October 3rd and 10th, 1926. He wishes me especially to mention how
appreciative he is of your many services so efficiently and devotingly
rendered. He will pray for you and for the other members of the London
Group that through your combined efforts an unprecedented progress be made
there and numerous persons attracted to the precepts of the Cause.
Concerning the attendance of certain individuals at the meeting of the
Assemblies and at the invitation of that body. This, Shoghi Effendi
considers, to be as expert advice which is absolutely necessary for good
administration. The members of the Assembly are not supposed to know
everything on every subject, so they can invite a person, versed in that
question, to attend their meetings and explain his views. But naturally he
will have no right to vote....
[From the Guardian:]
My dear and precious co-worker,
I am glad and grateful to feel that the joint efforts of Martha and
Mountfort(13) have given a fresh impetus to the promotion of the Cause in
Great Britain. I trust that the collective and individual efforts of the
members of the British Spiritual Assemblies will serve to consolidate the
work already achieved. I should be pleased to receive if available full
copies of any newspapers in Great Britain that may have published the
appreciations broadcast by the Queen of Rumania. The entire issue of the
papers--not clippings--will be of great significance to the friends in
Persia. Ten copies of each would be sufficient. I wish also to request you
to urge all the friends in Great Britain to subscribe to the "Messager
Baha'i" published by Mrs. Stannard in Geneva. It is essential and
valuable.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 29 October 1926
29 October 1926(14)
To the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout
the West.
Dear fellow-workers in the Divine Vineyard!
It will gladden and rejoice every one of you to learn that from various
quarters there has of late reached the Holy Land tidings of fresh
developments that are a clear indication of those hidden and transforming
influences which, from the source of Baha'u'llah's mystic strength,
continue to flow with ever-increasing vitality into the heart of this
troubled world.
Both in the wider field of its spiritual conquests, where its indomitable
spirit is forging ahead, capturing the heights, pervading the multitude;
as well as in the gradual consolidation of the administrative structure
which its avowed followers the world over are labouring to raise and
fortify, the Faith of Baha'u'llah, we can increasingly discern, bids fair
to become that force which, though not as yet universally recognised, none
can afford to belittle or ignore.
In the bold and repeated testimonies which Her Majesty, Queen Marie of
Rumania, has chosen to give to the world--a copy of whose latest
pronouncement I enclose--we truly recognise evidences of the irresistible
power, the increasing vitality, the strange working of a Faith destined to
regenerate the world. Her Majesty's striking tribute paid to the
illuminative power of the Teachings of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha is
bound to effect an entire transformation in the attitude of many to a
Faith the tenets of which have often been misunderstood and sorely
neglected. It will serve as a fresh stimulus to the enlightened and
cultured to investigate with an open mind the verities of its message, the
source of its life-giving principles.
From Ba_gh_dad, moreover, where the sacred habitation of Baha'u'llah has
been violated by a relentless enemy and converted into a rallying centre
for the corrupt, the perverse, and the fanatical, there comes the news,
highly reassuring to us all, of the satisfactory progress of the
negotiations which, we are informed on high authority, will soon lead to
the expropriation of the property by the State, culminating in the
fullness of time in its occupation by the triumphant followers of God's
holy Faith. The case of the houses, so ably presented, so persistently
pursued, above all reinforced by the vigilant and protecting power of our
departed Master, will eventually triumph, and by its repercussions in
Persia as in the world at large, will lend a powerful impetus to the
liberation of those forces which will carry the Cause to its ultimate
destiny. I will, when the occasion presents itself, inform the believers
through their respective National Spiritual Assemblies to address messages
of appreciation and gratitude to the Authorities concerned in view of
their unrelaxing efforts for the triumph of Right and Justice.
For the present, we cannot but rejoice and feel profoundly thankful as we
witness in so many directions the welcome signs of the gradual
emancipation of the struggling Faith of Baha'u'llah, of the increasing
recognition on the part of both the high and lowly of its universal
principles--all so rich in their promise of ultimate victory.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 29 November 1926
29 November 1926
Dear Mr. Simpson,
Shoghi Effendi wishes me to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated
November 14th, 1926, together with the minutes of the 18th meeting of the
National Assembly, held on October 23rd 1926. He has received the 200
copies of the 4th edition of the folder and desires to thank you for them.
The question of incorporating the National Assembly is very important for
though at present there may not be any important business which
necessitates that, one may arise at any time. There is also some advantage
in being ready for any future developments. But naturally such a step
should be taken after consultation with competent lawyers lest some defect
may in the future cause some inconveniences.
What Shoghi Effendi desires to have are clippings of any article written
by the Queen of Rumania on subjects referring to the Cause and published
in England. He has received such declarations or open letters from America
and wishes to know what she is doing along those lines in England which is
her own native home. It is really wonderful how boldly she is advocating
this Cause absolutely regardless of what others may say. This is a very
good lesson for those who being Baha'is keep in the dark so as not to be
criticised and perhaps ostracised by so called society people.
We are eagerly awaiting to meet Miss Rosenberg and Mrs. Slade to obtain a
first hand information of the condition of the Cause in England and the
extent to which Mr. Mills and Miss Root have succeeded to improve it.
[From the Guardian:]
My dearly-beloved co-worker:
I am hoping that our deliberations with our English Baha'i visitors will
assist and aid the work in which you are engaged and prove beneficial to
the Cause in general. I feel that the opportunities now open to the
friends are greater than ever before and I will pray that the measures
they undertake will redound to the glory, the power and effectiveness of
the Cause. The utterances of the Rumanian Queen should be given the
fullest possible publicity and be fully utilised as I feel they are of
great significance and value. More power to your elbow!
Shoghi
Letter of 29 January 1927
29 January 1927
Dear Baha'i Friend, Mr. Simpson,
Thank you so very much for your clear good letter of Jan. 16th--Shoghi
Effendi bids me say how much pleasure he always derives from the perusal
of your letters--which are always expressed with such admirable clearness,
and to the point. He has just now been discussing with me the various
matters you mention.
He says that in one way we are not quite correct in the way we manage our
elections for the National Assembly--Shoghi Effendi says that the intention
is, that when once the 19 delegates have been elected by the friends of
the respective centres in the proportions you mention, i.e. 12 delegates
from among the London friends, five from the Manchester friends, and two
from the Bournemouth group, that then, these 19 delegates assembled should
choose by secret ballot from the whole body of the believers in Gt.
Britain and Ireland, the nine friends they consider most suitable as
members of the National Assembly. Heretofore, as I understand it, it has
rather been our practice that the 12 London delegates elected six from the
London friends--the Manchester five delegates elected two from Manchester
and the Bournemouth delegates elected one from Bournemouth. But, Shoghi
Effendi says, all the 19 delegates must clearly understand that they must
select from the whole body of the believers in Gt. Britain and Ireland
those 9 whom they consider the most fit and suitable members to constitute
the National Assembly. Therefore it will be necessary to supply each of
the 19 delegates with a complete list of all those believers in Gt.
Britain and Ireland. From that complete list of course must be eliminated
all those who from one cause or another are unable to serve on the
National Assembly. Also--Shoghi Effendi says that those 19 elected
delegates should if possible meet during the Feast of Ridvan in London
thus forming as it were a baby Convention! I had not realised before that
the annual Baha'i Convention in the U.S.A. consists solely of those
delegates who had been chosen by their respective Centres in order that
they may elect the 9 to form the National Assembly of that country. Did
you understand this? I certainly did not. As Shoghi Effendi points out--it
is quite possible that--e.g. in the future--7 members might be elected from
the Manchester friends and only two from London! On the other hand--it is
quite possible that all nine members chosen by the 19 delegates might be
from the London group. Of course, on reflection one sees clearly that the
proceedings must be as now described because in the future there may be 21
or 53 separate local Assemblies in Gt. Britain just as is now the case in
the U.S.A.--and it would obviously be impossible for each of these
Assemblies to elect one of their number to sit as their representative on
the National Assembly. No doubt I ought to have understood this before--but
I must confess I did not!...
It is very grievous that our dear Mrs. Cropper should have been so ill--we
have all been praying for her recovery since we knew of it and I am
thankful to hear she is now making steady progress.
Since writing to you I too have had a bad influenza cold that swept
through our house. But I am now quite recovered I am glad to say.
With all best wishes to yourself.
Your sincere friend in His service,
Ethel Rosenberg
P.S. I have just remembered I have said nothing about the London area that
should be included--Shoghi Effendi thinks it would save trouble if you drew
your circle widely enough to include Mrs. Slade and her daughter! At first
he inclined to agree with you that it would be best to take the middle
one--the Postal Area--and make exceptions in favour of Mrs. Haybittel and
her daughter. (Mrs. Ginman I hear from my brother has moved into town now)
but it seemed to him that you might possibly have other friends residing
or moving out to Surbiton etc., so that it might save you trouble in the
future if you selected the widest area? This is merely a suggestion on his
part--as it will no doubt be decided at the meeting of the London Assembly.
But with regard to the choosing by the 19 delegates of the nine members of
the National Assembly, his instructions are quite definite and must not be
departed from--as these instructions are as laid down by the Master in the
Testament and other Tablets. Shoghi Effendi says you can even now soon
select the day for the 19 delegates to come to London during Ridvan. By
the way Ridvan begins exactly 31 days after the New Year so it starts
almost always on April 21st and lasts for 12 days. I have recorded my
notes on list enclosed.
Yours ever,
E. Rosenberg
Shoghi(15) Effendi emphatically urges that the 19 friends elected as
delegates should meet together during Ridvan--Shoghi Effendi has sent you
three copies of the Baha'i Year Book, one for London, one for Manchester
and one for Bournemouth.
Read and approved. Shoghi
Editor's Note:
From December 1926 to April 1927, while the secretary who was then helping
with the English correspondence was away from Haifa, Miss Ethel J.
Rosenberg (addressed in letters by the Guardian as "My dear Rosa"), was on
pilgrimage and kept up a lengthy and repetitive correspondence with George
P. Simpson. In these letters from Miss Rosenberg are many instructions
from the Guardian to the British National Assembly. The letter reproduced
in this compilation, dated January 29th, 1927 is important for many
reasons:
1. It is the only one from Miss Rosenberg which carried the handwriting of
Shoghi Effendi where he "Approved" what had been written.
2. It outlined the principle for the election of the National Spiritual
Assembly by delegates which the British N.S.A. had not then appreciated
from the earlier letters of the Guardian (of 1923, 1294, 1925, later
published in "Baha'i Administration").
3. It insisted upon Convention being held in London during Ridvan.
4. It clarified the need to have a recognised voting area for London but
left the final decision to the local Spiritual Assembly of London.
As a result of this letter 13 delegates attended Convention and 4 voted by
post; ten members were elected to the National Assembly (Guardian's letter
of May, 13th, 1927 refers), and the London area was defined as having a
radius of 36 miles.
Letter of 12 February 1927
12 February 1927(16)
To the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout
the West.
Dearly-beloved brothers and sisters in 'Abdu'l-Baha:
The trend of various events, affecting directly and indirectly the
interests of the Baha'i Cause, have of late served to bring into further
prominence the character as well as the significance of a Faith destined
to regenerate the world.
Of all the diverse issues which today are gradually tending to consolidate
and extend the bounds of the Revelation of Baha'u'llah, the decision of
Egypt's religious Tribunal regarding the Baha'is under its jurisdiction
appears at the present moment to be the most powerful in its challenge,
the most startling in its character, and the most perplexing in the
consequences it may entail. I have already alluded in my letter of January
10, 1926, addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
the United States and Canada, to a particular feature of this momentous
verdict, which after mature deliberation has obtained the sanction of
Egypt's highest ecclesiastical authorities, has been communicated and
printed, and is regarded as final and binding. I have stressed in my last
reference to this far-reaching pronouncement the negative aspect of this
document which condemns in most unequivocal and emphatic language the
followers of Baha'u'llah as the believers in heresy, offensive and
injurious to Islam, and wholly incompatible with the accepted doctrines
and practice of its orthodox adherents.
A closer study of the text of the decision will, however, reveal the fact
that coupled with this strong denunciation is the positive assertion of a
truth which the recognised opponents of the Baha'i Faith in other
Muhammadan countries have up to the present time either sedulously ignored
or maliciously endeavoured to disprove. Not content with this harsh and
unjustifiable repudiation of the so-called menacing and heretical
doctrines of the adherents of the Baha'i Faith, they proceed in a formal
manner to declare in the text of that very decision their belief, that the
Baha'i Faith is a "new religion", "entirely independent" and, by reason of
the magnitude of its claim and the character of its "laws, principles and
beliefs," worthy to be reckoned as one of the established religious
systems of the world. Quoting various passages judiciously gleaned from a
number of Baha'i sacred Books as an evidence to their splendid testimony,
they proceed in a notable statement to deduce the fact that henceforth it
shall be regarded as impossible for the followers of such a Faith to be
designated as Muslim, just as it would be incorrect and erroneous to call
a Muhammadan either Christian or Jew.
It cannot be denied that in the course of the inevitable developments of
this present situation the resident Baha'is of Egypt, originally belonging
to the Muslim Faith, will be placed in a most humiliating and embarrassing
position. They, however, cannot but rejoice in the knowledge that whereas
in various Muhammadan countries and particularly in Persia the
overwhelming majority of the leaders of Islam are utterly opposed to any
form of declaration that would facilitate the universal recognition of the
Cause, the authorised heads of their co-religionists in one of the most
advanced communities in the Muhammadan world have, of their own
initiative, published to the world a document that may justly be termed as
the first charter of liberty emancipating the Baha'i Faith from the
fetters of orthodox Islam. And in order to insure the complete rupture of
Baha'i official relations with Muslim Courts they lay down in unmistakable
terms the condition that under no circumstances can the marriage of those
Baha'is who have been required to divorce their Muslim wives be renewed by
the Muslim Court unless and until the husbands formally recant their faith
by solemnly declaring that the Qur'an is the "last" Book of God revealed
to man, that no law can abrogate the Prophet's Law, no faith can succeed
His Faith, no revelation can claim to fulfill His Revelation.
While unwavering in their belief in the Divine station of the Author of
the Qur'an and profoundly convinced of the necessity and worldwide
influence of His Divine mission, Baha'is in every land stand undeterred
and unabashed in the face of the strong condemnation pronounced against
their brethren in Egypt. Indeed, they together with their fellow-workers
in all Muslim countries welcome with gladness and pride every opportunity
for further emancipation that they may set forth in a truer light the
sublime mission of Baha'u'llah.
In the face of such an outspoken and challenging declaration, the Baha'is
of the West cannot but feel the deepest sympathy with their Egyptian
brethren who, for the sake of our beloved Cause and its deliverance, have
to face all the embarrassments and vexations which the severance of
old-established ties must necessarily entail. They will, however, most
certainly expect every staunch and loyal believer in the Faith who resides
in that land to refrain in view of the grave warning uttered expressly by
our opponents, from any practice that would in any manner constitute in
the eyes of a critical and vigilant enemy a repudiation of the fundamental
beliefs of the people of Baha. They will most assuredly, whenever the
moment is opportune, step forth with eager hearts to offer every support
in their power to their fellow-workers who, with stout hearts and
irreproachable loyalty, will continue to hold aloft the standard of God's
struggling Faith. They will not fail to come to the rescue of those who
with joyous confidence will endure to the very end such vicissitudes as
this New Day of God, now in its birth-throes, must needs suffer and
surmount.
We cannot believe that as the Movement grows in strength, in authority and
influence, the perplexities and the sufferings it has had to contend with
in the past will correspondingly decrease and vanish. Nay, as it grows
from strength to strength, the fanatical defendants of the strongholds of
orthodoxy, whatever be their denomination, realising the penetrating
influence of this growing Faith, will arise and strain every nerve to
extinguish its light and discredit its name. For has not our beloved
'Abdu'l-Baha sent forth His glowing prophecy from behind the prison walls
of the citadel of Akka--words so significant in their forecast of the
coming world turmoil, yet so rich in their promise of eventual victory:--
"How great, how very great is the Cause; how very fierce the onslaught of
all the peoples and kindreds of the earth! Erelong shall the clamour of
the multitude throughout Africa, throughout America, the cry of the
European and of the Turk, the groaning of India and China be heard from
far and near. One and all they shall arise with all their power to resist
His Cause. Then shall the Knights of the Lord, assisted by grace from on
high, strengthened by faith, aided by the power of understanding and
reinforced by the legions of the Covenant, arise and make manifest the
truth of the verse: 'Behold the confusion that hath befallen the tribes of
the defeated!'"
Dearly beloved friends, upon us devolves the supreme obligation to stand
by His side, to fight His battles and to win His victory. May we prove
ourselves worthy of this trust.
Your true brother,
Shoghi
Letter of 26 February 1927
26 February 1927
...quite in order to utilise the Baha'i Fund for the payment of at least
half of the travelling expenses of the Friends who come to London from a
distance, "one chief object of the Fund should be to help the Friends in
these difficulties".
(Quoted in National Spiritual Assembly Minutes)
Letter of 22 March 1927
22 March 1927
LOVING APPRECIATION AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE.
SHOGHI
Letter of 27 April 1927
27 April 1927(17)
Dearly-beloved friends:
With feelings of horror and indignation I communicate to you the tale of
yet another tragedy involving the shedding of the blood of a martyr of the
Faith on Persia's sacred soil. I have before me, as I pen these lines, the
report of the local Spiritual Assembly of Ardibil, a town on the
north-east confines of the province of A_dh_irbayjan, not far distant from
those hallowed spots where the Bab suffered His last confinement and
martyrdom. Addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Persia, this report recounts in simple but moving language the
circumstances that have led to the cowardly crime committed in the
darkness of the night at the instigation of the fanatical clergy--the
deadliest opponents of the Faith in that town.
Our martyred brother, Aminu'l-'Ulama by name had for some time past become
notorious in the eyes of the Muslim inhabitants of Ardibil for his
tenacity of faith by openly refusing at every instance to vilify and
renounce his most cherished convictions. In the latter part of Ramadan--the
month associated with prayer, pious deeds and fasting--his use of the
public bath--that long-established institution the amenities and privileges
of which are as a rule accorded only to the adherents of the Muslim
Faith--had served to inflame the mob, and to provide a scheming instigator
with a pretext to terminate his life. In the market-place he was ridiculed
and condemned as an apostate of the Faith of Islam, who, by boldly
rejecting the repeated entreaties showered upon him to execrate the Baha'i
name, had lawfully incurred the penalty of immediate death at the hands of
every pious upholder of the Muslim tradition.
In spite of the close surveillance exercised by a body of guards stationed
around his house, in response to the intercession of his friends with the
local authorities, the treacherous criminal found his way into his home,
and on the night of the 22nd of Ramadan, corresponding with the 26th of
March 1927, assailed him in a most atrocious and dastardly manner.
Concealing within the folds of his garment his unsheathed dagger, he
approached his victim and claiming the need of whispering a confidential
message in his ears plunged the weapon hilt-deep into his vitals, cutting
across his ribs and mutilating his body. Every attempt to secure immediate
medical assistance seems to have been foiled by malicious devices on the
part of the associates of this merciless criminal, and the helpless victim
after a few hours of agonising pain surrendered his soul to his Beloved.
His friends and fellow-believers, alarmed at the prospect of a fresh
outbreak that would inevitably result were his mortal remains to be
accorded the ordinary privileges of a decent burial, decided to inter his
body in one of the two rooms that served as his own dwelling, seeking
thereby to appease the fury of an unrelenting foe.