August 29. On this date in 1912, the Montreal Gazzette introduced "‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who is 68 years old, is the centre of the Bahá’í movement, with a following in Persia, his native country, of three million people, while many thousands of others are to be found in India, Egypt and Turkey."
August 24. On this date in 1912, an article in The Montreal Daily Star announced that "'Abdu’l-Bahá, one of the supreme religious figures of the Orient, and known the world over as the head of the Bahá’í movement, with over three million followers in his native Persia alone, will arrive in Montreal about the end of August, to remain in the city for about a week." The article also stated that, "to be a Bahá’í it is not necessary to cut away from one’s religious affiliations. On the contrary, each man is asked to cling more closely to his own church or faith."
During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had the following interaction with a Christian...
A student of the modern methods of the higher criticism asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if he would do well to continue in the church with which he had been associated all his life, and whose language was full of meaning to him. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered: “You must not dissociate yourself from it. Know this; the Kingdom of God is not in any Society; some seekers go through many Societies as a traveller goes through many cities till he reach his destination. If you belong to a Society already do not forsake your brothers. You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán. The number nine contains eight, and seven, and all the other numbers, and does not deny any of them. Do not distress or deny anyone by saying ‘He is not a Bahá’í!’
During his tour of North America in 1912, coverage in news stories would report this comment.
For example, on February 18, 1912, an article in "The Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Press" featured an article stating "In some respects the Bahá’í movement is the most remarkable of modern times. It isn’t a religion, in the sense that Christianity and Mohammedism and other faiths are religions. Its followers belong to many diverse sects, remaining Christian or Mohammedan or Brahmin as the case may be, and still being thorough going Bahis." During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had stated that "You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán."
And on February 28, 1912, the "SFO Daily News" of San Francisco featured an article stating "In some respects the Bahá’í movement is the most remarkable of modern times. It isn’t a religion in the sense that Christianity and Mohammedism and other faiths are religious. Its followers belong to many diverse sects, remaining Christian or Mohammedan or Brahmin as the case mya be, and still being thorough going Bahá’ís" During his visit to London in 1911, 'Abdu’l-Bahá had stated that "You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, a Bahá’í-Muḥammadán."
Similarly, on September 1, 1912, "The Oregonian" of Portland, Oregon carried an article about ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, introducing him as the "Leader of Religions Movement Which Claims Three Million Followers" and quoting his statement "When in London he was approached by a student of higher criticism who asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if he should continue in the church. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied: “Yes, you must not dissociate yourself from it. Know this: the Kingdom of God is not in any society. If you belong to a society already do not forsake your brothers. You can be a Bahá’í-Christian, a Bahá’í-Freemason, a Bahá’í-Jew, Bahá’í-Mohammedan.”
In fact, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had encouraged the Bahá’ís of Manchester to emulate the freemasons...
October 1921
In the Name of God! O Sincere Servant of the Blessed Beauty!
Your detailed letter has been received, and has been the cause of the utmost joy and gladness. Praise be to God! The loved ones are all astir and active, but prudence is necessary. You have rent the veil too widely asunder. Explain to the loved ones that the rending of the veil to such an extent will be the cause of great agitation, and the harm thereof will reach to the Holy Land. Great caution is necessary. Discourses in churches and great public gatherings are in no wise permitted as in this place enemies, within and without, are lying in wait and are bent on aggression. Prudence requires that activity should, for the present, be concealed and carried on with the utmost moderation. Convey to the loved ones, one and all, on my behalf, the greatest longing, love and kindness. Give a spiritual message from me to Mr. Healds and say unto him: “Peruse the Gospel, how His Holiness Christ – may my life be a sacrifice to Him – says, ‘Conceal it, that the Pharisees may not be informed thereof.’ Now the same condition prevails.”
This matter is of the greatest importance. On no account let them contribute articles to the newspapers, and so long as they are not sure of any soul, let them breath no word to him. Consider how the Freemasons have for two hundred years carried on their work, and unto this day they have not openly declared it to any soul. Not until they find a hearing ear will they speak. The loved ones too must proceed with the greatest prudence, lest serious difficulties be created. If any one should travel to the Holy Land, he must on no account declare to anyone by the way that his purpose is to visit us. The loved ones must, in the presence of strangers, speak forth simply the teachings of the Blessed Beauty and mention no word of the belief concerning Him. Should anyone inquire, “What is your belief regarding the Blessed Beauty?” let them answer: “We regard Him as the foremost teacher and educator of these later ages and Abdu’l-Baha as the Centre of His Covenant.”
The original scanned document can be found at http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/docs/vol13/Barstow_600-623.pdf , where it is labeled BC#608. It was published through H-Net's Documents on the Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Movements.
Numerous statements by Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice would later contradict these statements, with Bahá’ís being explicity prohibited from associating with any other faiths.
On July 24, 1954, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Spiritual Assembly of Japan stated that "So far as non-Bahá'ís affiliating with the Bahá'í Faith is concerned, either a person becomes a Bahá'í and accepts Bahá'u'lláh as the divine Manifestation for this day, or he does not...they can only become Bahá'ís on the basis of accepting Bahá'u'lláh as a divine Manifestation, and of course, with this goes the acceptance of the Bab as the Forerunner, and Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant, and the present Administrative Order. When a person has reached the sea of immortality, it is idle to keep seeking elsewhere."
"So far as non-Bahá'ís affiliating with the Bahá'í Faith is concerned, either a person becomes a Bahá'í and accepts Bahá'u'lláh as the divine Manifestation for this day, or he does not. The tenets of the Bahá'í Faith are simple as outlined by the Guardian, but they do not permit of any variations. In other words, if any members of the ... Movement wish to become Bahá'ís, they will be most welcome; but they can only become Bahá'ís on the basis of accepting Bahá'u'lláh as a divine Manifestation, and of course, with this goes the acceptance of the Bab as the Forerunner, and Abdu'l-Bahá as the Center of the Covenant, and the present Administrative Order.
"When a person has reached the sea of immortality, it is idle to keep seeking elsewhere...."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the Spiritual Assembly of Japan, July 24, 1953: Japan Will Turn Ablaze, pp. 76-77)
For example, on August 5, 1955, Shoghi Effendi addressed a letter to an individual believer...
1387. Bahá'ís Belonging to Churches, Synagogues, Freemasonry and the Like
"As regards the question of Bahá'ís belonging to churches, synagogues, Freemasonry, etc., the friends must realize that now that the Faith is over 100 years old, and its own institutions arising, so to speak, rapidly above-ground, the distinctions are becoming ever sharper, and the necessity for them to support whole-heartedly their own institutions and cut themselves off entirely from those of the past, is now clearer than ever before. The eyes of the people of the world are beginning to be focused on us; and, as humanity's plight goes from bad to worse, we will be watched ever more intently by non-Bahá'ís, to see whether we do uphold our own institutions wholeheartedly; whether we are the people of the new creation or not; whether we live up to our beliefs, principles and laws in deed as well as word. We cannot be too careful. We cannot be too exemplary.
"There is another aspect to this question which the friends should seriously ponder, and that is that, whereas organizations such as Freemasonry may have been in the past entirely free from any political taint, in the state of flux the world is in at present, and the extraordinary way in which things become corrupted and tainted by political thought and influences, there is no guarantee that such an association might not gradually or suddenly become a political instrument. The less Bahá'ís have to do, therefore, with such things, the better."
On November 21, 1968, a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland stated that "If a person is registered as a member of a church or similar religious organization he should withdraw from it on becoming a Bahá'í...one cannot be a Bahá'í and also a member of another religious organization...For a Bahá'í to be a member of a community which holds such beliefs is disloyalty to Christ and hypocrisy towards the Christians."
"If a person is registered as a member of a church or similar religious organization he should withdraw from it on becoming a Bahá'í.
"In the case of new believers, it should be made clear to them in the course of teaching them the Faith that one cannot be a Bahá'í and also a member of another religious organization. This is simply a matter of straight-forwardness and honesty. A great part of the teaching of Jesus Christ concerned His Second Coming and the preparation of His followers to be ready for it. The Bahá'ís believe He has come. No Christian Church believes this; on the contrary, they either look for Him still, or have ceased to believe that He will come. For a Bahá'í to be a member of a community which holds such beliefs is disloyalty to Christ and hypocrisy towards the Christians.
"You should not formalize the method by which the withdrawal from the church is to be made, and certainly nothing should be added to a declaration form, if you use one. It should be left to the Local Spiritual Assembly which is accepting the declaration to satisfy itself, as it deems best in each case, that the new believer has already resigned from the church, or does so within a reasonable time of his declaration.
"In regard to the old believers, your Assembly should tactfully, and in a kindly way, make the Bahá'í position clear to them and gently persuade them to resign from their former churches. This is a matter for great tact and discretion. If such a believer remains adamant you will have to consider depriving him of his voting rights."
(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland, November 21, 1968: Canadian Bahá'í News, Special Section, March 1973, p. 6)
On March 26, 1956, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer told him how to go about resigning from his Masonic Order with an explanation not to "prejudice the Masons or their friends, or arouse in them a feeling of anger against the Faith, or indeed need involve the Faith at all."
"As regards your question about the Masonic Order, he considers that the honest and courageous thing for you to do is to inform your Lodge that you no longer consider yourself, for purely personal reasons, a Mason; and would like to have your name taken off their list. If they should press you for an explanation, which he imagines is unlikely, everybody being free to do as they please in this world, you can explain to them that in the present chaotic period the world is passing through, with so many streams and counterstreams of political thoughts and prejudices of all kinds, racial, religious, etc., storming the minds of men, that you wish to disentangle yourself from all association with the past and to stand alone, free in your own ideas.
"He does not think that such an explanation will prejudice the Masons or their friends, or arouse in them a feeling of anger against the Faith, or indeed need involve the Faith at all."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 26, 1956)
On February 17, 1956, a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer stated that "all the Bahá'ís everywhere have been urged to give up their old affiliations and withdraw from membership in the Masonic and other secret Societies."
1388. Bahá'ís Requested to Withdraw from Masonic and Other Secret Societies
"As regards your question about Masonry, the Bahá'ís, the Guardian feels very strongly, must learn at the present time to think internationally and not locally. Although each believer realizes that he is a member of one great spiritual family, a member of the New World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, he does not often carry this thought through to its logical conclusion: which is that if the Bahá'ís all over the world each belong to some different kind of society or church or political party, the unity of the Faith will be destroyed, because inevitably they will become involved in doctrines and policies that are in some way against our Teachings, and often against another group of people in another part of the world, or another race, or another religious block.
"Therefore, all the Bahá'ís everywhere have been urged to give up their old affiliations and withdraw from membership in the Masonic and other secret Societies in order to be entirely free to serve the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh as a united body. Such groups as Masonry, however high the local standard may be, are in other countries gradually being influenced by the issues sundering the nations at present.
"The Guardian wants the Bahá'ís to disentangle themselves from anything that may in any way, now or in the future, compromise their independent status as Bahá'ís and the supra-national nature of their Faith."
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 17, 1956)
Almost exactly a year earlier, on February 12, 1956, Shoghi Effendi addressed a letter to an individual believer addressing "Why Bahá'ís Are Requested to Withdraw from Membership in the Church, Synagogue, etc." explaining "that we are the building blocks of Bahá'u'lláh's New World Order ... the Bahá'ís should be absolutely independent, and stand identified only with their own teachings. That is why they are requested to withdraw from membership in the church, the synagogue, or whatever other previous religious organization they may have been affiliated with, to have nothing whatsoever to do with secret societies, or with political movements, etc. It protects the Cause, it reinforces the Cause, and it asserts before all the world its independent character."
1389. Why Bahá'ís Are Requested to Withdraw from Membership in the Church, Synagogue, etc.
"The point is not that there is something intrinsically wrong with Masonry, which no doubt has many very high ideals and principles, and has had a very good influence in the past.
"The reasons why the Guardian feels that it is imperative for the Bahá'ís to be dissociated from masonry at this time, and I might add, other secret associations, is that we are the building blocks of Bahá'u'lláh's New World Order ... the Bahá'ís should be absolutely independent, and stand identified only with their own teachings. That is why they are requested to withdraw from membership in the church, the synagogue, or whatever other previous religious organization they may have been affiliated with, to have nothing whatsoever to do with secret societies, or with political movements, etc. It protects the Cause, it reinforces the Cause, and it asserts before all the world its independent character.
"Another reason is that unfortunately the tremendous political influences in the world today are seeping deeper and deeper into men's minds; and movements which in the past were absolutely uninfluenced by any political tinge of thought now in many places are becoming infiltrated with political side-taking and political issues; and it becomes all the more important for the Bahá'ís to withdraw from them in order to protect the Faith.
"The Guardian believes that you, as an intelligent man, a Bahá'í, will see the need for this. It is only by all living according to general principles that we can knit the fabric of the Faith all over the world into a closer unity.
"He is fully aware that certain individuals are struck much more forcibly by such requests than others. This has been the case with some of the old Bahá'ís in England, who have been Masons from their boyhood on; but, as it is his duty to protect the Faith, he can only appeal to the Bahá'ís to assist him in doing so; and to consider the general good, rather than their personal feelings, however deep they may be, in such matters.
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 12, 1956)
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Persian religious leader and spiritual and temporal head of the 14,000,000 of Bahá’ís scattered throughout the world, will not return to his native land. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the Bahá’í sect, came to America to address the Lake Mohonk peace conference and the American congress of Bahá’ís in Chicago, expecting to leave this month on the return journey to Persia. The venerable prophet has been so pleased with his reception in America that he has decided to stay and will today take up his home at 11 Bradford place, Montclair, N. J. There are about 50 Bahá’ís in the Jersey suburb. The venerable prophet has spent 40 of his 70 years in prison because of his religious beliefs, which are somewhat similar to theosophy in that they inculcate the spirit of universal brotherhood and the unity of all religions, without having any specific creed.
Notable Folk Sketches
Nashville Tenn Democrat
April 25, 1912
Chicago, IL
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Head of a Sect That Meets in Chicago Today.
By O. TERENCE.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Persian Prince and scholar, who is the interpreter and leader or the Bahá’í sect, a movement that proposes to unite all religions and thus inaugurate the dreamed-of era of universal peace, is expected to receive the homage of his American followers at the American convention of the Bahá’í sect, scheduled to open today in Chicago. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which is a title signifying Servant of God, comes to America to carry on the propaganda of the new faith and to address the peace conference at Lake Mohonk, N.Y., next month. Although it was founded only sixty-eight years ago, Bahá’ísm now has 15,000,000 adherents scattered throughout the world, several hundred thousand of whom are in the United States and Canada.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá succeeded to the leadership of the sect twenty years ago, on the death of Bahá’u’lláh, his father, who was the “illuminated one” of Bahá’ísm and was known as the Glory of God. Brotherhood and peace between men and nations are the central dogmas of the teaching of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Already they have had effect in the constitutional movements in Persia and Turkey, where Bahá’ísm is rapidly gaining ground. Because of their propaganda, which was considered by the fanatical Moslems, to constitute an attack on their religion, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and his father were imprisoned for nearly half a century.
When Mohammed Ali began preaching the doctrines of Bahá’ísm in 1844, he soon found a devoted adherent in the wealthy Prince of [N]ur, one of the most influential of Persians and a descendant of the ancient royal family of that country. When the Prince was recognized as Bahá’u’lláh, the expected one, the Glory of God, he was thrown into prison and all his property was confiscated. From the wealthiest man of Persia, he became its most miserable, but his faith in the new dispensation never wavered, and it was fully shared by his son, the present ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Torture and ignominy, such as could only be conceived of by the besotted Oriental mind, became the lot of the father and son. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was only nine years old when he was deprived of the luxuries and pleasures of the palace and thrown into a dungeon at Acca, perhaps the most loathsome prison in the world. He was about 60 when he was released. Although deprived of all formal education, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was taught by his father and this fitted him to become a worthy successor to the Glory of God.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, with his wonderfully penetrating eyes, his wealth of silvery hair and long white beard, and his thoughtful and philosophic air, would be a striking figure if clad in conventional garb. In the costume of the Persian scholar and a white turban on his head, he is more than striking. The doctrines he teaches are strictly modern. Science is the handmaiden of the new religion, declared ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and he looks to the inventors and the thinkers to create a new heaven on earth. Although not a Socialist, he teaches many economic “isms” that are akin to the Marxian gospel of co-operation. While holding economic equality between men, he asserts that the present wide gulf between rich and poor is of artificial creation, and that the laws of nations must be changed so as to prevent alike extreme wealth and dire poverty. He believes that women should have the same political rights as men.
People Worth While
Houston Texas Chronicle April 24, 1912 Houston, TX
‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Persian prince and scholar who is the interpreter and leader of the Bahá’í sect, a movement that proposes to unite all religions and thus inaugurate the dreamed-of era of universal peace, is expected to receive the homage of his American followers at the American convention of the Bahá’í sect, scheduled to open today in Chicago. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which is a title signifying Servant of God, comes to America to carry on the propaganda of the new faith and to address the peace conference at Lake Mohonk, N.Y., next month. Although it was founded only 68 years ago, Bahá’ísm now has 15,000,000 adherents scattered throughout the world, several hundred thousand of whom are in the United States and Canada.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá succeeded to the leadership of the sect 20 years ago, on the death of Bahá’u’lláh, his father, who was the “illuminated one” of Bahá’ísm and was known as the Glory of God. Brotherhood and peace between men and nations are the central dogmas of the teaching of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Already they have had effect in the constitutional movements in Persia and Turkey, where Bahá’ísm is rapidly gaining ground. Because of their propaganda, which was considered by the fanatical Moslems to constitute an attack on their religion, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and his father were imprisoned for nearly half a century.
When Mohammed Ali began preaching the doctrines of Bahá’ísm in 1844, he soon found a devoted adherent in the wealthy Prince of Nur, one of the most influential of Persians and a descendant of the ancient royal family of that country. When the prince was recognized as Bahá’u’lláh, the expected one, the Glory of God, he was thrown into prison and all his property was confiscated. From the wealthiest man of Persia, he became its most miserable, but his faith in the new dispensation never wavered, and it was fully shared by his son, the present ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was only 9 years old when he was deprived of the luxuries and pleasures of the palace and thrown into a dungeon at Acca, perhaps the most loathsome prison in the world. He was about 60 when he was released. Although deprived of all formal education, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was taught by his father and this fitted him to become a worthy successor.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, with his wonderfully penetrating eyes, his wealth of silvery hair and long white beard, and his thoughtful and philosophic air, would be a striking figure if clad in conventional garb.
Apostle of Religious Unity Comes to U.S.
New York, April 11. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, the leader of the Bahác movement for world-wide religious unity, arrived here early today on the steamer Cedric from the Mediterranean. Preparations for his welcome at the pier were made yesterday by the Persian-American Educational Society and a number of local followers.
Abbas Effendi as he is known by his official title, is the third of the leaders of Bahá’ísm. He has been repeatedly imprisoned by the Moslems, who regard his liberal tendencies with the greatest distrust. The Bahá’í belief is that universal peace is possible only through the harmony of all religions, and that all religions are basically one. It is estimated that about a third of the Persians are now members of the cult.
Bahá’í Movement Head Lands in New York
NEW YORK, April 11. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, the leader of the Bahá’í movement for world-wide religious unity, arrived here early today on the steamer Cedric from the Mediterranean. Preparations for his welcome at the pier were made yesterday by the Persian-American Educational Society and a number of focal followers.
Abbas Effendi, as he is known by his official title, is the third of the leaders of Bahá’íism. He has been repeatedly imprisoned by the Moslems, who regard his liberal tendencies with the greatest distrust. The Bahá’í belief is that universal peace is possible only through the harmony of all religions, and that all religions are basically one. It is estimated that about a third of the Persians are now members of the cult.
Rev. Dr. Francis E. Clark, founder of the Christian Endeavor Society, and Dr. John E. Robinson, bishop of Bombay, were passengers on the same steamer with Abbas Effendi.
Brings Cult From Persia
‘ABDU’L-BAHA ABBAS ARRIVES TO SPREAD UNIVERSAL RELIGION.
Moslems Repeatedly Imprisoned the Bahá’ían Priest Whose Teachings Are Considered Too Liberal — Topics of New York.
NEW YORK, April 11. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, the leader of the Bahá’í movement for the world-wide religious unity, arrived here early today on the steamer Cedric from the Mediterranean. Preparations for his welcome at the pier were made yesterday by the Persian-American Educational Society and several local followers.
Abbas Effendi, as he is known by his official title, is the third of the leaders of Bahá’ísm. He has been repeatedly imprisoned by the Moslems, who regard his liberal tendencies with the greatest distrust. The Bahá’ín belief is that universal peace is possible only through the harmony of all religions, and that all religions are basicly one. It is estimated that about a third of the people of Persia now are members of the cult.
'Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, Bahá’í Leader, Arrives
New York, April 11.— ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, the leader of the Bahá’í movement for world-wide religious unity arrived here early today on the steamer Cedric from the Mediterranean. Preparations for his welcome at the pier were made yesterday by the Persian Educational society and a number of local followers.
Abbas Effendi, as he is known by his official title, is the third of the leaders of Bahá’ísm. He has been repeatedly imprisoned by the Moslems who regard his liberal tendencies with the greatest distrust. The Bahá’íc belief is that universal peace is possible only through the harmony of all religions and that all religions are basicly one. It is estimated that about a third of the Persians are now members of the cult.
The Rev. Dr. Francis E. Clary, founder of the Christian Endeavor society, and Dr. John E. Robinson, bishop of Bombay, were passengers on the same steamer with Abbas Effendi.
Favors World Wide Religious Unity
NEW YORK, April 11. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, the leader of the Bahá’í movement for worldwide religious unity, arrived here early today on the steamer Cedric from the Mediterranean. Preparations for his welcome at the pier were made yesterday by the Persian-American Educational Society and a number of local followers.
Abbas Effendi, as he is known by his official title, is the third of the leaders of Bahá’ísm. He has been repeatedly imprisoned by the Moslems who regard his liberal tendencies with the greatest distrnat. [unreadable text] The Bahá’í belief is that universal peace is possible only through the harmony of all religions and that all religions basicly one. It is estimated that about a third of the Persians are now members of the cult.
The Rev. Dr. Francis E. Clark, founder of the Christian Endeavor society, and Dr. John E. [unreadable text] Robinson, bishop of Bombay, were passengers on the same steamer with Abbas Effendi.
Bahá’ísm’s Leader Here to Expound Creed
Abbas Effendi Comes From East to Promote Religious Unity.
New York, April 11. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the leader of a movement for world-wide religious unity, arrived yesterday on the steamship Cedric from the Mediterranean. Preparations for his welcome at the pier were made yesterday by the Persian-American Educational Society and a number of local followers.
Abbas Effendi, as he is known officially, is the third of the leaders of Bahá’ísm. He has been repeatedly imprisoned by the Moslems, who regard his liberal tendencies with the greatest distrust. The Bahá’í belief is that universal peace is possible only through the harmony of all religions and that all religions are basicly one. It is estimated that about a third of the Persians are now members of the cult.
The Rev. Dr. Francis E. Clark, founder of the Christian Endeavor Society, and Dr. John E. Robinson, Bishop of Bombay, were passengers on the same steamship with Abbas Effendi.
M E M O R A N D U M
To: The Universal House of Justice Date: 3 February 2016
From: Research Department
Early Bahá’í Census
It has been brought to the attention of the Research Department that statements have been made on Internet discussion sites claiming that ... had found a census of the Bahá’ís in Iran in the course of research done in the Bahá’í World Centre Archives. This census is alleged to have been conducted by the Greatest Holy Leaf around the time of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and to have shown that there were one million Bahá’ís in that country at the time. The Research Department has studied this issue and offers the following response.
We have found no evidence of a census of the Bahá’ís in Iran having been requested or carried out by the Greatest Holy Leaf around the time of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
However, very early in his ministry, Shoghi Effendi made the taking of a reliable census a feature of the rise of the Administrative Order throughout the world. A few months after the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, he asked the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of 8ihrán to appoint a committee that would correspond with Bahá’í centres throughout the country in order to determine the number of believers in each locality.
Similar instructions were sent to other Spiritual Assemblies around the same time. In a letter dated 12 March 1923 to the Bahá’ís of America, Great Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and Australasia1, Shoghi Effendi discussed at length the purposes and functions of the National Spiritual Assembly. He provided, in an enclosure, a list of the number of delegates assigned to various Bahá’í localities in America as an illustration of the principles governing the election of delegates and stated that the numbers, which had been compiled a year previously, should be readjusted before the next annual Convention based on a revised and up-to-date census.
Letters written over subsequent years followed the progress of the census and emphasized that the preparation of an accurate and complete census was one of the prerequisites of the establishment of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Iran. Shoghi Effendi continued to remind and encourage the friends in Iran to carry out the census, until the National Assembly was finally elected in 1934.
Among the holdings of the Archives at the World Centre are a series of papers relating to censuses that were undertaken during that period. These documents indicate that there were several tens of thousands of Bahá’ís registered in Iran’s formal statistics in the 1920s and early 1930s, although a note, dated 19 Diy 1310 [10 January 1932], states that, because of the lack of means, the census does not include all the Bahá’ís in Iran but only those that the various administrative divisions have been able to register. The next readily available figure for registered Bahá’ís in Iran is the estimated number of 300,000 which was obtained in the late 1970s.
The much larger numbers claimed in the early days of the Faith by certain orientalists, diplomats, and even Bahá’ís themselves may be attributed to the fervour created among the populace by the teachings of the new Manifestation. Lord Curzon, for example, wrote in 1892 that “the lowest estimate places the present number of Babis in Persia at half a million,” but that he is disposed to think, “from conversations with persons well qualified to judge, that the total is nearer one million.”
In reality, it is impossible to state precisely how many among the population of Iran were ready to be formally recognized as Bahá’ís in the very early days of the Faith; in any case, believers were not registered at that time and no systematic census was taken before the ones carried out at the Guardian’s instruction.
People Worth While
Houston Texas Chronicle April 24, 1912 Houston, TX
‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Persian prince and scholar who is the interpreter and leader of the Bahá’í sect, a movement that proposes to unite all religions and thus inaugurate the dreamed-of era of universal peace, is expected to receive the homage of his American followers at the American convention of the Bahá’í sect, scheduled to open today in Chicago. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which is a title signifying Servant of God, comes to America to carry on the propaganda of the new faith and to address the peace conference at Lake Mohonk, N.Y., next month. Although it was founded only 68 years ago, Bahá’ísm now has 15,000,000 adherents scattered throughout the world, several hundred thousand of whom are in the United States and Canada.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá succeeded to the leadership of the sect 20 years ago, on the death of Bahá’u’lláh, his father, who was the “illuminated one” of Bahá’ísm and was known as the Glory of God. Brotherhood and peace between men and nations are the central dogmas of the teaching of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Already they have had effect in the constitutional movements in Persia and Turkey, where Bahá’ísm is rapidly gaining ground. Because of their propaganda, which was considered by the fanatical Moslems to constitute an attack on their religion, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and his father were imprisoned for nearly half a century.
When Mohammed Ali began preaching the doctrines of Bahá’ísm in 1844, he soon found a devoted adherent in the wealthy Prince of Nur, one of the most influential of Persians and a descendant of the ancient royal family of that country. When the prince was recognized as Bahá’u’lláh, the expected one, the Glory of God, he was thrown into prison and all his property was confiscated. From the wealthiest man of Persia, he became its most miserable, but his faith in the new dispensation never wavered, and it was fully shared by his son, the present ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was only 9 years old when he was deprived of the luxuries and pleasures of the palace and thrown into a dungeon at Acca, perhaps the most loathsome prison in the world. He was about 60 when he was released. Although deprived of all formal education, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was taught by his father and this fitted him to become a worthy successor.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, with his wonderfully penetrating eyes, his wealth of silvery hair and long white beard, and his thoughtful and philosophic air, would be a striking figure if clad in conventional garb.
Figure 1, "Number of American Bahá'ís for selected years" appears in Robert Stockman's short essay, "U.S. Bahá'í Community Membership: 1894-1996," published in The American Bahá'í November 23, 1996, page 27.Note: Statistics are available for most years, but not for all. The years shown were chosen to represent trends.Year Membership 1894 -- 7 1899 -- 1,500 1900 -- 500 1906 -- 1,500 1916 -- 2,884 1920 -- 1,500 1926 -- 1,500 1936 -- 3,000 1941 -- 4,256 1946 -- 5,134 1951 -- 6,729 1956 -- 7,578 1962 -- 9,659 1966 -- 14,716 1968 -- 17,765 1970 -- 23,994 1971 -- 40,221 1972 -- 59,372 1974 -- 63,470 1979 -- 77,396 1984 -- 91,669 1989 -- 112,000 1993 -- 120,000 1996 -- 133,000
