He hopes that it has been possible to make the arrangements to have Miss
Jack's(52) grave built. This is a task which is indeed a precious trust
for your Assembly. When the friends realize that her grave will become in
the future a place of visitation, they will appreciate the bounty bestowed
upon the Canadian Community through being able to claim one of the most
distinguished of all pioneers as a member of their community.
It was a great pleasure to him to have Mr. Raynor(53), a member of your
Assembly, as his guest here in the Holy Land, and he feels sure that this
contact has forged yet another link between the Canadian Baha'is and the
World Centre.
Regarding various matters raised in your letters: there is nothing in the
Teachings to prevent a Baha'i from willing his body for medical research
after death. However, it should be made clear that the remains must be
buried eventually and not cremated, as this is according to Baha'i law.
He was very sorry to hear of the prolonged inharmony in the ... Baha'i
community.... Some of the ... believers, from letters and reports received
here, seem to lack a firm grounding on such matters as the Will and
Testament and the deeper spiritual teachings of the Faith. Whenever the
grasp of these fundamentals is weak, the friends are almost sure to pay
undue attention to secondary procedures, to quibble over details, to lose
themselves in personalities, and to founder in a sea of unnecessary
inharmony. This has nothing to do with their devotion, their loyalty,
their zeal, their eagerness to serve. It is merely a question of not
having received, perhaps through lack of sufficient teachers to carry on
the all-important work of deepening the friends in their own faith, a
strong enough education in the Covenant before the duties and
responsibilities of the Administrative Order were thrust upon them.
He has the greatest confidence in the abilities, and the loyalty and
devotion of the Canadian friends. They have proved themselves over and
over again, and distinguished their community through acts of great
sacrifice, vision, courage and devotion. He hopes that, during the coming
year, your Assembly will be able to send out more teachers, to assist the
friends in grasping the fundamentals of the Faith, in uniting them, and
stimulating their desire to do more in the teaching field. If the supply
of teachers is limited in Canada--and the area to be covered is certainly
vast!--perhaps your Sister Assembly in the United States can help through
lending visiting teachers.
He assures all the members of the National Assembly of his loving prayers
for the success of your indefatigable labours.
With warm Baha'i love,
R. RABBANI.
P.S.--As regards the question about a person who is mentally ill attending
the Feasts, anybody who is well enough mentally to attend a Baha'i Feast
and understand what it is all about is certainly well enough to be a
voting member. Only people who are very seriously deranged mentally and
confined to institutions or under constant supervision should be deprived
of their voting rights.