February 4. On this date in 1958, Horace Holley, Secretary of the NSA of the U.S., responded to a cable from the Custodians sent one day previous stating "seriously disturbed (by the) statement New Baha'i Era issued (by the) American Hands...proclamation consider this (a) grave danger (to the) unity (of the) Faith.."
To the Hands of the Cause of God in the Holy Land
Dear Friends:
In accordance with your urgent request, steps are being taken to delete from our statement "A New Bahá'í Era" the reference to the door being closed to any hope for a future second Guardian, and the passage attributing to your body the authority to expel Covenant-breakers from the Faith.
Since your cablegram arrived in between meetings of the National Assembly, this letter is only an acknowledgement of your cable and any further communications will be based on consultation of the Hands and National Assembly members.
Since you saw only excerpts from our statement, a copy of the complete statement is enclosed.
Sincerely
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States
By: Horace Holley, Secretary
On February 3, 1958, the Custodians cabled the American Hands of the Cause of God "seriously disturbed (by the) statement New Baha'i Era issued (by the) American Hands...proclamation consider this (a) grave danger (to the) unity (of the) Faith.."
AMERICAN HANDS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CARE BAHA'I WILMETTE
CUSTODIANS SERIOUSLY DISTURBED STATEMENT A NEW BAHA'I ERA ISSUED AMERICAN HANDS NSA INTERPRETING ADDING Bahji, PROCLAMATION CONSIDER THIS GRAVE DANGER UNITY FAITH URGE DELETE ALL REFERENCE DOOR APPOINTMENT SECOND GUARDIAN CLOSED RIGHT NINE EXPEL COVENANT BREAKERS STOP STATEMENTS THIS NATURE CAN BE MADE ONLY ENTIRE BODY HANDS AS CHIEF STEWARDS AND NOT BY ANY NSA OR GROUP HANDS STOP THIS STATEMENT NOT YET RECEIVED BY CUSTODIANS BUT EXCERPTS FORWARDED HERE WITH PROTESTS STOP SUGGEST FOCUS ATTENTION RELEASE FIRST INTERCONTINENTAL CONFERENCE FORESHADOWING INSPIRING SUCCESS FOUR REMAINING CONFERENCES GREAT RALLYING POINTS CREATED BY BELOVED GUARDIAN AID BELIEVERS ADJUST TO SITUATION REMAIN FIRM COVENANT CONCENTRATE TASKS FIVE REMAINING YEARS CRUSADE STOP REQUEST ALL CORRESPONDENCE FOR HANDS HOLY LAND ADDRESSED THEM DIRECTLY NOT TO INDIVIDUAL.
[CABLE]
HANDSFAITH
Horace Holley, as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly and the New York Spiritual Assembly, had attempted to gain control of the "New History Society," which Ahmad Sohrab had founded in 1929 with Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler and his wife Julie, in order to propagate the Bahá'í Faith. The conflict resulted in Ahmad Sohrab and the Chanlers' being declared Covenant-breakers around 1939.
Ahmad Sohrab had served as 'Abdu'l-Bahá's secretary and interpreter from 1912 to 1919, and in 1929, with Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler and his wife Julie, formed the "New History Society" in order to propagate the Bahá'í Faith. Conflict arose when Horace Holley, member of the National Spiritual Assembly, and the New York Spiritual Assembly attempted to gain control of the "New History Society," ultimately resulting in Ahmad Sohrab and the Chanlers' being declared Covenant-breakers around 1939.
On March 31, 1941, the New York Supreme Court dismissed a court case brought by National Spiritual Assembly and Trustees of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada against Mirza Ahmad Sohrab for the use of the word "Bahá'í." The judge granted a motion to dismiss, stating that "the plaintiffs have no right to a monopoly of the name of a religion. The defendants, who purport to be members of the same religion, have an equal right to use the name of the religion..."
On March 10, 1958, four months after Shoghi Effendi's death, the Hands of the Cause of God resident in Haifa addressed a letter "To the Hand of the Cause, Mr. Horace Holley" feeling "it necessary to urge that the statement 'A New Bahá'í Era' be withdrawn from circulation.
To the Hand of the Cause, Mr. Horace Holley
March 10, 1958
Revered Bahá'í Brother:
The Hands in the Holy Land are sending a detailed answer to the questions raised in the letter of February 24, 1958 addressed to us by the American Hands and the National Spiritual Assembly.
We believe that the points covered in our letter also meet the request made in your separate communication of February 25 to your fellow Hands in Haifa.
Here, as you know, we receive letters from all parts of the world which reflect the approach of the believers of diverse backgrounds to the problems created by the beloved Guardian's passing. As a result, the Custodians have been made very conscious of the necessity to strive for unity in the approach to fundamental matters affecting the structure and future development of the Cause. The Custodians from East and West are aware of the wisdom of avoiding statements or points of view on basic issues which cannot be accepted equally by East and West, and indeed by all of the Bahá'í world, especially in this period, so soon after the ascension of the beloved Guardian, when we are still unable to grasp the full implications of the present situation.
It would have been a great help if you yourself could have served here in these early and critical months, and given us the benefit of your experience and clarity of thought on the many pressing issues with which we have had to cope.
You will now, we feel sure, understand our delicate position and the reasons why we felt it necessary to urge that the statement "A New Bahá'í Era" be withdrawn from circulation. Your fellow-Hands serving here are confident you will place this whole question and its world-wide implications before the members of your National Assembly in such a way that they will fully understand the reasons underlying the actions taken here.
No doubt when the entire body of the Hands gather at our next meeting later this year we will have many things to discuss, and each one win have a greater contribution to make in view of this tragic year's experiences.
We all send you our devoted love and assure you that you are often remembered in our prayers.
Yours in the service of the beloved Guardian,
HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
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