Bahaism. The principle of the latter is stated thus, "Adhere to any
religious faith with which you are associated."[466] "No religious
relation[467] should be severed, but these relations should become as
avenues for giving forth the message of the Bahai faith." This idea is
delusive; it is self-deception, ignorance, or worse. No Christian can
give allegiance to Baha as incarnate God and accept, as he then must,
Islam,[468] Babism and Bahaism as successively true, and as higher
revelations abrogating Christianity, and still be loyal to Christ.
Bahaism is not a philosophy like Tolstoism, nor a theory of economics
like the "single tax"; it is a religion as much as Mormonism is.
A plain example of Bahai _tagiya_ is in connection with the organization
known as the "Persian-American Educational Society." This was organized
at Washington, D. C., under the patronage of Mirza Ali Kuli Khan,
Persian Charge d' Affaires. Its organizing body, committee to draft its
constitution, its executive, are Bahais, yet its circular sets forth
seventeen purposes for its existence without naming the propagation of
Bahaism as one of them. It appealed for funds on general philanthropic
and educational grounds, never mentioning its religious motive. It
introduced the names of President Taft, Secretary Root, and other
prominent men in such a way as to lead the public to understand that the
movement had their intelligent endorsement. To its real purpose, viz.:
aiding existing and establishing new Bahai schools in Persia and the
Orient,[469] I am making no objection. It is the _concealment_ of this
purpose which is objectionable when contributions are asked from the
general public. It claims to be _unsectarian_, because its schools take
in pupils of all sects and religions. So do the schools of Christian
Missions, but they are none the less Christian schools, and the
"Orient-Occident" schools are distinctively Bahai. They _disclaim
proselytizing_. The claim is simply false. Bahai schools are hotbeds of
proselytizing, and must be so by their nature. Their law[470] says,
"Schools must first train the children in the principles of the
religion." Dreyfus[471] adds, "There is no fear of a prescription,
emanating from such authority, ever being disregarded." The Bahai school
in Teheran worked under cover for some years. Remey says,[472] "This
institution is not generally known as a Bahai School. However, it is in
the hands of the Bahais. From the directors down through the teachers
and students, the majority were of our faith." Similarly in Bombay,[473]
the Bahai teacher concealed his faith. "The Zoroastrian parents of his
pupils suspected him of Bahaism and so took their children out."
But to find the supreme example of Bahai _tagiya_ we have to go to the
fountainhead. Abdul Baha himself, oblivious to its moral obliquity, lays
bare the fact in his "Traveller's Narrative."[474] We have seen that
Subh-i-Azal, the half-brother of Baha Ullah, was appointed by the Bab as
his successor. According to Abdul Baha, this appointment was a dishonest
subterfuge on the part of Baha, arranged by him through secret
correspondence with the Bab, in order that Baha might be relieved of
danger and persecution and be protected from interference. So "out of
regard for certain considerations and as a matter of expediency, Azal's
name was made notorious on the tongues of friends and foes even to
jeopardizing his life, while Baha remained safe and secure, and no one
fathomed the matter." Abul Fazl[475] states the position of the
"Traveller's Narrative" as follows, "The Bab and Baha Ullah, after
consulting together, made Azal _appear_ as the Bab's successor. In this
manner they preserved Baha Ullah from interference." This account shows
the low ideas of honour and truthfulness in the minds of Baha and Abdul
Baha. And although their explanation is not true (but an invention of
their _tagiya_--_corrupted_ minds), it shows to what straits[476] they
were put to explain away the succession of Azal, the legitimacy of
which Azal still, in his ripe old age, maintains. Abdul Baha published
to the world Baha's deceitfulness, but only made the matter worse for
him.
Of a piece with this was the action of Baha's trusted agent, Maskin
Kalam, in Cyprus. This Bahai was sent by the Turkish Government with
Azal. "He set up a coffee-house at the port where travellers must
arrive, and when he saw a Persian land he would invite him in, give him
tea or coffee and a pipe, and gradually worm out of him the business
that had brought him there. If his object were to see Subh-i-Azal, off
went Maskin Kalam[477] to the authorities, and the pilgrim soon found
himself packed out of the Island." This account is given by a faithful
Bahai. Afterwards Maskin Kalam retired to Acca and spent his old age as
an honoured guest of Baha.
FOOTNOTES:
[380] "Life of Abbas Effendi," p. xxxvii.
[381] "New Hist.," p. 236; "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 82.
[382] "Bahai Proofs," pp. 63, 77.
[383] "The Bahai Religion," p. 111.
[384] Quoted in "New Hist.," p. 373; comp. p. 61.
[385] Professor Browne's Introduction to Phelps, p. xxi.
[386] "New Hist.," p. 426.
[387] _Ibid._, p. xxvii.
[388] "Trav.'s Narr.," pp. 342-343.
[389] Browne's "A Year Among the Persians," p. 530. "If, instead of
talking in this violent and unreasonable manner, you would produce the
'Bayan,' of which ever since I came to Persia I have been vainly
endeavouring to obtain a copy."
[390] Its authors were Mirza Husain of Hamadan, M. Abul Fazl, and
Manakji.
[391] Numerous magazine articles, and even the "Life of Abbas Effendi"
have been written by Bahais, as if they were outsiders making
observations.
[392] In his Introduction (pp. xxxii.-v.) to Mirza Jani, which he has
had printed in Persian, Professor Browne says, "But for Count Gobineau
it would have perished utterly. This fact is very instructive, that so
important a work could be successfully suppressed," and "that the
adherents of a religion could connive at such an act of suppression and
falsification of evidence." "This fact is established by the clearest
evidence."
[393] "New Hist.," p. xxix.
[394] _Ibid._, pp. xiv., xxxi.
[395] _Ibid._, p. xiv.
[396] "Encyc. Brit.," article, Babism.
[397] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. xlv. It (1) belittles the Bab and glorifies
Baha--making the former simply a forerunner; (2) belittles the
sufferings and deeds of Babis, passing over remarkable events almost
unnoticed and magnifies inferior deeds of Bahais; (3) debases Azal,
disregards his position as successor, disparages and scorns him as
lacking in courage and wisdom; (4) tries to curry the favour of the Shah
of Persia and excuses his persecutions, putting the blame on Mullahs and
Viziers, deprecating the resistance and wars of the early Babis.
[398] Count Gobineau (p. 277) says, "There was some little hesitation
about the successor of the Bab, but finally he was recognized as
divinely designated, a young man of sixteen, named M. Yahya (Azal). The
election was recognized by all the Babis."
[399] "Mirza Jani," p. xxxii.
[400] _Ibid._, p. xxxv. Professor Browne says, "When I was in Persia in
1887-1888, the Babis (Bahais) whom I met _feigned_ complete ignorance of
the very name and existence of Subh-i-Azal."
[401] Page 64, note.
[402] "Abbas Effendi _suppressed_ all incidents and expressions not in
accordance with later Bahai sentiment." "Of this I am certain that the
more the Bahai doctrine spreads, especially outside of Persia, the more
the true history is obscured and distorted" (Professor Browne in his
introduction to "Mirza Jani," p. xxxvi.).
[403] Pages 36-38.
[404] One need not be surprised at this falsifying of claims and
historical facts, for it is the testimony of the Bahai historian himself
("New Hist.," p. 5) that "the principal vice of the Persians is
falsehood--so universal and customary and so familiar that truthfulness
is entirely abandoned and ignored." "In matters relating to religion the
Mullahs have shown themselves to be ready liars and shameless forgers."
The degree of reliability of this History may be judged from the
following sentence, "When the people of Italy had proved the extent of
the Pope's hypocrisy, guile and deceit, they so effectually deposed him
and his children and his grandchildren that naught remained of him but
the appearance" (referring to 1870-1871). I have received a pamphlet by
A. J. Stenstrand, of Chicago, called "Third Call to Behaists." He writes
(p. 27), "The Babi history as well as their sacred scriptures prove that
a terrible corruption, changing and transposing of its meanings, has
been going on in the hands of the Behaists." Again (p. 28), "We have
plenty of proofs that there has been continual corruption,
interpolation, changing, transposing and stealing away the sacred
scriptures of the Babi religion in the hands of the Bahais."
[405] Cf. _Jour. Roy. As. Soc._, 1892, p. 447.
[406] "The Alwah-i-Salatin," in Collections Scientifiques, St.
Petersburg, 1877.
[407] "Trav.'s Narr.," pp. 108-164.
[408] _Jour. Roy. As. Soc._, 1892, p. 313.
[409] _Ibid._, p. 286.
[410] _S. W._, Sept. 27, 1913, pp. 9, 10, "If thou dost not obey God,
the foundations of thy government shall be razed, and thou shalt become
evanescent--become as nothing. If no attention is paid to this book,
thou shalt become non-existent."
[411] The same explanation will account for the opposite narratives of
the trial of Baha before the Turkish Court at Acca. Mr. Laurence
Oliphant reports that the Court put the question to Baha, "Will you tell
the Court who and what you are?" "I will begin," he replied, "by telling
you who I am not. I am not a camel-driver (alluding to Mohammed), nor am
I a carpenter."
[412] "New Hist.," p. xxv.
[413] "Facts for Behaists," p. 27. We mention a few of the important
ones. (1) The so-called Tablet of Beirut, which confirmed the claim of
Abbas, and was said to be transcribed by Khadim Ullah. The latter
declared it to be a forgery by Abbas Effendi. (2) Abbas omitted the
middle part of the "Tablet of Command" to make it certify his claims. A
complete copy in Baha's own handwriting showed the subterfuge. (3) He
combined parts of two different Tablets, called it the "Treasure
Tablet," and claimed that it certified his succession. The two Tablets
were produced and proved the falsity of the claim.
[414] "Facts for Behaists," p. 55. Afterwards Badi Ullah, who had
accused the party of Abbas of making additions to the writings, with a
purpose changed sides in the quarrel and accused Mohammed Ali of the
same things--"interpolating," "erasing," "transposing," "replacing,"
"clipping and joining fragments," of the Tablets of Baha Ullah, besides
issuing "a false writing in his name." Mohammed Ali is also accused of
"carrying away by way of the window" two trunks full of the "blessed
writings." See "Epistle to the Bahai World," by Mirza Badi Ullah, pp. 3,
5, 12-17.
[415] "Hidden Words," numbers 20, 37, 48.
[416] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 123.
[417] "New Hist.," p. vii.
[418] _Ibid._, p. 353.
[419] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 20.
[420] "New Hist.," p. 292.
[421] "Trav.'s Narr.," pp. 40, 41. Abul Fazl also is apologetic for the
Shah, and says ("Bahai Proofs," p. 38), "Without seeking permission from
the Shah, the Minister issued the order for his death."
[422] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 259.
[423] In "New Hist.," p. xvii., Professor Browne says, "The Babis made
no profession of loyalty, nor did they attempt to exonerate the Shah
from the responsibility of the persecutions. To the Shahs, such terms as
tyrant, scoundrel, unrightful king, are freely applied. The battle cry,
'Ya Nasr-ud-Din Shah,' is described as 'a foul watchword.'"
[424] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 52.
[425] _Ibid._, pp. 104-106.
[426] _Ibid._, pp. 49, 50.
[427] Phelps, p. 13.
[428] "Beha Ullah," p. 411.
[429] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 53.
[430] _Ibid._, p. 323.
[431] _S. W._, Oct. 16, 1913, p. 210.
[432] _Ibid._, July 13, 1913, p. 118.
[433] _Ibid._, Sept. 18, 1912.
[434] "Some Answered Questions," p. 37.
[435] Pages 77, 78.
[436] Page 63.
[437] "Tablets of Abdul Baha," Vol. I, p. 46.
[438] _S. W._, May 17, 1911, p. 6.
[439] Mrs. Templeton (previously Mrs. Laurence Oliphant), in "Facts for
Behaists," tells of the unrighteousness of Abbas Effendi (Abdul Baha) in
keeping from his brothers and stepmothers the pension money of the
Turkish Government and the revenue of Baha's villages, and of his
ostentatious charity in giving away part of these funds by distributing
coins to a mixed crowd of beggars every Friday.
[440] _S. W._, May 17, 1913, p. 74.
[441] "Tablets of Abdul Baha," Vol. I, p. 44.
[442] _S. W._, _Ibid._, p. 67.
[443] _Ibid._, Sept. 8, 1912, p. 5.
[444] Phelps, p. 66.
[445] _Ibid._, p. 70.
[446] This house was purchased by an American Bahai lady, that it might
remain in Bahai hands.
[447] "Bahai Proofs," by Abul Fazl, p. 66. Remey, p. 23.
[448] Mrs. Grundy, p. 73 ff., "Ten Days," etc., speaks of the Palace of
Joy as a very large white mansion. Professor Browne was received here
(1890). He was conducted through a spacious hall, paved with a mosaic of
marble, into a great antechamber, and entered through a lifted curtain
into a large Audience Room.
Of the Garden of Baha, Sprague ("A Year in India," etc., p. 1) says, "It
is a veritable garden of Eden, with luxuriant foliage and every fruit.
Baha Ullah used to sit under the large spreading tree and teach his
disciples." Mrs. Grundy says, "The Rizwan is filled with palm trees,
oranges, lemons and wonderful flowers. A river, the Nahr Naaman, runs
through it, in two streams, on which ducks and other fowls swim. On an
island is an arbour under two large mulberry trees. A fountain plays in
the midst. Under the arbour is a chair where Baha used to sit. No one
sits in it any more. (Mrs. Grundy knelt at the foot of the chair.) The
garden has a cottage, where Baha spent his summers." A Palace and a
luxurious summer place were Baha's "Most Great Prison" during most of
his years at Acca. Compare Laurence Oliphant's "Haifa," etc., p. 103,
for a fine description of his "pleasure ground." How unfounded are such
statements as Bernard Temple's (_S. W._, p. 39, April 28, 1914). "All
this while the founders were behind prison walls."
[449] Phelps, p. 75.
[450] _Ibid._, p. 80.
[451] Dr. H. H. Jessup, who visited him in 1900, writes (New York
_Outlook_, June, 1901), "Abbas Effendi has two houses in Haifa, one for
his family, in which he entertains the American lady pilgrims, and one
down town where his Persian followers meet him."
[452] Abbas Effendi in Acca at this time visited Mr. Remey ("Bahai
Movement," p. 108). He received American pilgrims. Mrs. Goodall ("Daily
Lessons," p. 6) speaks of "His bountifully spread table," the laughter
and good cheer, and (p. 13) remarks, "One would never realize he was
visiting a Turkish prison."
[453] Doctor Shedd says, "Concealment of religious faith is a common
practice in Persia, and it is approved and recommended by Bahais."
[454] Phelps, p. 101.
[455] New York _Outlook_.
[456] _S. W._, March 2, 1914.
[457] Phelps, p. xxxi.
[458] "Le Beyan Persan" (Paris), Introduction xvi.-xxiv., by A. L. M.
Nicolas.
[459] "New Hist.," p. 252.
[460] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 252.
[461] S. M. Jordan, of Teheran, says ("The Mohammedan World," Cairo, p.
130), "We are honestly open in our methods, while they are the reverse."
Doctor Shedd says, "Christian Mission work is openly Christian, that of
Persian Bahais is professedly Mohammedan." "Bahaism, as offered to a
Jew, a Christian or a Mohammedan, varies greatly."
[462] _Missionary Review_, October, 1911.
[463] Phelps, p. 154.
[464] Miss A. Montgomery, in _Woman's Work_, 1913, p. 270, says of these
Bahais, "This sect of Moslems, thirty years ago, were afraid to appear
to be what they really were, they exercised the privilege of falsehood
their deceitful faith grants them, and called themselves Christians."
[465] A European Jew reports as follows (1914), "The Jewish Bahais in
Hamadan are few in number (exactly fifty-nine besides children). They
have not yet broken with Judaism. They go to the Synagogue and follow
outwardly our religious practices. They deny _in public_ that they are
Bahais from fear of the Mussulmans, who detest the new religion. But the
continual attacks of the Bahais against the Jews will exasperate our
co-religionists, who will cast them out finally. At present the
practical result is hatred and disdain, and bitter dissensions between
fathers and sons, sisters and brothers, husband and wife."
[466] Phelps, p. 96. The Report of the Bahais to the United States
Census Board says, "One may be a Bahai and still retain active
membership in another religious body."
[467] Remey's "The Bahai Movement," p. 97.
[468] Bahaism says, "Christians who do not believe in the Koran have not
believed Christ."
[469] The name of the Society has been changed to the "Orient Occident
Unity," and a commercial department added. Its contributions are
acknowledged, and its work reported through the _Star of the West_ as
Bahai work. An American, who imported a machine flour-mill to Persia,
under its auspices, told the Consul that the object of his coming was
not the mill but propagating Bahaism. In the _Jam-i-Jamsied_, Calcutta,
March 28, 1914, Dr. E. C. Getsinger boasts to the Parsees, "The American
Bahais have established schools in Persia, and have sent American
teachers to those schools."
[470] "Words of Paradise," p. 53.
[471] "The Universal Religion," p. 139.
[472] "Observations of a Bahai Traveller," 1908, p. 77.
[473] Sprague's "A Year in India," p. 16.
[474] Pages 62, 63, 95, 96.
[475] "Bahai Proofs," p. 52. See also Browne's "Mirza Jani's History,"
pp. xxxiii.-vi.
[476] The Bahais are impaled on the other horn of the dilemma also, for,
as Professor Browne says ("Mirza Jani," p. xxxiii.), "The difficulty
lies in the fact that Subh-i-Azal consistently refused to recognize
Baha's claim, so that the Bahai is driven to make the assumption that
the Bab, who is acknowledged to be divinely inspired and gifted with
divine knowledge and prescience, deliberately chose to succeed him one
who was destined to be the 'Point of darkness,' or chief opponent, of
'Him whom God should manifest.'"
[477] "A Year Among the Persians," p. 517.
IX
Its Record as to Morals (_Continued_)
In their teachings they speak constantly of knowing the truth, but
never of speaking the truth. In his book Kheiralla never mentions
veracity among the virtues nor lying among the vices. Religious
duplicity, _tagiya_, is a Persian peculiarity and some Mohammedan
sects among which are our "truth-knowing" Bahais have raised _tagiya_
to a pious privilege. Baha, the crafty chief, requires policy in
consideration of expediency, often at the expense of good faith. Until
the final triumph of the religion he has sanctioned feigned
conformity. They have divine authority for duplicity. This is to them
a pious means to a pious end. Since Baha's influence has become
paramount, they have adopted the plan of secret propaganda which does
not hesitate, in case of need, at denying their faith under oath.
Among Mohammedans they are primitive Islamites, among Christians they
claim to be primitive Christians. If I had not taken their "private
lessons," the supposition of such astounding duplicity would have
appeared incredible or beyond even the Oriental proverbial
duplicity.--_S. K. Vatralsky, "Amer. Jour. of Theology," 1902, pp. 73,
74, 76._
Bahais particularly boast of love as one of their characteristics. They
often quote the words of Baha "to consort with all religions with
spirituality and fragrance." Phelps claims for them[478] "a peculiar
spirit, which marks them off from other men,--whose essence is expressed
in one word, Love. These men are Lovers; lovers of God, of their Master
and teachers, of all mankind." Dreyfus, with a forgetfulness or ignoring
of facts that is astounding, says, "Their conduct is so perfect, their
harmony so complete that although they have been there at Acca for forty
years, no judge had yet to intervene for them in any dispute." Chase
says "Bahaism removes religious rancour."[479] Let facts speak. Let me
array them first by showing the relation of the Bahais to the Moslems,
and then to the Azalis (see chapter on "Religious Assassination") and
finally to each other (see chapter on "The Quarrel over the
Succession").
The Babis and Bahais show great hatred and animosity against the Shiahs
of Persia, abuse and revile them and heap maledictions and curses upon
them. These evil feelings are shown specially against the Mullahs and
the rulers. The Babi and Bahai historians indulge so much in diatribes
and maledictions that Professor Browne wearies of translating them and
omits pages of abuse.[480] More than enough is at hand to show the
rancorous spirit of the new religion.
First take a short backward glance at the Babis. Professor Browne
says:[481] "The Babis entertained for the Kajar rulers a hatred equal to
that for the Mullahs." Mohammed Shah and Nasr-ud-Din Shah are called
"bastard" and "scoundrel" and Mohammed Shah is consigned to hell at his
death. The Shiahs are called "foul Guebres" and the Mullahs heaped with
abuse. "They hated the Mohammedan clergy with an intense and bitter
hatred" and anticipated the fulfillment of the prophecy "when the Kaim
or Mahdi should behead 70,000 mullahs like dogs." The Bab called Haji
Kazim Khan, chief of the Sheikhis, "the Quintessence of Hell Fire and
the infernal tree of Zakkum." He even at times emphasized his words with
blows.[482] "When a prisoner in the household of Anti-Christ--that
accursed one (_i. e._, the Shah), the Mullah of Maku showed him some
discourtesy, whereupon the Ocean of Divine Wrath was stirred and He (the
Bab) brought down his staff with such vigour on the unclean form of
that foul creature that the august staff broke in two. He then ordered
Aga Sayid Hasan (his scribe) to drive out that dog from the room, though
the accursed fellow was a person of great consideration." "The Bab took
leave of his jailer, Ali Khan, with the words, 'Ay maalun' ('Accursed
One')."[483] It is unnecessary further to enlarge on the feelings of the
Babis towards the Shiahs, for the sanguinary wars and persecutions
explain them and they made no secret of their feelings of hatred.
I pass on to the Bahais, whom Abul Fazl claims were reformed and
transformed by Baha. Baha himself it is, who in the "Ikan" calls the
Shiahs "a foul, erring sect," who said of his Turkish guards, "Shame
upon them! God shall consume their livers with fire, and verily he is
the fiercest of avengers" (Lawh-i-Rais) and who exultingly celebrated,
in a hymn of triumph, the death of Fuad Pasha,[484] the vizier who had
exiled him, and consigned him to hell "where the heart boils and the
tormenting angel melts him." Baha's winsome words about the mullahs are,
in the "Ikan," "1278 years have passed and all these worthless wretches
have read the Koran every morning and have not yet attained to a single
letter of the purport of it."
The spirit of _love_ (?) is shown by Mirza Abul Fazl, the preacher and
apologist for Bahaism, in his discussion (1873) as recorded in the "New
History."[485] His abusive language runs on page after page. The
mullahs of Persia are called mischief-makers, dolts, a pack of
scoundrels, tyrants, fools, plunderers of men's properties and wives,
sectarian zealots steeped in prejudice and thinly disguising their greed
of worldly lucre under a veil of sanctity, sprung from the rustic
population and the scum of the towns, ignorant of the decencies of
society and neglectful of good breeding, with wickedness, worldliness,
rapacity and selfishness which are incurable and folly that exceeds all
bounds and surpasses all conception, with stupidity, overweening
arrogance and presumption absolutely unparallelled, hiding the truth in
falsehood, circulating false reports, possessing malignant hatred,
malice, spite and great injustice, and notoriously eager to shed blood,
yet with cowardice like a timid girl.