October 13. On this date in 1920, Jináb-i-Fádil Mazandarání gave a "Speech Before the Canadian Club" stating "Bahá'u'lláh abrogated polygamy and repealed the law of divorce...the Turkish and Imperial Governments of Persia united together to exterminate his cause. Of course they did not like Bahá'u'lláh because the promotion of His teachings would not have allowed them to practice polygamy and set aside their wives whenever they pleased. These things caused them to arise against Him."
Jináb-i-Fádil Mazandarání was a devout Bahá'í academic whose works were later censored by Hand of the Cause of God and Iran National Spiritual Assembly Member 'Alí-Akbar Furútan.
"Speech before the Canadian Club"
Wednesday, 13 October 1920 — Location Unrecorded
I am highly honored and feel the greatest privilege to stand in the presence of the members of the Canadian Club and the honorable chairman to convey to you the message of love and peace from Persia. Although it is nearly seventeen months since I left my Native land, conditions have not changed much. In order to understand the present situation in Persia , it is better to bring before our vision the great changes which have been brought in that country during the last few years. Praise be to God that you are well informed in regard to these matters. The national religion of Persia is Mohammedan although certain minorities such as Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians are found the majority of the people are followers of the Arabian prophet.
The religious prejudices and fanaticisms as practiced by the Mohammedans against the Christians you are well aware of. Not only a this prejudice is directed against the Christians but all other religions because the Mohammedans look upon themselves as the chosen race. In the east because there are no strong legal laws prevent people from extreme religious fanaticism people actions are turned into savage attacks. Repeatedly they fight one another . Kill and carry into captivity the women and children. No law has been powerful enough to prevent the perpetration of these practices. The people were submerged in the sea of superstitions and dogmatism.
The ancient Persia was the cradle of civilization and refinement It is written in authoritative history that in the middle ages as astronomy medicine, and algebra were introduced into Europe from Persia through the civilization established by the Arabs in Spain.
However, in the last two or three centuries many causes to bring the decadence and degeneration of the Persian people. Religious prejudices were so strong the Persian people were not ready to accept the modern ideas of civilization because the promotion of these scientific principles would destroy the root of their tree of prejudices. For example the old astrological ideas were based on the Ptolemaic system ; the heavens were divided into seven cycles each cycle being fashioned of gold, silver up to the diamond. The introduction of Copernican system would have blown up those antiquated ideas. The earth was likewise divided into seven stratas and according to their teaching in each strata a peculiar race lived. Now geology would have destroyed these superstitions. Such beliefs were part of their religious ideals and it was most difficult to change them.
A hundred years ago there was hardly any modern educational system in Persia, the women were looked upon as inferior beings having no special privileges of culture and development. Polygamy and divorce were rife. These conditions were like black clouds that befogged the horizon of the minds.
Under these disheartening conditions Bahá'u'lláh appeared from the horizon of Persia like unto a glorious sun and flooded the regions of that land with the rays of new teachings. This was about seventy years ago. Through the influence of his new teaching the realm of thought underwent a great change. He wrote many books and treatises inculcating the universal principles of spiritual civilization. He called on the Persian people to display great effort in education for this is the most important problem of life. He advocated the standardization of a universal system of education for all humanity so that the children of the world may receive equal share of knowledge and sciences, no matter where they live.
Immediately after the spread of these ideals new schools for the education of the girls were founded for he said the education of the girls is by far more important than the boys. For the boys would get some kind of education in the school of hard knocks but the girl becomes the potential mother of the race and consequently her education must be of paramount importance. Bahá'u'lláh abrogated polygamy and repealed the law of divorce. He cemented the hearts of contradictory religions and made them united. He made the Mohammedans , Zoroastrians and the Jews to understand and believe in the divinity of Christ. Today of all these various religions accept His Teachings and become real Christians. Should one of you go to Persia today, you will see gatherings composed of the Jews, Mohammedans, Christians and Zoroastrians cemented together and more loving to each other than brothers.
The Persian Government being autocratic and the Mohammedan clergy oligarchic more than twenty thousand of Bahá'ís were martyred and their leaders banished. Even the Turkish and Imperial Governments of Persia united together to exterminate his cause. Of course they did not like Bahá'u'lláh because the promotion of His teachings would not have allowed them to practice polygamy and set aside their wives whenever they pleased. These things caused them to arise against Him.
Bahá'u'lláh taught the Bahá'ís to become devoid of all prejudices, serve the world of humanity and render every effort to promulgate the cause of universal peace.
During the great world war the Persian Government fell into great difficulties. Persia is situated between the countries of Russia, England and Turkey. Because the large number of government officials were Bahá'ís and because Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá had praised the justice of the British Empire the Persian people did not like to go on the side of the Central Powers. Many years ago Bahá'u'lláh wrote an epistle to Queen Victoria in which He praised very highly the constitutional monarchy of that country, because sovereignty is combined with democracy. That is one of the reasons why from the beginning the Persian people were friendly to the British Empire because they hope through her a greater measure of justice, progress and enlightenment would be vouchsafed to her. But the mass of the people because they were ignorant were swayed by demagogues who were sympathetic to the Central Powers. They desired to go over to Turkey and Germany because the Emperor had announced himself as the protector of the Mohammedans throughout the world. Although they held great mass meetings to arouse the suspicions of the mob the Bahá'ís kept away from all alliances with the Central Powers. Although Persia removed theoretically neutral yet her land became the contending ground of the various armies. The Turks and the Russians in turn invaded the country with large hordes, pillaged property, large towns and villages were destroyed and the inhabitants put to sword. Pestilence and famine came afterwards and swept many parts of Persia from every vestige of life. But after a while through different channels 'Abdu'l-Bahá was able to write to the authorities in Persia to keep with the allies.
Through the enumeration of the statistics he proved that Egypt before the English occupation was sunk in poverty, misery and ignorance, but since the British Dominion that country has become very prosperous and will have continued prestige under the British Empire. For this reason when I left my native land negotiations were under way to make a new treaty with Britain which would bring the two countries nearer to each other and establish, peace , tranquility and composure in that land.
Bahá'u'lláh predicted the events of this great world war nearly sixty years ago. The book containing these predictions was published forty years ago in Bombay, India and is in the possession of many people. He clearly writes that the end of this war will bring the downfall of Germany and the dismemberment of Turkey. When the war broke I was living in Persia. Some of the people who were sympathetic with Turkey took this book and carried it to the Turkish and German ministers, showing them that Bahá'u'lláh has prophesized their downfall. Their aim was to excite these two governments against the Bahá'ís. The Bahá'ís and Mohammedans during the war made great wagers in regard to the fulfillment of these prophecies. The Mohammedans went so far as to say if these prophecies came to pass they would become Bahá'ís. This movement desires to establish justice among the people of Persia; to remove all signs of misunderstanding to bring an end all wars and rumors of wars, for wars are not in accord with the good pleasure of the Lord. All humanity are the children of God. We are one flock and the real shepherd is the Creator. These differences owe their origins to misunderstandings If you could polish the mirror of the heart from the rust of misunderstandings, the sun of good fellowship would arise shine upon the surfaces of those hearts. Bahá'u'lláh renewed the spirituality of religion. He desired that our faith may become in accord with science and reason and demonstrated the unity of all truth. Praise be to God that we are in the century of light, in the age of discoveries. All the books of various religions have been translated into different languages of the earth. Truly I say, the world has become one home, the children of mankind are one family. Unity is the watchword of all the people, the lights of truth are being permeated to all parts. We from the Orient are looking toward the day when the Kingdom of God will be established upon the earth, the consciousness of man become universalized and ideals of unity, harmony and concord take their abode in the hearts of the people.
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