was elected to serve on the newly formed Universal House of Justice in 1963, a position he held until January 26, 1987 when he died in Haifa.

From 1960 until his death in 1987, a period of 27 years, Wolcott worked exclusively for the Bahá’í Administrative Order.  His career is typical for individuals in the Bahá’í hierarchy, whether in an elected office or in an appointed offce from which the higher elected officials invariably come from.

At all levels, including the Local Spiritual Assemblies, Bahá’í leaders are generally as authoritarian, if not more, than clergy from other religious faiths, which as Dale Husband points out, is one of the Four Ways to Create a Religion of Hypocrites:

1. State that religion no longer needs clergy……and replace them with leaders that are as authoritarian as the clergy ever was.
2. Claim that men and women should be equal……but then deny women membership in the all-powerful leadership council of the religion.
3. Condemn as heretics those who believe in your religion but dare to challenge the claims of your religion’s current leadership, while at the same time claiming to welcome as friends the followers of other religions.
4. Claim there is harmony between science and religion, but also claim that anything your leaders say is absolutely true, even if on topics science is expected to address. Any one of these makes a religion not worth following, but what do you do if you find a religion that has all four such contradictions

September 28. On this date in 1990, "The Universal House of Justice draws to your attention that portion of the most recent Ridvan message in which the friends throughout the world are asked to focus on the need to attract people of capacity and prominence to the Faith" providing all NSAs a compilation to aid in converting "accomplished and distinguished figures, with people of capacity and with those occupying prominent positions in society."

September 28. On this date in 1990, "The Universal House of Justice draws to your attention that portion of the most recent Ridvan message in which the friends throughout the world are asked to focus on the need to attract people of capacity and prominence to the Faith" providing all NSAs a compilation to aid in converting "accomplished and distinguished figures, with people of capacity and with those occupying prominent positions in society."

Compilation on Reaching People of Capacity and Prominence
28 September 1990
To all National Spiritual Assemblies
Dear Bahá'í Friends,
The Universal House of Justice draws to your attention that portion of the most recent Ridvan message in which the friends throughout the world are asked to focus on the need to attract people of capacity and prominence to the Faith. Because of the emphasis the House of Justice wishes the friends to place on this matter, the Research Department was asked to prepare a compilation of texts on the subject. The compilation is now ready and a copy is enclosed.
It is the ardent prayer of the House of Justice that careful study of the passages included will assist the believers to appreciate the importance of fostering cordial relations with accomplished and distinguished figures, with people of capacity and with those occupying prominent positions in society. The aim of the believers should be to make of them friends of the Faith, dispelling any misconceptions they may have and unfolding before their eyes the vision of world solidarity and peace enshrined in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. The friends should be confident that the spiritually minded and receptive souls among such people will eventually accept the truth of the Bahá'í Revelation and join the ranks of its active supporters.
With loving Bahá'í greetings,
Department of the Secretariat

September 28. On this date in 1941, Shoghi Effendi wrote "Chastity implies both before and after marriage an unsullied, chaste sex life. Before marriage absolutely chaste, after marriage absolutely faithful to one's chosen companion. Faithful in all sexual acts, faithful in word and in deed."

September 28. On this date in 1941, Shoghi Effendi wrote "Chastity implies both before and after marriage an unsullied, chaste sex life. Before marriage absolutely chaste, after marriage absolutely faithful to one's chosen companion. Faithful in all sexual acts, faithful in word and in deed."

32. Chastity implies both before and after marriage an unsullied, chaste sex life. Before marriage absolutely chaste, after marriage absolutely faithful to one's chosen companion. Faithful in all sexual acts, faithful in word and in deed.
The world today is submerged, amongst other things, in an over-exaggeration of the importance of physical love, and a dearth of spiritual values. In as far as possible the believers should try to realize this and rise above the level of their fellow-men who are, typical of all decadent periods in history, placing so much over-emphasis on the purely physical side of mating. Outside of their normal, legitimate married life they should seek to establish bonds of comradeship and love which are eternal and founded on the spiritual life of man, not on his physical life. This is one of the many fields in which it is incumbent on the Bahá'ís to set the example and lead the way to a true human standard of life, when the soul of man is exalted and his body but the tool for his enlightened spirit. Needless to say this does not preclude the living of a perfectly normal sex life in its legitimate channel of marriage.
(From a letter dated 28 September 1941 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer)

September 28. On this date in 1939, Martha Root died. Shoghi Effendi had called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century" and posthumously named her a Hand of the Cause. Martha Root had met with Queen Marie of Romania, who Bahá'í sources claim was the first monarch to convert to the faith, although her daughter Ileana denied any such conversion had taken place.

September 28. On this date in 1939, Martha Root died. Shoghi Effendi had called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century" and posthumously named her a Hand of the Cause. Martha Root had met with Queen Marie of Romania, who Bahá'í sources claim was the first monarch to convert to the faith, although her daughter Ileana denied any such conversion had taken place:

It is perfectly true that my mother, Queen Marie, did receive Miss Martha Root several times…..She came at the moment when we were undergoing very great family and national stress. At such a moment it was natural that we were receptive to any kind of spiritual message, but it is quite incorrect to say that my mother or any of us at any time contemplated becoming a member of the Baha’i faith.

As regards her travel teaching, Shoghi Effendi noted her cooperation with Esperanto societies as "an excellent means of spreading the Cause."
Martha Root also authored a number of works, including one about Táhirih, titled Táhirih the Pure, wherein she notes...

The question of her returning to her husband arose, and this she absolutely refused to do. Try as they might, she would not consent to be reconciled with her husband, Mullá Muhammad. She gave as her reason: "He, in that he rejects God's religion, is unclean; between us there can be naught in common."

September 28. On this date in 1941, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer stated, regarding Spiritual Assemblies, that "These bodies have the sacred obligation to help, advise, protect and guide the believers in every way within their power when appealed to--indeed they were established just for the purpose of keeping order and unity and obedience to the law of God amongst the believers...You should go to them as a child would to its parents...."

September 28. On this date in 1941, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer stated, regarding Spiritual Assemblies, that "These bodies have the sacred obligation to help, advise, protect and guide the believers in every way within their power when appealed to--indeed they were established just for the purpose of keeping order and unity and obedience to the law of God amongst the believers...You should go to them as a child would to its parents...."

9. Purpose of Spiritual Assemblies
"...These bodies have the sacred obligation to help, advise, protect and guide the believers in every way within their power when appealed to--indeed they were established just for the purpose of keeping order and unity and obedience to the law of God amongst the believers.
"You should go to them as a child would to its parents...."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, September 28, 1941: The Local Spiritual Assembly, compiled by the Universal House of Justice)

September 27. On this date in 1947, Shoghi Effendi quoted Abdu'l-Bahá as saying "Every day at first light, ye gather the Bahá'í children together and teach them the communes and prayers. This is a most praiseworthy act, and bringeth joy to the children's hearts; that they should, at every morn, turn their faces toward the Kingdom and make mention of the Lord and praise His Name, and in the sweetest of voices, chant and recite."

September 27. On this date in 1947, Shoghi Effendi quoted Abdu'l-Bahá as saying "Every day at first light, ye gather the Bahá'í children together and teach them the communes and prayers. This is a most praiseworthy act, and bringeth joy to the children's hearts; that they should, at every morn, turn their faces toward the Kingdom and make mention of the Lord and praise His Name, and in the sweetest of voices, chant and recite."

1515. Bahá'í Children, Communes and Prayers
"...Every day at first light, ye gather the Bahá'í children together and teach them the communes and prayers. This is a most praiseworthy act, and bringeth joy to the children's hearts; that they should, at every morn, turn their faces toward the Kingdom and make mention of the Lord and praise His Name, and in the sweetest of voices, chant and recite."
(Abdu'l-Bahá: Bahá'í Education, p. 28)
"...there is no objection to children who are as yet unable to memorize a whole prayer learning certain sentences only."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, September 27, 1947)

September 27. On this date in 1947, Shoghi Effendi wrote that he "does not feel that the friends should make a practice of saying grace or of teaching it to children."

September 27. On this date in 1947, Shoghi Effendi wrote that he "does not feel that the friends should make a practice of saying grace or of teaching it to children."

1501. We Should Not Make a Practice of Saying Grace or of Teaching It to Our Children
"He does not feel that the friends should make a practice of saying grace or of teaching it to children. This is not part of the Bahá'í Faith, but a Christian practice, and as the Cause embraces members of all races and religions we should be careful not to introduce into it the customs of our previous beliefs. Bahá'u'lláh has given us the obligatory prayers, also prayers before sleeping, for travellers, etc. We should not introduce a new set of prayers He has not specified, when He has given us already so many, for so many occasions."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, September 27, 1947)

September 27. On this date in 1957, Saeid Rezaie was born. He is one of the Yaran, the ad hoc administrative structure established in Iran after that country banned the Bahá'í Administrative Order.

September 27. On this date in 1957, Saeid Rezaie was born. He is one of the Yaran, the ad hoc administrative structure established in Iran after that country banned the Bahá'í Administrative Order.

Saeid Rezaie was born in Abadan on September 27, 1957, and spent his childhood in Shiraz, where he completed high school with distinction. He then obtained a degree in agricultural engineering from Pahlavi University in Shiraz, attending with the help of a scholarship funded from outside the country.

In 1981, he married Ms. Shaheen Rowhanian. They have three children, two daughters and a son. Martha, 24, is studying library science. Ma’man, 21, is studying architecture. Payvand, 12, is in his second year of middle school.

Mr. Rezaie has actively served the Baha'i community since he was a young man. He taught Baha'i children’s classes for many years, and served the Baha'i Education and Baha'i Life Institutes. He was also a member of the National Education Institute.

He is a scholar and an author, and he has served as an academic adviser to Baha'i students.

During the early 1980s, Mr. Rezaie moved to northern Iran and worked as a farming manager for a time. Later he moved to Kerman and worked as a carpenter and at other odd jobs in part because of the difficulties Baha'is faced in finding formal employment or operating businesses.

In 1985, he opened an agricultural equipment company with a Baha'i friend in Fars Province. That company prospered and won wide respect among farmers in the region.

He was arrested and detained in 2006 that led to 40 days in solitary confinement.

His two daughters were among 54 Baha’i youth who were arrested in Shiraz in May 2006 while engaged in a humanitarian project aimed at helping underprivileged young people. They were later released but three of their colleagues were sentenced to four years in prison on false charges and are currently incarcerated in Shiraz.

In 2008. Saeid Rezaie was arrested along with the other six Yaran.

On May 14, 2009, exactly one year to the date of the arrest of the Yaran, the Universal House of Justice addressed a letter to Iranian believers.

[AUTHORIZED TRANSLATION FROM PERSIAN]

14 May 2009

To the Believers in the Cradle of the Faith

Dearly loved Friends,

A year has now passed since the former members of the Yárán were arrested. Despite what has been reported in Iran’s state-run media, the people of your nation and others throughout the world have become increasingly convinced of their innocence and, indeed, of the innocence of all Bahá’ís. A review of the events associated with the imprisonment of these seven dearly loved friends, so representative of the pattern of persecution established against the Bahá’ís of Iran, exposes a shameless travesty of justice.

The members of the Yárán were summarily arrested and subjected to intensive interrogation with no recourse to legal counsel. In an effort to construct a case against them, the authorities seized and questioned those with whom they worked closely. A full seven months elapsed before even a single pretext could be furnished for their detention. Finally, on 11 February 2009, a series of baseless charges were levelled against them, each an obvious distortion of their irreproachable efforts to tend to the needs of the Bahá’í community. Their routine correspondence with the Universal House of Justice on matters such as the difficulties facing Bahá’ís was presented as “espionage for Israel”; their allegiance to the Faith was portrayed as an insult to Islam; and their service as members of the Yárán—a group with which various agencies of the government had maintained regular contact for some twenty years—was denounced as illegal.

The authorities then proceeded to exploit the official media to condemn the Yárán in the eyes of the public. An immediate worldwide outcry made it clear to the authorities that any trial would not escape intense international scrutiny, compelling them to replace the examining magistrate. Now, some twelve weeks after the reported conclusion of investigations, the families of the Yárán have been informed that a new accusation has been levelled at the prisoners: “spreading corruption on earth” (Mufṣid-i-fil-arḍ). Such a charge can leave no doubt that the only basis for the allegations made against the Yárán is to be found in religious prejudice.

The past year has also seen an increase in the pressure brought to bear on your community as a whole. You have endured acts of violence and summary arrests and aggressive interrogations, experienced growing attempts at the coercion of young students and continued denial of higher education, and suffered economic sanctions and other privations. The ad hoc arrangements made for addressing the spiritual and social needs of the believers—the Yárán and the Khádimín—were declared illegal, and in demonstration of your sincerity as loyal, law-abiding citizens, you brought to a close their collective functioning. Yet every instance of injustice has served only to sharpen the contrast between your sincere intent and the deep­seated prejudice of those who persist in their assaults against you, a contrast that has not gone unnoticed by observers, either within or outside your country.

Support from progressive Iranian thinkers and from others in both the East and the West who champion the cause of justice grows stronger with every day that passes, and the call for the protection of your civil rights resounds ever louder. Surely you are aware of the many articles and statements issued by prominent and influential Iranians in your defence over the past few months. Similar concern has been voiced by individuals and representatives of organizations and governments in all parts of the world. Recent action taken by the Canadian House of Commons provides a noteworthy example of the recognition accorded to all fair-minded people of your country, on the one hand, and the outspoken condemnation of the persecution you are forced to bear, on the other. For an hour and a half on the evening of 30 March 2009, members of Parliament, representing every one of the country’s political parties, rose in the House of Commons and spoke of your plight with eloquence and passion. While acknowledging the distinguished role your nation has played in the advance of civilization and expressing esteem for the people of Iran and admiration for the Bahá’ís, regarded as compassionate and conciliatory, they lamented the harm caused to your country by those who persecute you and your fellow citizens. By unanimous consent they adopted a motion which “condemns the ongoing persecution of the Bahá’í minority of Iran and calls upon the government of Iran to reconsider its charges against the members of the Friends in Iran, and release them immediately or failing this, that it proceed to trial without further delay, ensuring that the proceedings are open and fair and are conducted in the presence of international observers.”

Parallel to such developments, news of the efforts you are making to accommodate recent changes, to manage the affairs of the community, and to pursue without interruption your collective endeavours has been a constant source of encouragement to us. We are in receipt of numerous communications from across Iran, forwarded here through both your friends and Bahá’í institutions outside of the country, that point to your unwavering resolve. This correspondence raises many questions, some of which we will address in a separate response in the coming days; it also testifies to the determination with which you are discharging your individual spiritual responsibilities, are providing for the spiritual education of all members of your community irrespective of age, are cooperating with your fellow citizens to further the social and economic development of Iran, and are engaging in constructive discussions with your neighbours, friends, relatives, and co-workers. We offer gratitude to God that your lives have become a reflection of the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:

Man’s honour and glory lie in purity, truthfulness, benevolence, virtue and constancy, not in earthly vanities and riches. Should a soul succeed in rendering a signal service to the world of humanity, and in particular to the land of Persia, he will be exalted above the most exalted and will be accounted as the greatest of the great ones. This, indeed, is abounding riches! This, indeed, is abundant treasure! This, indeed, is everlasting wealth!

Among the communications you have sent are many kind expressions of sentiment, written for the occasions of Naw-Rúz and Riḍván. We reciprocate warmest greetings to each and every one of you, extending our very best wishes for a year filled with opportunities to serve your country and your compatriots. May the coming year witness, by the grace of God, the dawning of the sun of justice in your homeland, that the darkness of adversity may be dispelled and the horizon of peace and prosperity open before you and your people.

Dear friends: It is known to every person of insight that those who sow the seeds of dissension will ultimately reap the bitter fruit. Calumny and lies, employed toward dishonourable ends, will result only in the erosion of public trust. The mass of the people, observing with discernment the acts against you, will cease, in the end, to be misled by such deception and will be compelled instead to examine the true character of your beliefs and aspirations. So it is that the air now reverberates with the outcry for the protection of your civil rights, raised by fair-minded Iranians in schools and universities and throughout the various sectors of society.

With these words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá we beseech Divine assistance on your behalf:

O Divine Providence! Bestow Thine aid and vouchsafe Thine assistance. Dispel this darksome cloud and disperse this obscuring mist. Waft Thy life-giving breezes and quicken the lifeless hearts. Rain down the showers of Thy mercy and refresh this withered plant. Cause the bowers of human hearts to become the gardens of the all-glorious Paradise and the realities of human souls to become the meadows of the Concourse on high.

[signed: The Universal House of Justice]

September 27. On this date in 1912, during his tour of North America, Mahmud's Diary relates that 'Abdu’l-Bahá availed himself of the resort amenities in Glenwood Springs, Colorado where he "strolled in the spacious garden and boulevard adjacent to the hotel until He reached the river where there were bath houses and hot springs...the Master went to the baths with the entire party."

September 27. On this date in 1912, during his tour of North America, Mahmud's Diary relates that 'Abdu’l-Bahá availed himself of the resort amenities in Glenwood Springs, Colorado where he "strolled in the spacious garden and boulevard adjacent to the hotel until He reached the river where there were bath houses and hot springs...the Master went to the baths with the entire party."

After morning tea, the Master left the hotel for a walk. Three magnificent mountains stood in the distance on three sides, each crowned with trees and adorned with flowers of many hues. They were like peacock feathers and had a unique beauty from every viewpoint. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá strolled in the spacious garden and boulevard adjacent to the hotel until He reached the river where there were bath houses and hot springs. On the other side of the river, spanned by a two-story bridge, the tall buildings of the city could be seen rising high on the horizon. At the insistence of His companions the Master went to the baths with the entire party, thus bestowing upon us everlasting honor. The rooms and bathing facilities were magnificent. In a special room hot water gushed from a natural cave. It was so hot that a person could not stay more than 15 minutes. Coming out of the bath, the Master said:

Today I am relieved of fatigue. We have been to many lovely places during this journey but because of our work we had no time to look at the scenery. We did not even think of a moment’s rest. Today, however, we have had a little respite.

September 26. On this date in 1957, Shoghi Effendi wrote, "Your Assembly should not remove the names of Bahá'ís from the voting list just because they do not attend meetings or just because their addresses are unknown. It is hard to make Bahá'ís; and you must try and help them and reactivate them, and find those whose addresses are unknown if you can."

September 26. On this date in 1957, Shoghi Effendi wrote, "Your Assembly should not remove the names of Bahá'ís from the voting list just because they do not attend meetings or just because their addresses are unknown. It is hard to make Bahá'ís; and you must try and help them and reactivate them, and find those whose addresses are unknown if you can."

293. Voting List, Names Should Not Be Removed from
"Your Assembly should not remove the names of Bahá'ís from the voting list just because they do not attend meetings or just because their addresses are unknown. It is hard to make Bahá'ís; and you must try and help them and reactivate them, and find those whose addresses are unknown if you can."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Assembly of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, September 26, 1957)

September 26. On this date in 1978, the UHJ wrote that "a believer who continues to take alcoholic drinks...is subject to loss of his voting rights."

September 26. On this date in 1978, the UHJ wrote that "a believer who continues to take alcoholic drinks...is subject to loss of his voting rights."

181. Alcoholic Beverages--Those Who Continue to Drink
"In the case of a believer who continues to take alcoholic drinks, the Assembly should decide whether the offence is flagrant, and, if it is, should try to help him to understand the importance of obeying the Bahá'í law. If he does not respond he must be repeatedly warned and, if this is unsuccessful, he is subject to loss of his voting rights. In the case of an alcoholic who is trying to overcome his weakness the Assembly must show especial patience, and may have to suggest professional counselling and assistance. If the offence is not flagrant, the Assembly need take no action at all."
(From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, September 26, 1978)

September 26. On this date in 1908, David Hoffman, who served on the Universal House of Justice from 1963 until 1988 and before that on the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles for 27 years, was born.

September 26. On this date in 1908, David Hoffman, who served on the Universal House of Justice from 1963 until 1988 and before that on the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles for 27 years, was born.

David Hoffman was born on May 9, 1908 in Poona, India where his father served in the British Army. Educated in England, as a young man he set out to see the world. While in Canada during the 1930s, he encountered the Bahá’í Faith at the home of May and William Sutherland Maxwell in Montreal. He became a Bahá’í and continued his travels, living for a time in Hollywood, California, and appearing in a number of silent movies. Back in England he earned several acting roles in the West End of London and in 1937 became the world's only television announcer on the BBC's first television transmissions. His voice was also heard on the radio, on the BBC's Empire Service.

Following World War II he married former US Olympic athlete Marion Holley, who predeceased him. They had two children.

The Hofmans were very active members of the Bahá’í community, establishing Bahá’í communities in Northampton, Birmingham, Oxford, Cardiff, and Watford. Mr. Hofman served for 27 years as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles. To promote books of religious interest, including titles on the Bahá’í Faith, he established the publishing firm George Ronald, whose first title was The Renewal of Civilization, a book he wrote as an introduction to the Bahá’í Faith. Years later he authored a biography of Hand of the Cause George Townshend.

David Hoffman was elected to the inaugural Universal House of Justice at the first International Convention in 1963 and served on that body for 25 years, until retiring in 1988. As a member of the Universal House of Justice, David Hoffman was instrumental in applying pressure onthe academic Denis MacEoin.

In 2003, Juan Cole described in a message on the Talisman mail list the pressure placed on Denis MacEoin by the Bahá'í Administrative Order...

Denis MacEoin did not withdraw from the faith, he was chased out by powerful Baha'i fundamentalists who were deeply threatened by the implications of his historical work. Denis became a Baha'i in North Ireland around 1965 and quickly emerged as a Baha'i youth leader. He was chosen to come to Haifa to commemorate the 1968 anniversary of Baha'u'llah's Letters to the Kings.
He then wrote the House saying he did not know whether to serve the Faith by becoming an academic scholar of the Middle East or by going pioneering. They wrote back that either path would be praiseworthy. (They later stabbed him in the back about this). He therefore entered graduate school at Edinburgh in Middle East Studies, then went on to Cambridge University for his Ph.D. He was the first academic to study the Babi movement with all the tools of modern scholarship, and his findings were groundbreaking.
Denis made the mistake of continuing to be an active Baha'i. Since the community is so heavily dominated by aggressive fundamentalist fanatics, if a genuine academic wants to be a Baha'i s/he has to keep a low profile. Denis did not. He gave summer school talks. He was once viciously attacked by Abu al-Qasim Faizi. His new ideas were upsetting the conservative British community. He objected when the Baha'i authorities supported dictators like Pinochet and Bokassa. He corresponded with the Los Angeles Study Class and some of his letters were published in their newsletter (a newsletter that the Baha'i authorities later closed down, for all the world like Tehran ayatollahs pulling a publishing license).
Around 1980, fundamentalist UHJ members Ian Semple and David Hoffman called Denis to a meeting and told him he would have to fall silent (rather as the Vatican did to Leonardo Boff). Hoffman was especially harsh. Denis declined to fall silent, and ultimately withdrew from the Faith. He was pushed out by anti-intellectual bigots who had risen high in the Baha'ihierarchy and become Infallible. Denis's works on the Babi and Baha'i movements are some of the few pieces of solid scholarship that exist.
Instead of being grateful to him for sacrificing all those years living in penury as a graduate student, studying Arabic and Persian, traveling to a dangerous Middle East, all for the service of Baha'u'llah, the community could think of nothing better to do than viciously attack him and throw him in the gutter of infamy.
Denis's story is the story of most thinking people who have anything serious to do with the Baha'i faith. Either they adopt a cult-like mindset of true believers and covenant breakers, in which case they gradually cease being thinking persons, or they get chased out by the wild-eyed. A few people manage to avoid either fate by not drawing attention to themselves. The Baha'i Extreme Orthodox are like the Borg in Star Trek. They want to assimilate you, but might leave you alone if you stay quiet.
cheers
Juan Cole
https://www.juancole.com/

Juan Cole would continue on subsequent posts...

He wasn't saying anything polemic. He was just discovering who the Babis really were from solid historical sources. The powerful Baha'is, who have all the open-mindedness of Wahhabis, did not like it. It did not look like the fireside talks everyone grew up with, so they shoved Denis out of the community with threats of sanctions echoing about his ears.
cheers Juan

and later

Denis's works were mostly published in Middle East or Religion journals or as academic books, and most could be gotten on interlibrary loan. There may be some things at www.bahai-library.org, and there certainly is a bibliography there.
I apologize that I am off to a conference, so cannot go into depth but there are others here who can discuss Denis's findings.
As to why they should have angered anyone, I suppose you'd have to pass them by a Baha'i fundamentalist and they would tell you. You could just ask about MacEoin at e.g. soc.religion.bahai or about his ideas on Babis. Or at beliefnet. I presume you will get an earful. One of them once more or less threatened to cut my head off with a sword, so they can be an irritable bunch.
cheers Juan
https://www.juancole.com/