soon as circumstances permit, and without waiting until April 21st, 1948:
he does not think this advisable. In order to encourage the German
friends, so long oppressed and prevented from serving, he made an
exception last year, but this year he feels all assemblies should wait
until April to hold their elections. He has recently advised the European
Teaching Committee to do likewise, as some of the pioneers were eager to
form assemblies as soon as 9 Baha'is existed in a city of one of the goal
countries!
He is pleased to hear you have strengthened and assisted the Nuremberg
Baha'is, and that there are now so many there. Also he is glad to hear you
are protecting them and the Cause from the misrepresentations and
ambitions of Mr. ... Great vigilance and wisdom is required in such
matters.
Regarding the publication of books for use in Germany in Switzerland: he
feels that this is out of the question at present, owing to the fact that
the exchange of Persian into Swiss money, (providing it could be made at
all), would be prohibitively expensive. You would lose far too much this
way. He, therefore, suggests that you get in touch with Mr. David Hofman
of England, who is a publisher in a small way, and very anxious to be of
help in printing Baha'i Literature. He is a member of the British N.S.A.,
and if you arrange some satisfactory way of having him print books or
booklets for you, it will be easier and cheaper to transfer some of the
money from Tihran, for this purpose, to England. The Guardian has already
written Mr. Hofman he favours his doing this, if you and he can agree.
Unfortunately, owing to the fall in the value of the pound, the conversion
of Persian money into American dollars involves considerable loss. In view
of this the Guardian is going to instruct Mr. Varqa in Tihran to send to
the American N.S.A. five hundred pounds for the purpose of buying Care
Packages, which will be sent to you for your use in securing the National
Headquarters.
There is, in the special Fund held in Tihran on behalf of your assembly,
about ten thousand pounds. He feels you should spend a third of this on
your National Headquarters. But, as mentioned above, he advises you to try
and go ahead with the preliminary arrangements through using five hundred
pounds in Care packages, and thus not lose too much of this money through
the poor exchange at this time.
He leaves details of this matter to the discretion of your assembly, and
hopes you will keep him informed of what action you have taken, and of the
progress made in obtaining the National Headquarters.
He assures you all of his admiration for your steadfast labours to protect
and promote every interest of our beloved Faith in Germany, and of his
loving and ardent prayers for the success of your work....
[From the Guardian:]
Dearly-beloved Friends:
The spirit which the entire body of the German believers have displayed,
despite the hardships and trials which they have heroically endured, and
are still enduring, is a magnificent example to their fellow-workers in
both the East and the West, a source of great inspiration to me, and a
magnet that will powerfully attract the blessings of the Almighty. My
thoughts, though I myself am immersed in an ocean of work and
preoccupations, often turn in loving admiration and gratitude to those
who, for more than a decade, have in the face of constant peril, held fast
to the Faith of God, who have survived the greatest ordeal that has ever
afflicted the Faith of Baha'u'llah in the West, and who are now forging
ahead, united, resolved and consecrated, in the path leading to still
greater victories.
I rejoice to learn of the preliminary steps that are being taken to enable
the dearly beloved and highly promising German Baha'i Community to own its
first National Haziratu'l-Quds in the heart of that sorely-tried country.
The utmost effort should be exerted to complete the present negotiations,
and to initiate the national activities in that centre. I will, for my
part, assist in any way possible, your assembly, in the historic
enterprise which it has launched, and feel confident that the Beloved will
bless your efforts, fulfil your highest expectations in this vital sphere
of Baha'i activity.
The dissemination of Baha'i literature, is moreover, a matter of vital
importance, which must be promoted by every means at your disposal. The
multiplication of Baha'i centres, the formation of new assemblies, the
consolidation of newly-established groups, constitute, likewise, the
primary objective of your assembly, demanding constant exertion,
watchfulness and guidance on your part, as well as full support and still
greater sacrifice by the rank and file of the believers.
The promotion of the interests of the Austrian believers, owing to their
proximity to your country, their past association with you and their
practical isolation from the Baha'i centres in East and West, should be
regarded as one of your outstanding tasks, and I trust that every obstacle
will be surmounted, enabling you to enrich thereby the record of your
distinguished services to the Faith of Baha'u'llah.
The path you are treading is hard and stony and beset with many pitfalls.
The tasks you are called upon to discharge are varied, complex, urgent and
gigantic. The resources at your disposal are meagre. The hour, however,
for raising the call of Baha'u'llah is propitious. The hearts of your
countrymen, prepared by bewilderment and suffering, are ready to respond
to His message. You stand at the threshold of a new and glorious era in
the evolution of His Faith in that land. The opportunities of the present
hour are priceless and may never recur again. Time is pressing. The eyes
of your fellow-workers in both Hemispheres are fixed upon you. Our beloved
Master who showered, through His visit and His messages to you, so much
love and encouragement and so many blessings, is watching over you from on
high, ready to sustain your efforts and lead you on to victory.
That you may rise to still greater heights of heroism, that you may
discharge befittingly your sacred responsibilities, that you may adorn the
annals of your Faith with still greater evidences of your devotion,
courage and perseverance, that you may achieve your high destiny as the
torch-bearers of the light of Divine Guidance to the neighbouring
countries in that continent, is the object of my fervent prayers at the
holy shrines, and the dearest wish of my heart.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 15 NOVEMBER 1947 (TEACHING CONFERENCE)
15 November 1947 (Teaching Conference)
Dear Baha'i Friends:
Your message to our beloved Guardian reached him, and he has instructed me
to answer you on his behalf, and to tell you of how delighted he was to
learn of your Teaching Conference.
Such gatherings are a great stimulation to the work of the Cause, and
inspire the believers to go out and spread the Divine Message. He hopes
others will be held, as time goes by, in different parts of the Country,
so that many more of the friends can attend them.
He assures you all of his loving prayers for your welfare and your Baha'i
work....
[From the Guardian:]
May the Beloved aid you to extend continually the range of your truly
meritorious services, win memorable victories in the teaching field, and
promote, in a most effective manner, the vital interests of the
institutions of our glorious Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 17 JANUARY 1948
17 January 1948
INFORM GERMAN ASSEMBLY CUT OUT NOTE TO PRAYERS ENCLOSED IN THEIR LETTER
DATED DECEMBER 19.
SHOGHI RABBANI
LETTER OF 28 FEBRUARY 1948
28 February 1948
The Baha'i Youth of Vienna
Dear Baha'i Friends:
Your communication addressed to our beloved Guardian, and dated Jan. 25th,
has been received, and he has instructed me to answer you all on his
behalf.
He was most happy to see that there are so many Baha'i Youth and children
in Vienna. Although your number may seem small to you, it is the beginning
of something very important, the beginning of the spread of this Divine
Faith amongst the youth of Austria.
He, therefore, urges you to persevere in your devotion to the Cause of
God, to study its teachings deeply, and to mold your conduct into the
pattern of true Baha'i life.
He will pray for you all, that God may bless, guide and protect you in
every way....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
I was so glad to receive your message and to learn of your continued
efforts in the service of our Beloved despite the severe trials you have
suffered and are still suffering. You are often in my thoughts and
prayers, and I will supplicate the Beloved to guide your steps, remove
every obstacle from your path, and aid you to extend the range of your
valued activities, and win signal victories for His Cause and its
institutions,
Your true brother,
Shoghi
LETTER OF 1 APRIL 1948
1 April 1948
INFORM GERMAN ASSEMBLY HAVE INSTRUCTED AMERICA TO SEND FOOD PARCELS FOR
SUMMERSCHOOL.
SHOGHI
LETTER OF 11 MAY 1948
11 May 1948
Dear Baha'i Brother:
Your communications, addressed to our beloved Guardian, and dated January
11th, February 14th, and March 31st, have been received, and he has
instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
The progress the Faith is making in Germany is a source of great happiness
to him, and the list you sent him, showing the large increase in the
number of assemblies, groups and isolated Baha'is, greatly encouraged him,
and he hastened to share this good news with the friends in other
countries.
He was, likewise, very pleased to see that the Esslingen School is going
to be so well attended, and that your assembly is so wisely making this
spot a rallying point for Baha'i Youth and their friends. Upon receipt of
your letter he cabled Mr. Holley to send the food parcels you required for
the Summer School, and he hopes that these reach you safely.
He is delighted over the signs of maturity which are becoming increasingly
evident in the German Baha'i Community. Not only is your membership
steadily increasing and the number of your assemblies multiplying, but
also the fact that most of the believers are realizing the need for
breaking off their church membership and standing forth as members of an
independent Faith; all these are welcome signs of progress and maturity.
And in view of this expansion in Baha'i membership, and the consequent
rapid increase in the number of Spiritual Assemblies, he feels that from
now on you should increase the number of delegates, apportioned to the
German and Austrian Baha'i Community, from 19 to 38, (which is of course,
twice nineteen.) This will ensure a fairer representation of the numerical
strength of the Baha'is at their annual Convention, and enable the
assemblies having a large community to receive more proportioned
representation.
The Cause of God must be protected from the enemies of the Faith, and from
those who sow seeds of doubt in the hearts of the believers, and the
greatest of all protections is knowledge: there is no doubt that the
silliest of all charges ever made is that the "Will and Testament" of the
Master is a forgery! It is all in His own hand, sealed in more than one
place with His own seal, and was opened after His death by some members of
His own family, who took it from His own safe, in this house, and from
that day it has been kept in the safe under lock and key. The charges of
Mrs. White were the result of an unbalanced mind. No other enemy, even
those who were shrewd and clever, made this foolish accusation! The case
of Ahmad Sohrab is, for one who has had any experience of orientals and of
psychology, easily understandable. He was, for some years the secretary of
'Abdu'l-Baha and enjoyed, as a result of this and the fact that he
accompanied Him to America, (to be sure with a number of other Persians),
a great deal of attention from the Baha'is who looked up to him and
admired him. However, since the Master's Will was read, and the
administrative order, under the Guardianship, began to be developed, he
became cognizant of the fact that his personal ambition for leadership
would have to be subordinated to some degree of supervision; that he would
have to obey the National and local assemblies--just like every other
Baha'i, and could not be free to teach wholly independent of any advice or
supervision. This was the beginning of the defection which in the end took
him outside the pale of the Faith: he refused not to be handled always as
an exception, a privileged exception. In fact, if we keenly analyse it, it
is almost invariably the soaring ambition and deep self-love of people
that has led them to leave the Faith. Towards the end Sohrab used, in the
course of his lectures, to incorporate quotation after quotation of
Baha'u'llah's words in his lectures, without once stating they were
Baha'u'llah's, and when the believers remonstrated with him over this
plagiarism, it had no effect. After he had, of his own accord, left the
organized body of the Faith and refused to be reconciled with it, he began
to attack the administrators of it, first the American N.S.A., then the
entire administrative order, and in the end the Guardian. What he teaches
at present is so far divorced from our beloved Faith, and so tinged with
the doctrines of many "cults" which we see thriving at present, as to be
almost unrecognizable. Sohrab's influence and activities in America have
waned greatly, and he seems to now feel his only chance of causing
mischief is to be active with his "caravan" movement abroad. The books and
articles he published attacking the Guardian and, in fact, everything
established in the Master's Will, had no effect, and far from succeeding
in causing any breach in the Faith in America, some of the very few who
followed him out of the Cause, gave him up, and returned to serve the
Cause with redoubled enthusiasm!
The Guardian feels that one of the best antidotes to those--Sohrab or
others--who seek to undermine the faith of the believers, especially by
harping on the subject of excommunication, is to place in their hands a
German edition of "God Passes By". For in that book he (the Guardian) has
clearly pointed out that the Cause of God has always been attacked from
within, and that, beginning in the days of the Bab, the "Sea of Truth" has
over and over cast out its spiritually dead. It must do this, even as the
body seeks to rid itself of poisons so as to preserve the health of the
entire organism.
Your assembly should do all it can to protect and educate the believers so
that they will understand that it is not personal ill-will, or lack of
love, which leads to the excommunication of a person, but rather the fact
that he has become like a cancer which must be removed before the entire
body is destroyed.
He is very anxious to have the work on the National Headquarters in
Frankfurt a.M. reported to him, and to receive pictures of the building
purchased, for publication in "Baha'i World".
The way the work your Assembly is doing is progressing, pleases him
greatly, and he assures you all of his loving prayers on your behalf, for
your protection and your success....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The marvellous progress achieved in recent months by the virile, steadfast
and dearly beloved German Baha'i community has rejoiced my heart, and
deepened the admiration of the followers of the Faith of Baha'u'llah in
every land, for the qualities of mind and heart that distinguish the
adherents of this Cause in your country.
The marvellous increase in the number of newly-enrolled believers, the
multiplication of groups and assemblies throughout the length and breadth
of your land, the purchase and projected restoration of the national
Haziratu'l-Quds in the city of Frankfurt, the impetus lent to the
translation and publication of Baha'i Literature, the receptivity shown by
your country-men to the teachings of Baha'u'llah, the consolidation of the
various agencies of a steadily expanding Administrative Order in the
various zones of your country--all these augur well for the complete
fulfilment of 'Abdu'l-Baha's glorious prophecies regarding its future.
The doubling of the number of delegates to the next Baha'i national
convention will eloquently testify to this remarkable growth and rapid
consolidation of the community you are privileged to serve and direct. The
interests of the Austrian Baha'i community should, while the work is
steadily progressing in Germany, be vigilantly and determinedly promoted.
Through guidance, assistance, encouragement, frequent visits when ever
possible, the community of the believers in Austria should be nursed and
prepared to discharge befittingly its sacred responsibilities, until such
time, as has been the case with Canada, as it can elect its own national
assembly and assume independent existence within the world-wide Baha'i
community.
At this propitious moment in the evolution of the Faith in your country,
at a time when the American, the British, the Indian, the Persian, the
Australian, the Canadian and Iraqi national Baha'i communities are busily
engaged in prosecuting specially conceived Plans for the systematic
propagation of the Faith within their respective countries and beyond
their confines, it is only fitting for a community as old and honoured as
yours, which has survived such cruel blows, which occupies so enviable a
position in the heart of Europe, the recipient of so great a measure of
bounty and loving-kindness from 'Abdu'l-Baha, to formulate its own Plan,
preferably a five year Plan, destined to culminate in 1953, the hundredth
anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah's Mission in the Siyah-_Ch_al of
Tihran.
As to the objectives of the Plan, in both Germany and Austria, I feel that
your assembly should carefully consider them, and after mature
deliberation announce them to the believers and ensure, by every means in
its power, the attainment of every goal you set yourselves to achieve.
The launching of such a Plan, after the consolidation of the institutions
of the Faith, during the three years that have elapsed since the
termination of the war, will constitute a landmark in the history of the
Faith in that country, and will, no doubt act as a tremendous magnet,
drawing the blessings of Baha'u'llah, and contributing, to an
unprecedented degree, to the establishment of His Cause in the heart of
Europe.
I long to hear the joyful tidings announcing the formulation and
inauguration of such a Plan, which will greatly stimulate the followers of
Baha'u'llah in East and West, and enrich the annals of His Faith during
the opening decade of the second Baha'i century.
May the Spirit of our beloved Master, watching from on high over the
destinies of this highly promising, this richly endowed community, enable
it to usher in this new phase of internal development of His Father's
Faith in that country, in a manner that will redound to the fame and glory
of His German-speaking followers.
Shoghi
LETTER OF 28 MAY 1948
28 May 1948
DEEPLY APPRECIATE MESSAGE DELIGHTED PROGRESS URGE PERSEVERANCE FERVENTLY
PRAYING GREATER VICTORIES.
SHOGHI
LETTER OF 18 OCTOBER 1948
18 October 1948
Dear Baha'i Friends:
Your letter of Aug. 29th, with translation of some enclosures, was
received by our beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you
on his behalf.
Regarding the matter of the Fund for Germany now held in Tihran:
Unfortunately the exchange rate of the Persian Tuman into Swiss (or
American or British) money is extremely unfavourable, and he considers
that your loss would be far too great to transfer, at the present time,
the entire sum from Tihran to Switzerland. It is also extremely difficult
to get money out of Persia, which now has financial restrictions similar
to so many other countries. However, he is investigating at the present
moment the possibility of having a sum to meet your immediate requirements
transfered from Persia to Switzerland, and the moment he can arrange this
he will notify your assembly.
The devoted services of the Baha'i youth rendered in clearing the Hazira
property of debris, was much appreciated by him, and he wishes you to
please let them know he admires their spirit which is demonstrated in such
a useful manner!
He was very sorry to hear of the sad and untimely death of dear Mrs.
Brauns-Forel. Her services, always rendered with such unflagging devotion,
will be sorely missed by her co-workers in Germany. He hopes her daughter
will arise to take her mother's place in the active work of the Cause.
He trusts that now your assembly is able to render more active assistance
to the Austrian believers and to stimulate them in their work. Recent
reports seem to indicate the Vienna Baha'is are more active and determined
than ever before in their history.
He hopes the construction of the Hazira in Frankfurt will now be able to
go ahead at a rapid pace. You may be sure he will do all he can to assist
you in this essential enterprise.
You are all remembered in his prayers with much love, and he is very
pleased over the way the Faith is progressing in Germany....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
I am delighted to hear of the energetic steps that have been taken in
recent months in connexion with the establishment of the Haziratu'l-Quds
in Frankfurt. This institution, the center round which all national Baha'i
activities must revolve, should be made the object of the special care and
solicitude of the entire community of the German believers in the years
immediately ahead. Upon it will depend the coordination, consolidation and
expansion of the collective efforts of the members of this community,
which occupies so vital and pivotal a position in the heart of the
European continent. Parallel with this conscious, this determined and
persistent effort, assiduous endeavours must be constantly and
increasingly exerted by your assembly to multiply the administrative
centres, increase the number of the active supporters of the Faith,
proclaim its verities wisely, unreservedly, far and wide, disseminate its
literature, vigorously and systematically, and deepen, by every possible
means, the understanding and the devotion of its adherents. That these
immediate objectives may be speedily attained, and enable the members of
this valiant and sore-tried community to embark on a carefully conceived
Plan in the years that lie ahead, is my fervent and constant prayer.
Your true and grateful brother
Shoghi
LETTER OF 20 OCTOBER 1948 (SUMMER SCHOOL)
20 October 1948 (Summer School)
Dear Baha'i Friends:
Your letter to our beloved Guardian, dated September 9th, was received,
and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
He was delighted to see so many of the dear German friends had attended
the school, for in this loving Baha'i association and study a closer unity
is created amongst the believers, and new plans born for the teaching work
that lies ahead.
He urges you all to exert every effort to spread the Faith in these dark
days of crisis the world is still passing through, for in the teachings of
Baha'u'llah alone can the people find hope, peace and comfort.
He assures you all of his most loving prayers on your behalf, and for the
success of your devoted services....
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
Your joint message truly cheered my heart and served to remind me of the
great company of my dearly-beloved brethren who have toiled so devotedly
in the past, and are so energetically pursuing their historic tasks at
present, in the service of our glorious Faith, I will continue to
supplicate the Beloved to bless continually your high endeavours, to
enable you to extend the range of your splendid activities, and to lend a
tremendous impetus to the onward march of the Faith in your promising
country,
Your true and grateful brother
Shoghi
LETTER OF 20 OCTOBER 1948
20 October 1948
Dear Baha'i Friends:
Your letter to our beloved Guardian, dated Sept. 15th, was received, and
he wishes me to thank you on his behalf for your loving thought in sending
him birthday greetings.