December 30. On this date in 1945, Shoghi Effendi wrote German Bahá'ís his "feelings of great pride and deep sorrow that he read of the sufferings of the German believers."
On February 11, 1934, Shoghi Effendi addressed a letter to a German Bahá'í stating about the Nazi government that "obedience to the regulations and orders of the state is indeed, the sacred obligation of every true and loyal Bahá'í" and that "our German friends are under the sacred obligation to whole-heartedly obey the existing political regime, whatever be their personal views and criticisms of its actual working. There is nothing more contrary to the spirit of the Cause than open rebellion against the governmental authorities of a country, specially if they do not interfere in and do not oppose the inner and sacred beliefs and religious convictions of the individual. And there is every reason to believe that the present regime in Germany, which has thus far refused to trample upon the domain of individual conscience in all matters pertaining to religion will never encroach upon it in the near future, unless some unforeseen and unexpected changes take place. And this seems to be doubtful at present."
On April 25, 1938, one month after Nazi Germany's Anschluss of Austria, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi stated "it made him immensely happy to realize that the friends in Germany and Austria have been again drawn together, and are closer than ever in the past. He hopes that the removal of the barriers which have hitherto so sadly separated the German and Austrian communities will mark the beginning of a new era of unprecedented growth and expansion in your affairs."
30 December 1945
Beloved Bahá'í Friends:
Your letter of April 4th has just been received by our beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer it at once on his behalf.
It was with feelings of great pride and deep sorrow that he read of the sufferings of the German believers for their Faith and the persecutions they underwent so heroically, and with such unflinching loyalty, for our Holy Cause.
All during these long and tragic years of war his thoughts have been with the Community of the German believers, and his prayers have constantly been offered for their protection and the lightening of their heavy burden. Other Bahá'í Communities, like France and England, have also suffered, but not to the extent of the German and Burmese friends who have been in lands ravaged by war and invasion, and in the hands, at the same time, of political parties who persecuted them.
The loss of all the records of the National and Local Assemblies is indeed very great, and he hopes that your family, Dr. Muhlschlegel, Dr. Schmidt, Herr Jorn, Anna &Kostlin, Frau Schweizer, Frau Schwarz--, in fact, all the old believers, will try and reconstruct from memory, and write down, as much of the history of the Cause in Germany as they can remember, so that some accurate records for the future will remain. He would also like you to write a comprehensive account of what the Bahá'ís have endured in Germany since 1937 for the "Bahá'í World", vol. X, and send it to him as soon as possible. The news of the German believers' activities has been sadly missed in the last two volumes, and he is anxious to have them take their place again as soon as possible.
He has just written to N.S.A. of America urging them to help, and do all they can to protect the German Bahá'ís; he has also urged them to make every effort to get German Bahá'í books published, and sent to Germany as soon as possible.
You all have a tremendous task before you. He knows how great is the suffering for just ordinary German citizens at present as an aftermath of the war--but in spite of these physical hardships the German believers are called upon to establish again the institutions of their Faith, teach its life-giving message to the masses, and help their country to obtain the spiritual destiny 'Abdu'l-Bahá foresaw for it. You may be sure the Guardian and the Bahá'ís everywhere will do all in their power to help the German believers accomplish their tasks.
Please assure all the friends--especially those who have lost dear ones in the war--of his most loving and ardent prayers on their behalf, and of his feelings of pride and gratitude for their devotion and loyalty to the Faith.
To you all he sends his loving greetings, his deep appreciation of your spirit, and the assurance of his constant prayers....
In the Guardian's own handwriting:
Dearly-beloved friends:
My heart is filled with joy, pride and gratitude as I witness, thru the receipt of your most welcome letter, the evidences of the protection of the Almighty and of the vitality of the faith of the long-suffering German believers, who have laboured so devotedly and valiantly during so long and crucial a period and who as a community have survived the greatest ordeal in the history of their Faith in that land. My prayers during these years of danger, of stress, of suspense and anxiety have ever surrounded them, and I rejoice to learn of their safety, their unity, their zeal, and their determination to arise and resume the great and historic work they are destined to carry to a triumphant conclusion in the years that lie ahead. The organization of spiritual assemblies, the reestablishment of the national assembly, the formation of national committees are the immediate objectives, and should, if possible be carried out with the utmost speed and vigour, for upon them will rest the expansion and consolidation of the activities of a sorely-tried Faith. I am appealing to various Bahá'í communities in East and West to lend their assistance in whatever manner possible to the arduous task of reconstruction that now faces the German believers. I long to hear of the news of the friends in other parts of that land and will do my utmost to aid them to resume their activity and services to our beloved Faith. Please assure them all of my great love, of my profound admiration, of my bright hopes for their future, of my heartfelt gratitude for their perseverance and of my fervent prayers for their future success.
Your true brother,
Shoghi Dec. 30th, 1945
Dear Bahá'í Friends:
It was with great joy that the beloved Guardian received your letter of Aug. 1st, and he has instructed me to answer it on his behalf.
During these long, sad, years of separation his thoughts have constantly been with the well-loved German Bahá'ís, and his ardent prayers have been offered in the Holy Shrines for their protection and the protection of the Faith there.
Now that the friends are once again free to profess their beliefs, hold their meetings, teach the Cause, and uphold its institutions, he hopes they will exert their utmost to reestablish, as speedily as possible, the Bahá'í Communities of Germany. The Faith in that land had, before it was suppressed and banned, just began to enjoy the fruits of many long years of labour to promulgate it, and create its administrative bodies; he hopes that all the German Bahá'ís will unite to bring it to the former level of prosperity it enjoyed.
He wishes to assure you all, and through you, all your Bahá'í brothers and sisters in Germany, that he will do all in his power to assist you in your labours, and that your &fellow-Baha'is the world over will likewise aid you as much as they can.
The beloved Master cherished very bright hopes for the future of the German Bahá'ís. His promises and prophecies will surely be fulfilled, and the Holy Faith not only be reestablished in Germany but grow and expand as never before.
The Guardian has urged the American N.S.A. to supply the German Bahá'ís with literature as soon as possible; this will enable you to bring the teachings to your sore-stricken countrymen, and enlist them under the banner of Bahá'u'lláh.
You may be sure the Guardian's loving prayers surround you all and sustain you in your labours for the Cause....
In the Guardian's own handwriting:
Dearly-beloved Friends:
Your joint and most welcome letter brought indescribable joy to my heart. I am thrilled by this latest and indeed most significant evidence of the unfailing protection of the Almighty, and of His manifold blessings vouchsafed to His dearly-beloved and worthy servants labouring so heroically for His Faith in that land. Though I am greatly saddened by the fate that has overtaken a few of them during this prolonged ordeal they have experienced, I rejoice and am filled with gratitude, pride and happiness to realize that the Faith itself has survived this fiery test, and has demonstrated its resilience, its vitality and incorruptibility after so crucial a period of stress, of suffering and danger. The duty facing the triumphant community in your land is to reconstruct, with the utmost speed and vigour its administrative institutions, and above all, its national assembly. I will appeal to our brethren in East and West to offer every assistance in their power for the rehabilitation of a community which is destined to play, in accordance with `Abdu'l-Bahá's prophecy, so vital a role in the future orientation and expansion of the world-wide Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. I will do everything I possibly can to help it in its task and assist it in the achievement of its high destiny. I will pray and supplicate on its behalf the abundant blessings of the Almighty, that its influence may revive, its number increase, its activities multiply, its resource develop, and its mission be fulfilled.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
On February 11, 1934, Shoghi Effendi addressed a letter to a German Bahá'í stating about the Nazi government
that "obedience to the regulations and orders of the state is indeed,
the sacred obligation of every true and loyal Bahá'í" and that "our
German friends are under the sacred obligation to whole-heartedly obey
the existing political regime,
whatever be their personal views and criticisms of its actual working.
There is nothing more contrary to the spirit of the Cause than open
rebellion against the governmental authorities of a country, specially
if they do not interfere in and do not oppose the inner and sacred
beliefs and religious convictions of the individual. And there is every
reason to believe that the present regime in Germany,
which has thus far refused to trample upon the domain of individual
conscience in all matters pertaining to religion will never encroach
upon it in the near future, unless some unforeseen and unexpected
changes take place. And this seems to be doubtful at present."
11 February 1934On April 25, 1938, one month after Nazi Germany's Anschluss of Austria, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi stated "it made him immensely happy to realize that the friends in Germany and Austria have been again drawn together, and are closer than ever in the past. He hopes that the removal of the barriers which have hitherto so sadly separated the German and Austrian communities will mark the beginning of a new era of unprecedented growth and expansion in your affairs."
Dear Bahá'í Brother,
I am charged by the Guardian to thank you for your letter of Jan. 30th as well as for the enclosed pamphlet containing the address delivered by Herr Hitler on Oct. 14th, 1933, on the subject of Germany's attitude towards peace, all of which he read with deepest care and sustained interest. He wishes me to convey to you and to all the members of your German National Assembly and through them to all the followers of the Faith in Germany his views on the present conditions in that land, and particularly in their relation to the nature and scope of the Bahá'í activities of our German believers.
At the outset it should be made indubitably clear that the Bahá'í Cause being essentially a religious movement of a spiritual character stands above every political party or group, and thus cannot and should not act in contravention to the principles, laws, and doctrines of any government. Obedience to the regulations and orders of the state is indeed, the sacred obligation of every true and loyal Bahá'í. Both Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá have urged us all to be submissive and loyal to the political authorities of our respective countries. It follows, therefore, that our German friends are under the sacred obligation to whole-heartedly obey the existing political regime, whatever be their personal views and criticisms of its actual working. There is nothing more contrary to the spirit of the Cause than open rebellion against the governmental authorities of a country, specially if they do not interfere in and do not oppose the inner and sacred beliefs and religious convictions of the individual. And there is every reason to believe that the present regime in Germany which has thus far refused to trample upon the domain of individual conscience in all matters pertaining to religion will never encroach upon it in the near future, unless some unforeseen and unexpected changes take place. And this seems to be doubtful at present.
For whereas the friends should obey the government under which they live, even at the risk of sacrificing all their administrative affairs and interests, they should under no circumstances suffer their inner religious beliefs and convictions to be violated and transgressed by any authority whatever. A distinction of a fundamental importance must, therefore, be made between spiritual and administrative matters. Whereas the former are sacred and inviolable, and hence cannot be subject to compromise, the latter are secondary and can consequently be given up and even sacrificed for the sake of obedience to the laws and regulations of the government. Obedience to the state is so vital a principle of the Cause that should the authorities in Germany decide to-day to prevent the Bahá'ís from holding any meeting or publishing any literature they should obey and be as submissive as our Russian believers have thus far been under the Soviet regime. But, as already pointed out, such an allegiance is confined merely to administrative matters which if checked can only retard the progress of the Faith for some time. In matters of belief, however, no compromise whatever should be allowed, even though the outcome of it be death or expulsion
There is one more point to be emphasized in this connection. The principle of obedience to government does not place any Bahá'í under the obligation of identifying the teachings of his Faith with the political program enforced by the government. For such an identification, besides being erroneous and contrary to both the spirit as well as the form of the Bahá'í message, would necessarily create a conflict within the conscience of every loyal believer.
For reasons which are only too obvious the Bahá'í philosophy of social and political organization cannot be fully reconciled with the political doctrines and conceptions that are current and much in vogue to-day. The wave of nationalism, so aggressive and so contagious in its effects, which has swept not only over Europe but over a large part of mankind is, indeed, the very negation of the gospel of peace and of brotherhood proclaimed by Bahá'u'lláh. The actual trend in the political world is, indeed, far from being in the direction of the Bahá'í teachings. The world is drawing nearer and nearer to a universal catastrophe which will mark the end of a bankrupt and of a fundamentally defective civilization.
From such considerations we can well conclude that we as Bahá'ís can in no wise identify the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh with man-made creeds and conceptions, which by their very nature are impotent to save the world from the dangers with which it is being so fiercely and so increasingly assailed.
The Guardian hopes that these brief explanations will be sufficient to guide our German National Assembly in their efforts to safeguard and promote the interests of the Faith, and that through them they will be given a new vision of the Cause and a fresh determination to carry forward its message to the world at large.
With greetings and best wishes to you and to all the friends in Germany,...
In the Guardian's own handwriting:
Dear and valued co-worker:
I wish to add a few words in loving appreciation of your strenuous, your intelligent and devoted efforts for the spread and consolidation of our beloved Faith. May the Almighty bless your endeavours, deepen your understanding of the essentials and requirements of our beloved Cause, and enable you in these difficult and challenging days to promote its interests and consolidate its institutions,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
25 April 1938
Dear Friends,
The postcard message which you had sent the Guardian on the occasion of Dr. Muhlschlegel's visit to Vienna, has just been received, and it made him immensely happy to realize that the friends in Germany and Austria have been again drawn together, and are closer than ever in the past. He hopes that the removal of the barriers which have hitherto so sadly separated the German and Austrian communities will mark the beginning of a new era of unprecedented growth and expansion in your affairs. He is certain that you are fully alive to the far-reaching possibilities which the present hour offers, and wishes you therefore to be happy and thankful, and confident in the blessings which the future has in store for you, and your dear co-workers in that land.
I take this opportunity of assuring you once more of his prayers for your welfare, protection and continued guidance, and reciprocating your very kind greetings,...
In the Guardian's own handwriting:
Assuring you in person of my incessant prayers for your protection, guidance and happiness,
your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
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