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THE MINISTRY OF THE CUSTODIANS
+i
THE MINISTRY OF THE CUSTODIANS
1957-1963
+ii
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+iii
Light and glory, greeting and praise be upon the Hands of His
Cause, through whom the light of long-suffering hath shone forth,
and the declaration of authority is proven of God, the Powerful,
the Mighty, the Independent, and through whom the sea of bestowal
hath moved, and the breeze of the favour of God, the Lord of
mankind, hath wafted. BAHA'U'LLAH
+iv
[SIGNATURES OF 26 HANDS APPEAR ON THIS PAGE]
Devotedly, In service to the Faith of Baha'u'llah, Mansion of
Baha'u'llah, Bahji, Akka, Israel, November 25, 1957.
Signatures of the 26 Hands of the Faith present in Bahji who signed
the Proclamation on November 25, 1957.
+v
[GROUP PHOTOGRAPH OF HANDS APPEARS ON THIS PAGE]
The body of the Hands of the Cause taken in Bahji at their first
Conclave in 1957. (Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum and Clara Dunn
present but not shown.)
+vi
[A GROUP PHOTOGRAPH OF HANDS TAKEN IN APRIL, 1963 APPEARS ON THIS
PAGE]
PLENARY MEETING OF THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE, APRIL 1963 On the steps
of 'Abdu'l-Baha's home: (seated) Musa Banani; first row, left to
right: Leroy Ioas, Tarazu'llah Samandari, Agnes Alexander,
Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, Enoch Olinga, Jalal Khazeh; second
row, left to right: Dhikru'llah Khadem, behind him Collis
Featherstone, Adelbert Muhlschlegel, Shu'a'u'llah 'Ala'i, Hermann
Grossmann, Rahmatu'llah Muhajir, Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, John Robarts,
'Ali-Muhammad Varqa and 'Ali-Akbar Furutan; back row: Ugo Giachery,
William Sears, Paul Haney, Hasan Balyuzi and John Ferraby.
+vii
THE MINISTRY OF THE CUSTODIANS
1957-1963
An Account of the Stewardship of the Hands of the Cause
With an Introduction by Hand of the Cause
'Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum
BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE
HAIFA
+viii
(c) 1992 THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
ISBN 0-85398-350-X
A Cataloguing-in-Publication number is available
from the British Library
Printed in Great Britain
[Pages ix-xviii, the Table of Contents, have been moved to a separate page.]
+xix
PREFACE
This book of messages of the Hands of the Cause, from the
passing of the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, in November 1957, to
the formation of the first Universal House of Justice in 1963, is
based on the files of the Hands in the Holy Land and on my personal
experience as one of the Custodians of the Baha'i Faith for five
and a half years. It does not pretend to be a history but rather
a record of the remarkable and unique accomplishments of an
unpretentious group of world religious officials who, with no
forewarning or preparation, suddenly, under the most tragic
circumstances, found themselves called upon to seize the helm of
their Faith, protect it from dissolution and schism, win the goals
of an ambitious, far-flung, world ten-year-teaching campaign, which
had only reached its hAli-way point, and steer it to the victory
of unitedly electing its Supreme Body in 1963! In other words, it
is a view from the inside looking out, as one of the Hands in the
Holy Land saw it, throughout that dangerous, challenging, but
obviously divinely protected period which will, I am confident,
increasingly be seen as one of the most extraordinary victories-won
by a handful of high-ranking officers of the Baha'i Faith, as
Shoghi Effendi designated us-ever witnessed in the religious annals
of mankind. The texts of these messages, however vital, could never
reflect our concern for the maintenance of the hard-won victories
our beloved Guardian had achieved during his thirty-six years of
unremitting labour, ending his life at 60, far too early an age for
these days. We Hands, particularly those who were acting as
Custodians in the Holy Land, passed through perilous shoals indeed
as we guided the precious barque of our Faith on its way through
the violent flood of events that followed upon the loss of our
hereditary Guardian. The Hands were widely scattered across the
world and communication in those days was almost exclusively
confined to air mail and cables. With exception of the women Hands,
who through age or circumstances were not employed, almost all the
men were earning their living and in no position to cease doing so.
We all felt that neither our teachings-which preclude a special
class of paid religious clergy-nor our limited resources and our
tremendous financial obligations could justify the body of the
Hands' beginning to live on the Baha'i Fund; those who were chosen
to act at the World
+xx
Centre as Custodians, devoting their full time to its
interests, obviously had to be supported as part of the expense of
running our International Headquarters. We had a strong sense of
the need for economy on the one hand, and of the stupendous sums
of money we should require in order to win the goals of our
Guardian's World Crusade on the other. It was not the power of our
intellect nor our personal capacities which carried us through that
period, but the love and loyalty of our hearts for Shoghi Effendi
the depth of our devotion to the Faith we believed in, and the
divine guidance, inspiration, and protection which were undoubtedly
vouchsafed to us-else how could we, all over the world, have held
the scattered and diversified community of Baha'u'llah together,
and victoriously won our Guardian's Crusade, crowning it with the
election of the Universal House of Justice? The leaders of neither
Christianity nor Islam had succeeded in protecting those world
religions from schism, but we protected ours from it. How? By the
power vested in us, in the texts of our Scriptures; by our selfless
devotion not only to a man who had died suddenly and left no direct
guidance or instructions behind him, but also to the great
international host of believers now left shepherdless,
widely-scattered, remote and isolated, throughout the continents,
seas, wildernesses and islands of the planet. So tightly knit was
the unity among these followers of Baha'u'llah that they proved
indivisible in heart, invincible in faith. Above all, we owed the
power we were able to exert during this unique crisis to the web
of tight, written texts of our teachings that, in spite of this
supreme test, could not be violated and to which we held fast,
sustaining both ourselves and the Baha'is down to the tiniest cell
of this great living organism, the Cause of God. The vast fabric
of our Faith was not without its own inner system of security: its
local and national Baha'i bodies constituted a world-wide
administrative network, and was in the largest sense a legal
entity. We had incorporated bodies all over the world, we had
national and international funds of the Faith, we had fabulous real
estate holdings at our World Centre. On the other hand, we had
obligations that brooked no delay. We were like a man who is
mortally ill but whose life depends on action. However
grief-stricken and lost we were, we could not delay any action of
any kind, for a moment. There was no time to pause, to contemplate,
to savour our grief. For almost six years we ran, we met the
challenges, problems, enemies-we ran. After the election of the
Universal House of Justice on April 21, 1963, when the Hands in the
Holy Land returned from the World Congress to Haifa, we held
constant meetings in the home of 'Abdu'l-Baha with the
newly-elected members of that Supreme Body to hand over to them the
administrative affairs of the Faith. Files and information were
turned over to them in a steady process of transfer from our
interim, provisional
+xxi
authority to their permanent established authority according to the
Holy Texts. It is foolish to ask questions of history; it is even
more foolish to ask questions of the Almighty. The Guardianship had
ceased to exist as an ongoing institution. The Hands had gloriously
crowned their function of protection of the Cause of God by calling
for and supervising the election of the Universal House of Justice,
the Supreme Body of the Baha'i world; through the aegis of the
Institution of the Counsellors, initiated and supported by that
Supreme Body, the vital functions of propagation and protection
will continue to be carried on. In 1973 the Hands of the Cause
became a part of the International Teaching Centre and in this
capacity, aside from specific meetings of their own with the
Universal House of Justice, both as individual Hands and as a body,
hold regular joint meetings with our Supreme Body. RUHIYYIH
+xxii
The Hands of the Cause of God APPOINTED BY BAHA'U'LLAH DURING HIS
MINISTRY,' 1863-1892 Haji Mulla 'Ali-Akbar-i-Shahmirzadi, known as
Haji Akhund Haji Mirza Muhammad Taqiy-i-Abhari, known as
Ibn-i-Abhar Mirza Muhammad-Hasan, entitled Adibu'l-'Ulama, known
as Adib I Mirza 'All-Muhammad, known as Ibn-i-Asdaq OUTSTANDING
BELIEVERS REFERRED TO BY 'Abdu'l-Baha, AS HANDS OF THE CAUSE
DURING HIS MINISTRY,' 1892-1921 Aqa Muhammad-i-Qa'ini, known as
Nabil-i-Akbar Mirza 'Ali-Muhammad-i-Varqa, the martyr Shaykh
Muhammad-Riday-i-Yazdi Mulla Sadiq-i-Muqaddas, entitled
Ismu'llahu'l-Asdaq APPOINTED POSTHUMOUSLY BY SHOGHI Effendi DURING
HIS MINISTRY, 1921-1957 DATE ANNOUNCED John E. Esslemont [b. 19 May
1874, d. 22 Nov. 19251 30 Nov. 1925 Haji Abdu'l-Hasan Amin, Trustee
of Huququ'llah [b. ?, d. 27 May 19281 July 1928 Keith Ransom-Kehler
[b. 14 Feb. 1876, d. 23 Oct. 19331 28 Oct. 1933 Martha Root [b. 10
Aug. 1872, d. 28 Sept. 19391 2 Oct. 1939 'Abdu'l-Jalil Bey Sa'd [b.
?, d. 25 June 1942] 25 June 1942 Siyyid Mustafa Rumi [b. ?, d. 13
March 1942] 14 July 1945 Muhammad Taqi-i-Isfahani [b. ?, d. 13 Dec.
1946] 15 Dec. 1946 Louis Gregory [b. 6 June 1874, d. 30 July 1951]
5 Aug. 1951 Roy C. Wilhelm [b. 17 Sept. 1875, d. 20 Dec. 195 1 23
Dec. 1951 John Henry Hyde-Dunn [b. 5 March 1855, d. 17 Feb. 19411
26 Apr. 1952 See The Baha'i World, Vol. XIV, 1963-1968, pp.
445-446.
+xxiii
HANDS OF THE CAUSE APPOINTED BY SHOGHI Effendi FIRST
CONTINGENT, ANNOUNCED 24 DECEMBER 19511 Date of Birth Date of Death
Dorothy Baker 21 Dec. 1898 10 Jan. 1954 Amelia E. Collins 7 June
1873 1 Jan. 1962 'Ali-Akbar Furutan 29 Apr. 1905 Ugo Giachery, 13
May 1896 5 July 1989 Hermann Grossmann 16 Feb. 1899 7 July 1968
Horace Holley 7 Apr. 1887 12 July 1960 Leroy Ioas, 15 Feb. 1896 22
July 1965 William Sutherland Maxwell 14 Nov. 1874 25 Mar. 1952
Charles Mason Remey 15 May 1874 4 Feb. 1974 Tarazu'llah Samandari,
1874 2 Sept. 1968 George Townshend 14 June 1876 25 Mar. 1957
Valiyyu'llah Varqa 1884 12 Nov. 1955 SECOND CONTINGENT, ANNOUNCED
29 FEBRUARY 19521 Shu'a'u'llah 'Ala'i 16 Nov. 1889 16 Nov. 1984
Musa Banani; 1886 4 Sept. 1971 Clara Dunn 12 May 1869 18 Nov. 1960
Dhikru'llah Khadem 1904 13 Nov. 1986 Adelbert Muhlschlegel, 16 June
1897 29 July 1980 Siegfried Schopflocher 1877 27 July 1953 Corinne
True I Nov. 1861 3 Apr. 1961 THIRD CONTINGENT, ANNOUNCED OCTOBER
19572 Hasan Balyuzi 7 Sept. 1908 12 Feb. 1980 Abu'l-Qasim Faizi,
1906 19 Nov. 1980 H. Collis Featherstone 13 May 1913 29 Sept. 1990
John Ferraby 9 Jan. 1914 5 Sept. 1973 Rahmatu'llah Muhajir, 1923
29 Dec. 1979 Enoch Olinga, 24 June 1926 16 Sept. 1979 John Robarts,
2 Nov. 1901 18 June 1991 William Sears 28 Mar. 1911 25 Mar. 1992
Cables of appointment were sent the previous day. Cables of
appointment were sent on 2 October 1957.
+xxiv
INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENTS BY SHOGHI
Effendi DATE ANNOUNCED (Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, [b. 8 Aug.
19 101 26 Mar. 1952 Jalal Khazeh [b 1897, d. 20 Feb. 1990] 6 Dec.
1953 Paul E. Haney [b. 20 Aug. 1909, d. 3 Dec. 1982] 19 Mar. 1954
'Ali-Muhammad Varqa [b. 1911 ] 15 Nov. 1955 Agnes B. Alexander [b.
21 July 1875, d. 1 Jan. 1971] 27 Mar. 1957
+1
INTRODUCTION
One of two things happens to great historic events,
either they are lost sight of temporarily, to sometimes be
re-discovered at a later date, or they form part of the great river
of man's destiny, never for an instant to be forgotten or
submerged. Of such is the unique period of almost six years during
which the Hands of the Cause of God, appointed during his lifetime
by Shoghi Effendi the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, who styled them
the "Chief Stewards of Baha'u'llah's embryonic World Commonwealth"
and its "high-ranking officers", arose and firmly seized and guided
the destiny of the endangered and grievously shaken body of
Baha'u'llah's followers the world over. When the appointed and
much-loved Head of our Faith suddenly passed away on November 4,
1957 in London, we were twenty-seven in number, five women and
twenty-two men, drawn from all continents of the globe, some of
whom had never even met the Guardian personally, indeed, eight of
us had only been appointed to the rank of Hand by Shoghi Effendi
a few weeks prior to his death. Those of us of longer standing felt
great compassion for this last contingent of our peers, who, in
addition to the shock each one of us had experienced when we were
elevated to this high position, were now faced with the additional
shock of the realization that Shoghi Effendi was no longer there
to guide them personally, that this door was closed forever. The
eldest among us, Corinne True, one of the early group of
'Abdu'l-Baha's disciples in America, was already 96; the youngest,
Enoch Olinga, a native of Uganda, only 3 1; listing us according
to our diminishing ages, covering sixty-five years of difference,
we were, after Corinne True, Clara Dunn in Australia-herself 88,
Amelia Collins at the World Centre, Tarazu'llah Samandari, in
Persia, Mason Remey at the World Centre, Agnes Alexander in Japan,
Musa Banani; in Africa, Horace Holley in America, Shu'a'u'llah
'Ala'i in Persia, Leroy Ioas at the World Centre, Ugo Giachery, in
Italy, Jalal Khazeh in Persia, Adelbert Muhlschlegel, and Hermann
Grossmann in Germany, John Robarts, in Africa, Dhikru'llah Khadem
in Persia, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan; in Persia, Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, in
Arabia, Hasan Balyuzi in England, Paul Haney in America,
(Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum at the World Centre, 'Ali-Muhammad
Varqa in Persia, William Sears in Africa, Collis Featherstone in
Australia, John Ferraby in
+2
England, Rahmatu'llah Muhajir in Indonesia and Enoch Olinga, in
Africa. Among the men five held the title of "Doctor", two of these
being medical men; some of the others had university degrees but
we five women, as far as I know, held no university degrees. I go
into these details because this is the backdrop, these the leading
actors, as the perilous drama of this most recent world religion
played itself out successfully from November 4, 1957 to April 21,
1963. The words of the Universal House of Justice, the Supreme Body
of the Baha'i Faith, in its first message to the Baha'is of the
world, dated April 30, 1963, at the time of the World Congress in
London, are the best tribute to our role in history: "We do not
wish to dwell on the appalling dangers which faced the infant Cause
when it was suddenly deprived of our beloved Shoghi Effendi but
rather to acknowledge with all the love and gratitude of our hearts
the reality of the sacrifice, the labour, the self-discipline, the
superb stewardship of the Hands of the Cause of God. We can think
of no more fitting words to express our tribute to these dearly
loved and valiant souls than to recall the words of Baha'u'llah
Himself: 'Light and glory, greeting and praise be upon the Hands
of His Cause, through whom the light of long-suffering hath shone
forth, and the declaration of authority is proven of God, the
Powerful, the Mighty, the Independent; and through whom the sea of
bestowal hath moved, and the breeze of the favour of God, the Lord
of mankind, hath wafted."' To this unique testimony should be added
the. fact that although the Hands were firmly established as the
ruling and guiding body of the entire Baha'i world, I can bear
witness that never for a single instant were the Hands influenced
by either ambition or self-esteem. Our sole objective, the purpose
of our every effort, was to succeed in electing in 1963 the
Universal House of Justice. The Universal House of Justice itself
testified that: "The entire history of religion shows no comparable
record of such strict self-discipline, such absolute loyalty, and
such complete self-abnegation by the leaders of a religion finding
themselves suddenly deprived of their divinely inspired guide. The
debt of gratitude which mankind for generations, nay, ages to come,
owes to this handful of grief-stricken, steadfast, heroic souls is
beyond estimation." Although Baha'u'llah created the Institution
of the Hands, appointing during His own lifetime four distinguished
Persian believers to fulfil this function, and His son and
successor, 'Abdu'l-Baha, later referred to four more outstanding
Persian followers of His Father as Hands, it remained for Shoghi
Effendi-according to the explicit text of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will and
Testament the Hands may only be appointed by the Guardian
himself-to add forty-two more names to this unique list of people
heading the appointive half of Baha'u'llah's World Order, thus
raising the total to
+3
fifty individuals who have borne this exalted title. Ten Hands were
raised by him posthumously to this high rank; of these ten I was
present when he nominated six of them after their death. I gathered
from Shoghi Effendi that the reason he had not designated as Hands
these distinguished men and women during their lifetime was because
he considered that, for the most part, the Baha'is were still too
immature to accept, without jealousy and criticism, that a
fellow-believer should stand forth from the rank and file in such
a high station, bathed in such a bright light of distinction. I
remember how surprised I was when he said this. It was not until
six years before his death that Shoghi Effendi-after thirty years
of his ministry as Guardian had passed-announced in a cable to the
Baha'i world, dated December 24, 1951, that the hour was "now ripe
take long inevitably deferred step conformity provisions
'Abdu'l-Baha's Testament . . . through appointment first contingent
Hands Cause God, twelve in number . . .", linking it to his
November 30th; message in which he had outlined detailed plans for
the holding of four Intercontinental Conferences in Africa,
America, Europe, and Asia, and stating that this step marked the
"inauguration beyond limits World Centre Faith intercontinental
stage Baha'i activity". Two months later he followed this by the
announcement of the elevation of seven more individuals to the rank
of Hand, thus raising the number to nineteen. This initiation of
the active functioning of the Institution of the Hands of the Cause
under the aegis of the Guardian was not only an immense step
forward in the evolution of our Faith but an indication that the
still small and few in number Baha'i communities throughout the
world were now mature enough to accept the guidance and leadership
implicit in such a body. Between March 1952 and March 1957 Shoghi
Effendi appointed five more Hands to replace five who had died, and
a month before he passed away he added a final, last contingent to
the Hands of the Cause through raising their number by eight more,
thus bringing us to twenty-seven-three times nine. From 1951 to
1957 Shoghi Effendi constantly supervised and guided the
Institution of the Hands, that half of the institutions of the
World Order of Baha'u'llah which has the specialized function to
both propagate and protect it. Like a wise gardener, tending and
pruning a rare, promising and cherished fruit tree, he watched over
us as we Hands served him at the World Centre and in the five
continents of the globe. It was he who developed the second phase
of our activities through adding, in April 1954, to the powers of
our Institution by authorizing us to appoint Auxiliary Boards.
Looking back, I believe this constant care and encouragement he
gave us succeeded in creating among us not only a sense of
passionate loyalty and devotion to him, but a sense of belonging,
as a group, to the Institution of the Guardianship.
+4
I would never claim that my impressions are a reflection of Shoghi
Effendi's motives; anyone who ever pretends to really understand
the Centre of the Covenant-be it Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha, or
Shoghi Effendi-immediately presumes equality, which is of course
out of the question and utterly ridiculous. However, as a close
observer, one has a right to one's opinions. I believe, in choosing
those he elevated to the rank of Hand during their lifetime, Shoghi
Effendi was primarily influenced by their already demonstrated
devotion and capacity to serve the Faith, or the indications he saw
in them of a great potential capacity to do so. In rare cases, such
as Corinne True, or "Mother" Dunn, it was, I think, a well-deserved
crown of reward placed upon their heads for a singularly long and
distinguished period of service. The Guardian was certainly not
influenced for a moment by what the opinion of the Baha'is might
be of his choice. He was equally uninfluenced by how we might
personally feel; three of us were appointed to our face, so to
speak: I was present when he told Fred Schopflocher at the Pilgrim
House table that he was making him a Hand; Freddie turned so white
I thought he was going to faint! He told Musa Banani; likewise on
his pilgrimage, that he was appointing him a Hand; Mr. Banani;
begged not to be! I was not present but I heard this. And he told
me, after my father died, that he was appointing me a Hand in his
place; all my tears and remonstrances and begging him not to had
no effect. Shoghi Effendi was singularly uninfluenceable. Of the
thirty-two Hands he appointed during their lifetime the geographic
distribution was as follows: Holy Land 4, Asia 10, America 6,
Europe 6, Africa 4, Australasia 2; sometimes he associated these
appointments with a continental distribution. The final eight
Hands-whose names were announced a month before he died and who,
with the other nineteen still living Hands, were suddenly obliged
to assume the leadership of the Cause of God pending the time when
the Universal House of Justice could be elected on a firm
basis-were characterized in surprising and significant terms: he
said they had been chosen from four continents of the globe and
represented not only the black and white races but were of Afnan,1
Christian, Muslim, Jewish and pagan backgrounds. Surely this was
a most phenomenal statement, to bring up Enoch Olinga's "pagan"
background, considering that his immediate ancestors had been
Christians. It certainly emphasized the total lack of any form of
prejudice within the Baha'i Faith; I am sure, however, that the
Guardian made Enoch's appointment, like all the other appointments
of Hands, on the sole basis of individual merit. I think, moreover,
the fact that Enoch was a black African, from a continent which in
many cases still had a pagan I Relative of the Bab.
+5
element, was an added asset in Shoghi Effendi's eyes. It gave the
Institution of the Hands a very broad, world-wide base of not only
racial but religious background. As Shoghi Effendi never did
anything thoughtlessly, we should ponder the implications of the
terms he used. In 1957 there were-and still are-many millions of
pagans in the world. Whatever the reason for Shoghi Effendi's
choice of Hands, he once said to me that these were the best he had
to choose from; I got the impression he wished he had better.
Knowing myself, and my fellow Hands, I am sure all of us lamented
in our hearts that we were not worthier, had not more capacity in
every way to serve him. Before he died Shoghi Effendi had succeeded
in making us feel we were a body to assist him, a world-wide,
developing Institution, with an integral and essential part to play
in promoting the growth and expansion of our Faith. We were wholly
his creation. The Guardian, in a cable to the Baha'i world dated
January 9, 1951, had proclaimed his "weighty epoch-making decision"
to form the first International Baha'i Council, the "forerunner"
of the "supreme administrative institution"' of the Faith, which
was destined to emerge in the fullness of time, and he
characterized this "historic decision" as "Marking most significant
milestone evolution Administrative Order Faith Baha'u'llah course
last thirty years." Those thirty years were his own ministry since
the passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha in 1921. This first International
Baha'i Council was not elected but selected by Shoghi Effendi
himself from individual believers of long standing and proven
dedication to the service of the Cause. Less than one year later,
on December 24, 1951, he announced the names of the first
contingent of Hands. In view of the clear distinction in the
Teachings between the elected Universal House of Justice and the
appointed Hands of the Cause, it seems to me portentous that the
first membership of the International Baha'i Council included three
people soon to be nominated Hands, and that, at the time of the
beloved Guardian's passing, five of its officers, so designated by
him, namely, myself as liaison between it and him, Mason Remey, its
President, Amelia Collins, its Vice-President, Leroy Ioas its
Secretary General, and Ugo Giachery, its Member at Large-who lived
in Italy and functioned as a European Hand, but frequently visited
Haifa at Shoghi Effendi's request-were all Hands of the Cause. In
addition to being members of the International Baha'i Council,
these Hands, resident and serving at the World Centre, constituted
a separate body, specified by Shoghi Effendi to act as liaison
between him and the other Hands throughout the world, conveying
their messages to him and his to them, I The Universal House of
Justice.
+6
thus giving us, during his own lifetime, a dual function as Hands
directly serving under him and officers of the International Baha'i
Council. I believe that at that particularly dangerous juncture in
Baha'i history this duality was providential and greatly reinforced
the authority and power of the Custodians when faced by the crisis
of his sudden passing. When that terrible blow fell upon the Baha'i
world, these five Hands had been constantly serving under his
personal instructions for almost six years. Historic and stirring
events moved rapidly during those last years of the Guardianship:
on June 30, 1952, Shoghi Effendi wrote of the Faith that "at long
last the machinery of its highest institutions has been erected,"
and that around its most holy Shrines "the supreme organs of its
unfolding Order, are, in their embryonic form, unfolding . . ."
Block by block he had been laying the foundations of the future
World Commonwealth of Baha'u'llah in what he termed the "heart and
nerve-centre" of the Faith situated in the Holy Land. By April
1954, two years and four months after his first announcement of the
appointment of Hands of the Cause, he was able, in a cable
addressed to them and to the Baha'i world, to state how greatly he
valued the support of their members at the World Centre, citing
five particular fields of service that he considered outstanding:
the erection of the superstructure of the Bab's Shrine on Mount
Carmel; the reinforcement of the World Centre's ties with the new
State; the extension of international endowments in the Holy Land;
and, in his own words, the "initiation preliminary measures
establishment Baha'i World Administrative Centre"; to this
grandiose picture of our support of his work he added our
participation in the four successive Intercontinental Teaching
Conferences held at the inception of his World Crusade. In this
same message an immense step forward took place in the world-wide
function of the Hands-now nineteen in number-four in the Holy Land
and fifteen in the various continents, namely, six in Asia, one in
Africa, four in Europe, one in Australasia and three in the
Americas through the Guardian's instructions that these continental
Hands should appoint Auxiliary Boards, of nine members each, to
assist them in their continental areas. He also specified that in
addition to acting as deputies of the Hands in their respective
continents, they would "aid and advise them in the effective
prosecution of the Ten Year Plan" and that, at a later period, they
would assist "in the discharge of their dual and sacred task of
safeguarding the Faith and of promoting its teaching activities."
In October 1957 Shoghi Effendi implemented this duty to safeguard
the Faith, shortly before his passing, by creating an additional
Auxiliary Board, whose function was to be, under the direct
guidance of the Hands of the Cause, "watching over the security of
the Faith". He had already stated, only five months before he
passed away, in a general communication
+7
addressed to both the Hands and the National Spiritual Assemblies,
that the divinely appointed Institution of the Hands of the Faith
was entering a new phase in the unfoldment of "its sacred mission",
and that to their other functions was now added the "primary
obligation" to watch over and ensure the protection of the Baha'i
World Community "in close collaboration" with the National
Assemblies. The temporary headship of the Baha'i Faith by the Hands
of the Cause appointed by Shoghi Effendi commenced with his wholly
unexpected and sudden passing through a heart attack in London,
England, on November 4, 1957, after he had fully recovered from
Asiatic flu, an event which shook the Baha'i world to its roots.
I sent a cable as follows, via Haifa (our usual practice), on that
same day, which announced, from the World Centre, his passing:
SHOGHI Effendi BELOVED OF ALL HEARTS SACRED TRUST GIVEN BELIEVERS
BY MASTER PASSED AWAY SUDDEN HEART ATTACK IN SLEEP FOLLOWING
ASIATIC FLU. URGE BELIEVERS REMAIN STEADFAST CLING INSTITUTION
HANDS LOVINGLY REARED RECENTLY REINFORCED EMPHASIZED BELOVED
GUARDIAN. ONLY ONENESS HEART ONENESS PURPOSE CAN BEFITTINGLY
TESTIFY LOYALTY ALL NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES BELIEVERS DEPARTED GUARDIAN
WHO SACRIFICED SELF UTTERLY FOR SERVICE FAITH. RUHIYYIH Once this
official and tragic announcement had gone forth from the World
Centre, subsequent messages perforce were sent direct from London.
On November 5th another cable went out to all National Spiritual
Assemblies: BELOVED ALL HEARTS PRECIOUS GUARDIAN CAUSE GOD PASSED
PEACEFULLY AWAY YESTERDAY AFTER ASIATIC FLU. APPEAL HANDS NATIONAL
ASSEMBLIES AUXILIARY BOARDS SHELTER BELIEVERS ASSIST MEET
HEARTRENDING SUPREME TEST. FUNERAL OUR BELOVED GUARDIAN SATURDAY
LONDON. HANDS ASSEMBLY BOARD MEMBERS INVITED ATTEND. ANY PRESS
RELEASE SHOULD STATE MEETING HANDS SHORTLY HAIFA WILL MAKE
ANNOUNCEMENT TO BAHA'I WORLD REGARDING FUTURE PLANS. URGE HOLD
MEMORIAL MEETINGS SATURDAY. RUHIYYIH This terrible news evoked
throughout the Baha'i world a passionate wave of response; cables
and letters expressing the shock and sorrow of the believers and
their firm loyalty to the Hands poured in after his passing.
+8
Eighteen Hands of the Cause assembled in London to attend the
funeral of their Guardian. Those who were unable to be present were
either too old and frail to do so, or, in some cases, were
requested to remain at their posts for the protection of the Faith
at this moment of great crisis. The following cables were sent on
two successive days after the funeral, held on November 9th in the
Great Northern London Cemetery: BELOVED GUARDIAN LAID REST LONDON
ACCORDING LAWS AQDAS BEAUTIFUL BEFITTING SPOT AFTER IMPRESSIVE
CEREMONY HELD PRESENCE MULTITUDE BELIEVERS REPRESENTING OVER TWENTY
COUNTRIES EAST WEST STOP DOCTORS ASSURE SUDDEN PASSING INVOLVED NO
SUFFERING STOP BLESSED COUNTENANCE BORE EXPRESSION INFINITE BEAUTY
PEACE MAJESTY STOP EIGHTEEN HANDS ASSEMBLED FUNERAL URGE NATIONAL
BODIES REQUEST ALL BELIEVERS HOLD MEMORIAL MEETINGS EIGHTEENTH
NOVEMBER COMMEMORATING DAYSPRING DIVINE GUIDANCE WHO HAS LEFT US
AFTER THIRTY-SIX YEARS UTTER SELF-SACRIFICE CEASELESS LABOURS
CONSTANT VIGILANCE. RUHIYYIH ASSURE FRIENDS BELOVED SACRED GUARDIAN
BEFITTINGLY LAID REST SURROUNDED BY LARGE REPRESENTATIVE GATHERING
BELIEVERS EAST WEST STOP LIGHT OUR LIVES DEPARTED WE MUST NOW STAND
FIRM REMEMBERING PEERLESS EXAMPLE HIS DEDICATION WORK BLESSED
PERFECTION GLORIOUS VICTORIES HE WON PLANS HE LONGED SEE COMPLETED
STOP ONLY REDEDICATION GREATER UNITY STEADFAST SERVICE CAN
BEFITTINGLY SHOW OUR GRIEF MAKE US ACCEPTABLE HOLY THRESHOLD.
RUHIYYIH The labours of the Hands of the Cause at the time of this
unique crisis followed an unbroken pattern till the day the
Universal House of Justice was elected on April 21, 1963. The Hands
who had gathered in London met and, in spite of their shock and
grief, decided not an instant's time must be lost in holding a
plenary meeting of our entire body at our World Centre in the Holy
Land. This was called for November 18th. Our first act was to
choose a delegation to open the apartment of Shoghi Effendi which
had been sealed by the International Baha'i Council right after his
passing (in addition to being locked by him when we left Haifa, as
was his usual custom) and to make an exhaustive search for any
document he might have left-a Will or otherwise. There was no such
thing to be found. The general body of the Hands then met in the
upper hall of the
+9
Mansion of Baha'u'llah at Bahji near His resting-place, for the
first of their six Conclaves until the election of the Universal
House of Justice took place. Of all our Conclaves-the only
befitting term for such august gatherings-that first one was the
most epoch-making. Not only were we dazed and grieving, we were
orphans, deprived of our father. The responsibility for the entire
Cause of God, to which each one of us was wholly consecrated, had
been placed in our hands, with neither premonition, warning nor
advice. Aside from the thought that we were now the only ones to
direct the Baha'is of the world, to protect and guide them and to
win the Crusade of our beloved Guardian, we were faced with
problems of inconceivable magnitude. How to assume the reins of
authority, with no document to support us, other than the general
theological statements about the Hands? What should we do regarding
money, urgently needed for the monthly upkeep of the Shrines, Holy
Places, pilgrim houses, and gardens, and to pay not only these
substantial recurring bills but continue to finance innumerable
vital Baha'i undertakings throughout the world which Shoghi Effendi
himself had inaugurated and supported from his funds as Head of the
Faith? What was our legal status, on which hinged the delicate
question that all the international financial assets of the Faith
were in the name of Shoghi Effendi What would we say about the
Guardianship? When one adds to the staggering total of the above
enumerated problems the fact that all this rested on the shoulders
of twenty-seven Hands, the first of whom had only been called to
their high office six years previously and the last of whom were
appointed a bare four weeks before Shoghi Effendi passed away, one
gets some idea of the state and the burden of the Hands of the
Cause of God. As we sat in the great upstairs hall of the
Mansion-so sacred, so private-our historic Proclamation was worked
out; it was signed by all the Hands of the Cause except Corinne
True, then aged 96, who was unable to travel from the United States
to the Holy Land but quite capable of being one of the signatories
by consent of that historic document. Clara Dunn, 88, was, however,
present in Haifa and signed the document herself, but because of
age and infirmity was not able to attend our meetings. When one
remembers that of the twenty-five of us gathered in the Mansion,
most of our Persian Hands spoke little or no English at this time
and none of the Western Hands spoke any Persian except myself-and
my vocabulary in no way covered the issues facing us-and that only
two of the Persian Hands were completely bilingual and therefore
we had to translate every word, back and forth-as each Hand,
conscious of the frightening responsibilities resting upon us,
insisted on exact translation of the opinions voiced in the other
language not his own-and that this
+10
went on hour after hour, in day-long sessions, morning and
afternoon, one gets a glimpse of what kind of burdens were added
to our sorrow. At this first Conclave we were faced with the
inescapable obligation of voting from amongst the membership of the
Hands of the Cause for who would, if chosen by all of us, accept
to live and serve at the World Centre as one of the nine legal
Custodians. For those who were not already part of the body of the
Hands in Haifa this meant literally burning all their bridges
behind them. I can remember the words of Paul Haney, an economist
just promoted in the prominent investment firm to which he had
belonged for some years, with the assurance of financial increases
and a substantial pension on retirement, as he bowed his head and
said, "You are only called once." We had, from our very first
Conclave, a fixed procedure: every morning we went to pray in the
Shrine of Baha'u'llah before our meetings started and our last act
every evening was to visit the room in which He passed away for
closing prayers. If my memory serves me, the longest Conclave
lasted twenty-two days-all the days being the same. We were not
interested in days off! A policy was established that no notes of
individual Hands would be taken out of that hall, but would be
gathered and burned at the end of the day by one of the Hands. As
our consultations were full, free and frank, the notes-in
discussions involving more than twenty people, where each one had
to wait his turn-were obviously far too pertinent to risk
individual opinions leaving that room. Any carelessness, any gossip
or speculation at such a juncture could have divided the Hands from
each other and split the Baha'i Faith. After long and often
agonizing consultation and soul-searching which took place in
discussion at more than one Conclave-we finally agreed as a body
to announce to the Baha'i world that the Institution of the Hands,
different in both nature and function from the structure
constituting the elected administrative bodies of the Faith, placed
us in a separate category and we requested the believers not to
vote for the Hands of the Cause in Baha'i elections. We Hands
burned in the fire of this weighty decision until it became clear
to us that greater strength, diversity, and breadth lay in keeping
these two aspects of the system of Baha'u'llah separate and
therefore more mobile, each free to function in its own field. When
the Guardian passed away the paramount, supremely urgent task
confronting us at our first Conclave was to ensure that everything
connected with the affairs, direction and administration of the
Faith was solidly and speedily vested in the Institution of the
Hands. We were blessed in the unity and strength we found among
ourselves-some of the
+11
Hands meeting each other for the first time-and also in having the
loyal advice and assistance of Dr. Abraham Weinshall, a
distinguished lawyer who had attended to all the legal affairs of
the Guardian for many years, each one holding the other in high
esteem, and whom we now called upon to advise and assist us. All
the legal powers at the World Centre of the Faith-which had been
vested in Shoghi Effendi as the appointed successor of 'Abdu'l-Baha
-- were left in limbo when he passed away as he himself had made
neither a Will nor a statement of his intentions. The holdings at
the World Centre, including its sacred Shrines, its historic
buildings, hundreds of square metres of prime real estate, and
substantial local bank accounts, were therefore in great danger.
The Hands were able, however, to successfully and legally establish
the principle that the Guardian held all properties as the Head of
the Faith and not as an individual, and to have this priceless
heritage safely placed in the hands of the Custodians. A further
large deposit, invested for safekeeping in Switzerland in both his
and my name, I later turned over to the Universal House of Justice
after its election. I remember remonstrating with Shoghi Effendi
when he made this arrangement, that it was unnecessary to include
my name on this account; but when he passed away so suddenly in
London I was in a position, with grace and dignity, to draw on this
money to pay for all his funeral expenses and our hotel bills and
later to design and supervise the construction and erection of the
monument, in white Carrara marble, marking his grave, without
turning to any Baha'i source for assistance. This was a great
consolation to me in my sorrow and surely reflected the mercy of
God in an hour of terrible trial and suffering. Following the
historic inaugural Conclave in Bahji from November 18th to the
25th, 1957, one of the first acts of the Custodians was to fulfil
what had been a cherished plan of Shoghi Effendi himself, namely,
to tear down the long, two-storey house occupied by a remnant of
the Covenant-breakers, a building which abutted on the garden wall
of the Mansion of Baha'u'llah in Bahji towards the north, the legal
possession of which he had acquired, after years of effort, shortly
before his passing. We accomplished this in December 1957 not only
in a spirit of fidelity to his wishes, but, in our deep sorrow,
longing to please him by fulfilling one of his last cherished plans
for the beautification of the precincts of our Most Holy Shrine,
the Qiblih of our Faith. As the clouds of dust arose from the
demolition of this ugly building, in some strange way it assuaged
our aching hearts. It was a revelation to me, when we extended the
pattern of Shoghi Effendi's garden into the space the demolished
building had occupied, to see how, within half a metre, the large
symmetrical design of the existing gardens he had made was
completed.
+12
Indeed, in the years following his passing, in one field after
another, one plan Shoghi Effendi had made after another, whether
in connection with the Baha'i properties in the Holy Land or
throughout the world in detailed national plans and objectives, was
fulfilled. This included the five large Intercontinental
Conferences he announced would be held during 1958-the midway point
of his decade-long global Spiritual Crusade. In spite of our
heartbreak, the fidelity of the Hands was so great we each went to
the Intercontinental Conference the Guardian had specified. He had
sown and we reaped, and still do, his harvest. In the meetings of
the Custodians we almost never worked to an agenda and had no rigid
format. We had decided, from the time of our first Conclave that,
in order to protect the Cause of God, we would have no officers,
such as President, Chairman, Secretary, etc. lest one of the male
Hands, holding such a position, should begin to assume in the eyes
of the Baha'is the function of the leader, and, God forbid, begin
to be seen as a sort of second Guardian in importance. I think this
was one of our wisest decisions and a great shield for the purity
of our services. Likewise, in the Custodian's meetings we had no
"head", but took the chairmanship in rotation. We did, however,
divide our work in the sense that Persian Hands handled the
correspondence in Persian and Arabic and those of us from the West,
all correspondence in western languages. In spite of all our
devotion and sacrifices, one of our greatest problems was to
ensure, all the year, every year, that a quorum of Hands was
present in the Holy Land for our decisions. Within the first two
years of our ministry two of the Custodians found they could not
continue to serve in a permanent capacity at the World Centre, and
in order to maintain our number at nine, it was necessary to select
two other Hands to replace them. In November of 1959 the Hands
announced that John Ferraby and Horace Holley-an immemorial figure
in the development of the Administrative Order in America, which
was the world prototype-had been chosen to serve as Custodians.
During the period of our ministry we were grieved by the death of
four of our fellow-Hands, two of whom were Custodians. Only eight
months after having been chosen as a Custodian, Horace Holley
passed away, in July 1960; William Sears was called upon to serve
as his replacement. On January 1, 1962, our dear Amelia Collins
died and Hasan Balyuzi was appointed to act as a Custodian
temporarily to fill the vacancy created by her passing. If one is
to understand how the Institution of the Hands achieved the
preservation of the Faith between the passing of its hereditary
Head and the election of its Supreme Body, one cannot do so without
a clear picture of the stage of development at which the Faith of
Baha'u'llah found itself
+13
in 1957. As early as 1924 Shoghi Effendi stated that the Local and
National Assemblies constituted "the bedrock upon the strength of
which the Universal House of Justice is in future to be firmly
established", and in 1951 he cabled: ". . . Future edifice
Universal House of Justice depending for its stability on
sustaining strength pillars erected diversified communities East
West." In 1953, at the outset of Shoghi Effendi's World
Crusade-itself a direct projection of 'Abdu'l-Baha's "Tablets of
the Divine Plan" designed to spread His Father's message throughout
the world there were only twelve National Spiritual Assemblies;
when 'Abdu'l-Baha passed away in 1921 there were none. One of the
major acts of Shoghi Effendi two years before his passing, was to
call for the election, in Ridvan 1957, of thirteen National
Spiritual Assemblies, two of which already existed but would change
names and areas of jurisdiction, thus adding eleven in number;
these eleven, plus three more which had been elected in Africa in
1956, brought the total number formed by the Guardian during his
thirty-six-year ministry to twenty-six. The Hands of the Cause,
during our brief custodianship of less than six years, increased
this number to fifty-six.' When Shoghi Effendi succeeded his
Grandfather, 'Abdu'l-Baha, only thirty-five countries throughout
the entire world had received Baha'u'llah's Message: two in the
Bab's days, thirteen in Baha'u'llah's days, and twenty in
'Abdu'l-Baha's days. Shoghi Effendi enlarged this by 219 during the
thirty-six years of his ministry; the Hands of the Faith, during
the ministry of the Custodians, added five more. In his Ridvan 1957
Message the Guardian informed us there were 4,200 localities
throughout the world where Baha'is resided; at the end of his World
Crusade the Hands were able to report this total had reached 11,210
-- an increase of over 7,000. It is beyond the scope of this
introduction to present all the goals of Shoghi Effendi's vast Ten
Year Teaching and Consolidation Plan; 2 only the most arduous and
costly tasks which faced the Hands will be mentioned. The Guardian,
by the time of his passing, had either inaugurated, changed, or
accomplished some of his own goals; a few, dependent on political
situations, proved unfeasible. The monetary tasks alone which faced
the Hands were formidable. Shoghi Effendi had called for the
"doubling" of Baha'i Houses of Worship. The "Mother Temple of the
West", situated in the United States, near Chicago, whose
cornerstone 'Abdu'l-Baha Himself had laid in 1912, the Guardian
had, with the greatest difficulty, over a period of three
decades-decades which included the "Great Depression" in the United
States, which began in 1929 and 1 The 1992 number of National
Spiritual Assemblies is 165. 2 See "The Baha'i Faith 1844-1952
Information Statistical & Comparative".
+14
lasted over ten years-shepherded to completion, and it had been
opened to public worship at the beginning of his Crusade. However,
in the original Ten Year Plan goals for this Crusade he stipulated
that two more Temples should be built, one in Asia, one in Europe,
the Asian one to be erected in the Cradle of the Faith, in Teheran,
the European one in Frankfurt, Germany. During the five years prior
to Shoghi Effendi's passing it became evident there was no hope of
building a Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in Persia as both the official and
popular hatred of the Baha'is had not modified in over a century.'
The Guardian, saddened and indignant, decided to compensate the
steadfast, continuously oppressed and persecuted believers in that
country by erecting not two but three Temples. He launched, in his
own words, an "ambitious three-fold enterprise, designed to
compensate for the disabilities suffered by the sorely-tried
Community of the followers of His Faith in the land of His birth,
aiming at the erection, in localities as far apart as Frankfurt,
Sydney and Kampala, of the Mother Temples of the European, the
Australian and African continents, at a cost of approximately one
million dollars, complementing the Temples already constructed in
the Asiatic and American continents. One-third of this sum 1,
gladly and with a grateful heart, pledge at this auspicious hour,
a sum which, when added to the funds already donated for this
laudable purpose ... will constitute well-nigh half of the entire
amount required to ensure the consummation of this stupendous,
epoch-making undertaking." The Guardian, before announcing these
decisions, had privately calculated that about one-half of the cost
he already had in hand or was assured of receiving; the remainder,
so to speak, he trusted in God to provide. He gave them first the
Mother Temple of Africa in its heart, Kampala, Uganda, and later,
to everyone's joy and surprise, he added the Mother Temple of the
Antipodes in Sydney, Australia, and finally, the last of those to
be built, the Mother Temple of Europe in Frankfurt. Fortunately for
the Hands, he had already advanced his plans for these three
Temples by approving their designs. It was a great blessing for the
Baha'is of the world that the Commander-in-Chief of the forces of
Baha'u'llah's world-conquering spiritual army had announced and set
in motion himself such momentous projects. But think of the agony
of twenty-seven heart-broken Hands faced with the duty of
fulfilling these commitments! The cornerstone of the African Temple
in Kampala was laid on January 26, 1958; that of Sydney on March
22, 1958; and that of Frankfurt on November 20, 1960. Triumphantly
the Custodians were able to see the first of these I It seems
unbelievable that as recently as March 18, 1992, yet another
Iranian follower of Baha'u'llah, of an old and distinguished Baha'i
family, has been executed.
+15
precious Houses of Worship, chosen by our beloved Guardian himself,
opened to public worship, in Kampala on January 15, 1961, and the
one in Sydney on September 16, 1961. The purchase of the land and
commencement of work had been more complicated in Germany and the
foundation-stone for the Mother Temple of Europe was not laid until
November 1960; its superstructure was completed in November 1962
during the ministry of the Hands but the Temple was not opened to
public worship until July 4, 1964. It is, I think, impossible for
others to understand how hard the Hands in the Holy Land daily
worked, how much we struggled to raise the money for and to build
these three large and imposing edifices for Shoghi Effendi Many
times the diminishing number of Hands resident at the World Centre
have said to each other: "We could not again pass through even five
minutes of the suffering we went through in those years!" One of
our most pressing worries concerned the heavy financial obligations
left us in the plans of Shoghi Effendi regarding not only the
construction of Baha'i Temples but other properties, and the
monetary support we had to give to the new National Baha'i
Assemblies in developing countries. The national Baha'i bodies in
a position to provide any substantial aid at that period were those
of Iran and America. The main income of the Hands was from the
contributions of the Persian Baha'i community, which was the oldest
and at that time the most affluent Baha'i community in the world.
This monetary aid we estimated at about $100,000 a year. In June
1960, as we considered our financial position, we felt obliged to
vote this entire sum for Temple construction, the expenses of the
Institution of the Hands and support to the National Assemblies,
nearly all of which at that period were not self-supporting and
received most of their annual budget from the Hands at the World
Centre. The munificent financial contributions of our fellow-Hand
and Custodian Amelia Collins were of great assistance to the Hands;
her outstanding generosity afforded infinite comfort to our
heavily-burdened minds and hearts as we faced the ever-increasing
financial needs of the Faith. The following minute from our
Conclave meeting in 1959 conveys only one instance of her
magnanimous spirit: "Milly offered to provide one-third entire sum
to be given by Hands Holy Land to Hands in the continents." The
Hands living at the World Centre practised rigid economy; as the
pilgrimage had been suspended for a nine-month period of mourning
throughout the Baha'i world after the passing of Shoghi Effendi our
Eastern and Western Pilgrim Houses were available and the
newly-chosen Custodians and their wives resided in them for some
time, only moving to more suitable accommodation when the
pilgrimage was reopened.
+16
With very few exceptions, the Hands had all been, at some period,
members of various National Spiritual Assemblies; they were highly
informed and highly skilled Baha'is They not only had a right to
hold individual opinions but did so very strongly. Like most
consultative bodies, we got over the bumps, the exasperation at
interminable waits for one's turn to speak, the long-windedness
which our passionate sense of responsibility and the fact that most
of us were public speakers, produced. But there was one agonizing
issue we could not agree on. Year after year we could come to no
conclusion about whether the Guardianship was closed for the period
of this Faith. The death of Shoghi Effendi had really been like an
arrow shot into our hearts. Each one struggled with his bereavement
in his own way. One of us, Mason Remey, one of the oldest and most
distinguished, solved his personal dilemma by concluding that the
Baha'i Faith could not go on without a Guardian and that
undoubtedly Shoghi Effendi's successor was himself-for various
invalid and unprovable reasons, such as that he was one of the
earliest, famous believers of the West, had been made a Hand of the
Cause by Shoghi Effendi and President of the International Baha'i
Council. All this was true, but it still did not make him the
second Guardian. Mason Remey's activities, beginning in 1960, when
he "proclaimed" himself the second Guardian, were a profound source
of embarrassment to his fellow-Hands who, in addition to all their
other heavy, heartbreaking responsibilities, now found themselves
obliged to progressively remonstrate with, admonish, warn, expose
and finally excommunicate him. This extraordinary and sudden
display of unexpected pride and conceit passed over the Baha'i
world, producing a brief flutter in France, a passing ripple in
Chile and sundry vibrations in the United States, Pakistan and one
or two other countries, and was soon gone forever. For those who,
like myself and Paul Haney, had known and loved him all our lives,
and Milly Collins, who had been a particularly old friend and
co-worker, it was a very bitter and tragic experience. Unfollowed
and unmourned, alone and isolated in his old age, when he died he
was buried by his young secretary who was not a Baha'i Although
this whole episode had no effect on the Faith, it added to the
burdens of the Custodians, consumed hours of consideration better
spent on constructive matters, and saddened our hearts. Like any
branch cut off from the root, the Remey incident withered away. Far
more distressing to the Custodians, and indeed to the entire Baha'i
world, was the case of the fourteen Baha'i prisoners in Morocco,
three of whom were condemned to death and five to life imprisonment
for no other reason than their religious beliefs. Comparable to the
case of the Persian Baha'is during the lifetime of Shoghi Effendi
in 1955, when a violent national attack on the part of the
fanatical Muslim clergy took
+17
place in Iran headed by a particularly vehement priest who accused
the Baha'is over the national radio as well as from the pulpit, of
being the enemies of Islam, 1 and produced a major crisis in the
fortunes of the Baha'i Faith, now, in another continent, a very
similar storm of alarming proportions blew up. Though few in
number, the Baha'i community in Morocco was firmly established and
valiant in spirit. The first signs of this alarming crisis appeared
in 1961; on December 7th, an article appeared in the nationally
prominent newspaper Al Alam, lamenting the decline of Islam and
attacking the Baha'i Faith. Suddenly a spotlight was focused on a
small group of Baha'is in the northern provincial town of Nador who
were imprisoned and accused, fundamentally, of heresy, some of them
being sentenced to death. From its onset this case became a
constant preoccupation of the Custodians; ceaseless anxiety and
effort, and in the end acute anguish, became our daily lot as the
date for the execution of three of the prisoners in that city
approached. The extraordinary amount of material and comment
covering this case-which began in April 1962 and ended in December
1963 -- cannot be presented here. The facts, the highlights, and
some of the major documents are, however, included. The Moroccan
case involved the imprisonment of 14 Baha'is in three cities, 7 in
Nador, 2 in Fez, and 5 in Tetuan in the northern Province of Nador;
the arrest of the first five took place on April 10, 1962. Already,
however, throughout the Riff area religious opposition of the
Muslim community had been steadily increasing; some of the homes
of the Baha'is had been searched by the police and their Baha'i
literature seized, and in January 1962 a well-known Professor of
Fine Arts at the University of Tetuan was dismissed from his post
and warned to have no association with his co-religionists. Another
Baha'i a resident of Nador, lost his government job shortly
thereafter. All the accused were men of good repute; with one
exception they were all young men, holding respected jobs, with
some standing in the community; among them was a teacher, a Customs
official and a police inspector. Six of them were single, eight
were married, and seven had children. The youngest was only 20
years old, the eldest 38. One of the first five arrested, under
police interrogation, was hung upside down by the feet but refused
to divulge the names of any other Baha'is all of them 1 This was
a wholly unfounded and unsupportable standard accusation brought
against the Baha'is particularly in view of the fact that western
Baha'is of Christian background in the Western Hemisphere and
Europe acknowledge the spiritual station of Muhammad, the founder
of Islam, as a Divinely inspired Prophet of God.
+18
were brutally treated; they were arrested without any charge and
held in prison for four days before being brought to Court on April
15th. On October 31st; the fourteen B Baha'i men were brought to
the Regional Court of Nador to hear the charges against them and
were formally accused of: Rebellion, Disorder, Attack on Public
Security, Forming an Association of Criminals, and Attack on
Religious Faith. The difference between Baha'i religious
laws-fasting, prayer, pilgrimage, etc.-and those of Islam, were
compared in detail by the Court. The first intimation we received
at the World Centre of the arrest of the Baha'is was a newspaper
article from Morocco; on April 14th, news of these happenings burst
in the press through an article in the prestigious Le Courier du
Maroc. While the case was being widely publicized in Moroccan
newspapers and spreading to the foreign press, the Custodians were
constantly in touch with the Baha'i National Spiritual Assemblies
in those days 44 in number-most notably that of the United States
of America, in which country is situated the seat of the United
Nations, by which we were recognized as a Non-Governmental
Organization with observer status, under the title of the Baha'i
International Community", which officially represented at that time
Baha'i communities in 257 countries, territories and dependencies.
All national Baha'i bodies were likewise urged to bring as much
pressure, by every means within their power, upon the Moroccan
authorities in defence of the innocence of their fellow believers,
whilst the Baha'is of the entire world, with full hearts, prayed
for their protection and release. Between the date the Moroccan
Baha'is had been arrested, in April, and the stage of our open,
world-wide publicity, every effort to protect the prisoners and
prove their innocence had been undertaken by the Hands in the Holy
Land. Two distinguished Moroccan lawyers had been engaged in their
defence and a famous French lawyer had come from Paris to join
them. The Custodians felt very strongly that no attack should be
made on the central authorities but that the blame should
rest-where it in fact originated-on a small, fanatical, prejudiced
and misinformed group of local leaders, who unfortunately at that
period did not seem susceptible to any central State control from
Rabat. Throughout the hearings it was repeatedly asserted that one
of the cardinal teachings of the Baha'i Faith is obedience to
government, that the Baha'i International Community is accredited
to agencies of the United Nations as a Non-Governmental
Organization, and so on, to no avail. On December 14, 1962 the
Regional Court of Nador pronounced its verdict. Of the original 14
people involved in the case, four were acquitted, stating they were
Muslims, one was acquitted through what appears to be
+19
family connections, one was released from prison on 15 years'
probation because he was a serious diabetic, five were committed
to life imprisonment and three were condemned to death. The
announcement of these sentences stunned the Baha'i world. It also
stunned the media. The new Moroccan Constitution had just been
overwhelmingly accepted by a national referendum and on December
7th, three days before the Baha'i trial opened, Morocco had voted
in the United Nations in favour of a resolution for a draft
convention on the elimination of all forms of religious
intolerance. On January 1st all National and Local Baha'i Spiritual
Assemblies were requested by the Custodians to cable His Majesty
the King of Morocco appealing for justice for the Baha'is. This
universal demonstration of international Baha'i solidarity would
leave no doubt in the minds of the authorities of the world-wide
existence of the Baha'i community. For those of us in Haifa who had
lived, under the aegis of our beloved Guardian, through the
agonizing days in 1955 when another group of Baha'is were being
unjustly persecuted, that time in Persia where the friends suffered
senseless acts of barbarism, murder, rape and pillage of property,
it was history repeating itself-but with no Shoghi Effendi at the
helm to guide and comfort us. We had to pray, act, endure the
heavy-footed hours that never seemed to pass as the time for the
execution of our fellow-Baha's drew nearer and nearer. The burden
of anxiety for the fate of their co-religionists was shared by the
entire Baha'i world; the burden of responsibility and decision,
however, fell upon the Hands of the Cause, particularly the body
of the Custodians in Haifa, and was, indeed, an agonizing and
almost insupportable burden to bear. "The Moroccan Case" ran for
some twenty months. Ultimately by decision of the Moroccan Supreme
Court all Baha'i prisoners were set free on December 13, 1963. The
civil authorities not only released and fully exonerated them from
any culpability but paid them financial compensation for their loss
of freedom to earn their living and, in a few cases, where they
were employed by the Government, indemnified them. All National
Spiritual Assemblies, wherever possible, were asked by the
Universal House of Justice to express gratification, through the
Moroccan Embassy or Consulate in their areas, to the King for this
decision of the Supreme Court. In Shoghi Effendi's vision for the
development of the World Administrative Centre on the great
semi-circular "arc" he laid out on Mount Carmel, he foresaw a Seat
for its supreme governorship and Centres for the study of the Holy
Texts and for the protection and teaching of the Faith, under the
supervision of the Hands of the Cause, as well as an International
Archives. Before he passed away the Guardian himself
+20
chose both the site and the Grecian style of architecture for our
museum of historical material, the International Baha'i Archives;
this building was erected under his own supervision, but he passed
away before the completion of the interior and was not able
personally to arrange the unique and historic exhibits he had long
been collecting. The accomplishment of this task was one of the
labours of love of the Hands of the Cause. It was opened to Baha'i
pilgrims in the winter of 1961. One of the final and major
accomplishments of the Hands at the end of this historic
five-and-a-hAli-year period was to work out, during our last
Conclave, in Bahji -- to a great extent due to the vision of our
fellow-Hand Rahmatu'llah Muhajir -- a projected nine-year plan,
involving no less than sixty-nine national teaching plans, which
was to begin in Ridvan 1964 and end in Ridvan 1973, thus continuing
the unbroken sequence of the implementation of 'Abdu'l-Baha's
"Divine Plan" for the spiritual conquest of the globe. This was
submitted to our Supreme Body, the Universal House of Justice,
which adapted and adopted many of our suggestions when it finalized
the details of its majestic Nine Year Plan. The Hands of the Faith
and the members of the International Baha'i Council were
tremendously excited by the prospect of the first election of the
Universal House of Justice, which was to take place on the
Centenary of the Declaration of Baha'u'llah's Mission in Baghdad
in 1863. One evening, as one of the Council members was sitting
with me in the home of 'Abdu'l-Baha and we were discussing the
forthcoming International Baha'i Convention and election and where
it should be held, the idea was suggested by him that it might be
possible to hold it in that house. As the electoral college of the
Universal House of Justice is composed of the nine members of all
National or Regional Spiritual Assemblies and there were at that
time fifty-six of these national bodies, we would need space to
accommodate 504 delegates, plus the Hands of the Cause and members
of the International Baha'i Council. We measured the large main
hall and adjoining rooms and concluded that by removing all the
twelve doors on the four sides of the hall we might be able to do
this. It was 'Abdu'l-Baha Himself Who, in His Will and Testament,
had elaborated the nature and duties of both the Universal House
of Justice and the Hands of the Cause; what could be more sacred
and befitting than for the Hands to hold the election of the first
Universal House of Justice in His home? In preparation for this
election the Hands in the Holy Land, five years after the passing
of the beloved Guardian, wrote to all National Spiritual Assemblies
on November 4, 1962, enclosing nine ballot papers with full details
of how to fill them out and who was eligible for election. In this
letter, while not prohibiting the delegates from voting for any
male Hands of the Cause, we requested them to leave the Hands free
to discharge the
+21
duties of their own institution. During the years of our ministry
all such momentous decisions were made after exhaustive
consultation and ardent prayers for guidance. On April 21, 1963,
the delegates, many of them in native costume, stepped forward as
the roll call was read and cast their votes; the absentee votes of
delegates unable to attend, carefully sealed in double envelopes
to ensure secrecy, were likewise deposited in the ballot box, which
was later sealed and locked and shut into a locked room of
'Abdu'l-Baha's home while all the Hands and delegates present in
the Holy Land proceeded to the Tomb of Baha'u'llah in Bahji to
render praise and thanksgiving to Him for this great victory. The
goals of the Guardian had been won by the Baha'is of the world,
under the leadership of the Hands of the Cause he had appointed.
The election of the Universal House of Justice at the World Centre
had been triumphantly held. Both bodies now proceeded to London to
attend the World Centennial Congress he himself had planned.
Although the ministry of the Custodians terminated with the
election of the Universal House of Justice, this date did not end
the painstaking services of our august institution; the crowning
event of our custodianship at the end of our beloved Guardian's
World Crusade was the celebration of the Most Great Jubilee, during
the period of Ridvan held from April 28 -- May 2, 1963, in London.
In Shoghi Effendi's original announcement it was hoped that this
centennial anniversary could take place in Baghdad, the scene of
the Declaration of Baha'u'llah's Prophetic Mission. Circumstances,
however, made this impracticable and the Hands decided to hold it
in London, a city with many precious historic associations with
both 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi who studied at Oxford
University prior to becoming the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith when
his Grandfather died in 1921. As we cast about for a befitting
venue for this great Congress planned by Shoghi Effendi we found
that the unique and beautiful Royal Albert Hall, in the heart of
London, famous as a centre for concerts and conferences, which
accommodates about 7,000 people, could be rented for our great
occasion. Baha'is from all over the world, including Hands and
administrators, Knights of Baha'u'llah and pioneers, were present,
and the audience was addressed by members of the Institutions of
both the Hands and the Universal House of Justice. In this
wonderful fulfilment of the Guardian's own plan for the culmination
of his World Crusade my greatest joy was the words addressed to us
by various indigenous tribesmen from the continents and islands of
the globe, whether the much-loved "Uncle Fred", an illiterate
Australian Aborigine, who said, after describing his journey from
Australia as being carried across the ocean in
+22
a great new flying kangaroo" and being set down in London: "Yes,
dear friends, I am glad to see the people here, like flowers of all
colours ... Baha'u'llah has given me a good life ... I have joy in
my heart", or the cheerful Baha'i from the Mentawai Islands of
Indonesia, who assured us that if we could see him minus his
European suit of clothes he was tattooed from head to toe! For all
of us-largely sophisticates from Asia, Europe and North America-it
was a revelation to witness the aplomb, wisdom and highly
appropriate sentiments expressed by these fellow Baha'is from areas
often referred to as "the developing countries". There was an
unprecedented feeling of happiness and oneness of spirit in this
great Congress and the attendants lapped their first, newly-elected
Universal House of Justice, presented to them by the Hands of the
Cause, in a great wave of welcome and love. I am sure all the Hands
of the Cause felt that Shoghi Effendi's desires had been fulfilled.
+23
THE MINISTRY OF THE CUSTODIANS
1957
+24
THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+25
Haifa, Israel November 6, 1957 Ruhiyyih Khanum, telephoned me on
the evening of November 4th, of the great calamity which had
stricken the Baha'i world, in the passing of our dearly beloved
Guardian, in London, during the early morning hours of November
4th.
During our conversation it was decided I would remain in Haifa and
take all precautions to protect the Holy Places, the Guardian's
apartment, where all his records were kept, and the Faith from
attack by the enemies of the Faith here. The following actions were
taken: 1. The Guardian's apartment and office had been locked, so
no one could enter it during his absence. We assured ourselves that
it was carefully locked, and barriers were placed in front of the
door so no one could enter. We then locked and put iron bars across
the door to the entrance of the living quarters. These iron bars
were padlocked. All the keys to the apartment were then sealed in
an envelope, which envelope was signed by Sylvia Ioas Jessie
Revell, Ethel Revell and Leroy Ioas and placed in the safe of my
office, in such a way that if the envelope was tampered with in any
way, it would be seen immediately. We then arranged for the
Guardian's trusted servant to sleep outside the doors of the
apartment and office; likewise another trusted servant to sleep at
the foot of the steps, so no one could gain access to the area.
During the daytime, we maintained extra Baha'is in the building,
so no access could be gained. 2. The Shrine of Baha'u'llah was
guarded night and day, and one of the Baha'is slept in the Shrine
each night. , 3. The same action was taken with regard to the
Shrine of the Bab. 4. The same action was taken with regard to the
Mansion at Bahji The sealing of the Guardian's apartment and office
was done in the presence of the four members of the International
Council here, who have signed this document, in attestation
thereof. The envelope in which the keys to the apartment were
sealed, is attached. Leroy C. Ioas [Signed as follows] Leroy Ioas
Sylvia Ioas, Ethel Revell Jessie Revell
+26
HANDS IN THE HOLY LAND OFFICIAL STATEMENT Haifa, Israel November
15,1957 Allah-u-Abha! Ruhiyyih Khanum, Mr. Remey, Mrs. Collins, Dr.
Giachery, and Mr. Ioas, arrived from Lydda airport about 10:50 a.m.
November 15th, from the funeral of the dearly beloved Guardian. The
five Hands of the Cause, named above, then secured the sealed
envelope with the keys to the Guardian's apartment, opened it, and
proceeded to enter the apartment, at 11: 10 a.m. We immediately
proceeded to the safe where sacred documents were preserved, and
the logical place where the Will of the beloved Guardian would be
kept. The safe was sealed with tape, which was signed by all Hands
and then countersigned, and then sealed with sealing wax, on the
upper and lower doors of the safe. This was completed at 11: 15
a.m. The keys of the safe were then placed in an envelope which was
sealed with sealing wax, and signed by the Hands. This was done
immediately, and delivered to the Guardian's Assistant Secretary,
Mr. Leroy Ioas, Hand of the Faith, who placed it in the safe in his
office. As an additional measure of precaution, the drawers of the
desk of the Guardian were sealed, and the seals countersigned. This
was concluded at 12:07 p.m. The five Hands of the Faith who were
present at all times sign this document in attestation thereto.
[Signed as follows] Ruhiyyih Mason Remey Amelia E. Collins Ugo
Giachery, Leroy C. Ioas, PRESS RELEASE IN THE JERUSALEM POST
"BAHA'I 'HANDS' MEET FOR OBSEQUIES" Haifa, Monday November 18, 1957
A memorial ceremony for His Eminence Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, World
Head of the Baha'i Faith, who died in London on November 4, was
+27
held this afternoon at the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, world centre of
the Baha'i Faith, north of Acre. The ceremony was held at 2 p.m.
corresponding to the exact hour of the interment of the Guardian
of the Faith in London. Memorial services are being hold by
national and local Baha'i assemblies in all parts of the world
today. Twenty-six of the 27 'Hands' of the Baha'i Faith throughout
the world arrived yesterday to take part in the service. The "Hands
of the Cause", as the elders of the Faith are called, have come
from five continents. They include one who knew Baha'u'llah, the
founder of the Baha'i Faith; an 88-year-old woman from Australia,
who had to travel with her nurse; the only Negro "Hand", who comes
from the Cameroons in Africa; and others from Britain, the
Americas, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Iran, Germany, Italy,
Uganda, Rhodesia and the Union of South Africa. Messages of
condolence continue to arrive at the International Baha'i Council
from all parts of the world, from government heads, educators and
people from all walks of life. HANDS IN THE HOLY LAND OFFICIAL
STATEMENT Haifa, Israel November 19, 1957 Allah-u-Abha! This
morning immediately after 9:00 a.m. we, the five Hands of the Cause
assigned to service at the World Centre of the Faith, Ruhiyyih
Khanum, Mason Remey, Amelia E. Collins, Ugo Giachery, and Leroy
Ioas as well as Hands of the Cause Hasan Balyuzi, a member of the
Afnan family, Mr. Horace Holley, representing the believers of the
Western Hemisphere, Musa Banani; representing the believers of the
African continent, and Dr. 'Ali-Muhammad Varqa Trustee of the
beloved Guardian, representing also the Asian continent, (totaling
to, ' the number of Baha) have met, in order to open the Guardian's
safe and desk [and] search for a Will and Testament if one was
executed by Shoghi Effendi They found that the seals placed on the
safe by the five Hands in the Holy Land were intact and untouched;
and similarly the seals containing the keys to the safe were intact
and untouched and similarly that the sealed desk was intact. The
undersigned nine Hands of the Cause, appointed by the first
+28
Guardian, Shoghi Effendi each in the presence of the others, do
hereby individually and collectively certify to the following: That
the safe and desk have been opened and searched and the non
existence of a Will and Testament executed by Shoghi Effendi was
definitely established. [Signed as follows] Ruhiyyih Mason Remey
Amelia E. Collins Ugo Giachery, Leroy Ioas Hasan M. Balyuzi Horace
Holley M.B. Musa Banani; Dr. A. Vargha UNANIMOUS PROCLAMATION OF
THE 27 HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD Mansion of Baha'u'llah Bahji,
'Akka, Israel November 25, 1957 We the undersigned: Ruhiyyih
Rabbani Charles Mason Remey (who is President of the International
Baha'i Council) Amelia E. Collins (who is Vice President of the
International Baha'i Council) Leroy C. Ioas (who is Secretary
General of the International Baha'i Council) Dr. Ugo Giachery, (who
is member-at-large of the International Baha'i Council and Chairman
of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Switzerland)
Hasan M. Balyuzi (who is Chairman of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of the British Isles) Shoaullah Ala'i (who
is Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Iran) Ali Akbar Furutan (who is Secretary of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran) Zikrullah Khadem (who is Treasurer
of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran) Dr. Ali
Mohammad Varqa (who is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Baha'is of Iran) Tarazu'llah Samandari (who is a resident
of Shiraz, Iran) Djalal Khazeh (who is a resident of Teheran, Iran)
+29
John Ferraby (who is Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Baha'is of the British Isles Paul E. Haney (who is Chairman
of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United
States) Horace Holley (who is Secretary of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States) Abul Qasim F.
Teherani Dr. Adelbert Muh1schlegel (who is a member of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Germany and Austria) Dr.
Hermann Grossmann (who is a resident of Neckargemind, Germany) Musa
Banani (who is a resident of Kampala, Uganda) William Sears (who
is Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
South and West Africa) John Robarts, (who is Recording Secretary
of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of South and West
Africa) Enoch Olinga, (who is a member of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of North West Africa) Agnes Alexander (who
is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
North East Asia) H. Collis Featherstone (who is Chairman of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia) Clara Dunn
(who is a resident of Sydney, Australia) Dr. Rahmatu'llah Mohajer
(who is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is
of South-East Asia) in our capacity as Hands of the Cause of God
duly nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith,
His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, assembled this 25th
of November, 1957 at the Baha'i World Centre and constituting the
supreme body of the Baha'i World Community DO HEREBY UNANIMOUSLY
RESOLVE AND PROCLAIM AS FOLLOWS: WHEREAS THE Guardian of the Baha'i
Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, passed away
in London (England) on the 4th of November, 1957, without having
appointed his successor; AND WHEREAS it is now fallen upon us as
Chief Stewards of the Baha'i World Faith to preserve the unity, the
security and the development of the Baha'i World Community and all
its institutions; AND WHEREAS in accordance with the Will and
Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha) "the Hands of the Cause of God must
elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times
be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian
of the Cause of God";
+30
We nominate and appoint from our own number to act on our behalf
as the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith Ruhiyyih Rabbani
Charles Mason Remey Amelia E. Collins Leroy C. Ioas, Hasan Balyuzi
'Ali-Akbar Furutan; Jalal Khazeh Paul E. Haney Adelbert
Muhlschlegel to exercise-subject to such directions and decisions
as may be given from time to time by us as the Chief Stewards of
the Baha'i World Faith-all such functions, rights and powers in
succession to the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the
late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, as are necessary to serve the
interests of the Baha'i World Faith, and this until such time as
the Universal House of Justice, upon being duly established and
elected in conformity with the Sacred Writings of Baha'u'llah and
the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, may otherwise determine.
[Signed as follows] Ruhiyyih Rabbani Zikrullah Khadem M.B. Musa
Banani; Charles Mason Remey Ali Mohammad Varqa William Sears Amelia
E. Collins T. Samandari John Robarts, Leroy C. Ioas Djalal Khazeh
Enoch Olinga, Ugo Giachery, John Ferraby Agnes B. Alexander Hasan
M. Balyuzi Paul E. Haney H. Collis Featherstone Shoaullah Alai
Horace Holley Clara Dunn Ali Akbar Furutan Abul Qasim F. Teherani
Dr. R. Mohajer Hermann Grossmann Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel
AFFIDAVIT Wilmette, Illinois United States of America, November 30,
1957 The undersigned, Corinne True, being one of the twenty-seven
Hands of the Cause of God, duly nominated and appointed by the
Guardian of
+31
the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani,
having been prevented by the state of my health, to attend
personally the meeting of the Hands of the Cause of God held in the
Mansion of Baha'u'llah at Bahji in 'Akka, on the twenty-fifth of
November, 1957, declare to be in full agreement with the above
resolution, and I am joining my signature thereto. [Signed as
follows] Corinne True Subscribed and sworn to before me this 30th;
day of November, 1957. [Signed as follows] Sophie Leading Notary
Public My commission expires September 27, 1959 UNANIMOUS
CERTIFICATION Mansion of Baha'u'llah Bahji 'Akka, Israel November
25, 1957 We, the undersigned Hands of the Cause of God, assembled
at the Baha'i World Centre, certify that by unanimous action we
have constituted a body of nine Hands to serve the interests of the
Baha'i World Faith at its World Centre in order to carry on from
this Centre the provisions of the World Baha'i Crusade and to
discharge there our responsibility of protecting and propagating
the Faith of Baha'u'llah. We further certify that the body consists
of the following persons: Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, Charles
Mason Remey Amelia E. Collins Leroy Ioas, Hasan Balyuzi 'Ali-Akbar
Furutan; Jalal Khazeh Paul E. Haney Adelbert Muhlschlegel 1 We
further certify that by unanimous action we have appointed Ugo As
it proved inexpedient for Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel to serve as a
Hand of the Cause in Israel, Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, was chosen in his
place.
+32
Giachery, as alternate member authorized to fill any temporary
vacancy that might arise from time to time. [Signed as follows]
Ruhiyyih Agnes B. Alexander Mason Remey Zikrullah Khadem Leroy C.
Ioas Hermann Grossmann Sh. Alai John Ferraby A. Q. Faizi; R.
Mohajer Jalal Khazeh A. Vargha Paul E. Haney A. Furutan Horace
Holley William Sears John Robarts, Enoch Olinga, Hasan M. Balyuzi
Adelbert Muhlschlegel, T. Samandari M.B. Musa Banani] Ugo Giachery,
H. Collis Featherstone Clara Dunn Amelia E. Collins [Corinne True
by affidavit] RESOLUTION OF THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD PASSED
AT THEIR MEETING AT THE BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE Mansion of Baha'u'llah
Bahji 'Akka, Israel November 25,1957 The following principles shall
apply to the relations between the Hands of the Cause of God and
the nine Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith and to the activities
of the said Custodians: 1. The Hands of the Cause shall have their
meetings at least once a year, and the time and place of their
meetings shall be determined by the Custodians, who shall be
responsible for convocation of such meetings. 2. The Hands of the
Cause shall have the full authority to introduce such changes in
the composition of the Custodians, to substitute Custodians by
others from their own number, to resolve upon such alterations in
functions, rights and powers of the Custodians and to give such
directions to the Custodians as the Hands of the Cause in their
free discretion may decide. 3. The quorum of the meetings of the
Hands of the Cause shall be a simple majority of their number, and
any resolution adopted by majority of the Hands attending such
meetings shall be deemed to have been validly passed by the Hands
of the Cause.
+33
4. The quorum of the meetings of the Custodians shall be five, and
any decision adopted by the majority of the Custodians attending
such meetings shall be deemed to have been validly passed by the
Custodians. 5. Dr. Ugo Giachery, is appointed as alternate
Custodian authorized to fill any temporary vacancy that may arise
in the body of the Custodians. 6. In the event of any vacancy
occurring in the composition of the Custodians, the remaining
Custodians shall have the duty and the power to fill the vacancy
temporarily up to the next meeting of the Hands of the Cause by
appointing one of the Hands of the Cause to act as a Custodian. 7.
The Custodians, in addition to their other functions, shall
administer all the properties, assets and accounts belonging to the
World Baha'i Community (other than those belonging to various
National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies or Baha'i local bodies)
and shall be entitled to appoint two or more of their midst to
operate the bank accounts, to receive and withdraw moneys, to
represent the Custodians in any dealings and transactions generally
or for any specific purpose and to execute and sign any documents
in connection therewith. 8. In all their dealings with the Israel
Government and any local authorities in Israel the Custodians shall
act through the Baha'i International Council, who shall act in
accordance with the instructions of the Custodians. 9. The
Custodians shall be deemed to succeed the Guardian of the Baha'i
Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, in Palestine
or Israel Branches of National Spiritual Assemblies of various
countries, which are registered in Israel, and the Custodians may
nominate one or more persons to act on their behalf in any such
Israel Branches. Completed, sealed and signed on this 25th day of
November, 1957. [Signed as follows] Ruhiyyih Rabbani Agnes B.
Alexander Mason Remey Zikrullah Khadem Amelia E. Collins Abul Qasim
F. Teherani Leroy C. Ioas, Djalal Khazeh Ugo Giachery, Hermann
Grossmann Hasan M. Balyuzi Enoch Olinga, Horace Holley Dr. Adelbert
Muhlschlegel, M.B. Musa Banani; John Robarts, Ali Akbar Furutan
Clara Dunn Shoaullah Alai H. Collis Featherstone Ali Mohammad Varqa
Paul Haney Dr. R. Mohajer William Sears John Ferraby Tarazu'llah
Samandari, [Corinne True by affidavit] inadvertently unsigned]
+34
RESOLUTION OF THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD Mansion of Baha'u'llah
Bahji 'Akka, Israel November 25, 1957 We the undersigned Hands of
the Cause hereby record the following action taken in unanimous
agreement: 1. That the body of nine Hands of the Cause already
constituted shall exercise these functions, namely, to correspond
with the National Spiritual Assemblies on matters related to the
prosecution of the Guardian's Ten Year Plan; to assist the National
Assemblies in the solution of administrative problems by citing
passages in Baha'i literature which clarify the nature of these
problems; to act for the protection of the Faith whenever its
teachings or institutions or properties are assailed by enemies
from within the Baha'i Community or outside its ranks; 2. That the
Council shall represent the Faith in all matters related to the
Israeli Government and its courts; 3. The nine Hands to reinforce
the membership of the International Baha'i Council through the
addition of the five Hands among the nine Hands not already members
of the Council; 4. That the entire body of the Hands of the Cause,
meeting annually or whenever convened by the nine Hands, shall
determine when and how the International Baha'i Council shall pass
through the successive stages outlined by Shoghi Effendi
culminating in the election of the Universal House of Justice; 5.
That the nine Hands serving at the Baha'i World Centre shall
maintain correspondence with the Hands stationed in the several
continents on all matters related to their work of propagating the
Faith and defending it from attack, coordinating and encouraging
their efforts; 6. That the authority to expel violators from the
Faith shall be vested in the body of nine Hands, acting on reports
and recommendations submitted by Hands from their respective
continents. 7. The Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land may, if
necessary, call upon any of the Hands to fill a vacancy
temporarily. [Signed as follows] Ruhiyyih Rabbani Zikrullah Khadem
Mason Remey A. Q. Faizi; Amelia E. Collins Ugo Giachery, Leroy C.
Ioas, Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel Hasan M. Balyuzi Djalal Khazeh
Horace Holley Hermann Grossmann
+35
M.B. Musa Banani John Robarts, A. Furutan Enoch Olinga, Dr. R.
Mohajer Ali Mohammad Varqa Sh. Alai H. Collis Featherstone John
Ferraby William Sears T. Samandari Paul Haney Agnes B. Alexander
Clara Dunn [Corinne True by affidavit] PROCLAMATION FIRST CONCLAVE
THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE NOVEMBER 18 - NOVEMBER 25,1957 To the
Baha'is
of East and West Mansion of Baha'u'llah Bahji, 'Akka, Israel
November 25,1957 Beloved Friends: Nine days had not yet elapsed
after the interment of the sacred remains of our beloved Guardian,
Shoghi Effendi in London, when the Hands of the Cause, to the
number of twenty-six, assembled at the World Centre of the Faith,
in our capacity as "Chief Stewards of the embryonic World
Commonwealth of Baha'u'llah", to consult together on the most
tragic situation facing the Baha'is since the Ascension of
'Abdu'l-Baha, and to take all necessary and appropriate measures
to safeguard the highest interests of our Faith. On November 18th
the Hands conducted a Memorial Meeting at Bahji, in the
Haram-i-Aqdas surrounding the most sacred Shrine in the Baha'i
world, afterward entering the Holy Tomb itself and prostrating
ourselves in utter humility at the Sacred Threshold. On the
following morning, November 19th, nine Hands of the Cause, selected
from the Holy Land, and the several continents of East and West,
with (Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, broke the seals placed upon the
beloved Guardian's safe and desk and made careful examination of
their precious contents. These same Hands, rejoining the other
Hands assembled in the Mansion of Baha'u'llah at Bahji, certified
that Shoghi Effendi had left no Will and Testament. It was likewise
certified that the beloved Guardian had left no heir. The Aghsan
(branches) one and all are either dead or have been declared
violators of the Covenant by the Guard
+36
Guardian for their faithlessness to the Master's Will and Testament
and their hostility to him named first Guardian in that sacred
document. The first effect of the realization that no successor to
Shoghi Effendi could have been appointed by him was to plunge the
Hands of the Cause into the very abyss of despair. What must happen
to the world community of his devoted followers if the Leader, the
Inspirer, the Planner of all Baha'i activities in all countries and
islands of the seas could no longer fulfil his unique mission? From
this dark abyss, however, contemplation of the Guardian's own life
of complete sacrifice and his peerless services gradually redeemed
our anguished hearts. Shoghi Effendi himself, we knew, would have
been the first to remind the Hands, and the widespread body of the
believers, that the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah has quickened those
powers and resources of faith within mankind which will achieve the
unity of the peoples and the triumph of His World Order. In this
new light of understanding the company of the Hands could perceive
with heightened gratitude the existence of those innumerable
blessings which Shoghi Effendi had created and left as his true
legacy to all Baha'is Has not the World Centre, with its sacred
Shrines and institutions, been firmly established? Has not the
Message been established in 254 countries and dependencies? Have
not the National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies, forerunners of
the Universal House of Justice, been implanted in twenty-six great
areas of all continents? Has not the Guardian left us not only his
incomparable translations for English-reading Baha'is of the Baha'i
Sacred Literature but also his own master works of interpretation
which disclose to us the unshatterable edifice of an evolving
Baha'i Order and world community? Has not the Guardian, building
upon the enduring foundation of the Master's Tablets of the Divine
Plan, created the World Crusade to guide our work until 1963? Has
not the Guardian, moreover, in his mysterious insight into the
present and future needs of the Baha'i community, called into being
the International Baha'i Council and the company of twenty-seven
Hands with their Auxiliary Boards, whom, in his final communication
to the Baha'is he designated "Chief Stewards of the embryonic World
Commonwealth of Baha'u'llah"? Such reflections cannot but, in such
a world-shattering experience as all Baha'is have this month
endured, reveal to us how strongly Shoghi Effendi has laid the
foundations of the World Order of Baha'u'llah through the
appointment of Hands of the Cause and likewise the appointment of
the International Baha'i Council, the institution destined to
evolve into the Universal House of Justice. In our capacity of
Chief Stewards of the embryonic World Common
+37
wealth of Baha'u'llah, we Hands of the Cause have constituted a
body of nine Hands to serve at the Baha'i World Centre. This body
of nine Hands will energetically deal with the protection of the
Faith whenever attacks, whether from within or outside the Baha'i
community, are reported by Hands from their areas or by National
or Regional Assemblies or whether they arise within the Holy Land.
Correspondence will likewise be maintained with the Hands of the
Cause working in the several continents. This same body will
correspond with National Assemblies on matters connected with the
prosecution of the objectives of the Ton Year Plan. On matters
involving administrative questions this same body will assist
National Assemblies by citing those passages of the Baha'i Sacred
Literature which direct the Assemblies to a sound solution. As to
the International Baha'i Council, appointed by the Guardian and
heralded in his communications to the Baha'i world, that body will
in the course of time finally fulfil its purpose through the
formation of the Universal House of Justice, that Supreme Body upon
which infallibility, as the Master's Testament assures us, is
divinely conferred: "The source of all good and freed from all
error." The main work of the Council has been to act as the
Guardian's representative in matters involving the Israeli
Government and its courts of law. Beloved friends! Is not the most
precious legacy bequeathed to us all by Shoghi Effendi the
privilege of constancy in the Faith of Baha'u'llah and devotion in
teaching His Message? This is the heartfelt plea we direct to every
Baha'i; The hour has come, as it came with the passing of
'Abdu'l-Baha, when true Baha'is will be distinguished by their
firmness in the Covenant and their spiritual radiance while
pressing forward the mighty work committed to every area of the
world community-to every individual Baha'i For now our implacable
opponents may, and probably will, unleash attacks, assuming in
their ignorance that the Faith of Baha'u'llah is weakened and
defenseless. By consecration of spirit we are armed against all
manner of assault and we hold the weapon of Faith with which the
triumph of the Guardian's aims and purposes is assured. The Hands
of the Cause, determined to carry out every aspect of the
Guardian's expressed wishes and hopes, call upon the National
Assemblies to proceed with the holding of the Intercontinental
Conferences which Shoghi Effendi has planned for 1958, and make
each of them a great rallying-point of determination to achieve the
tasks of the next phase of the World Crusade. We are, moreover, to
keep ever before us the other tasks fixed in the Ten Year Plan as
objectives to be won by 1963. Meanwhile the entire body of the
Hands, assembled by the nine Hands of the World Centre, will decide
when and how the International Baha'i
+38
Council is to evolve through the successive stages outlined by the
Guardian, culminating in the call to election of the Universal
House of Justice by the membership of all National Spiritual
Assemblies. When that divinely ordained Body comes into existence,
all the conditions of the Faith can be examined anew and the
measures necessary for its future operation determined in
consultation with the Hands of the Cause. "0 God, my God! Shield
Thy trusted servants from the evils of self and passion, protect
them with the watchful eye of Thy loving-kindness from all rancour,
hate and envy, shelter them in the impregnable stronghold of Thy
care and, safe from the darts of doubtfulness, make them the
manifestations of Thy glorious Signs, illumine their faces with the
effulgent rays shed from the Dayspring of Thy Divine Unity, gladden
their hearts with the verses revealed from Thy Holy Kingdom,
strengthen their loins by Thine all-swaying power that cometh from
Thy Realm of Glory. Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Protector, the
Almighty, the Gracious." "0 ye that stand fast in the Covenant!
When the hour cometh that this wronged and broken winged bird will
have taken its flight unto the Celestial Concourse, when it will
have hastened to the Realm of the Unseen and its mortal frame will
have been either lost or hidden neath the dust, it is incumbent
upon the Afnan, that are steadfast in the Covenant of God, and have
branched from the Tree of Holiness; the Hands (pillars) of the
Cause of God (the glory of the Lord rest upon them), and all the
friends and loved ones, one and all to bestir themselves and arise
with heart and soul and in one accord, to diffuse the sweet savours
of God, to teach His Cause and to promote His Faith. It behoveth
them not to rest for a moment, neither to seek repose. They must
disperse themselves in every land, pass by every clime and travel
throughout all regions. Bestirred, without rest and steadfast to
the end they must raise in every land the triumphal cry '0 Thou the
Glory of Glories!' (Ya Baha'u'l-Abha), must achieve renown in the
world wherever they go, must burn brightly even as a candle in
every meeting and must kindle the flame of Divine love in every
assembly; that the light of truth may rise resplendent in the
midmost heart of the world, that throughout the East and throughout
the West a vast concourse may gather under the shadow of the Word
of God, that the sweet savours of holiness may be diffused, that
faces may shine radiantly, hearts be filled with the Divine spirit
and souls be made heavenly. "In these days, the most important of
all things is the guidance of the nations and peoples of the world.
Teaching the Cause is of utmost importance for it is the head
corner-stone of the foundation itself. This wronged servant has
spent his days and nights in promoting the Cause and urging the
peoples to service. He rested not a moment, till the fame of the
Cause
+39
of God was noised abroad in the world and the celestial strains
from the Abha Kingdom roused the East and the West. The beloved of
God must also follow the same example. This is the secret of
faithfulness, this is the requirement of servitude to the Threshold
of Baha) Devotedly, in service to the Faith of Baha'u'llah, [Signed
as follows] Ruhiyyih Rabbani Dr. R. Mohajer Mason Remey Dr. A.
Vargha Amelia E. Collins John Ferraby Leroy C. Ioas Hermann
Grossmann Hasan M. Balyuzi Zikrullah Khadem T. Samandari Agnes B.
Alexander M.B. Musa Banani; Jalal Khazeh Adelbert Muhlschlegel, A.
Q. Faizi; John Robarts, Sh. Alai Horace Holley H. Collis
Featherstone Enoch Olinga, Clara Dunn William Sears Ugo Giachery,
A. Furutan Paul Haney [Corinne True by affidavit] PRESS RELEASE
FROM THE WORLD CENTRE OF THE BAHA'I FAITH November 1957 The Hands
of the Baha'i Faith, an institution established by Baha'u'llah, its
Founder, and designated as its Chief Stewards, who number
twenty-seven and represent the five continents of the globe, after
a meeting at the World Centre of the Faith, announce that they have
elected nine of their members to conduct and protect the affairs
of the Faith from its World Centre. This body of nine will maintain
the Baha'i Shrines and Holy Places in 'Akka, and Haifa, which His
Eminence, the late Shoghi Rabbani, World Head of the Faith, had
made into beauty spots of the Mediterranean area, and continue
their expansion. They will coordinate all the activities of Baha'i
Communities in over two hundred and fifty countries and islands of
the world, and will carry forward all the plans outlined by him for
its expansion and development, including the holding of the five
Intercontinental Conferences which he scheduled for 1958 in
Kampala, Uganda; Sydney, Australia; Chicago, United States;
Frankfurt, Germany; and Djakarta, Indonesia.
+40
They will also see that the two Baha'i Houses of Worship in Africa
and Australia, work on which was begun under the direction of the
late Head of the Faith, are completed; and that the third one,
contemplated for Europe, is built. It will be their responsibility
to see that the National and Regional Baha'i Assemblies, which
under his ministry grew in number from two to twenty-six, and which
at the present time represent more than 4,500 Baha'i Centres, are
steadily increased. The names of the body of nine elected to fulfil
these responsibilities from the World Centre are as follows:
Ruhiyyih Rabbani, Charles Mason Remey, Amelia Collins, Leroy Ioas
Hasan Balyuzi, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan; Jalal Khazeh Paul Haney and
Adelbert Muhlschlegel. To All National Spiritual Assemblies
December 2,1957 Dear Baha'i Friends: We send to your Assembly our
most cordial greetings in this first letter to you from the Hands
of the Cause in the Holy Land, and assure you of our determination
to exert every effort for the protection of the Cause of God and
the propagation of the Faith according to the beloved Guardian's
Ten Year Plan. The purpose of our letter is to enlist your aid to
facilitate the legal recognition of this body. We enclose a
photostat of a legal document signed by the 26 Hands of the Cause
present at the Conference in the Mansion of Bahji setting this body
up to act on behalf of the Hands generally, under the legal title
"The Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith". Our lawyer advises us
that we should also obtain from each National Assembly a letter
recognizing us as the supreme body in the Cause, and this letter
should include the following sentence: "We pledge our full support,
faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Baha'i
World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause." We therefore ask
you please to arrange by whatever means is most suited to the
conditions of working of your Assembly for a resolution to this
effect to be passed without delay, and incorporated in a letter to
be sent immediately to the Holy Land under the Assembly's seal,
signed by its Chairman and Secretary, or in their absence, by
officers authorized to act for them. The many legal negotiations
we have to conduct concerning properties at the World Centre and
elsewhere make speed in sending this letter of recognition vitally
important, and we are confident that all National Assemblies will
cooperate by seeing that the action is taken at once.
+41
The names of the nine Hands residing in the Holy Land are on the
photostat enclosed; they have been empowered to call upon any of
the other Hands to serve temporarily as a substitute for one who
is unable to serve in the Holy Land for the time being. Please keep
the photostat in a safe place, but we ask you not to display it or
give it general currency, since circulating this in addition to the
Proclamation of the Hands might cause confusion. We send your
Assembly and Community every good wish for success in all you do
to further the Cause of God. With Baha'i love, [Signed as follows]
Ruhiyyih A. Furutan Leroy C. Ioas Amelia E. Collins Jalal Khazeh
John Ferraby Mason Remey Adelbert Muhlschlegel Ugo Giachery, P.S.
All correspondence should be addressed from now on to "The Baha'i
Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land, P. 0. Box 155, Haifa, Israel."
Cable address HANDSFAITH HAIFA. UNANIMOUS PLEDGE OF LOYALTY FROM
26 NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES OF THE BAHA'I WORLD TO THE HANDS
AND CUSTODIANS [Excerpts from letters] ALASKA IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED
that the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska is in full accord
with the following statement issued by the 26 Hands . . "to
exercise-subject to such directions and decisions as may be given
from time to time by us as the Chief Stewards of the Baha'i World
Faith-all such functions, rights and powers in succession to the
Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi
Rabbani, as are necessary to serve the interests of the Baha'i
World Faith, and this until such time as the Universal House of
Justice, upon being duly established and elected in conformity with
the Sacred Writings of Baha'u'llah and the Will and Testament of
'Abdu'l-Baha, may otherwise determine." We pledge our full support,
faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Baha'i
World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause.
+42
ARABIAN PENINSULA We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance
to the body of Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith elected by the
Hands of the Cause. ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, CHILE, PARAGUAY AND URUGUAY
In our capacity of National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, we pledge our full
support, faith and allegiance to the body Of THE CUSTODIANS OF THE
Baha'i WORLD FAITH, elected by the Hands of the Cause. AUSTRALIA
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia
ratifies the action taken by the twenty-six Hands of the Cause in
their deliberations at the meeting held at the Mansion of
Baha'u'llah, Bahji 'Akka, on 25th November 1957, in electing nine
members from their own body to act as Custodians of the Baha'i
World Faith. Furthermore, we pledge our full support, faith and
allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith
elected by the Hands of the Cause. BENELUX COUNTRIES As a result
of our consultation, we wish to assure you of our unanimous and
complete loyalty and of our entire recognition of your Baha'i
Institution as the supreme Body in the Cause.... we pledge our full
support, faith and allegiance to the Body of the Custodians of the
Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. With our
prayers and all our complete devotion for the accomplishment of
your sacred task, we assure you, once again, of our deepest
thankfulness and full attachment to your supreme Body of the Cause,
necessary to serve the interests of the Baha'i World Faith. BRAZIL,
PERU, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR AND VENEZUELA We, the members of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Brazil, Peru,
Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela have carefully read the photostatic
copy of the legal document signed by the 26 Hands of the Cause
present at the Conference in the Mansion of Bahji setting up the
following named Hands of the Cause: Ruhiyyih Rabbani, Charles Mason
Remey, Amelia E. Collins, Leroy C. Ioas Hasan Balyuzi, 'Ali-Akbar
Furutan; Jalal Khazeh Paul E. Haney and Adelbert Muhlschlegel, as
the body to act on behalf of the Hands generally, under the legal
title "The Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith".
+43
We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the
Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the
Cause. BRITISH ISLES We, the members of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of the British Isles, in session on this
day of November 30th; 1957, having heard the Proclamation, dated
November 25th 1957, by the Hands of the Cause of God at their
meeting at Bahji in the World Centre of the Faith, hereby declare
our grateful acceptance of this Proclamation and pledge our loyalty
and allegiance to all of its provisions. CANADA We, the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada pledge our full
support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the
Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. Be assured
of our devotion and dedication to these Chief Stewards of the
Baha'i World Faith. CENTRAL AMERICA, MEXICO AND PANAMA We remit the
following resolution "The National Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha'is of Central America, Mexico and Panama in its fourth meeting
held in the City of Panama, Republic of Panama on 25, 26, 27 and
28 of December 1957, in representation of the Baha'is of Central
America, Mexico and Panama pledge our full support, faith and
allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith,
elected by the Hands of the Cause." CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICA It was
unanimously resolved in our meeting that we pledge our full
support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the
Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. Furthermore,
we take the greatest pleasure in recognizing you as constituting
the supreme body in the Cause which will exercise all the
functions, rights and powers in succession to the Guardian of the
Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, as are
necessary to serve the interests of the Baha'i World Faith. GERMANY
AND AUSTRIA The National Spiritual Assembly as trustee of the
Baha'is of Germany and Austria recognizes the Custodians of the
Baha'i World Faith nominated in the document of appointment made
out at Bahji
+44
Acre/Israel dated 25 November 1957 as the Supreme Body in
conformity with the Baha'i administration. The National Assembly
officially declares: "We pledge our full support, faith and
allegiance to the Body of the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith
elected by the Hands of the Cause," to exercise subject to such
directions and decisions as may be given from time to time by the
Hands of the Cause, the Chief Stewards of the Baha'i World
Faith--all such functions, rights and powers in succession to the
Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi
Rabbani, as are necessary to serve the interests of the Baha'i
World Faith ... GREATER ANTILLES In our recent meeting of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Greater Antilles, just
concluded, the following action was taken: 14 MOTION NO. 85: "THAT,
WHEREAS, We, the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha'is of the Greater Antilles now in session at Ciudad Trujillo
in the Dominican Republic, have learned, with joy, that as a result
of the Conference held at the Mansion of Bahji by twenty-six (26)
members of the Hands, the setting up of a body to be known as 'The
Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith' was made, 41 BE IT RESOLVED
that we pledge our full support, faith, and allegiance to the body
of The Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands
of the Cause; and 44 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this
Resolution, signed by the Chairman and Secretary of this Assembly,
be sent to them." IBERIAN PENINSULA BE IT KNOWN BY ALL MEN PRESENT
That the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Iberian
Peninsula does hereby approve and endorse the election by the Hands
of the Cause of nine of their members to constitute the body of the
Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith, and that We recognize this
body of the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith to be the supreme
body in the Cause of Baha'u'llah, and that We pledge our full
support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the
Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. INDIA AND
BURMA RESOLUTION: The Proclamation issued by the Hands of the Cause
of God after ascension to Abha Kingdom of our beloved Guardian was
prayerfully studied and it was unanimously decided to approve of
the
+45
action taken by the Hands of the Cause of God in electing nine
persons from amongst themselves to act as Custodians of the Baha'i
World Faith and we pledge our full support, faith and allegiance
to the body of the said Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith
elected by the Hands of the Cause. We further unanimously resolve
to assure the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith of our
unreserved obedience and loyal allegiance to all their wishes and
directions that they may send us from time to time in the
performance of their sacred duties. IRAN We have great pleasure in
informing you that the Proclamation by the Hands of the Cause to
the Baha'is of East and West, dated 25th November, 1957, issued in
the Mansion of Bahji 'Akka, has been passed on to all the Spiritual
Assemblies, Baha'i groups and isolated centres in Iran. On reading
this Proclamation, all the members of the Baha'i community of Iran
recalled at once, in the spirit of absolute faith and solidarity,
which characterizes the community trained and guided by the beloved
Guardian for such a long time, that Shoghi Effendi has in his
Message of October, 1957 entrusted the Hands of the Baha'i Cause
with the all-important duty of protecting and propagating the Cause
and of guarding the Baha'i communities throughout the world. The
Guardian has called the Hands of the Cause in his Message the Chief
Stewards of Baha'u'llah's Embryonic World Commonwealth. Those
revered souls who, in accordance with the Proclamation of the Hands
of the Cause, have been appointed by the latter as the Baha'i Hands
of the Cause in the Holy Land assuming this important duty, will
doubtlessly be able under the divine protection and with their wise
actions, to safeguard this original unity and solidarity of the
Baha'i community and to take all necessary measures for the
development of the Cause in all its various stages and to carry out
the work of the Beloved Guardian at all times in accordance with
the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha. We ... do hereby announce
on behalf of this Assembly and of all members of the Baha'i
community in Iran and its institutions, the recognition by us of
the Nine Hands of the Cause elected by all Hands of the Cause as
"The Baha'i Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land", and wish to
express our unconditional loyalty to that Supreme Body. We feel
sure that with the trust we have in you we shall be able under your
guidance and supervision to fulfil our duties and obligation to the
Holy Cause of Baha'u'llah We pledge our full support, faith and
allegiance to the body of Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith,
elected by the Hands of the
+46
Cause and we also hereby undertake to submit to and obey the
decisions which the Hands of the Cause will adopt in future for
the progress of the Cause. 'IRAQ We, the elected National
Representatives of the Baha'is of 'Iraq and the adjacent Countries
of Syria, Lebanon and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and
Territories of Hadhramaut and the Seychelles Islands included in
our area of jurisdiction; members of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of 'Iraq do hereby unanimously declare
that, following the Ascension of our beloved Guardian, His Eminence
the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, we recognize you, since you have
been elected by the entire members of the Hands of the Cause of
God, the Divinely-ordained Institution, whose members were chosen
and appointed by the beloved Guardian, His Eminence, the late
Shoghi Effendi Rabbani and referred to them in his letters as "The
Chief Stewards of the World Faith of Baha'u'llah" recognize you as
the Most Supreme Body in the Baha'i World Faith. We, also, pledge
our full support, faith and allegiance to you. With heartfelt
gratitude, loyalty and love. ITALY AND SWITZERLAND We, as members
of the Italo-Swiss National Spiritual Assembly, 46 pledge our full
support, faith and allegiance" to the body of Nine Hands of the
Cause residing in the Holy Land, appointed by the entire body of
the Custodians of the Baha'i Faith, to act as Executor of all
Baha'i affairs in the Holy Land and abroad. NEW ZEALAND The
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of New Zealand sends you
its love and reaffirms its loyalty and devotion to the Faith of
Baha'u'llah. The following resolution was unanimously passed at a
meeting on Sunday, December 29th, 1957: "We pledge our full
support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the
Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause." NORTH EAST
AFRICA We have great pleasure in informing you that the
Proclamation by the Hands of the Cause to the Baha'is of East and
West, dated 25th November 1957 issued in the Mansion of Bahji has
been passed on to
+47
all the Spiritual Assemblies, Baha'i groups and isolated centres
in North East Africa. On reading this Proclamation all the members
of the Baha'i community of North East Africa recalled at once, in
the spirit of absolute faith and solidarity, which characterizes
the community trained and guided by the beloved Guardian for such
a long time, that Shoghi Effendi has in his Message of October
1957, entrusted the Baha'i Cause Hands with the all-important duty
of protecting and propagating the Cause and of guarding the Baha'i
communities throughout the world. The Guardian has called the Hands
of the Cause in his Message the Chief Stewards of Baha'u'llah's
embryonic World Commonwealth. Those revered souls who, in
accordance with the Proclamation of the Hands of the Cause, have
been appointed by the latter as the Baha'i Hands of the Cause in
the Holy Land assuming this important duty, will doubtlessly be
able, under the Divine Protection and with their wise actions, to
safeguard this original unity and solidarity of the Baha'i
community and to take the necessary measures for the development
of the Cause in all its various stages and to carry out the work
of the beloved Guardian at all times in accordance with the Will
and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha. We, the undersigned, Chairman and
Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
North East Africa, do hereby announce on behalf of this Assembly
of all members of the Baha'i community in North East Africa and its
institutions, the recognition by us of the nine Hands of the Cause
elected by all Hands of the Cause as "The Baha'i Hands of the Cause
in the Holy Land", and wish to express our unconditional loyalty
to that Supreme Body. We feel sure that with the trust we have in
you we shall be able under your guidance and supervision to fulfil
our duties and obligations to the Holy Cause of Baha'u'llah. We
pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of
Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith, elected by the Hands of the
Cause and we also hereby undertake to submit to and obey the
decisions which the Hands of the Cause will adopt in future for the
progress of the Cause. NORTH EAST ASIA Beloved Custodians of the
Baha'i World Faith, We, the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha'is of North East Asia, representing the Baha'is of this part
of the world embracing Japan, Korea, Formosa, Macau and Hong Kong,
at an official meeting held on 8 December 1957 adopted the
following resolution:
+48
"Whereas by action of the Baha'i Hands of the Cause as stated in
a letter dated 2 December 1957, a body of nine Hands was elected
and now designated by the title 'Custodians of the Baha'i World
Faith' as the supreme body of the Faith. "We pledge our full
support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the
Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause." NORTH WEST
AFRICA The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Northwest
Africa, representing the Baha'is residing in twenty-five
territories, included along the North and the West Coasts of the
African continent, hereby declare our recognition of the nine Hands
of the Cause in the Holy Land as the supreme body in the Cause of
Baha'u'llah existing after the ascension of the late Shoghi
Effendi-the first Guardian of the Baha'i Cause. We, further, pledge
our full support, faith and allegiance to this body of the
Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the
Cause. This document is issued upon unanimous resolution of the
National Spiritual Assembly. PAKISTAN We, the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of Pakistan, elected representatives of the
Baha'i community of Pakistan, at this extraordinary meeting held
at Baha'i National Headquarters (Pakistan) Karachi, on 16th
December 1957, do hereby unanimously resolve that we pledge our
full support and allegiance to and faith in the body of the
Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the
Cause. SCANDINAVIA AND FINLAND Having received the photostat of the
legal document signed by the 26 Hands we have circulated the text
to the members of our National Assembly and asked to have from each
member a signed pledge of support, faith and allegiance to the body
of the Custodians. Deeply grateful for the action taken by the
Hands of the Cause of God and in full recognition of the Divine
Inspiration behind the decision the National Spiritual Assembly of
the Baha'is of Scandinavia and Finland pledge our full support,
faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Baha'i
World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. Respectfully
returning to you the hopes and good wishes for the task of
protecting and furthering the Faith.
+49
SOUTH AND WEST AFRICA This Assembly recognizes you as the supreme
body in the Cause and has unanimously passed the following
resolution: "We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to
the body of the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith elected by the
Hands of the Cause." You, who have been elevated to be Hands of the
Cause by our beloved Shoghi Effendi and are carrying out his
wishes, and are fulfilling the requirements of our dearly loved
Master's Will, are our solace and our inspiration. We pray
constantly for your well-being and guidance, and offer our grateful
and inadequate thanks to Baha'u'llah for having created your
station. SOUTH-EAST ASIA WE DO HEREBY pledge our full support,
faith and allegiance to the said body, namely, the nine Hands of
the Cause, residing in the Holy Land, as the Custodians of the
Baha'i World Faith elected by all the Hands of the Cause. UNITED
STATES In our capacity of duly elected members of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, conscious
of and obedient to the principles and institutions of the Baha'i
Administrative Order ordained by Baha'u'llah, elaborated by
'Abdu'l-Baha, and developed and guided by the late Guardian, Shoghi
Effendi Rabbani, we certify to the following resolutions
unanimously adopted and recorded in the minutes of our meeting held
at the National Baha'i Headquarters, Wilmette, Illinois, on January
3-4-5, 1958: WHEREAS the late Guardian, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani,
appointed Hands of the Cause, in accordance with the provisions of
the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, to the number of
twenty-seven; and WHEREAS Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, late Guardian,
designated these twenty-seven Hands of the Cause "Chief Stewards
of the embryonic World Commonwealth of Baha'u'llah and WHEREAS the
Guardian nominated no personal successor as second Guardian of the
Faith to hold this office after his own death; therefore be it
RESOLVED: that the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
the United States fully recognizes and affirms the authority of the
twenty-seven Chief Stewards to elect nine of their own number to
serve at the Baha'i World Centre, Israel, as the supreme
international body of the Baha'i community and carry out the plans
made for the future activities of the Faith by said Shoghi Effendi
Rabbani, late Guardian, as Custodians of the Baha'i Shrines and
Holy Places, co-ordinators
+50
of the work of the various National Assemblies, and protectors of
the security of the Faith; and further be it RESOLVED: that the
Custodians have been and are duly empowered to exercise such
functions, rights and powers in succession to the late Guardian of
the Baha'i Faith as are necessary to serve the interests of the
Baha'i World Faith, and continue to do so until such time as the
Universal House of Justice, upon being duly established and elected
in conformity with the Sacred Writings of Baha'u'llah and the Will
and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, may otherwise determine; and
further be it RESOLVED: that this National Spiritual Assembly
pledges its full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the
Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith elected by the Hands of the
Cause as the supreme international body of the Baha'i Community;
and further be it RESOLVED: that any two officers of this Assembly
are authorized to execute these resolutions on behalf of the
Assembly and transmit them to the nine Custodians of the Baha'i
World Faith. BAHA'I WILMETTE' DECEMBER 5,1957 PLEASE ANNOUNCE HANDS
FIVE CONTINENTS ALL NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES HEARTWARMING NEWS
CONSUMMATION VICTORY ANNOUNCED GUARDIAN'S MESSAGE SEPTEMBER 5th BY
TRANSFER TITLE DEEDS ALL PROPERTIES WITHIN HARAM-I-AQDAS [PRECINCTS
OF THE TOMB OF BAHA'U'LLAH] TO NAME ISRAEL BRANCH UNITED STATES
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THUS COMPLETING PURIFICATION AREA SURROUNDING
MOST HOLY SPOT BAHA'I WORLD. [CABLE) HANDS HOLY LAND BAHA'I
WILMETTE DECEMBER 11, 1957 CRITICAL JUNCTURE DEEP MOURNING SUPREME
CHALLENGE HANDS HOLY LAND CALL UPON FELLOW BELIEVERS PARTICULARLY
HANDS NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES ALL CONTINENTS EXERT UTMOST EFFORT ENSURE
SUCCESS FIVE INTERCONTINENTAL CONFERENCES ANNOUNCED BELOVED
GUARDIAN'S LAST MOMENTOUS MESSAGE BAHA'I WORLD. CONFERENCES PROVIDE
UNEX "BAHA'I WILMETTE" was the cable address for the National
Spiritual Assembly of the United States, which was the distribution
point for world-wide dissemination of communications from the World
Centre.
+51
AMPLED OPPORTUNITY DEMONSTRATE MYSTERIOUS DIVINE FORCES ANIMATING
DEARLY LOVED FAITH VITALITY INSTITUTIONS EMBRYONIC WORLD ORDER
NOURISHED LIFEBLOOD BELOVED GUARDIAN DETERMINATION BAHA'I COMMUNITY
DIFFUSE UNINTERRUPTEDLY FRAGRANCE BAHA'U'LLAH'S MIGHTY REVELATION
TO FEAR-LADEN HUMANITY DEPRIVED POWER RECOGNIZE DIVINE LIGHT
UNAIDED. URGE GREATEST ATTENDANCE BELIEVERS POSSIBLE THESE HISTORIC
GATHERINGS DESIGNED GENERATE UPSURGE ENTHUSIASM CONSECRATION
UNPRECEDENTED ANNALS FAITH USHER IN FOURTH PHASE CRUSADE DESTINED
WITNESS VICTORIES AT WHICH FUTURE GENERATIONS BAHAIS WILL MARVEL
CULMINATING WORLD TRIUMPH FAITH CENTENARY DECLARATION BLESSED
BEAUTY. SHARE MESSAGE ALL HANDS NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES. [CABLE]
HANDSFAITH To All National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies
December 22, 1957 Dear Baha'i Friends: (Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih
Khanum, has prepared an account of the passing of our beloved
Guardian, which is to be published by the British Baha'i Publishing
Trust under the title The Passing of Shoghi Effendi You will be
hearing from them shortly what the price of the pamphlet will be.
We feel sure the members of your community will greatly welcome
this account and you will no doubt want to place a bulk order for
copies. Please send this as soon as possible to the Baha'i
Publishing Trust, 32 Deansgate, Manchester 4. With Baha'i love,
HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND BAHA'I WILMETTE DECEMBER
25,1957 REJOICE INFORM BELIEVERS COVENANT BREAKERS' HOUSE Bahji,
COMPLETELY EFFACED FULFILLING LONG CHERISHED DESIRE BELOVED
GUARDIAN WHO PLANNED PERSONALLY SUPERVISE THIS LAST PURIFICATION
HARAM-I-AQDAS STOP SHARE MESSAGE ALL HANDS NATIONAL BODIES ...
[CABLE] HANDSFAITH
+52
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+53
THE MINISTRY OF THE CUSTODIANS
1958
+54
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK
+55
BAHA'I WILMETTE
JANUARY 1, 1958
WITH HEARTS STILL TORN SORROW IRREPARABLE LOSS SACRED PRIMAL BRANCH
WHOSE MIGHTY SPIRIT GUARDED INSPIRED COMFORTED MEMBERS WORLD BAHA'I
COMMUNITY 36 YEARS WHOSE ALL-ENCOMPASSING VISION INFLEXIBLE
DETERMINATION ESTABLISHED ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER BY LIGHT WHOSE
DIVINE GUIDANCE CAUSE GOD SPREAD UNINTERRUPTEDLY OVER ENTIRE PLANET
WHOSE BLESSED SHADE MASTER STATES SHADOWETH ALL MANKIND HANDS HOLY
LAND CALL UPON BEREAVED BELIEVERS SUITABLY EXPRESS LONGING GRIEF
THEIR HEARTS BY REFRAINING EVERY MANNER RELIGIOUS FESTIVITY PERIOD
NINE MONTHS FROM DAY HIS ASCENSION STOP SHARE MESSAGE ALL HANDS
NATIONAL BODIES.
[CABLE] HANDSFAITH
To All Who have left their homeland to pioneer
January 5, 1958
Dear Baha'i Friends,
Though afflicted by profound sorrow at the sudden removal of the
beloved Guardian, our thoughts are always with those who forsook
their homes, relatives and friends to cry Ya Baha'u'l-Abha in
distant lands and raise the banner of the Faith in the far corners
of the earth. Our hearts are
with you, dear friends, for your treading of this glorious path has
earned the approval of the beloved of us all, Shoghi Effendi now
watching so lovingly from his lofty station on High and dispensing
to all his guidance and protection. We are confident that you will
remain at your posts in the same wonderful spirit of love you have
already displayed and with greater steadfastness than ever before.
The Guardian held the pioneers in such esteem that even to the
night before the night of his passing he worked on a map on which
he recorded their achievements with his own hands. We feel certain
that the Knights of Baha'u'llah and those who joined them later
will hold their ground firmly and that before long we shall hear
the glorious news of the attainment of all the goals the beloved
named throughout the entire planet. The pioneers are like lamps of
guidance, and when mankind is awakened from its spiritual lethargy,
members of a bewildered humanity will see only by the light of the
pioneers the right path to the tabernacle of love and justice where
it will find shelter. The pioneers the Guardian loved so dearly are
particularly dear to our hearts too and we pray for each and every
one of them. We hope they will
+56
send reports of wonderful activities to their National Assemblies,
who in turn will gladden our hearts with news of these
developments. With Baha'i love, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
The Intercontinental Conference, Kampala, Uganda January 23-28,
1958 To the Hands of the Cause, members of their Auxiliary Boards,
members of Regional and National Spiritual Assemblies, pioneers,
resident believers, and visitors attending the Intercontinental
Conference in Kampala, January, 1958. Beloved Friends: In the
shadow of the unexpected and soul-shattering sorrow which has so
recently stricken the followers of Baha'u'llah through the passing
of our much-loved Guardian Shoghi Effendi comes the opening of the
first of the momentous Conferences planned by him to take place in
the five continents of the globe. With what joy our hearts looked
forward to this day when we should be gathered together to render
thanks to Baha'u'llah for His blessings during the last five
years-years which have witnessed the most phenomenal progress in
the expansion of His Faith since the Declaration of the Bab. to
exalt His station and to praise the manifold evidences of His
mysterious power. How our hearts hastened ahead of us to this spot
where we knew the first of these mighty Conferences would be
convened and with what anticipation we looked forward to receiving
the message which we knew our beloved Guardian would send to us on
this occasion. It is with sadness and deep humility that the Hands
of the Cause in the Holy Land address to you these words. The ways
of God have never been the ways of men. One thing we know however
with profound assurance, and that is that no calamity has ever
befallen this Faith that has not presaged a mighty victory. They
martyred the Bab. Baha'u'llah was raised up. They persecuted and
exiled Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha carried the banner of His Faith
to the very heart of the Western World, to which He journeyed in
His old age, and to which He gave some of the fairest fruits of His
mind. After the Ascension of the beloved Master, the believers,
bereft of their Father and their Refuge, found in Shoghi Effendi
a mighty tree beneath whose boughs they took refuge, and which
protected them for thirty-six years. At this turning-point in
history, which the beloved Guardian repeatedly
+57
pointed out to us would be fraught with calamity, we have received
a blow the nature of which we never anticipated. We have every
right to believe however that even such a blow as this will be the
signal for a far greater expansion of our glorious Faith, and that
the sacrifice of his precious life has endowed the Cause of God
with a new strength to face the future, to surmount all tests, to
lay more quickly and firmly than ever before the foundations of the
Kingdom of Heaven on earth, that Kingdom prophesied since the days
of Adam, and promised to men by their Heavenly Father. Who can
doubt that Shoghi Effendi will be viewed by posterity as the true
conqueror of Africa? Whoever arose to serve that continent,
whatever sign of action he beheld on the part of individual,
Assembly or community, attracted his glance and received a burning
intensity of interest, an outpouring of encouragement and
assistance characteristic of the brilliant mind and wonderful
nature with which Baha'u'llah had endowed him. With what intense
pride he viewed the achievements of the past seven years, beginning
with the African work inaugurated by the National Spiritual
Assembly of the British Isles and continued, in collaboration with
the American, Persian, Indian and 'Iraqi National Assemblies, who
were allotted specific tasks in this vast continent and who worked
for its spiritual conquest in cooperation with the National
Spiritual Assembly of Egypt and Sudan, the first national body
established on this continent in 1924 and representing territories
opened to the Faith during the lifetime of Baha'u'llah Himself.
With what love he watched over its spiritual progress, blessing it
even before the inception of the World Crusade through the
appointment of a Hand of the Cause, an institution he recently
reinforced by raising three other African pioneers to this high
rank, one of whom has the distinction of being the second Negro
Hand in Baha'i history. With what eagerness he followed the
movement of the devoted and self-sacrificing pioneers, whether of
African, American, Asian or European origin, as they spread
out-torch-bearers of the New Day-into every territory of a
continent so long stigmatized as the "dark continent", and brought
the illumination of this glorious Faith to its peoples. With what
joy he announced to the Baha'i world on various occasions the
progress on the African front, the formation of four new Regional
National Assemblies, one of which was the successor to the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Egypt and the Sudan, and of
no less than one hundred and fifty Spiritual Assemblies; the
introduction of the Faith into more than two hundred tribes, the
translation of its literature into more than seventy languages, the
purchase of numerous Haziratu'l-Quds and endowments both national
and local; the swelling of the number of believers to over four
thousand, three-fourths of whom are Africans; and
+58
the increase in the number of localities where Baha'is reside to
over six hundred. The holding of this historic Conference
signalizes the opening of the fourth phase of the World Crusade,
a phase which the beloved Guardian himself stated must be
characterized by an unprecedented expansion in the vital process
of individual conversion and by the construction of three Mother
Temples, one in Africa, one in Europe and one in Australia. From
the beginning of the Ten Year Crusade-indeed it would be more
correct to say from the very beginning of his ministry-the Guardian
repeatedly emphasized to the believers of East and West the
paramount importance of the teaching work and pointed out to us
that the purpose for which we have so laboriously erected our
administrative institutions was primarily to enable us to carry the
Message of Baha'u'llah to the peoples of the world and redeem their
hearts through His grace. In Shoghi Effendi's own messages written
last year to the African Regional Assemblies he strongly emphasized
that their primary function and duty was to enrol in ever greater
numbers the African peoples under the banner of Baha'u'llah. Such
was the importance he attached to the teaching work that in his
last Message to the Baha'i world he stated that although the
additional Auxiliary Boards' specific duty was to watch over the
security of the Faith, the old Auxiliary Boards must be exclusively
concerned in assisting in the prosecution of the Ten Year Plan. He
urged the Regional Assemblies in Africa to economize in matters
concerning the Administration, in order that their limited
resources as much as possible could be expended on ways and means
of converting the African peoples, so dear to his heart, to the
Faith. He pointed out to them that once they had made sure the
individual had accepted the station of Baha'u'llah as that of the
Manifestation of God for this Day, with the implications that this
implies, petty obstacles should not be placed in his path or
details insisted upon, but rather through a process of loving
education after acceptance the new believer should be deepened in
his knowledge and understanding of the Teachings. It was his
dearest hope that through the concerted efforts of the Hands of the
Faith, the Regional Assemblies, the Auxiliary Boards, the pioneers
and all the Baha'is an immense flow of new recruits would swell the
ranks of the believers and, rising like a torrent, pour itself out
in the channels of now Assemblies and communities throughout the
territories of this vast continent. So encouraged was the beloved
Guardian by the spectacular victories won in so short a time, and
the evidences of the indomitable enthusiasm of the believers
labouring in this fallow field that he urged them to surpass the
specific tasks of the Ten Year Plan by adding supplementary ones,
such as local Haziratu'l-Quds and endowments, other languages
+59
spoken on this continent, and further undertakings which would
redound to the glory of the Faith. He was also anxious that the
prizes won at the cost of so much effort should be maintained, and
laid particular emphasis on the need for strengthening the work in
the newly formed State of Ghana and of consolidating the work in
Liberia, the Belgian Congo, Rwanda Urundi, French Equatorial Africa
and Comoro; he strongly emphasized the necessity of reopening Rio
de Oro and the Spanish Sahara; he made strong appeals for more
African teachers to circulate amongst the various nations of Africa
and carry the Message to their own people, and repeatedly called
attention to the need for pioneers to go out into new districts
within the territories already opened to the Faith. It was the
beloved Guardian's own arrangement that the ceremony of laying the
foundation stone of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar to be erected in Kampala
should coincide with this first inaugural Conference of the halfway
point of the Baha'i World Crusade, and it is he who has specially
and eternally blessed this Mother Temple of the African continent
by having in its foundations the Sacred Dust from the innermost
Shrine of Baha'u'llah and a fragment of plaster from the room of
the Bab. in the fortress of Mah-Ku where He was imprisoned. He
repeatedly emphasized the tremendous spiritual importance of this
Temple, which will be a mighty silent teacher of the Faith and a
haven of refuge spiritually to the believers. To the friends
attending this Conference the Guardian has given in his last
message the privilege of not only lending a powerful impetus to the
completion of this glorious enterprise but also to that of the
Mother Temples to be built in the European and Australian
continents. To these many soul-stirring bounties must be added that
of viewing the portrait of Baha'u'llah and a lock of His precious
hair, sent at the express wish of our beloved Guardian to grace
this Conference, both of which will be entrusted for safe-keeping
to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Central and
East Africa. Now is the time for the believers to demonstrate the
firmness of their faith and the ardour that will carry them through
every test to the victories beyond. A great outpouring of spirit
has been foreshadowed in the beloved Guardian's Message calling
these Conferences, and it is for each and every one of us to
receive from that outpouring his own allotted portion. Should we
all arise with selfless, united, and consecrated effort, should we
fix our gaze unwaveringly on the goals the Guardian set us, and
resolve to demonstrate the quality of our faith in heroic acts
comparable to those of the Dawn-breakers, the unfailing mercy of
the Blessed Beauty will undoubtedly sustain and support us and
enable us to perform such deeds as will cause all men to wonder and
bow down in awe and admiration before the Name of Baha'u'llah. Then
will the friends in Africa
+60
be enabled to attain the bounties promised to them and contribute
their share to the erection of the World Order of Baha'u'llah about
which the Guardian wrote in one of his last messages to an African
National Assembly: "Whatever may tend to accelerate the onward
march, the expansion and consolidation of the institutions of this
Order must be eagerly seized upon, and utilized to the utmost, for
the attainment of this noble purpose. Whether or not constituting
a specific objective of the Ten Year or Seven Year Plan, any
measure or enterprise designed to reinforce the foundations of
these institutions or to noise abroad their fame, or to extend the
sphere of their beneficent influence, must be adopted and
fearlessly embarked upon, however great the material sacrifices
involved, however prolonged and arduous the effort required. "The
splendid exertions of the past must, in the face of the challenge
now confronting these communities, be redoubled. The self-same
consecration distinguishing the rank and file of the believers, as
well as those so ably representing them-nay a still nobler standard
of whole-hearted dedication to the pressing and manifold
requirements of God's infant Faith, now struggling to emerge from
obscurity and vindicate its purpose-must be evinced, if the tasks
ahead are to be adequately fulfilled. All must participate in this
meritorious and collective endeavour, whatever their age, of either
sex, and however difficult the circumstances with which they are
surrounded. "They cannot but feel confident, that, if they
persevere along the path they have chosen to tread, the Author of
the Divine Plan, Whose mandate they are executing, will guide and
succour them in their historic enterprise, and the Concourse on
High will acclaim their victories and sustain their labours and the
Founder of the Faith Himself will graciously assist them and
abundantly reward them both in this world and in the next." HANDS
OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND AMERICAN HANDS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CARE
BAHA'I WILMETTE FEBRUARY 3,1958 CUSTODIANS SERIOUSLY DISTURBED
STATEMENT A NEW BAHA'I ERA ISSUED AMERICAN HANDS NSA INTERPRETING
ADDING Bahji, PROCLAMATION CONSIDER THIS GRAVE DANGER UNITY FAITH
URGE DELETE ALL REFERENCE DOOR APPOINTMENT SECOND GUARDIAN CLOSED
RIGHT NINE EXPEL COVENANT BREAKERS STOP STATEMENTS THIS NATURE CAN
BE MADE ONLY ENTIRE BODY HANDS AS CHIEF STEWARDS AND NOT BY ANY NSA
OR GROUP HANDS STOP THIS STATEMENT NOT YET RECEIVED BY CUSTODIANS
BUT EXCERPTS FORWARDED HERE WITH PROTESTS STOP SUGGEST FOCUS
ATTENTION
+61
RELEASE FIRST INTERCONTINENTAL CONFERENCE FORESHADOWING INSPIRING
SUCCESS FOUR REMAINING CONFERENCES GREAT RALLYING POINTS CREATED
BY BELOVED GUARDIAN AID BELIEVERS ADJUST TO SITUATION REMAIN FIRM
COVENANT CONCENTRATE TASKS FIVE REMAINING YEARS CRUSADE STOP
REQUEST ALL CORRESPONDENCE FOR HANDS HOLY LAND ADDRESSED THEM
DIRECTLY NOT TO INDIVIDUAL. [CABLE] HANDSFAITH To the Hands of the
Cause of God in the Holy Land February 4, 1958 Dear Friends: In
accordance with your urgent request, steps are being taken to
delete from our statement "A Now Baha'i Era" the reference to the
door being closed to any hope for a future second Guardian, and the
passage attributing to your body the authority to expel
Covenant-breakers from the Faith. Since your cablegram arrived in
between meetings of the National Assembly, this letter is only an
acknowledgement of your cable and any further communications will
be based on consultation of the Hands and National Assembly
members. Since you saw only excerpts from our statement, a copy of
the complete statement is enclosed. Sincerely National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States By: Horace Holley,
Secretary To the Members of the National and Regional Baha'i
Assemblies East and West February 13, 1958 Deafly beloved Friends
and co-workers: This letter from the Custodians is long overdue;
our thoughts have been with all the Assembly members constantly
during this great period of trial and sorrow and we have realized
how heavy were your loads and how great the responsibility resting
on you at this time, Our own problems, however, and the crushing
sense of obligation to our beloved Guardian to carry on his work,
have made it impossible to send a more detailed and intimate
communication to you before this. Three months have passed since
our best-beloved Guardian so suddenly left us-months of longing and
heartbreak for all Baha'is After the
+62
meeting of the Hands of the Faith in Bahji a period of suffering
and heart-searching so intense that not one of them could ever
endure to pass through it again, the work we had agreed to shoulder
began. In our sorrow, our humility before the greatness of our
task, we began to see the repeated evidences of the mercy of
Baha'u'llah; in a truly miraculous way the endowments, properties
and funds registered in the name of our beloved Guardian have been
protected and safely transferred to either the Custodians or other
Baha'i bodies. The first of the mighty Intercontinental Conferences
planned by the beloved Guardian himself was held in Kampala with
great success; over 900 believers were present, well over half
being African Baha'is the sum of a hundred thousand pounds was
raised for the purpose specified by the Guardian himself, thus
ensuring a far swifter advance in the work throughout the African
continent; a most wonderful spirit of determination, rededication,
consecration and zeal was generated and spread to all the
friends-whether African, Asian, European or American. We cannot but
marvel at the forethought of the Guardian in calling for these five
great Conferences to be held in the months after his passing. What
a stimulation they will provide to the work and what an infinite
consolation, and inspiration to the believers everywhere! The sense
of nearness to him, to his wishes and his work was very strong at
Kampala and we feel sure will be as strong or even stronger at the
other Conferences. It is a great pity that the immense distances
separating the Hands here at the World Centre and the heavy expense
of travel prevent us from meeting with the various National
Assemblies or members of them; the Hands of the Faith themselves,
as you know, were only able to foresee, for the time being, an
annual meeting of all of them. Of course should an emergency arise
they would gather at once, but barring this they felt the teaching
work and other aspects of the World Crusade should take precedence
over everything else in order to carry out the expressed wishes of
our beloved Guardian and hasten the day when the work all over the
world will have been so firmly laid that the supreme administrative
Body, the infinite blessing of Baha'u'llah, the Supreme House of
Justice, can be erected. In view of this we particularly wish to
call to your attention certain things that are, we feel, of supreme
importance; our beloved Guardian gave thirty-six years of his life
to the work of erecting Baha'u'llah's World Administrative Order;
had he not felt such an urgency in carrying out this work he might
be alive now; he alone saw the entire Plan, the world plan of the
work as a mighty unit; how often he pointed out to us that the
"heart" and "nerve centre" of the Faith was Haifa; that Baha'u'llah
Himself had made it clear that here in the Holy Land would forever
be united the Spiritual and the Administrative World Centre; he
guarded this
+63
Centre (as had 'Abdu'l-Baha before Him) with the greatest care,
well knowing that a blow to the heart is felt in the remotest part
of the body and that good circulation from the heart will keep the
smallest member of the body vital and in good health. We, daily
occupied with the cares and worries of this World Centre, are now
greatly concerned lest any inadvertent act on our part or the part
of the present National and Regional Assemblies which form the
bedrock of the future International House of Justice should
interrupt this smooth flow of spiritual circulation built up so
wisely and painstakingly by our beloved Shoghi Effendi We do not
know what the future holds in store; by this we mean that the world
situation is so precarious that, as the Guardian so repeatedly
pointed out, wars and disturbances of an unforeseen nature may
break out and perhaps cut the World Centre off from all or a part
of the other Baha'i centres temporarily; meantime we have this
mighty Plan, the last five years of it, to vigorously prosecute;
it can only be coordinated and directed from the World Centre. To
the degree to which we receive news and reports, Minutes of your
meetings, suggestions etc. from all of you, as well as from other
sources in the Baha'i world, to just that same degree will we be
able to protect and promote the work of the Plan and safeguard the
World Centre. The blood must go on pumping in and out of this heart
of our Faith. Your responsibility is therefore very great at this
time, not only towards the believers whom you represent, but
towards us who are seeking to firmly grasp and protect the world
affairs of the Faith which are one of the most unique creations of
the Guardian. It was his hand at the helm that preserved uniformity
in essentials whilst encouraging diversity in nonessentials. This
is perhaps the greatest work that must now be carried on by us from
this World Centre. We cannot do it without your constant help! The
recognition of the friends everywhere of the nature and function
of the World Centre and the support its institutions must receive
will surely hasten the day when the Universal House of Justice can
be formed and lighten its tasks. We therefore appeal to you to
continue, in every way, uninterruptedly and as before the Beloved's
passing, your communications with your World Centre; send us your
Minutes (from which the Guardian gleaned much of his statistical
information), your reports and your questions, so that we can help
preserve the uniform character of the Faith now established in over
250 territories. You and we must always bear in mind that what
inspires and unites the World Baha'i Community is the pulsating
stream to and from one universal point. With the World Centre also
lies the obligation of keeping up the statistics of the Faith and
the maps and charts so dear to our beloved Guardian's heart and
which were always
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such a source of joy and inspiration to the believers everywhere.
The Guardian himself spoke in his last message to all National
Conventions of "the Holy Land-the Qiblih of a world community, the
heart from which the energizing influences of a vivifying Faith
continually stream, and the seat and centre around which the
diversified activities of a divinely appointed Administrative Order
revolve. . ." In closing we ask you one and all to remember the
Custodians in your prayers and supplications that we may be given
the strength and inspiration necessary to preserve the work for
which our so dearly-loved Guardian sacrificed his entire life and
which in the end cost him his life. We in turn will pray for you
all in the holy Shrines here. With warmest Baha'i love, HANDS OF
THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND HANDS CARE BAHA'I WILMETTE FEBRUARY
16,1958 AFTER READING STATEMENT A NEW ERA CUSTODIANS VERY
DISTRESSED DETAILED INTERPRETATION Bahji, ELABORATION PROCLAMATION
HANDS MAKING STATEMENTS WE FEEL ONLY ENTIRE BODY CHIEF STEWARDS
SHOULD ISSUE STOP URGE DO NOT PRINT AND CIRCULATE THIS STATEMENT
FURTHER BUT UNOBTRUSIVELY LET MATTER DROP STOP LOVE FROM ALL.
[CABLE] HANDSFAITH To the Hands of the Faith and the Members of
the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States
February 17, 1958 Beloved Co-workers: The letter from the Hand of
the Cause Horace Holley dated February 4th with copy of the
statement you issued entitled "A New Baha'i Era" was received, and
after studying it very carefully we wish to share our views with
you regarding it, and explain to you the reasons which prompted our
recent cable requesting that certain points be deleted from it. We
never received any copy whatsoever of this statement in Haifa and
are most anxious to know if one was ever mailed to the Custodians?
If it was sent to the Hand of the Cause Leroy Ioas, he
unfortunately had to go to a sanatorium in Switzerland to take care
of his heart, which had not been in a good condition for some time
and was becoming seriously impaired through work and strain after
the passing of the beloved Guardian and the shock he received at
that time.
+65
We heard of this statement of yours through excerpts forwarded here
by some of the Hands of the Cause in Europe who were very
distressed over the repercussions it might have, and indeed was
already having, on the believers there. Dear friends, the nine
Hands of the Faith serving here at the World Centre have been very
distressed that a statement of this magnitude, interpreting as it
does the Proclamation made by the twenty-seven Hands of the Faith
when they gathered in Bahji after the ascension of the beloved
Guardian, who are according to his own words "the Chief Stewards
of the embryonic World Commonwealth of Baha'u'llah" should have
been issued without consultation with either the Custodians or the
body of the Hands of the Cause who are dispersed all over the
world. Please do not misunderstand us; we fully appreciate that
your motive was to protect the Faith, that you must have been asked
many questions which prompted this response, and that you acted
after full consultation amongst yourselves. This does not change
the fact that the only way the work of our beloved Guardian for
which he was immolated for thirty-six years and which cost him his
life in the end, can be protected, is by preserving the world
character of the Cause of God, and this can obviously only be done
from the International Centre of the Faith, the Centre which he
said so many times was the heart or nerve centre, and the permanent
Spiritual and Administrative Centre. If there is at this time of
crisis a continental interpretation of events, and a continental
answer to questions being raised by the believers, the dangers to
the Cause of God are obviously immense. There are in our World
Community eastern and western believers. Their backgrounds are
different, their approach to a test of this nature different-the
answer however must be uniform the world over; otherwise grave
differences may arise and the marvellous accomplishment of our
beloved Guardian in unifying this diversified Community be lost
temporarily and its efficacy impaired. We feel sure that you will
see the wisdom of this, and that in future you will assist us,
veteran and much-loved Community by our beloved Guardian that you
are, to protect the work from the World Centre and to ensure its
smooth functioning in all continents of the globe. We have just
cabled you, asking you, without making any undue fuss or attracting
attention to the fact that you are doing so, to quietly divert
attention, so to speak, from this statement which has been recently
issued. If no further emphasis is given to it and the believers are
encouraged to concentrate their full forces on making the
forthcoming Intercontinental Conference in Chicago a tremendous
success, which will be in itself a worthy American memorial to our
dearly beloved Shoghi Effendi we feel that no serious harm will
have been done.
+66
The spirit of the believers all over the world is truly remarkable,
and their faith, although in many cases having received a severe
test, is unimpaired, and their devotion boundless. They must now
be led, as you yourselves are wisely seeking to do, into the path
of greater service, and the grief in their hearts converted into
a dynamo of energy with which to carry on the teaching work and
fulfil the Guardian's cherished plans. We send you all our Baha'i
love, and ask you to remember us in your prayers as we remember you
in ours. Yours in the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE
CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND To All National Spiritual Assemblies March
4, 195 8 Dear Baha'i Friends: We would appreciate receiving by
return air mail information as to the number of Assemblies, groups
and isolated centres there are under the jurisdiction of your
Assembly, so that we can prepare the statistical information which
our beloved Guardian gave every year from the World Centre to the
believers on the occasion of the holding of Baha'i Conventions
during Ridvan. We are sure that particularly at this time when the
friends feel deeply the loss of the one who guided and watched over
them with such constant and loving care, that it would cheer their
hearts to receive the good news of the progress of the Faith for
which he so completely sacrificed himself. If you have any other
achievements to report, such as the opening of one of the countries
listed as a goal of the Ten Year Crusade, or any new publication
or translation etc., please include it in your letter. We send you
all our loving greetings for the Baha'i New Year which will so soon
be upon us, a year which we hope in spite of our sorrows will
witness great victories won in the Cause of God. Yours in the
service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY
LAND To the Hand of the Cause, Mr. Horace Holley March 10, 1958
Revered Baha'i Brother: The Hands in the Holy Land are sending a
detailed answer to the
+67
questions raised in the letter of February 24, 1958 addressed to
us by the American Hands and the National Spiritual Assembly. We
believe that the points covered in our letter also meet the request
made in your separate communication of February 25 to your fellow
Hands in Haifa. Here, as you know, we receive letters from all
parts of the world which reflect the approach of the believers of
diverse backgrounds to the problems created by the beloved
Guardian's passing. As a result, the Custodians have been made very
conscious of the necessity to strive for unity in the approach to
fundamental matters affecting the structure and future development
of the Cause. The Custodians from East and West are aware of the
wisdom of avoiding statements or points of view on basic issues
which cannot be accepted equally by East and West, and indeed by
all of the Baha'i world, especially in this period, so soon after
the ascension of the beloved Guardian, when we are still unable to
grasp the full implications of the present situation. It would have
been a great help if you yourself could have served here in these
early and critical months, and given us the benefit of your
experience and clarity of thought on the many pressing issues with
which we have had to cope. You will now, we feel sure, understand
our delicate position and the reasons why we felt it necessary to
urge that the statement "A New Baha'i Era" be withdrawn from
circulation. Your fellow-Hands serving here are confident you will
place this whole question and its world-wide implications before
the members of your National Assembly in such a way that they will
fully understand the reasons underlying the actions taken here. No
doubt when the entire body of the Hands gather at our next meeting
later this year we will have many things to discuss, and each one
win have a greater contribution to make in view of this tragic
year's experiences. We all send you our devoted love and assure you
that you are often remembered in our prayers. Yours in the service
of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND To the
Hands of the Cause of God throughout the World March 21, 1958
Beloved Fellow-Hands: Daily our thoughts and our prayers have been
with you since we
+68
separated from each other after our great ordeal at Bahji We know
your thoughts and loving prayers have surrounded us as we struggle
to meet the problems here at the World Centre and to find our way
in service at so critical and heart-rending a time in the history
of our beloved Faith. It is being increasingly borne in upon us
from news received here as well as the reports of those of us who
have been out in the Baha'i world to serve and returned again, such
as Ruhiyyih KHANUM Jalal Khazeh, Paul Haney and Shu'a'u'llah 'Ala'i
that the only possible way the work of this holy Faith, which our
beloved Guardian inspired, organized and brought to such a high
level, can be maintained and further consolidated, is by focusing
both the consciousness of the believers and the work of the Cause
of God upon its World Spiritual and Administrative Centre. The
strength of a wheel and its power to roll forward are entirely
dependent upon the hub, and the solidity of the spokes united in
the hub. We have come to see that the supreme work of the Hands-all
twenty-seven of them-is to maintain this focal Centre of Unity in
the Holy Land at this dangerous time the Faith is passing through.
There exists no other instrument for this purpose except ourselves.
As you can well imagine it has been a very trying time. The work
is so sacred, the burden of responsibility so heavy on each Hand
everywhere in the world-how much more here on the nine Custodians
seeking to shoulder on behalf of all the Hands some of those tasks
our dearly loved Guardian carried out to such perfection! Slowly
we have been able to get our work organized and daily a stronger
pattern is emerging. We feel that to have nine here has not only
a spiritual significance in itself but that it also greatly helps
in making decisions as we get the benefit of the considered
opinions of more of the Hands. There is also the influence on the
morale of the believers all over the world which is exerted by
their knowing that nine of us are constantly engaged in protecting
and serving the interests of the Faith at its Heart. Unfortunately
thus far it has not been possible to maintain this number at all
times. Of the permanent Custodians six are now here-Ruhiyyih
Khanum, Amelia Collins, Jalal Khazeh 'Ali-Akbar Furutan Paul Haney
and Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, as well as the alternate Custodian Ugo
Giachery, Mason Remey has just left for Sydney. Hasan Balyuzi has
not yet been able to arrange his business and family affairs (he
hopes to do this within a few months), and Leroy Ioas has had to
go to a sanatorium in Switzerland to treat a heart condition which
has been developing for some time. He is better now and we hope to
have him with us about the beginning of May. John Ferraby and
Shu'a'u'llah 'Ala'i have been acting as substitutes, but as one is
the British National Spiritual Assembly Secretary and the other the
Chairman of the Persian National Spiritual Assembly, they
+69
have been forced to return to their posts where they were urgently
needed. In a few weeks Ugo Giachery, will have to return to Europe
en route to the Chicago Conference. We find that during the summer
months we might even be reduced to six temporarily, in spite of the
fact that 'Ali Muhammad Varqa will be coming to act as a substitute
for some months. We feel you should know this because it has a
direct bearing on the work all of us are doing and on our future
plans. Daily we are more convinced of the need for the Hands to not
only be strongly represented here by nine resident Hands as much
of the time as possible, but that increasingly during the coming
years until the Universal House of Justice can be formed, the other
Hands must be made free to travel and circulate amongst the
believers, so that they can not only watch over and protect the
Faith better, but ensure that an uninterrupted flow of spiritual
life continues to pour out from the World Centre. The beloved
Guardian was in his person the very heart of our Faith; we are but
his most humble and inadequate servants, but the supreme function
of the heart as the key organ of the whole must go on, and it is
our duty at this time and ours alone to see that it does. There are
many obstacles in the way of our accomplishing this, the two
greatest being financial means and health. Some of the Hands are
too frail to carry on heavy duties or travel. The funds of the
Faith, already heavily committed, are not at the present in a
position to support extensive travelling on the part of the Hands.
We share these thoughts with you so that you can better understand
our problems and the way the Custodians you have appointed see at
least some of the urgent needs of the Faith. From a recently issued
statement of the American Hands and National Spiritual Assembly,
from letters received regarding remarks made by some of the Asiatic
and European Hands, it is becoming obvious that in a perfectly
natural course of human events, and with no awareness of its
perils, there has been a tendency for different interpretations of
our present situation and different prognostications of the future
to be made. At times such as this in history, when a firmly
integrated organism is suddenly deprived of its pivot, there is a
strong centrifugal force released, and we believe that the urgent
and most sacred duty of the Hands now is to offset this process at
all costs. We feel very strongly that unless we hear from you all
about conditions in your areas in more detail and more frequently,
we will not be able to discharge the heavy responsibilities you
have given us. The first step must surely be to think, to catch the
vision of the Baha'i world and its work as the Guardian himself saw
it. Even those of us serving here at the World Centre-some of us
privileged to have been guided by the Guardian himself-realize only
now that he is no longer
+70
here, and we are forced to assume responsibility, how vast is the
field and how tremendous the work required to preserve what has
been won and carry on what has not yet been finished, thus ensuring
that our beloved Guardian did not lay down his life in vain, and
that his work is accomplished. We feel a great adjustment in our
thinking is required on the part of the Hands here and abroad; we
must think deeply and quickly. The time is flying, and the need for
action on a world scale constantly before us. The minds of National
Spiritual Assembly members are focused on carrying on the work
within the area of their own jurisdiction. Very much the same thing
is true of the Hands, as during the beloved Guardian's lifetime
they were called upon to discharge continental duties. Now with the
sudden irreparable loss of our beloved Guardian the Hands are
compelled to see the Baha'i world as a whole, as he always did, to
forget regional consciousness (although of course they will
continue to watch over the work in their respective areas), and to
think on behalf of Shoghi Effendi of the world needs, world
protection, world consolidation of this mighty Faith. God forbid
that we should fall short of our duty. How will we ever account to
him who appointed us if we do? We feel that as you associate with
the various National Spiritual Assemblies in the discharge of your
duties, you should constantly remind them of these things and help
them to bear in mind that if they are a national body, say in Latin
America, the spiritual health and entire future of what they love
most in this world-the Faith of Baha'u'llah-depends not only on
their own condition but on that of their counterparts in Europe,
Asia or Africa, and that the tie binding them to those sister
bodies passes straight through the heart of the Faith, through
Haifa, its World Centre. To the degree to which the Baha'i world
begins to think this way, to just this degree will we Hands be able
to protect it and hold it together until the House of Justice comes
into being. We feel that from now on the Hands of the Faith should
consider arranging their personal affairs so that they may to as
great a degree as possible be free to serve at the World Centre or
throughout the Baha'i world, travelling and inspiring the
believers, and keeping before their eyes what we must first
ourselves firmly grasp-the world picture of the Faith and its
present needs. The question of finances must naturally be
considered but we believe that support will not fail if the
believers behold in the Hands those spiritual qualities
commensurate with the high station conferred upon them as stewards
of the Faith. We believe that there would be a great advantage
gained in having Hands from one continent visit another continent.
We all know the impetus a local community receives through outside
visitors. The effect is infinitely greater if the visitor is a Hand
of the Faith. Let us therefore
+71
ponder these things, reorient our thinking, and reorient it
quickly. After the ascension of the Guardian, we are still in a
state of shock. Neither our enemies nor any doubters there may be
in our midst have yet rallied their forces. The love of the friends
for their beloved Guardian has welled up a mighty flow of devotion
and determination to carry on his plans. The iron is hot, and if
we do not strike now, we Hands may never as long as we live have
another opportunity like this. We believe this is a formative
moment in both Baha'i and world history. The five Intercontinental
Conferences offer the unique opportunity to inspire and set afire
the believers. This was one of the purposes of the Guardian in
calling for them, and we must utilize them to the full, to raise
up a new spirit of consecration which in turn will stimulate an
increasing flow of pioneers and larger sums to carry on the work
before us. We hope you will do all you can to encourage the friends
to attend them and that those of you who are present yourselves
will do your best to keep the discussion on a high spiritual plane
and focus on the work to be done during die next five years. It
seems to us that what has happened historically-the passing of the
Guardian and his leaving no Will-has placed the Baha'is in a
position which no mere intellectual approach can either mitigate
or solve. Spiritual forces alone, resignation to the will of God,
prayer, consecration, self-sacrifice, devotion, can carry us
forward through this period. We want you to know that in a most
remarkable way the problems connected with protecting various
properties at the World Centre and in the Cradle of the Faith have
been overcome. It is not wise as yet to write in detail as it might
jeopardize what is being done, but we will report to you in full
in November when we meet at Bahji The preservation of this Centre
and those functions it can and must still fulfil in the absence of
him who was the interpreter of the Word of God is, we believe, not
only our supreme duty, but that of each one of you equally. None
of us can ever be the same after last November 4th. We must then
ask ourselves what are we going to be from now on? What are the
opportunities that lie before us? Not having our Guardian now in
this physical world, we must cling the more tightly to each other,
we the Hands he raised up for the protection of his work. Would
that we were more adequate to meet the needs of this tragic hour!
To you, the closest kindred of our hearts, we send our love, and
we pray for you all every time we visit the Holy Shrines, and daily
as well. Yours in the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE
CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND P.S. May we remind you that the text of this
communication is addressed to the Hands alone.
+72
The Intercontinental Conference, Sydney, Australia March 21-24,1958
To the Hands of the Cause, members of their Auxiliary Boards,
members of Regional and National Spiritual Assemblies, pioneers,
resident believers, and visitors attending the Intercontinental
Conference in Sydney, March, 1958. Beloved Friends: Although but
five months have elapsed since the passing of our beloved Guardian
shook the Baha'i world and caused turmoil in the hearts of the
followers of Baha'u'llah, the power of this supreme Faith to
survive so grievous a blow is now clearly manifest. A new spirit
of determination, dedication and resolve can be seen throughout the
entire World Baha'i Community. Deprived of him who was our
Guardian, our guide and our true brother, we nevertheless feel his
presence constantly in the smooth workings of the mighty Order he
erected, according to the design of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and in the
writings, messages and letters he left us, and, above all, in the
unfoldment of the Ten Year Crusade he so carefully planned, so
untiringly promulgated and so energetically prosecuted through the
intermediary of not only the Hands of the Cause and the Regional
and National Assemblies, as well as the Auxiliary Boards and Local
Assemblies, but above all, through the vast and consecrated army
of believers the world over. Our grief at the passing of the
beloved Guardian remains fresh in our hearts, but with it is mixed
a joy for his sake that he no longer has to suffer the travails and
sorrows inseparable from the promulgation of the Word of God to a
humanity that is rapidly losing touch with spiritual reality and
being drained of the vital force of faith, and that he no longer
must bear the weight of work which rested so crushingly on him for
over a third of a century. As we now survey the vast field of his
accomplishments in the light of our great loss, we begin to realize
what this one being, inspired by God, driven by forces beyond our
understanding, accomplished in so brief a time. A staggering task
now faces us. The Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land, however,
have been amazed at the strong evidence of a new maturity amongst
the believers and their firm and irrevocable determination to carry
on to complete fulfilment the work of their dearly-loved Shoghi
Effendi There is no doubt in our minds or in the minds of any of
the Chief Stewards of the embryonic World Commonwealth of
Baha'u'llah, that this can be done as long as we all work together
in a closely coordinated pattern following the design he set for
us, keeping the life blood
+73
flowing into Haifa, the great Heart and permanent Spiritual and
Administrative Centre of the Faith as he designated it, and out of
it again on a world scale in the form of news, statistics and
advice. In the great work that lies before us, the Baha'is in the
Antipodes have a very important part to play. The significance of
this role has been strongly emphasized by the fact that whereas at
the opening of the World Crusade in 1953, the beloved Guardian
called for four Intercontinental Conferences to be held in Africa,
America, Europe and Asia, this time at the Crusade's hAli-way
point, he has added a fifth Intercontinental Conference to serve
the rapidly growing needs of Australasia. The progress which has
been achieved in this region has been truly phenomenal, and has
kept pace with Shoghi Effendi's own thirty-six years of ministry
of the Faith. From the days after the beloved Master's Ascension,
when the first Centre was firmly established in Sydney, until last
April, when the Guardian called for the election of the first
historic National Spiritual Assembly of New Zealand, the unfoldment
has been steady; the loyalty, devotion, obedience and enthusiasm
of the Australian and New Zealand believers were a constant source
of pride to him, and attracted an ever increasing measure of
encouragement and attention on his part. His love and good-pleasure
were poured upon them in many ways, the most impressive evidence
being his plan to erect one of the three Mashriqu'l-Adhkars to be
constructed during the World Crusade, in Sydney. This project was
particularly dear to his heart, knowing as he did that it will
constitute a mighty silent teacher of the Faith, and be an haven
of refuge spiritually to all the believers in that area. This
Mother Temple, not only of the Antipodes, but of the entire Pacific
region, will, by his express instructions, be specially and
eternally blessed through having in its foundations some of the
Sacred Dust from the innermost Shrine of Baha'u'llah, and a
fragment of plaster from the room of the Bab. in the fortress of
Mah-Ku where He was imprisoned. The Guardian in his last Message
to the Baha'i world particularly encouraged the believers attending
these five historic Conferences, to rally to the support of the
Temples now being erected and thus ensure their speedy completion.
In Shoghi Effendi's last message to the Australian National
Spiritual Assembly he unfolded before their eyes, in his own
inimitable way, a vast panorama of future development in the entire
Pacific area: he pointed out that Australia and Japan constitute
the northern and southern poles of a mighty spiritual axis running
through the Pacific region and that through this axis the current
of a close collaboration in the execution of the Divine Plan
throughout that entire region must flow. He emphasized that within
this area embraced by New Zealand and Australia in the south and
Japan in the north, "an area endowed" as he wrote "with
unimaginable potentialities,
+74
and which, owing to its strategic position, is bound to feel the
impact of world-shaking forces, and to shape to a marked degree
through the experience gained by its peoples in the school of
adversity, the destinies of mankind." A tremendous responsibility
inevitably rested on the two oldest and strongest communities
represented by the Australian National Spiritual Assembly and the
Regional National Spiritual Assembly of North-East Asia, to not
only carry forward the teaching work in the islands scattered over
the face of the sea, but in their homelands as well. We cannot do
better than recall his own weighty words on this subject: "A
responsibility, at once weighty and inescapable, must rest on the
communities which occupy so privileged a position in so vast and
turbulent an area of the globe. However great the distance that
separates them; however much they differ in race, language, custom
and religion; however active the political forces which tend to
keep them apart and foster racial and political antagonisms, the
close and continued association of these communities in their
common, their peculiar and paramount task of raising up and of
consolidating the embryonic World Order of Baha'u'llah in those
regions of the globe, is a matter of vital and urgent importance,
which should receive on the part of the elected representatives of
their communities, a most earnest and prayerful consideration." He
reminded the Australian believers that theirs was a two-fold task:
on the one hand, to consolidate, multiply and expand the
institutions of the Faith at home and in the many islands beyond
its confines, and on the other, to forge fresh links with its
sister communities, particularly those in the north Pacific, in
anticipation of the mission these communities are destined to
collectively discharge. He reminded both the Australian and New
Zealand Communities of their immediate duties, affectionately
naming New Zealand-whose recently elected National Spiritual
Assembly will constitute a pillar of the future International House
of Justice-that "far-away and promising Dominion"; he called upon
its National Assembly to formulate a Six Year Plan aimed at
multiplying the Spiritual Assemblies, groups and isolated centres
at incorporating both the National and Local Spiritual Assemblies,
at obtaining recognition of both Baha'i Holy Days and the Baha'i
Marriage Certificate, and at purchasing a site for a future House
of Worship. He also strongly emphasized the need to concentrate on
teaching the Maoris, to whom he attached great importance, and to
increase the centres in the South Island. To the Australian
National Spiritual Assembly he particularly recommended the needs
of the far-flung teaching work in the Islands. He was immensely
pleased and proud of the work accomplished and being carried on by
the pioneers, and urged that at all costs their labours be fully
supported and re-inforced, that more literature in
+75
island tongues be added to the translations already so successfully
undertaken, that the native believers be strengthened and
increased, and that particular attention be given to the Baha'i
School in the New Hebrides, a school of which he was immensely
proud and to which he attached great importance. There can be no
doubt that the Australian and New Zealand friends gathered here,
as well as those who have come in from the islands for this
historic occasion, see before them a glowing vista of future
achievements painted in the words of our beloved Guardian. They
must however bear in mind that the road will not be a smooth one.
How repeatedly he warned us all that before the first mighty fruits
of the World Order of Baha'u'llah would appear must come a period
of unparalleled trial and struggle for mankind; that tests and
dangers would beset the believers from both within and without. We
see now, the heaviest blow, his own passing, having already struck
us, how difficult may be our path, how heavy our burdens. In his
Convention Message last April he wrote: "Parallel with this process
of progressive deterioration in human affairs, now visibly
gathering momentum outside the pale of the Faith of Baha'u'llah,
and recalling the convulsions which, on a far more restricted
scale, seized a declining empire in the opening centuries of the
Christian era, far less spectacular in its manifestation, has been
the process of integration, as demonstrated by the increasing
cohesion, the multiplication, and the reinforcement of the
foundations, of the institutions of the embryonic Baha'i World
Order, which, now, under the impact of the forces released by a
World Spiritual Crusade, deriving its authority from the Will and
Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and launched for the express purpose of
executing the Divine Plan bequeathed by Him to His followers in the
evening of His life, is contributing, unnoticed by a generation
forgetful of its God, and already in the shadow of His Visitation,
to the building up, slowly but irresistibly, of that Ark of human
salvation, ordained as the ultimate haven of a society destined,
for the most part, to be submerged by the tidal wave of the abuses
and evils which its own perversity has engendered." Whatever may
befall us, before this Ark of human salvation is safely launched
as the only refuge mankind can know, we are assured that the
ultimate victory will be ours, ours the glory of having served and
sacrificed for this Most Holy Faith, ours the crown of having
remained steadfast in the path laid down for us by our well-beloved
Guardian, ours the reward of his radiant smile when we meet him
face to face in a better world, ours the joy of hearing him say:
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant." HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN
THE HOLY LAND
+76
BAHA'I WILMETTE APRIL 19,1958 EVE BLESSED RIDVAN INVITE BELIEVERS
CONTRIBUTE SPECIAL MEMORIAL FUND BELOVED GUARDIAN PURPOSE ERECTION
MONUMENT HIS SACRED THOUGH WE TRUST NOT ULTIMATE RESTING-PLACE STOP
ALL SURPLUS FUNDS CONTRIBUTED WILL BE EXPENDED AID COMPLETION THREE
MOTHER TEMPLES IN FULFILMENT HIS OWN PLEDGE CONTRIBUTE ONE THIRD
TOTAL AMOUNT ALSO ATTAINMENT OTHER OBJECTIVES CRUSADE SO DEAR HIS
HEART FOR WHICH HE UTTERLY SACRIFICED TIME STRENGTH LIFE. [CABLE]
HANDSFAITH RIDVAN MESSAGE 1958 To Annual Baha'i Conventions Dearly
beloved Friends: Ridvan is the most joyful period of the Baha'i
year. It is not only the Spring period of the world, but
commemorates that Divine Springtide when ninety-five years ago the
Supreme Manifestation of God revealed Himself in Baghdad and gave
the promise of that Message which is destined to unite all peoples
in universal peace and to enable them to live an existence ordered
by Divine Law. It was particularly at this time every year that the
thoughts and hearts of the believers turned to Haifa in loving
anticipation of the beloved Guardian's Convention Message, of the
news of the progress of the Faith the world over which he would
send to them, and the inspiration, encouragement and guidance his
words would bring them. How great is the shadow of his absence upon
our hearts now! It would be hard to say whether you, gathered in
so many far corners of the planet feel it more keenly or we, the
handful of his servants at the World Centre, where every tree and
pebble and flower reminds us that he has ascended to the Paradise
of Baha'u'llah and been gathered to the glory of his Divine
Forebears. Many times during the last few years the beloved
Guardian stated that while the Baha'is the world over were carrying
out the provisions of the Divine Plan revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha in
the activities of the present World Crusade, the Supreme Plan of
God Himself was also being worked out, and that a point might come
when these two Plans met and that perhaps the Plan of God would
intervene in the events of the Lesser Plan. May not his sudden
passing be seen as the fulfilment of his words?
+77
Baha'u'llah's Own hand has been stretched forth, the Designer has
altered the design but the pattern remains in its strength and
glory. Every single believer must, during the past six months, have
been aware of how mighty is the stronghold of our Faith, how
impregnable the walls our Guardian raised about it during the last
thirty-six years in the form of the tightly-woven,
divinely-ordained Administrative Order which has suffered no
rupture because of the sudden cataclysm of his passing and which
remains not only our fortress, built by the Word of God, but the
refuge for all mankind in the days to come. The Hands of the Faith
at the World Centre, however, have been in a position to witness
to a unique degree how true this is. Greater than any praise which
can ever be laid at our Guardian's door or any monument that will
ever be built in his honour, is this testimony to his achievements
as reflected in the spirit shown by the Baha'is in East and West,
whether old or new, their faithfulness to his wishes, their
universal whole-hearted determination to carry out his plans, his
hopes, his aims. A mighty wave of poignant love has swept all
hearts, drawing the believers closer, uniting them in purpose,
spurring them on to far greater dedication, sacrifice and service
in the path of God-that crimson-stained path in which the Bab.
Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha were immolated, in which twenty
thousand souls laid down their lives and which has now received a
deeper hue through the last great sacrifice, Shoghi Effendi's own
precious life. During the Conventions presently being held, the
delegates, the outgoing and incoming National Spiritual Assemblies,
and all the believers have a unique opportunity to concentrate
their attention on the objectives of the Ten Year Plan, as they
affect their area of the globe, to contemplate the as yet
unfulfilled goals, to deliberate and make suggestions on ways and
means of speedily attaining them, to both pledge and raise the sums
of money required for the important, urgent and arduous tasks of
the coming year, to give their hearts anew to the work of
God-hearts freshly purged of the dross of self through their
universal grief-to arise and fulfil the soul-stiffing plea of the
Master, so often quoted by Shoghi Effendi "0, that I could travel,
even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions,
and raising the call of Ya Baha'u'l-Abha in cities, villages,
mountains, deserts and oceans, promote the Divine teachings! This,
alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may
achieve it." Lot them remember that, as our Guardian said, heroic
souls have already, since the beginning of this Crusade, "either
quaffed the cup of martyrdom, or laid down their lives, or been
subjected to divers ordeals while combating for its Cause", and let
them determine to do likewise, while there is yet time, and win the
crown of immortal glory promised to all those who arise in the name
of Baha'u'llah, to spread His Faith.
+78
After the sudden and soul-shattering news of the passing of our
dearly loved Guardian, hearts stood still all over the world-what
did the future hold? Then came the realization on the part of the
friends that in his very last message, published on the occasion
of the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Holy Year, the
Guardian had left an instrument and given instructions by which
his work could be carried on, the Crusade safety prosecuted to the
end, the Cause of God protected and the Design of Baha'u'llah, as
embodied in His Most Holy Book, executed. The details of the World
Crusade, like a precious golden talisman, lie in our palm. The
instrument for carrying the Faith through this difficult
period-perhaps to be the darkest in its history-has been
re-inforced, and its functions amplified through the references
made to the Hands of the Faith as the "Chief Stewards of
Baha'u'llah's embryonic World Commonwealth", through the
appointment of eight more Hands scattered all over the globe, and
through the addition of new Auxiliary Boards whose sole function
is to protect the Cause of God. Twenty-six of the twenty-seven
Hands of the Faith gathered in Baha'u'llah's Mansion at Bahji and
for one week, alone, in exhaustive hours of prayer, soul-searching
and consultation, sought guidance for the immediate future. The
conclusions unanimously born as a result of this agony and purging
of heart were embodied in the Proclamation issued by the Hands.
This document did not attempt to answer "why?". Who can answer that
question until another Manifestation of God appears? It did answer
"how?". It created a method which, with the cooperation of the
believers, will ensure that the next stage in the Divine Plan of
'Abdu'l-Baha as amplified and outlined by our Guardian in the
provisions of the World Crusade, is carried out fully and
successfully, paving the way for the election of that supreme
Universal House of Justice whose deliberations, 'Abdu'l-Baha states
in His Will and Testament, are under the infallible guidance of
God. Realizing that the administrative and spiritual heart of our
Faith is forever fixed in the Holy Land according to the explicit
text of our Teachings, the Hands felt the most urgent need was to
protect this perfectly functioning heart, which the Guardian had
for so many years and at such great cost to himself, built up and
consolidated, and which is the centre from which the world-wide
administrative functions of the Cause of God must be coordinated
and maintained, and into which the reports, news and statistics of
the Faith must be poured, if its international character is to be
preserved. They therefore unanimously appointed nine of their
members to serve in Haifa. These nine were given, as a purely legal
measure in order to protect the Faith, the title of "Custodians".
The friends can imagine, remembering their own state of grief and
the
+79
sudden feeling of immense moral responsibility to their Faith which
swept over them on hearing of the passing of their Guardian, what
a burden has fallen on those Hands who serve here at the World
Centre. But, even as the sun rises after the darkest night, so have
emerged the clear evidences of the unfailing protection of
Baha'u'llah vouchsafed to His broken-hearted servants. A great wave
of sincere, shocked and deep-felt sympathy poured out to the Baha'i
Community from die officials of the State of Israel and its
peoples; from the President, Prime Minister and cabinet members
down to the simplest citizens, tributes and condolences poured in;
at every point the Government of this State has responded to our
requests, and cooperated with us in protecting the interests of the
Faith at the International Centre. In different parts of the world,
including the Cradle of the Faith, victory after victory has been
won, raising hope and confidence in our crushed hearts, assuring
us that our Guardian has not abandoned us or his own glorious work
even though physically he is removed from our presence. Like an
athlete trained to meet the supreme test, the administrative
institutions of the Faith, raised up and consolidated by the
Guardian, responded to the appeal of the Hands, and with strength
and assurance rallied to the support of the Administrative and
Spiritual Heart of the Cause in its hour of danger by placing in
the hands of the Custodians those documents needed to protect the
institutions, properties and privileges possessed by the Baha'i
World Community at its World Centre. So strong has been the
demonstration of unity on the part of the believers and their
national representatives that no challenge to the actions taken or
the decisions reached by the Hands has been made by the
Covenant-breakers or other enemies of the Faith. We now share with
you the very encouraging and indeed thrilling news of the
unfoldment of the World Crusade, on which, in the words of our
Guardian, "the army of the Lord of Hosts has so joyously and
confidently embarked". The friends should realize that the main
portion of the statistics in this message come from him, as he had
assiduously kept the record of the progress being made in various
fields up until two days before his passing. It was with the help
of exhaustive lists he kept that we were able to assemble and add
to the facts, brought up to date by him until the beginning of
November, and thus give the believers the truly heartening picture
of the steady, irresistible advance of our Faith all over the
world. Many supplementary achievements of an outstanding nature
have been added since his spirit was freed from the heavy bondage
of his earthly life, eloquent witness of the immense love of the
believers for that unique and priceless being the beloved Master
left in their midst for thirty-six years.
+80
The news of the World Centre, most of which is gleaned from notes
prepared by Shoghi Effendi himself for his Annual Convention
Message, is most inspiring. After more than sixty-five years of
uninterrupted tenure of buildings adjacent to the Holy Tomb of
Baha'u'llah, the Haram-i-Aqdas was at last purged of the remaining
handful of Covenant-breakers in August, 1957, following the
expropriation of their properties by the Israel Government. In
accordance with the wishes of the beloved Guardian, these buildings
were razed, and by the end of December no trace was left. The
beautiful white Mansion of Baha'u'llah stood forth at last in all
its symmetry, unsullied-the very building seemed to shine and
breathe in a new peace. The gardens, as planned by the Guardian
himself, have been and are still being enlarged in the area left
open by the destruction of these buildings, and a third terrace,
as planned by him, has been raised towards the east so that a
magnificent view is obtained of the Holy Shrine, the Mansion of
Baha'u'llah, and the great arc of gardens created by him during the
last few years. Moreover, the title deeds to all the Bahji property
expropriated by the Israel Government have been safely registered
in the name of the Faith. Negotiations are being completed for
extra plots of land towards the north and south of the present area
of Bahji owned by the Baha'is in order to protect the approaches
to the Most Holy Tomb and the entrance to the building used by
'Abdu'l-Baha in the days after the Ascension of Baha'u'llah. In
Haifa, the International Archives building is now entirely
completed inside as well as out; the tall, stained glass window in
its western wall, the smaller windows and the ornamental balustrade
of its balconies, were built before the passing of the beloved
Guardian; the green tiles and six crystal chandeliers he ordered
have since been placed in position; and the municipal authorities
have granted tax exemption to this first of the international
institutions of the Faith to be erected on Mt. Carmel in accordance
with the promise of Baha'u'llah: 'Erelong will God sail His Ark
upon thee". The gate which the beloved Guardian had ordered for the
entrance to the "arc" around which the administrative institutions
of the World Order are to cluster in the future, and which leads
to the International Archives building, is now nearing completion.
Since last Ridvan three additional Israel Branches of various
National Spiritual Assemblies have been added to those previously
registered here and entitled to hold property, namely, those of
Pakistan, Alaska and New Zealand. During the past year an
unprecedented number of visitors have been received on the Baha'i
properties open to the public, and during the recent Passover
Holiday, nearly eight thousand persons visited the Shrine of the
Bab. more than eighteen hundred in one day. The glad tidings of the
progress our world-redeeming Faith has made
+81
during the past year in all parts of the globe is truly impressive,
and comprises not only victories won before the passing of our most
beloved Guardian and under his direct supervision, but others,
equally impressive, won since his departure from our midst and
bearing eloquent testimony to the inspiration of his spirit, to his
watchful guidance from on High, and to the fact that his loving
spirit is leading us on to do his work as he would wish it done.
Two of the great rallying points provided for by the Guardian in
his last message to the Baha'i world-namely, the five
Intercontinental Conferences-have been held with outstanding
success, and a great outpouring of spiritual bounty has undoubtedly
been vouchsafed to all the believers, not only those who attended
them, but also those who felt the impact of their spirit. The
African Conference, at which were present more than four hundred
and fifty African believers and an equal number of Persian
believers and other visitors from abroad, witnessed the
extraordinary feat of the raising of almost a third of a million
dollars for the work in that continent, so loved by our Guardian,
whilst the Australian Conference, which was attended by believers
representing eighteen countries, witnessed an outpouring of more
than thirty thousand Australian pounds for the Mother Temple of
that continent. Still another pillar of the Universal House of
Justice is being reared in the current Ridvan period in France, the
first European country to receive the Message of Baha'u'llah,
bringing the total number of National and Regional Spiritual
Assemblies to thrice nine, and fulfilling one of the most cherished
plans of the Guardian. The number of territories included within
the world community of the Most Great Name has now been raised to
two hundred and fifty-four. Of all the one hundred and thirty-one
new territories listed by our beloved Guardian in the Ten Year
Plan, only Spitzbergen and eleven areas included in the Soviet
orbit remain unopened, as a result of the settlement, during the
past year, of the Chagos Archipelago by the Knight of Baha'u'llah
Pouva Murday, and the opening of Nicobar Island by the Knights of
Baha'u'llah Mrs. Bates and her daughter Jeanne Frankel. The
constant multiplication of localities where Baha'is reside in all
parts of the globe has raised the total number of such centres to
over forty-five hundred, an increase of thirteen hundred in the
last three years. Of these localities-termed by our Guardian foci
of the warming and healing light of the Revelation of
Baha'u'llah-nearly one hundred and twenty are now established in
the Goal Countries of Europe, nearly one hundred and thirty in the
British Isles, over one hundred and thirty-five in Germany and
Austria, one hundred and forty in Australasia, one hundred and
forty-five in the Dominion of Canada, one hundred and sixty in the
+82
Indian subcontinent, one hundred and ninety in Latin America,
nearly two hundred and eighty in the entire Pacific area, over
seven hundred in the African continent, over ten hundred and fifty
in Persia, and over fourteen hundred and sixty in the United
States. The number of Local Spiritual Assemblies established in all
parts of the globe, constituting in the beloved Guardian's own
words "the broad and indestructible foundation of the edifice of
a rising Order", is now almost eleven hundred, an increase of
nearly a hundred in one year. The total number of incorporated
Spiritual Assemblies, both local and national, is now two hundred
and sixteen, an increase of more than twenty during the past year,
including several of the thirteen National Assemblies newly
established in the Ridvan period of 1957. The literature of the
Faith of Baha'u'llah has now been translated into two hundred and
forty-four languages, of which one hundred and fifty-five have been
completed since the beginning of the Crusade. No less than
seventy-eight of these represent supplementary achievements above
those called for in the Ten Year Plan. Of the forty-nine National
Haziratu'l-Quds enumerated as Crusade objectives, forty-eight have
been acquired, leaving only the headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela
still to be established. Of the fifty-one national Baha'i
endowments to be purchased during the Ten Year Crusade, fifty have
now been established, leaving only one more to be acquired. The
number of countries and states, as well as cities in the United
States, where the educational authorities have recognized the
Baha'i Holy Days is now nearly sixty, an increase of more than ten
in the past year, including the entire country of Uganda. The
number of sovereign states and dependencies as well as territories,
federal districts and states of the United States of America, where
the Baha'i Marriage Certificate is recognized is now forty, special
legislation having been passed by the Legislature of Texas in the
United States, permitting Baha'i marriages to be legally performed
in that State, and more recently, and of great significance in
hastening the day when the independence of our beloved Faith will
have been fully vindicated, is the pronouncement by a religious
judge in the Sudan that as the Baha'i Faith is an independent
religion, two Baha'is of Islamic extraction should not be
registered as Muslims but married as Baha'is and the historic
registration in the Republic of San Marino of the first Baha'i
marriage ever performed there, an event without precedence in the
European continent. Of the utmost significance, not only in the Ten
Year Plan, but for future decades and centuries of the Baha'i Era,
is the striking progress made in acquiring the sites for future
Mashriqu'l-Adhkars. The execution, in March of this year, of the
contract for purchase of the Temple site
+83
in Stockholm completes the list of eleven such sites originally
enumerated by the beloved Guardian as Crusade objectives. To this
imposing list have been added no less than nine other sites
acquired in such widely scattered areas of the globe as Alaska,
Indonesia, Libya, Pakistan, Argentina, Brazil, Liberia, the British
Isles, and Switzerland, that of Switzerland having the unique
distinction of being the only Temple site ever purchased by the
Guardian of the Faith himself, in the particular situation in Bern
which he himself prescribed, overlooking the Alps. Many of these
sites represent victories achieved in the subsidiary Six Year Plans
given by our Guardian to the various new National and Regional
Assemblies formed in the Ridvan period a year ago. In the African
continent, where the unparalleled progress of the Faith of
Baha'u'llah in recent years brought such joy to the beloved
Guardian, the number of believers is now well over the five
thousand mark, an increase of nearly two thousand in the past year,
the vast majority of which are of the Negro race. The number of
Local Spiritual Assemblies in that flourishing area is now
approaching the two hundred mark and may well reach or exceed this
level in the current Ridvan period. A total of two hundred and
three African tribes are now represented in the Baha'i world
community, an increase of one hundred and ninety-three since the
inception of the Crusade. Land for a Baha'i school in Uganda has
been offered by one of the African members of the Regional
Spiritual Assembly of that area, a contribution to the Faith which
made the Guardian particularly happy. In the Pacific area, that
vast territory where the rapid spread of the Faith and the
development of its institutions is, in the words of our Guardian,
"competing for the palm of victory with the African continent
itself', the evidences of new victories won continue to multiply.
The number of believers has now passed the three thousand mark, the
number of localities where Baha'is reside has reached the imposing
total of two hundred and eighty, and the number of indigenous
languages into which Baha'i literature has been translated is now
well over fifty. Other significant evidences of the progressive
increase of Baha'i institutions in that area are the establishment
of twenty-seven incorporated Spiritual Assemblies, the
establishment of independent Baha'i burial grounds in Indonesia and
Malaya, and the founding of three additional Baha'i schools,
doubling the number already existing, as well as the pending
completion of construction of still another. In the far-flung
reaches of the Western Hemisphere, the total number of localities
within the Community of the Most Great Name is now nearly eighteen
hundred. The area is now served by seven National and Regional
Spiritual Assemblies, and over three hundred Local Assemblies, of
which over one hundred and thirty are incorporated. The number of
+84
American Indian tribes with which contact has been established now
exceeds fifty, nearly twenty-five of which are now represented in
the Faith. The first all-Indian Local Spiritual Assembly in South
America has been formed in Huanuni, Bolivia. The many notable
victories recorded during the past year in widely scattered areas
of this vast hemisphere are far too numerous to summarize here, but
the following may be mentioned to illustrate the range and
diversity of these accomplishments: The formation of a group in the
Arctic Village of Barrow; the granting to the Canadian National
Assembly of tax exemption for the Maxwell House in Montreal as a
result of a finding by the Superior Court that the Faith is an
independent religion entitled to such exemption; the beginning of
construction of the Home for the Aged, the first Dependency of the
Mother Temple of the West, and the action by the Zoning Board of
Appeals and the Wilmette Village Trustees in effect upholding the
firm Baha'i position on the oneness of mankind taken by the elected
national representatives of the American Baha'i Community
responsible for this important project; the holding of the first
Baha'i Summer School of Central America; and the establishment of
a Baha'i Publishing Trust in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although no
doubt incomplete, we cannot refrain from sharing with the friends
the list of teaching conferences and congresses which our beloved
Guardian had so patiently, and meticulously, and at so much cost
of effort to his precious self, assembled in preparation for his
Convention Message. First and foremost must be mentioned the
conferences held by the Hands of the Faith and their Auxiliary
Board members at Bex les Bains, and in Bern, Switzerland, and those
called since the passing of the Guardian and held in over forty
places in the United States of America. The Teaching Conferences
held in Bex les Bains, Switzerland; Sanary sur Mer, France; Darby
Hall, England; Belgium India; Rome, Italy; Panama, Canal Zone; that
of the Maritimes, held in St. John, New Brunswick; and of Lower
Burma, held in Rangoon; as well as the Teaching Conferences of
Pakistan; of Benelux, held in Luxembourg Ville, Luxembourg; those
of Alaska, held in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Ketchikan; the Regional
Teaching Conferences held in areas so widely separated as Sydney,
New South Wales; Queensland, Victoria; Adelaide, South Australia;
and Tasmania; Northern Bavaria, convened in Nuremberg; and that of
Regina, Saskatchewan; the National Teaching Conferences held in
Frankfurt, Germany, St. Croix and Lucerne, Switzerland; the Bi-Area
Teaching Conference held in Green Acre, Eliot, Maine; the Summer
Conference held in Banff, Alberta for Western Canada; the Regional
Teaching Congresses held in Curitiba, Brazil; Asuncion, Paraguay;
and in Panama, representative also of other Central American
Republics; the historic All
+85
Greece Teaching Conference held after the passing of the Guardian,
and the Inter-Community Conference series held in Vancouver,
British Columbia. As the world-encircling Crusade passes its
crucial midway point, the significance of which was outlined in
such inspiring terms by the beloved Guardian himself in his last
message to the Baha'i world, and which has been thrown into such
brilliant relief by the white glare of his ascension, we must all
assess the tasks that lie ahead of us with clear minds and with
courage and determination in our hearts. He himself pointed out to
us that until this midway point was reached we had traversed three
phases of our Ten Year Plan. The first phase, from 1953 to 1954,
witnessed the unique feat of the addition of over one hundred
countries to the roll of those opened to the Faith of Baha'u'llah;
the second phase, 1954 to 1956, was signalized by the purchase of
the vast majority of the forty-nine National Haziratu'l-Quds, and
the fifty-one national endowments constituting goals of the World
Crusade; the third phase, 1956 to 1958, was distinguished by the
addition of almost 1,000 centres and sixteen new National and
Regional Assemblies. The fourth phase, as our beloved Guardian
pointed out in his October message to the Baha'i world, "must be
immortalized, on the one hand, by an unprecedented increase in the
number of the avowed supporters of the Faith, in all the continents
of the globe, of every race, clime, creed and colour, and from
every stratum of present-day society, coupled with a corresponding
increase in the number of Baha'i centres and, on the other, by a
swift progress in the erection of the Mother Temples of Africa, and
Australia, as well as by the initiation of the construction of the
first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of Europe." Already, at the two great
Intercontinental Conferences held in Kampala and Sydney,
substantial contributions to these three Temples have been made,
but the needs of these infinitely precious and spiritually
significant Houses of Worship-Temples whose designs were either
chosen or approved by the Guardian himself, and to which he made
the gift of Sacred Dust from the inmost Shrine of Baha'u'llah-are
far from being met, and a sustained and self-sacrificing effort
will be required on the part of the World Baha'i Community to
complete them. In checking over the outline which the Guardian
himself had been preparing in anticipation of his 1958 Ridvan
Message to the Baha'i world it was found that in addition to the
above-quoted tasks which constitute in his own words the fourth
phase of the crusade -- a phase which must now carry it to its
consummation-he had noted that three new National Spiritual
Assemblies were to be formed in Ridvan 1959, namely, those of
Burma, Turkey and Austria, and one regional one, that of the South
Pacific. We cannot refrain from complimenting the believers in
these areas on the progress they have made and the spirit they have
shown
+86
which attracted to them, just before his passing, the loving
good-pleasure of their Guardian and presented them with such a
unique opportunity to distinguish themselves in the service of the
Faith. Whilst we cannot but view with feelings of awe, pride and
profound thanksgiving the extraordinary victories won during the
last five years, it is certainly incumbent upon us at this time to
bear in mind that only half of the Crusade has run its course, that
our way through the world is harder and stonier than before, and
that tremendous tasks still lie ahead. Let us recall the words of
the beloved Guardian himself: "The newly opened territories of the
globe must, under no circumstances, be allowed to relapse into the
state of spiritual deprivation from which they have so recently
and laboriously been rescued. Nay, the highly edifying evidences
proclaiming the expansion and the consolidation of the superb
historic work achieved in so many of these territories must be
rapidly multiplied. The Local Assemblies that have been so
diligently and patiently established must under no circumstances
be allowed to dissolve, or their foundations be in any way
endangered. The mighty and steady process involving the increase
in the number of the avowed supporters of the Faith, and the
multiplication of isolated centres groups and Local Assemblies
must, throughout this newly opened phase of the Plan, be markedly
accelerated." And, finally, we ask each and every believer to
ponder in his heart the solemn charge laid upon us by our Beloved
when he was preparing us to shoulder the tasks of the Holy Crusade:
". . . I adjure them, by the precious blood that flowed in such
great profusion, by the lives of the unnumbered saints and heroes
who were immolated, by the supreme, the glorious sacrifice of the
Prophet-Herald of our Faith, by the tribulations which its Founder,
Himself, willingly underwent, so that His Cause might live, His
Order might redeem a shattered world and its glory might suffuse
the entire planet -- I adjure them, as this solemn hour draws nigh,
to resolve never to flinch, never to hesitate, never to relax,
until each and every objective ... has been fully consummated."
HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND Election of the Independent
National Spiritual Assembly of France Ridvan 1958 To the First
All-France Convention Dearly beloved Friends: On the historic
occasion of the convening of the first all-France Baha'i
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Convention and the election of the National Spiritual Assembly of
this famous land, long one of the chief pillars of European
civilization and a fountain-head of freedom and liberalism, our
minds naturally turn to our beloved Guardian, whose ceaseless
encouragement, tireless efforts and unfailing determination made
possible this event of such great spiritual significance. In spite
of the fact that France had the unique and enviable position of
being the first nation on the European continent to receive the
warming and illuminating rays of the sun of Baha'u'llah's
Revelation, the friends gathered here, more particularly those of
French extraction, are well aware of how difficult it has been to
bring the work of our glorious Faith to this point of consummation.
Since the light of this New Revelation was first brought to France
almost sixty years ago, this country has been blessed by many and
varied events of profound spiritual significance. We may well, at
this moment of victory, recall some of these which are of
outstanding historic interest. From France the very first party of
Western pilgrims proceeded to the Turkish penal colony of 'Akka,
to visit 'Abdu'l-Baha. In 1899, upon the return of that handful of
souls, now afire with the Glad Tidings of this New Revelation, May
Bolles, with the approval and under the loving guidance of the
Master Himself, began to teach the Faith in Paris. Before long a
flourishing, enkindled and wholly dedicated group of souls was
gathered there, including believers of such distinction as
Hippolyte Dreyfus, the first native French believer, Thomas
Breakwell, the first British believer, the Hand of the Cause
Charles Mason Remey, and many others. 'Abdu'l-Baha Himself sent the
greatest Baha'i teacher of the East, Mirza Abu'l-Fadl, to deepen
the Faith of that early group. In those early years, Laura Barney,
who later became the wife of Hippolyte Dreyfus, journeyed to 'Akka,
and during a long sojourn in the Holy Land, compiled that book of
inestimable value Some Answered Questions. In 1911 and 1912, Paris
was blessed by the presence of the beloved Master Himself, Who
remained there for considerable periods of time. Many Orientalists,
scholars and men famous for their erudition throughout Europe
sought His presence. It was there that He gave His famous Paris
talks, lamenting the depths to which Europe had sunk in her pursuit
of materialistic ideologies, and exhorting the people to awaken
spiritually, in words which were the very breath of the Holy
Spirit. It was during one of His visits that the Master uttered
these prophetic words: "Try to propagate the Teachings of God....
Now in Europe, it is the beginning of a new day. It is dawn.
'Erelong the Divine Light shall penetrate everywhere . . ." On
another occasion He said: "Though you find Paris dormant now,
eventually it will become revivified, because I have spent many a
sleepless night here, during which I supplicated the
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Almighty to shower His confirmations upon the people. I had no
rest, no sleep -- I was constantly supplicating." It was not until
after World War II, with the inauguration of the Second Seven Year
Plan given by the beloved Guardian to the American Baha'i
Community, one phase of which was aimed at the spiritual conquest
of ten European "Goal" countries, that the work in France itself
began to fulfil the prophecies of the Master. Though naturally
herself not one of these goal countries, the vitalizing effects of
the systematic prosecution of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan were felt
throughout the length and breadth of France; the faithful and
persistent groups of believers already established in such cities
as Marseilles and Lyon, as well as the Paris community, began to
be stimulated, not only by the general atmosphere of intense
activity which was pervading adjacent countries, but also through
direct help from travelling Baha'i teachers and pioneers, and from
the European Teaching Committee of the National Assembly of the
United States. The number of French Baha'is -- the firm bedrock on
which all activity in that country must ultimately rest-was
increasing; the loyalty and devotion of these native friends
greatly encouraged and pleased the Guardian, who saw in them the
promise of the future and realized that the day when France would
be able to have her own National Spiritual Assembly was fast
approaching. From that time on he fixed his attention on France,
showered his encouragement on the work of its believers, urged many
American friends to pioneer there, and watched over the progress
being made with both pride and interest, a pride and interest which
culminated with his announcement that the first election of its
independent National Assembly would take place in Ridvan 1958. The
believers of French extraction gathered in this Convention, as well
as their loving and devoted co-workers from other countries who
have pioneered in France, without whose unsparing and dedicated
efforts this victory could not have been won so soon, are aware
that they are now electing the first National, as distinguished
from Regional, Spiritual Assembly of the European continent, an
Assembly which constitutes yet another pillar of the Universal
House of Justice. This is a great distinction, a great honour and
imposes a great responsibility, more particularly at this time when
the Cause of God has received such a grievous blow through the
sudden passing of its beloved Guardian, its guide and its shield.
There is no doubt, however, that his love and his spirit are with
you on this historic occasion, and that he will continue to watch
over the advancement of this community which he so tenderly
encouraged for so many years, and whose present coming of age was
so eagerly anticipated by him. Our beloved Guardian doubtless would
have called upon the National Assembly elected at this historic
first French Annual Convention to formulate
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its own Five Year Plan for the remainder of the World Crusade, as
he did in the case of the newly-formed national bodies in Africa
in 1956. Perhaps he would have specified the objectives himself,
as he did for the subsidiary Six Year Plans given to each of the
thirteen National and Regional Assemblies formed in the Ridvan
period of 1957. We may be sure, however, that his hopes for the
future development of the Faith in France would, following his
earlier pattern, encompass: (1) the devising of ways and means of
ensuring the rapid spread of the Cause throughout that land; (2)
the consolidation and multiplication of its Assemblies, groups and
isolated centres (3) the planting of the banner of the Faith in all
the various Departments of the country, especially those which have
as yet had no sustained teaching activity within their borders; (4)
the incorporation of the new national body, as well as the Local
Spiritual Assemblies; (5) the establishment of a site for a future
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar; (6) the holding of summer schools to deepen the
knowledge and understanding of the believers; and (7) above all the
spreading of the light of this Divine Revelation far and wide
amongst the people of that country, in order that the promises of
the beloved Master may be speedily fulfilled, and the French nation
receive the redeeming grace of Baha'u'llah in this dark age through
which it and the whole world is now passing. As the assembled
friends consult earnestly and prayerfully upon the unfinished tasks
before them, they may well turn for inspiration and assurance to
the words of the beloved Guardian, addressed to the National
Conventions two years ago a message in which he referred
specifically to the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly
of France. "Before the eyes of the warriors enlisting under its
banner stretch fields of exploration and consolidation of such
vastness as might well dazzle the eyes and strike awe into the
heart of any soul less robust than those who have arisen to
identify themselves with its Cause. The heights its champions must
scale are indeed formidable. The pitfalls that bestrew their path
are still numerous. The road leading to ultimate and total victory
is tortuous, stony and narrow. Theirs, however, is the emphatic
assurance, revealed by the Pen of the Most High-the Prime Mover of
the forces unleashed by this world-girdling Crusade--that
'Whosoever ariseth to aid our Cause God will render him victorious
over ten times ten thousand souls, and, should he wax in his love
for Me, him will We cause to triumph over all that is in heaven and
all that is on earth."' HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND After
its election on April 26, 1958 the National Spiritual Assembly of
France sent the following pledge of loyalty to the Hands of the
Cause and the Custodians:
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Dearly Beloved Hands of the Cause, The National Spiritual Assembly
of the Baha'is of France in recognition of the proclamation made
by the Hands of the Cause of God, the Chief Stewards of the Baha'i
World Faith, assembled at the Baha'i World Centre on 25th November
1957, in which they have appointed nine members from their number
to act on their behalf as "Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith",
has adopted the following resolution: We pledge our full support,
faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Baha'i
World Faith, elected by the Hands of the Cause. With warm Baha'i
love, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of France BAHA'I
WILMETTE APRIL 27,1958 SOHRAB RELENTLESS ENEMY FAITH AFTER
WITNESSING THIRD CENTURY IRRESISTIBLE SPREAD HOLY CAUSE FORTYFIVE
HUNDRED centres GUIDANCE BELOVED GUARDIAN DIED FIRST RIDVAN EVERY
HOPE FRUSTRATED EVERY PLAN EXTINGUISHED EVERY AMBITION THWARTED
STOP STRIKING EVIDENCE GODS AVENGING WRATH ONE HAND ON OTHER
UNFAILING PROTECTION COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS REARED BELOVED GUARDIAN
INSPIRES BELIEVERS ARISE SERVE RENEWED COURAGE DEDICATION ENSURE
COMPLETE SUCCESS CRUSADE STOP SHARE MESSAGE HANDS NATIONAL
ASSEMBLIES [CABLE] HANDSFAITH The Intercontinental Conference,
Chicago, U.S.A. May 2-4,1958 To the Hands of the Cause, members of
their Auxiliary Boards, members of Regional and National Spiritual
Assemblies, pioneers, resident believers, and visitors attending
the Intercontinental Conference in Chicago, May, 1958. Beloved
Friends: Upon the occasion of the convening of this second
Intercontinental Conference in Chicago, our hearts and our thoughts
inevitably go back to the first great conference which was held
here in 1953 during the opening of the World Crusade under the
direct aegis of our beloved Guardian. His
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Messages, his cables, his words of loving reassurance, the news he
sent us from Haifa at that time, the sense of his overpowering
presence-all are fresh today in our memories, and our hearts
overflow with love for him and with longing for his physical
presence in this world. None of us, however, can doubt that during
the six months since his sudden passing the evidences of the Divine
protection promised to this Holy Faith of God have been
overpowering. The structure Shoghi Effendi built, on the firm
foundations laid in the Writings of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha,
has withstood the earthquake of his passing and its attendant
circumstances; the seamless robe of this greatest of all
Revelations has not been torn; the administrative institutions so
carefully reared by him, nascent though they still are, have
rallied to the support of the World Centre, the heart and hub of
the Faith, and have demonstrated, not only to the believers but to
the observant and curious public, as well as to our enemies, that
this Cause is firmly knit together, universal in its operations,
united in one purpose and one great loyalty which nothing can
destroy. We see in all this the living, breathing spirit of Shoghi
Effendi his protection and his love, which will never leave us. The
five mighty Intercontinental Conferences announced in the last
message to the Baha'i world from our beloved Guardian, we see now
as providential rallying-points during this difficult year of
sorrow and separation. The midway point of this mighty Crusade the
Guardian conceived and set in motion has been characterized not
only by extraordinary victories won, but by the falling of a wholly
unexpected blow, brought about through the mysterious operations
of the Divine Will, which no man dare question and no human mind
can comprehend, a blow which may well prove to be the signal for
the beginning of that period of turmoil and suffering Shoghi
Effendi so often told us the world must pass through before its
parts are forged into a single whole, ready for, and capable of
putting into operation, the Plan of God for this Day. Let us, at
this solemn moment in our destinies, turn back to the words of our
Guardian when he sounded the call for this greatest of all
enterprises ever undertaken by the followers of any Faith since the
dawn of history. "Let there be no mistake. The avowed, the primary
aim of this Spiritual Crusade is none other than the conquest of
the citadels of men's hearts. The theatre of its operations is the
entire planet. Its duration a whole decade. Its commencement
synchronizes with the Centenary of the birth of Baha'u'llah's
Mission. Its culmination will coincide with the Centenary of the
Declaration of that same Mission. The agencies assisting in its
conduct are the nascent administrative institutions of a steadily
evolving, divinely appointed Order. Its driving force is the
energizing influence generated by the Revelation heralded by the
Bab and proclaimed
+92
by Baha'u'llah. Its Marshal is none other than the Author
of the Divine Plan. Its standard-bearers are the Hands of the Cause
of God appointed in every continent of the globe. Its generals are
the twelve National Spiritual Assemblies participating in the
execution of its design. Its vanguard is the chief executors of
'Abdu'l-Baha's Master Plan, their allies and associates. Its
legions are the rank and file of believers standing behind these
same twelve National Assemblies and sharing in the global task
embracing the American, the European, the African, the Asiatic and
Australian fronts. The charter directing its course is the immortal
Tablets that have flowed from the Pen of the Centre of the Covenant
Himself. The armour with which its onrushing hosts have been
invested is the glad tidings of God's Own Message in this Day, the
principles underlying the Order proclaimed by His Messenger, and
the laws and ordinances governing His Dispensation. The battle cry
animating its heroes and heroines is the cry of Ya Baha'u'l-Abha,
Ya 'Aliyyu'l-A'la.
"So vast, so momentous and challenging a crusade
that will, God willing, illuminate the annals of the second epoch
of the Formative Age of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, and immortalize
the second decade of the second Baha'i century, and the termination
of which will mark the closing of the first epoch in the evolution
of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan, will, in itself, pave the way for,
and constitute the prelude to, the initiation of the laborious and
tremendously long process of establishing in the course of
subsequent crusades in all the newly opened sovereign states,
dependencies and islands of the planet, as well as in all the
remaining territories of the globe, the framework of the
Administrative Order of the Faith, with all its attendant agencies,
and of eventually erecting in these territories still more pillars
to share in sustaining the weight and in broadening the foundation
of the Universal House of Justice." Before we turn our thoughts to
the purpose of this Conference as it affects the Baha'is of the
Western Hemisphere, let us recall the stages through which this
globe-encircling Crusade has already passed: Much to the joy and
comfort of our overworked and most beloved Guardian, who had
already sacrificed over thirty years of his life to the unremitting
service of the Cause of God, the first phase of the Ten Year Plan,
which lasted from 1953 to 1954, witnessed the planting of the
banner of Baha'u'llah's Revelation in no less than one hundred
additional countries, territories and islands of the globe, raising
thereby the. total number at that time to two hundred and
twenty-eight; the distinguishing feature of the second phase of
this Plan, which lasted from 1954 to 1956, was the extraordinary
multiplication of National Haziratu'l-Quds and endowments, the
purchase of the majority of which was to all intents and purposes
completed during this period, involving an outpouring of funds
which many of the friends had believed could not possibly
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take place in so short a time; the third phase, which comprised the
period from 1956 to 1958, was distinguished by a marked
multiplication not only of Baha'i centres all over the world, but
by the establishment in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres,
of no less than thirteen Regional and four National Assemblies. The
phenomenal progress made and the extraordinary victories won during
the last five years, have demonstrated to us all, not only the
immense power of the Cause of God -- a power which the Master said
was mysterious and far above the understanding of men and of
angels-but have shown us that through the canalization of this
force by the Guardian into the mighty blueprint of the Divine Plan
conceived by 'Abdu'l-Baha, an immensely potent instrument has been
devised in the form of this World Crusade which constitutes a step
in the spiritual conquest of the entire planet. The pattern has
been clearly defined, the design of God we see distinctly emerging
before our eyes. Every act of obedience to the instructions of the
Guardian, every fulfilment of a goal set by him, every execution
of a phase of his plan, brings victory, breeds strength, creates
new spiritual life. He himself was immensely heartened and pleased
over the victories won during the first half of this Holy Crusade,
and characterized this five year period as one of marvellous
progress achieved in so vast a field in so short a time by a small
band of heroic souls. We know that the Western World, the Western
Hemisphere, particularly the "Great Republic of the West", have
been singled out by the Bab. Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha as
regions of the globe whose peoples are endowed with special
capacities in this Day with which to serve the Cause of God and
through it their fellow-men. The attendants at this particular
Conference must feel the weight of a very great responsibility
resting on them at this midway point of the World Crusade, not only
because of the mission conferred upon them by 'Abdu'l-Baha, but
because of the greatness of this affliction which has filled all
hearts with grief and longing at this time, and in spite of
which-nay, perhaps because of which-they must now arise, wiser,
more mature, more consecrated than ever before, to carry out their
preponderating share in the prosecution of the remainder of the Ten
Year Plan. There can be no escape from duty for any believer, least
of all an American believer, at this critical juncture in the
fortunes of our beloved Faith. We recall to your minds the stirring
words of Shoghi Effendi addressed to the Annual Convention of the
United States which preceded the first Intercontinental Conference
held in 1953: "May this Community-the spiritual descendants of die
Dawn-breakers of the Heroic Age of the Baha'i Faith, the chief
repository of the immortal Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan,
the foremost executors of the
+94
Mandate issued by the Centre of Baha'u'llah's Covenant, the
champion builders of a divinely conceived Administrative Order,
the standard-bearers of the all-conquering army of the Lord of
Hosts, the torch-bearers of a future divinely inspired world
civilization-arise, in the course of the momentous decade
separating the, Great from the Most Great Jubilee, to secure, as
befits its rank, the lion's share in the prosecution of a global
crusade designed to diffuse the light of God's Revelation over the
surface of the entire planet." As the friends gathered at this
supremely important Conference consider their future work and
discuss ways and means of accomplishing it, the believers of the
United States should, in particular, ponder the very critical
position of the home front in their country and, in the Guardian's
own words, "maintain their enviable position, as the vanguard of
the army of Baha'u'llah's crusaders, in rescuing, while there is
yet time, their home front from the precarious position in which
it now finds itself . . ." Let them remember that as he himself so
clearly stated: "It is primarily a task that concerns the
individual believer, wherever he may be, and whatever his calling,
his resources, his race, or his age. Neither the local nor national
representatives of the community, no matter how elaborate their
plans, or persistent their appeals, or sagacious their counsels,
nor even the Guardian himself, however much he may yearn for this
consummation, can decide where the duty of the individual lies, or
supplant him in the discharge of that task. The individual alone
must assess its character, consult his conscience, prayerfully
consider all its aspects, manfully struggle against the natural
inertia that weighs him down in his effort to arise, shed,
heroically and irrevocably, the trivial and superfluous attachments
which hold him back, empty himself of every thought that may tend
to obstruct his path. . ." The weight resting on each one of us
today is truly crushing and inescapable, the reward which each one
of us can win for himself is equally great and of an everlasting
nature. In the words of the Qur'an: "Whoso maketh efforts for the
faith, maketh them for his own good only. Verily God is rich enough
to dispense with all creatures." In his last letter to the American
National Spiritual Assembly the Guardian made an appeal, couched
in more poignant terms than any he had ever used previously in
addressing the members of that privileged Community who are the
"Champion-builders of the World Order of Baha'u'llah": "Once
again and this time more fervently than ever beforehand direct my
plea to every single member of this strenuously labouring, clear
visioned, stout-hearted, spiritually endowed community, every man
and woman, on whose individual efforts, resolution, self-sacrifice
and perseverance
+95
the immediate destinies of the Faith of God, now traversing so
crucial a stage in its rise and establishment, primarily depends,
not to allow, through apathy, timidity or complacency, this one
remaining opportunity to be irretrievably lost. I would rather
entreat each and every one of them to immortalize this approaching,
fateful hour in the evolution of a World Spiritual Crusade, by a
fresh consecration to their God-given mission, coupled with an
instantaneous plan of action, at once so dynamic and decisive, as
to wipe out.... with one stroke, the deficiencies which have, to
no small extent, bogged down the operations of the Crusade on the
home front. . . " Before turning to the global objectives still
remaining, and which must be accomplished during the fourth phase
of the Ten Year Plan, let us review the specific tasks given by our
Guardian to the American Baha'i Community, her chief ally, and her
daughter communities in the Western Hemisphere: The opening of
Spitzbergen the one remaining virgin territory other than those
within the Soviet orbit, and the resettlement or consolidation of
those goals now vacant or in need of supporting efforts by pioneers
and visiting teachers; the speedy attainment of the objectives of
the subsidiary Six Year Plans given by our Guardian to the new
National and Regional Assemblies formed during the Ridvan period
of 1957 under the sponsorship of the National Assembly of the
United States, the fulfilment of which is an indispensable
prerequisite to the formation, on a firm footing, of the future
pillars of the Universal House of Justice which are to be
established in each and every Republic of Latin America and in each
goal country of Europe by 1963-victories which can be assured only
by a continuous flow of pioneers, as our Guardian repeatedly
emphasized; the immediate construction of the first dependency of
the Mother Temple of the West, designed to convincingly demonstrate
to the public the spirit of service to humanity which underlies the
Divinely-ordained institutions surrounding the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar;
the establishment, during the Ridvan period of 1959, of the
Regional Spiritual Assembly of the South Pacific Islands, under the
sponsorship of the American National Assembly, a task assigned to
that Assembly by our Guardian in his message to the 1953 Annual
Convention; a marked acceleration in the process of enlisting in
the ranks of the Faith an ever greater number of Indians, the
original inhabitants of the Americas, of Eskimos in the far North,
and of representatives of the Basque and Gypsy races in those areas
assigned to the United States Baha'i Community; a carefully planned
and vigorously prosecuted campaign aimed at enlisting in the army
of Baha'u'llah, large numbers of the Negro race-so much loved and
admired by Shoghi Effendi-thereby fulfilling one of his frequently
expressed and most ardent hopes; the
+96
incorporation of Local and National Assemblies, which must be
accomplished as rapidly as possible in all areas of the Western
Hemisphere in order to strengthen the structure of the
Administrative Order, and the foundations upon which the edifice
of the Universal House of Justice will rest; the proclamation of
the Faith to the masses, so desperately in need of spiritual
enlightenment and guidance, so sunk in the materialism of a world
heedless of its God and oblivious of the Divine Message for this
Day; and finally, the paramount task so constantly stressed by the
Guardian, so dear to his heart, and which constitutes the supreme
duty of every true believer-the propagation of the Faith, and the
conversion of individual receptive souls to the Cause of
Baha'u'llah. We have now entered, as Shoghi Effendi himself stated,
the fourth phase of the World crusaded phase which must carry us
through to victory, to the accomplishment of all the goals
attainable, goals which he so carefully outlined for us with so
much wisdom and so much love for this mighty Faith on whose altar
he, like the Bab. Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha before him, was
utterly sacrificed. This fourth and final phase of the Ten Year
Plan comprises two outstanding tasks: To raise the necessary funds
for and to build the Mother Temples of Europe and of
Australasia-that of Africa, as he himself said, having to all
intents and purposes been assured-and to vastly increase the number
of the avowed supporters of the Faith all over the world, in newly
opened lands as well as in those countries blessed from its
earliest dawn by the light of Baha'u'llah's Revelation. We Baha'is
have witnessed many miracles in the course of the one hundred and
fifteen years which have elapsed since the inception of this
supreme Dispensation. As the spread of the Cause of God gathered
momentum the ever-increasing protection vouchsafed it from on High
has been unfailing; over and over again its enemies have been laid
low, their plans completely frustrated, their lives and their hopes
snuffed out at the very instant when they had anticipated
victory-the latest demonstration of this invariable spiritual law
being the death a few days ago of Ahmad Sohrab at a moment when he
must have felt his machinations held some promise of fruition. Over
and over again the doors to service, to the accomplishment of a set
task, to the overcoming of a specific obstacle, have, at the last
moment, been flung open before the faces of the loyal, the
persevering, the consecrated and obedient followers of Baha'u'llah.
Every major crisis in our Faith, as the Guardian repeatedly pointed
out to us, has invariably been followed by a great outpouring of
Divine Mercy, and this in turn has led to victory. We have every
right to believe that because God has visited us with such a mighty
calamity this year, He will, in His unfailing Mercy, compensate for
this suffering, this dire deprivation
+97
that has fallen upon us, and make the supreme sacrifice of Shoghi
Effendi's life a leaven which will generate the force required to
carry us through to victory and enable us thereby to gladden the
heart of our beloved Guardian in the Abha Kingdom-something which
we did not always do while he was in our midst, Beloved Friends!
At the outset of this Most Holy, decade-long Crusade, our beloved
Guardian raised this challenging call addressed directly to the
members of the Communities of North and South America: "It is
incumbent upon the members of the American Baha'i Community, the
chief executors of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan, the members of the
Canadian Baha'i Community acting as their allies, and the members
of the Latin American Baha'i Communities in their capacity as
associates in the execution of this Plan, to brace themselves and
initiate, in addition to the responsibilities they have assumed,
and will assume, in other continents of the globe, an
intercontinental campaign designed to carry a stage further the
glorious work already inaugurated throughout the Western
Hemisphere." "Standing on the threshold of a ten-year long,
world-embracing Spiritual Crusade these Communities are now called
upon, by virtue of the weighty pronouncement recorded in the Most
Holy Book, and in direct consequence of the revelation of the
Tablets of the Divine Plan, to play a preponderating role in the
systematic propagation of the Faith, in the course of the coming
decade, which will, God willing, culminate in the spiritual
conquest of the entire planet." With this vision before them, let
each and every one of them arise, joyously and wholeheartedly, with
fresh dedication and determination, and respond to these
soul-stirring words of their Guardian: "I direct my impassioned
appeal to obey, as befits His warriors, the summons of the Lord of
Hosts, and prepare for that Day of Days when His victorious
battalions will, to the accompaniment of hosannas from the
invisible angels in the Abha Kingdom, celebrate the hour of final
victory." Let them remember how often he said the immediate future
was dark, but the distant future infinitely bright. No words could
better describe the glory of the Order we are called upon to build
than his own: "How pressing and sacred the responsibility that now
weighs upon those who are already acquainted with these teachings!
How glorious the task of those who are called upon to vindicate
their truth, and demonstrate their practicability to an unbelieving
world! Nothing short of an immovable conviction in their divine
origin, and their uniqueness in the annals of religion; nothing
short of an unwavering purpose to execute and apply them to the
administrative machinery of the Cause, can be sufficient to
establish their reality, and ensure their success. How vast is the
Revelation
+98
of Baha'u'llah! How great the magnitude of His blessings showered
upon humanity in this day! And yet, how poor, how inadequate our
conception of their significance and glory! This generation stands
too close to so colossal a Revelation to appreciate, in their full
measure, the infinite possibilities of His Faith, the unprecedented
character of His Cause, and the mysterious dispensations of His
Providence." HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND To the Hands of
the Cause of God throughout the World June 12,1958 Beloved
Fellow-Hands: The response evoked by the message we were able, by
the grace of Baha'u'llah and thanks to the copious notes made by
our beloved Guardian in anticipation of his annual Ridvan
communication, to send out to the twenty-seven Conventions was most
heartening, and we feel sure the enclosed copies of cables received
in reply from the Annual Conventions will bring you great joy also.
They have shown us how complete is the protection and help being
vouchsafed by our Beloved, whose spirit is surely reinforcing our
efforts to discharge befittingly the sacred trust laid upon us by
him. Since our last letter to you of March 21, the tasks and
problems engaging the attention of the Hands here have been many
and varied. Generally speaking all the news has been good news,
with the exception of one question which has weighed very heavily
on our minds and hearts and which we wish to share with you. You
will remember we pointed out that from communications and reports
received here it was becoming obvious that there was a tendency for
different interpretations of our present situation and
prognostications of the future to be made. As most of you no doubt
are aware, the American Hands issued, in conjunction with the
American National Spiritual Assembly, a statement entitled "A New
Baha'i Era" in order to meet the many questions being raised by the
believers and to assist them in focusing their attention on the
future work of the Crusade. We feel you should know that this
statement was read at forty conferences in the United States, and
that copies were mailed to all National Spiritual Assemblies who
were daughter Assemblies or allies of the American National
Spiritual Assembly under the work of successive phases of the
Divine Plan. This meant copies were received in Africa, Latin
America and Europe. The Custodians had no foreknowledge of this
statement, and felt it touched on points of such far
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reaching importance that it should have come, if a statement of
this nature were to be issued at all, from the World Centre and not
have been issued on a regional basis. We also felt a number of
things should never have been said that were included, though by
and large, the whole statement is very sound. We therefore cabled
requesting that it be withdrawn from circulation and not appear in
Baha'i News". The American Hands and National Spiritual Assembly
immediately complied with this request and have since, in a most
loving and understanding manner, expressed their agreement with us.
Unfortunately, however, the statement has been widely published in
Latin America. We have received letters, because of this statement,
and because of the nature of the questions it attempted to answer,
from the United States, the Canadian, the Brazil, Peru, Colombia,
Ecuador and Venezuela and the Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay
and Uruguay National Spiritual Assemblies, asking the Custodians
to state something clearly for the friends on the question so much
discussed, namely, the future of the Guardianship. We have also
received a number of reports from Europe, Asia, and the Western
Hemisphere indicating that some of our dear fellow-Hands-no doubt
under the pressure of emotion, and taken unawares by sudden
questions asked of them-have made conflicting statements about the
future of the Guardianship, at total variance with the thoughts
published above the signature of the American Hands, and exceeding
our own statements in the Proclamation, which we agreed to adhere
to unitedly. We need not point out to you, who share with us the
terrible and sacred responsibility of maintaining intact this
unified Faith the Guardian left behind him, the great dangers
involved in any expression of diversified opinions amongst
ourselves on so important a subject. Believing, ourselves, that as
we decided in Bahji the less said on this subject the better, we
have until now strictly refrained from going into the subject at
all in any communications to Assemblies or individuals sent from
Haifa. However, there is, as you will see from the enclosed
excerpts from a letter from our fellow-Hand, William Sears, just
received here a few days ago (he has been recently in the United
States, Africa and Europe), a real danger of two schools of thought
crystallizing on this all important matter. We therefore feel we
can and must once again direct the friends' attention to the words
of the Proclamation we issued, in order that these questions may
be put aside by the friends and their full energies concentrated
upon fulfilling the goals of the Ten Year Plan. In meeting this
problem, the body of the Hands of the Cause must exercise the
greatest care to avoid the very pitfall against which we must warn
the friends-that of interpretation of the Sacred Writings. What we
can, and must, do is to direct the attention of the friends to the
Sacred Text
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of the Master's Will itself, and remind them once again, and in
even stronger terms than before, of the basic facts mentioned in
the Proclamation. Therefore, in view of this situation which has
now arisen, and the fact that the prestige of the body of the Hands
as such and the Custodians who serve on their behalf at the World
Centre may be seriously weakened by our taking no action at this
time and ignoring the pressing requests of various National
Spiritual Assemblies for something which they can circulate among
the believers, we have prepared the enclosed brief message in reply
to the National Spiritual Assemblies who have written to us. We are
not sending this message to all National Spiritual Assemblies, as
this may be unnecessary, but leave it to your discretion, as Hands
responsible for the work in different continents, to share this
same message with the various National Spiritual Assemblies in your
area if the need arises, or if you think it desirable to do so in
any case. The shelter to which the sorrow-stricken followers of
Baha'u'llah turn in these days of anguish is the Hands of the
Cause. It therefore behoves each one of us to guide the friends in
the path laid out by our Beloved. Let us not give them our own
deductions, but endeavour to pour into their hearts his spirit and
his love, and strive to give them the necessary spiritual strength
to carry the World Crusade to a victorious conclusion. We, the
chosen Hands of our Guardian, must convey a warm and loving spirit
of oneness to the friends, and constantly urge them to achieve ever
greater heights of consecrated service. Whenever we visit the Holy
Shrines, we supplicate for the help and guidance which alone will
enable all of us to discharge our sacred responsibilities, and we
ask you to all please pray for us daily as on your behalf and in
your name we carry very heavy burdens here. In the service of the
beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND Statement
regarding the Guardianship June 12, 1958 Dearly beloved Friends:
It has come to our attention that there is amongst the believers
discussion regarding the Guardianship which exceeds the statement
made by the united body of the Chief Stewards of the Faith, the
Hands of the Cause, which they issued from Bahji last November
after nine days of deep and heart-searching consultation following
hours of supplication in the Holy Tomb of Baha'u'llah. We
therefore, acting on behalf of the Hands of the Faith, wish once
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again to call the attention of all the friends to the words in that
Proclamation: "It was likewise certified that the beloved Guardian
had left no heir. The Aghsan (branches) one and all are either dead
or have been declared violators of the Covenant by the Guardian for
their faithlessness to the Master's Will and Testament and their
hostility to him named first Guardian in that Sacred Document. The
-first effect of the realization that no successor to Shoghi
Effendi could have been appointed by him was to plunge the Hands
of the Cause into the very abyss of despair." The American Hands
of the Faith have expressed this same thought very clearly in a
message prepared for a series of teaching conferences held in the
United States earlier this year. "Shoghi Effendi appointed no
successor in his own lifetime because he himself had no natural
heir and because no member of the Holy Family qualified. The
Master's Testament is the sole authority controlling the
appointment of successive Guardians, and its specific provisions
were scrupulously upheld by the Guardian in his non-appointment of
a second Guardian. Since a successor could only be chosen and
designated by Shoghi Effendi in his own lifetime, the friends must
dismiss all hopeful expectation that a will appointing a second
Guardian may later be found." We call upon all the believers, for
the sake of preserving the unity of our beloved Faith for which the
Bab. was martyred, Baha'u'llah and the Master imprisoned, and for
which the beloved Guardian so completely sacrificed himself, to
concentrate on the thoughts expressed in the Proclamation, and to
desist from all further speculation on the future development of
the institutions of the Faith-speculation which can only give rise
to those very differences of interpretation forbidden by
Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, and against which they repeatedly
warned us. Baha'u'llah has left the Divine System He conceived, the
Master elaborated and the Guardian clarified, but the
Divinely-guided scion of His house, Shoghi Effendi has, for reasons
none of us can fathom, been lifted from the pattern. What he has
left us is more than sufficient for us, the Community of the Most
Great Name, to establish the first stages of that world-redeeming
Order Baha'u'llah has given to mankind. Our sacred obligation is
to fulfil our Guardian's wishes, his plans, and his most cherished
hopes, leaving the over-all scheme of God to unfold as He sees fit,
in His mysterious ways, in the days to come. Let us be confident
that if we do our part He will never fail in His, and with this
assurance go forward unitedly, courageously and with complete
consecration. Let us also rejoice with grateful hearts over the
truly remarkable measure of Divine protection vouchsafed to us
since the passing of our beloved Guardian, an unfailing sign that
Shoghi Effendi's spirit is with us, guiding
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and inspiring the believers everywhere, and assisting us to achieve
total victory in the Holy Crusade bequeathed to us by him. HANDS
OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND The Intercontinental Conference,
Frankfurt, Germany July 25-29, 1958 To the Hands of the Cause,
members of their Auxiliary Boards, members of Regional and National
Spiritual Assemblies, pioneers, resident believers, and visitors
attending the Intercontinental Conference in Frankfurt, July, 1958.
Beloved Friends: More than nine months have passed since that
heart-breaking day when, according to the inscrutable decrees of
God, our most beloved and precious Guardian, Shoghi Effendi passed
to the realms on High. Though our sorrow is still fresh in our
hearts we cannot but marvel, as we witness the vast number of
friends gathered at the opening of this fourth great
Intercontinental Conference being held in the very heart of the
European continent, at the protection vouchsafed this holy Faith
by the Almighty; at the tender wisdom which inspired our Guardian
to provide us, during this first year of cruel and bitter
separation, with these five great rallying points; at his
forethought when he urged the believers to make every effort to
attend them; and at the vigilance which moved him, so shortly
before his passing and in his last great message to the Baha'i
world, to reinforce the institution of the Hands of the Faith
through the appointment of eight more of these "Chief Stewards of
Baha'u'llah's embryonic World Commonwealth". This designation,
never before applied to them by him, appears to have been
calculated to enable them, with the loving support of the National
Assemblies and the believers, to carry the Cause of God forward
through this exceedingly difficult and stormy strait in the history
of mankind to the calmer waters which lie ahead as the World Order
of Baha'u'llah begins to take shape and the administrative bodies
of the Faith multiply and gain in stature and experience. We, in
spite of the load of grief we still bear in our hearts -- a grief
which has bowed our heads and humbled our spirits-can nevertheless
lift up our voices in thanksgiving to Baha'u'llah. We thank Him now
not only, as was the Guardian's expressed wish, for the bounties
bestowed during the first five years of this World Crusade, but for
the measure of sure protection, of merciful grace, poured upon us
since the beloved Guardian's passing. The Baha'is have everywhere
stood firm in the Covenant of God; tested, tried, bereft and filled
with longing for their so
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deeply loved guide and leader, they have demonstrated how great has
been the effect of his life and its works by their steadfastness,
by the renewed dedication they have shown to the plans he laid down
for them, by an unprecedented degree of unity amongst themselves,
by a deeper determination to gladden Shoghi Effendi's heart than
when he was with them physically in this world. They have arisen,
East and West, to go forth and pioneer on both the home fronts and
in the newly opened territories; they have supported the Baha'i
Funds from hearts that were loyal and overflowed with tenderness
for their religion in its hour of need; they have rallied round the
Hands of the Faith, the Custodians at the World Centre, and the
National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies; they have gathered in
large numbers at these great Intercontinental Conferences; they
have comforted each other in their loneliness; and they have arisen
to spread the Word of God abroad with new zeal and dedication. Can
there be any doubt that all this is the result of Shoghi Effendi's
sacrifice-the over a-third-of-a-century-long sacrifice of his life,
the sudden end, when his spirit in one breath freed itself from his
tired and overladen heart? You all are gathered here today because
of Shoghi Effendi according to Shoghi Effendi's wish, Shoghi
Effendi's Plan, Shoghi Effendi's hope! Before turning our thoughts
to what he desired should be considered at these great Conferences,
let us recall the purpose of this vast globe encircling Crusade.
It is a step in the unfoldment of the Divine Plan laid down for us
by 'Abdu'l-Baha, and whose execution He entrusted primarily to the
people of the "Great Republic of the West", the most promising
child of European civilization. It has already in five short years,
carried us well on the way towards the accomplishment of our
primary objective, which the Guardian said is no less than the
spiritual conquest of the entire planet. Led by our beloved
Commander-in-Chief, we have opened nearly all the independent
sovereign states, the chief dependencies, the most important
islands and territories of the world to our glorious Faith; even
the wintry island of Spitzbergen has been settled, leaving only a
few states inside the Soviet Union or within its orbit, still
unopened. Of the forty-nine National Haziratu'l-Quds to be
purchased as part of the Ten Year Plan, forty-eight have been
acquired; of the fifty-one national endowments, all have been
acquired; of the eleven Temple sites specifically mentioned by our
beloved Guardian, all eleven have been acquired; the mighty task
of translating and publishing the literature of the Faith, as
called for in the provisions of the Ten Year Plan, is now nearing
completion; the Baha'i Publishing Trusts, except for those in
Islamic countries where the believers are still oppressed, ignored
and proscribed, have all been founded; and the task of
incorporating National and Local Spiritual
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Assemblies is well on its way to fulfilment. Even the home
fronts-die most challenging perhaps of all the tasks allotted to
us by the beloved Guardian under the terms of this World
Crusade-are, in many countries, meeting, nay surpassing, his
expectations. Two of the three mighty Mother Temples are already
being constructed, namely, those of Africa and the Antipodes. It
was this overall pattern of marked success, of surging spiritual
vitality which characterizes the activities of the World Baha'i
Community, that undoubtedly caused our Guardian to unite us in
these five Intercontinental Conferences, not only to humbly thank
Baha'u'llah for mercies received, not only to deliberate on ways
and means of accomplishing the next five years' work, but as a
reward for having served faithfully, with enthusiasm and
consecration, this blessed Cause of God, and, as we now see, as a
mercy in the hour of separation, a tender enfolding of us, his
"dearly beloved co-workers" in the arms of that one who, in his
modesty and purity of heart, called himself only 46 your true
brother". The work of Baha'u'llah lies before us to be completed.
No one generation will do this; a thousand years at least are
required to carry out and mature the specific provisions of His
Dispensation. But to each man his opportunity, to each generation
its tasks. Shoghi Effendi has laid down for us in clear and
unmistakable terms our next five years' work. To the degree to
which we scrupulously adhere to his plan, obey his words,
comprehend the implications of his perfect design, to that degree
only will our affairs prosper, our work attract the blessings from
on High, and the foundation of the World Order be solidly and
lastingly laid. The beloved Guardian in his last message to us all,
made clear that the fourth phase of our Ten Year Plan which we
have, with the holding of these great Conferences all over the
world, now embarked upon, "must be immortalized, on the one hand,
by an unprecedented increase in the number of avowed supporters of
the Faith, in all the continents of the globe, of every race,
clime, creed and colour, and from every stratum of present-day
society, coupled with a corresponding increase in the number of
Baha'i centres and, on the other, by a swift progress in the
erection of the Mother Temples of Africa and Australia, as well as
by the initiation of the construction of the first
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of Europe." The commencement of work on the
Temple to be erected in Germany is long over-due. We know from the
Words of the Master that these Houses of Worship are the greatest
silent teachers of the Faith. How infinitely precious is any
building erected in the love of God and for the mention of His
Name. How much more so these first continental "Mother Temples",
being raised to the glory of Baha'u'llah. How infinitely so the
Temples for whose construction the Guardian himself is responsible,
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whose location he has specified, whose design he himself has
approved. It was one of his most cherished desires to have these
Temples built. He himself pledged he would supply one-third of
their estimated cost. We must now carry on his work, see that the
budget, now being expended monthly for the construction of the
Sydney Temple is met, and that at least the major part of the sum
required for the European Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is raised, in
anticipation of the early commencement of actual building
operations. Time is flying. We do not know what the future world
situation will be. What we do know is our immediate duty to the
work specified for us by our Guardian. The other half of the main
task confronting us is the "unprecedented increase" in the number
of believers throughout the world. Pioneers are needed everywhere,
in all continents, in all the islands opened to the Faith, on the
home fronts, and in the goal territories. Two things are required
to get a pioneer to his post, an enkindled, consecrated soul,
willing and ready to go out in the teaching field and, if he cannot
supply them himself, the material means necessary to get him to his
post and often to enable him to remain at it. This type of service
to the Faith offers a wonderful opportunity for partnership between
those who have some worldly means at their disposal, but feel for
some reason unable to go forth themselves, and those who yearn to
respond to the call for pioneering, but are prevented from
fulfilling their heart's desire because of lack of material
resources. Let us recall our Guardian's words, at the opening of
the World Crusade, to the entire body of the followers of
Baha'u'llah. "I direct my appeal to arise and, in the course of
these fast-fleeting years, in every phase of the campaigns that are
to be fought in all the continents of the globe, prove their worth
as gallant warriors battling for the Cause of Baha'u'llah. Indeed,
from this very hour until the eve of the Most Great Jubilee, each
and every one of those enrolled in the Army of Light must seek no
rest, must take no thought of self, must sacrifice to the
uttermost, must allow nothing whatsoever to deflect him or her from
meeting the pressing, the manifold, the paramount needs of this
pre-eminent Crusade. "'Light as the spirit', 'pure as air',
'blazing as fire', 'unrestrained as the wind'-for such is
Baha'u'llah's Own admonition to His loved ones in His Tablets, and
directed not to a select few but to the entire congregation of the
faithful-let them scatter far and wide, proclaim the glory of God's
Revelation in this Day, quicken the souls of men and ignite in
their hearts the love of the One Who alone is their omnipotent and
divinely appointed Redeemer." At this time surely nothing is
impossible to us. We have passed through nine months of fire since
our beloved Guardian left us, but we
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have burned together. We have seen, and felt deeply in our hearts,
our unity as a world community, as followers of the Most Great
Name. We have neither been separated nor paralyzed through this
great shock and grief. The World Centre of the Faith which he so
assiduously built up and consolidated, the heart of the Baha'i
World Community, has not ceased to beat. The communion between the
hearts of the friends and the great heart enshrining the Qiblih of
the Baha'i world, continues to gather strength. This has been a
shining evidence to us all that Baha'u'llah's mercies have not
ceased to be showered upon us; that what the Guardian built endures
and will endure, a living organism, throughout the stages in the
evolution of our Faith which lie ahead. After this ordeal by fife
which we have passed through, can we doubt that, with this fresh
sense of oneness, with our purified hearts, we will not receive,
if we arise now to serve as we should, an extraordinary measure of
the bounty of Almighty God? Great moments in history require great
deeds; great men are not necessarily those best qualified to be
great, but rather those who see their chance and seize it, with
love and courage, when it offers itself. The records of our Faith
show that its heroes and heroines, its saints and martyrs, sprang
mostly from the rank and file, but what they possessed, which
raised them to the summits of fame and glory, were vision and
faith. Let the friends now follow the path of Shoghi Effendi let
them arise to complete his work as set forth in the Ten Year Plan,
let them labour, as he did, steadily, patiently, consecratedly, day
after day, week after week, year after year, until his tasks are
completed. The world now marvels at what this one man did in
thirty-six years. Let his lovers arise and put their shoulder to
the wheel and move this blessed Faith forward on the path of its
destiny until, God willing, their hearts stop as did his, from the
excess of their labours in the path of God. HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN
THE HOLY LAND To All National Spiritual Assemblies August 8, 1958
Dear Baha'i Friends: The following letter is addressed to each and
every believer. We request that you share it with the friends in
your area through your News Letter, or in any way you see fit.
Dearly beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Path of Baha'u'llah: It
is nine months since our world was shaken and hearts broken by the
passing of our beloved Guardian. Those poignant words which he
wrote
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after the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha, now echo in our cars with a
personal meaning to our generation: ". . . the shock has been too
terrible and sudden for us all to recover from in so short a time,
but whenever we recall His Sayings and read His Writings, hope
springs in our hearts and gives us the peace that no other material
comfort can give." Although the official period of mourning has now
ended, we know that inwardly each Baha'i will always grieve deeply
for the loss of that priceless embodiment of loving-kindness and
divine wisdom. The spontaneous declarations of love for our beloved
Guardian and loyalty to the Hands of the Cause raised up by his
sacred pen to be the "Chief Stewards of the embryonic World
Commonwealth of Baha'u'llah", which have been received from all
parts of the world, many of them voiced in terms of surpassing
beauty, have been a source of great comfort and strength to us. The
Hands of the Cause serving in the Holy Land, as well as the members
of the International Baha'i Council, have felt particularly the
terrible physical absence of our beloved Guardian in this place
most closely associated with him, where every object our eyes fall
on recalls to us his labour, his perseverance, his final sacrifice.
The great waves of prayer and of loving confidence which have come
pouring in to us from the National Spiritual Assemblies and the
believers all over the world have reassured and sustained us, and
have given us strength and courage as we labour, to protect the
World Centre and maintain it as the unifying hub of the great wheel
of the Cause our Guardian so carefully built up and set in motion.
This has given us assurance that our Guardian himself is aiding us
to aid him. We thank all the friends for the support and assistance
they have given, for the wonderful spirit of steadfastness they
have shown and the many deeds they have performed in the beloved
Guardian's name since his passing. This united action which has
resulted in so many victories, is reflected in the words of his
secretary, written at the instruction of the beloved Guardian
himself: "an added proof to the world that there is a mighty spirit
that animates the friends, that there is nothing impossible to
them." The Custodians, the group of Hands serving at the World
Centre on behalf of the Hands of the Cause throughout the world,
have had to meet and surmount many problems. Some of the
permanently appointed Custodians, because of attendance at various
conferences to which they were sent by the beloved Guardian, and
for reasons of health, have been unable to be in residence at Haifa
at all times. We have been fortunate however in having their places
filled temporarily by the following Hands, who have acted as
substitute Custodians: Ugo Giachery, John Ferraby, Shu'a'u'llah
'Ala'i Adelbert Muhlschlegel `Ali Muhammad Varqa, and
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William Sears. This arrangement has been most fortuitous as it has
brought us first-hand reports of the status of the Faith in various
areas and enabled these temporary Custodians to better sense the
over-all needs of the Faith as seen from the World Centre. Beloved
friends, we are now, together, embarked upon the most important
work which human beings have ever done in the history of our
planet. Ours is the priceless privilege and the grave, inescapable
responsibility of raising up that sacred Institution, the Universal
House of Justice. This can be done only after the complete triumph
of his Ten Year Plan, which is designed to lay the necessary
foundation for that weighty and supreme Edifice of the World Order
of Baha'u'llah. The measure of divine protection already accorded
our Precious Cause at the World Centre, in the Cradle of the Faith,
and throughout the world, since the beloved Guardian's passing, has
been truly miraculous. Surely this is that same divine protection
spoken of by the Master in His letter to the entire Baha'i world
following the passing of Baha'u'llah. His words today bring us not
only solace in our bereavement, but a firm and undying resolve to
fulfil our high destiny. "0 ye beloved of the Lord! ... Today is
the day for steadfastness and constancy. Blessed are they that
stand firm and immovable as the rock and brave the storm and stress
of this tempestuous hour ... they, verily, shall receive His divine
assistance, and shall be truly victorious.... In His Most Holy Book
He calleth the firm and steadfast of His friends. '0 people of the
world! Should the radiance of My Beauty be veiled, and the temple
of My body be hidden, feel not perturbed, nay arise and bestir
yourselves, that My Cause may triumph, and My Word be heard by all
mankind.'" With warm Baha'i love, In the service of the beloved
Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND To the Hands of the
Cause of God throughout the World August 11, 1958 Dearly beloved
Fellow-Hands: The Annual Meeting of the Hands of the Cause called
for in our memorandum of agreement will convene November 21st for
a period of one week. All the Hands are invited to attend, but if
any of you are unable to come for reasons of health or because of
any other insurmountable circumstance, please let us know.
Likewise, we would appreciate notification from all who do plan to
attend.
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You are welcome to arrive beginning November 19th, Please make your
own arrangements for proceeding from the airport to Haifa, as it
is not possible to meet the friends. After careful thought and
prayerful consideration, the Hands here feel it would be disloyal
to the wishes of our beloved Guardian for us, or for the friends
throughout the world, to gather on November 4th and officially
commemorate his passing. His words given in The Dispensation of
Baha'u'llah make this very clear: ". . . to commemorate any event
associated with his life would be tantamount to a departure from
those established truths that are enshrined within our beloved
Faith." Therefore, in obedience to the beloved Guardian's wishes,
we are informing the friends throughout the world that such
official commemoration should not be held. However, each individual
believer may, indeed we feel should, remember this unforgettable
day with prayers and meditation, and seek to rededicate himself to
the service of the Faith and to ponder ways and means by which he
can aid in achieving the goals set by the beloved Guardian. For
this reason, our meeting will be held on the 21st; rather than on
the 4th of November. The dates of the meeting will make it possible
for all Hands to attend the commemoration of the Ascension of the
Master at 1:00 a.m. on November 28th. With warm Baha'i love, In the
service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY
LAND To All National Spiritual Assemblies August 11, 1958 Dear
Baha'i Friends: After careful thought and prayerful consideration,
the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land feel that it would be
disloyal to the wishes of our beloved Guardian for us, or for the
friends throughout the world, to gather on November fourth and
officially commemorate his passing. His words given in The
Dispensation of Baha'u'llah make this very clear: ". . . to
commemorate any event associated with his life would be tantamount
to a departure from those established truths that are enshrined
within our beloved Faith." Therefore, in obedience to the beloved
Guardian's wishes, we are asking you to communicate to the friends
this decision, informing them that such official commemoration
should not be held. However, each individual believer may, indeed
we feel should, remember this unforgettable day
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with prayers and meditation, and seek to rededicate himself to the
service of the Faith and to ponder ways and means by which he can
aid in achieving the goals set by the beloved Guardian. With warm
Baha'i love, In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE
CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND BAHA'I WILMETTE AUGUST 24,1958 ANNOUNCE
BLESSED PILGRIMAGE HOLY SHRINES REOPENING DECEMBER FIRST STOP
NECESSARY BELIEVERS FOLLOW PROCEDURE LAID DOWN BELOVED GUARDIAN
REQUEST PERMISSION VISIT FROM HANDS HAIFA STOP SHARE MESSAGE ALL
NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES EXCEPT MIDDLE EAST. [CABLE] HANDSFAITH To the
National Spiritual Assemblies of Europe August 31, 1958 Dear Baha'i
Friends: It has been a source of great happiness to us to receive
reports of the wonderful success of the Intercontinental Conference
recently held in Frankfurt, and to know that the fondest hopes of
our dearly beloved Guardian were fulfilled. The great attendance,
the largest of any conference so far held during this period, the
raising of DM 1,000,000 for the work of the Cause in Europe and the
Mother Temples, the pioneers who arose and volunteered their
services, the spirit of consecration and unity which pervaded the
gatherings-all testify to the greatness of the Faith and the divine
protection vouchsafed it unfailingly from on High. We wish to
inform you that aside from any ear-marked sums given for special
purposes, the moneys contributed at the Frankfurt Conference will
be divided amongst the European National and Regional Assemblies
in order to assist them to prosecute the Ten Year Plan within their
own areas. Pursuant to the beloved Guardian's own instructions in
his Message calling for these five great Conferences to be held,
the money specifically contributed for the Temples will be divided
between the Mother Temple of Europe and the Mother Temple of
Australia presently being constructed, and which will be completed
by next March if all goes well. The needs of the African Temple
have already been met. It will take some time for the pledges made
by so many generous and loving believers at
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the Conference to be honoured and collected. However we felt that
it would encourage your Assembly to know that as soon as possible
you will be receiving a share of the contributions poured in at the
Frankfurt Conference with so much faith and love by the believers
from so many countries. In the service of the beloved Guardian,
HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND The Intercontinental
Conference, Singapore September 21-29, 1958 To the Hands of the
Cause, members of their Auxiliary Boards, members of Regional and
National Spiritual Assemblies, pioneers, resident believers, and
visitors attending the Intercontinental Conference in Singapore,
September, 1958. [This Conference was originally called for
Djakarta but due to unforeseeable complications was changed to
Singapore.] Beloved Friends: As the last historic Conference
marking the midway point of the Crusade opens, our thoughts and our
hearts turn with a great wave of mingled emotions to our beloved
Guardian-and beyond and above him to Baha'u'llah, the Supreme
Manifestation, the Glory of the Father, the Eternal Beauty of God
revealed in all its splendour to men in this age. It is nearly a
year since the historic "October Message" of 1957 was released to
the Baha'i world by our Guardian. We cannot but look back upon this
year with feelings of awe and wonder; in spite of the great
calamity which overtook us, our hearts are moved in profound
thanksgiving to Baha'u'llah. Swiftly following upon the plans for
the celebration of the hAli-way point of the Ten Year Plan came the
paralyzing shock of the sudden passing of our beloved Shoghi
Effendi our guide and leader, our appointed protector and Guardian.
Added to our grief and consternation, was a sense of bafflement at
the ways of God-but only for a short time. East and West the
followers of the Faith of Baha'u'llah demonstrated how deep was
their belief in Him, and how well His Guardian had built the
foundations of His Divine Order in the hearts of His servants.
Chastened through their great sorrow, purified through their great
love, the believers arose, as one man, to support unitedly the
institution of the Hands carefully erected by the Guardian during
the last decade of his life and strongly reinforced by him just
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before his passing. This profound unity manifest amongst the Hands
of the Cause themselves and amongst all the widely scattered Baha'i
communities throughout the world immediately attracted the
protection and blessings of Baha'u'llah The first of these five
historic Conferences held in Africa less than three months after
the passing of the Guardian, witnessed a great release of spiritual
power in that continent so dear to his heart. This was swiftly
followed by the equally successful Australian, American and
European Conferences. An unprecedented number of believers gathered
on these occasions, and large numbers of pioneers volunteered for
service with a dedication reminiscent of that great wave of
enthusiasm and consecration which in 1953 carried the pioneers to
all comers of the earth, and in one brief year opened nearly all
the virgin territories-a feat which was the source of immense pride
to the beloved Guardian. The Conferences held to date this year
have also witnessed, pursuant to the expressed hope of the beloved
Guardian, the raising of nearly three-quarters of a million dollars
for the construction of the three Mother Temples of Africa, Europe
and Australia, and the attainment of the other goals of the Ten
Year Plan. Had not Baha'u'llah overshadowed the followers of His
Cause with His infinite love and bounty, at this time of grief and
profound test, had not Shoghi Effendi's own spirit remained with
us, guiding and protecting us, we would not be able in this last
historic Conference called for during this year by the Guardian,
to look back over the past eleven months of victory and say, Praise
be to Thee, 0 God, for the outpourings of Thy Mercy and Bounty and
Thine infinite protection. The overflowing measure of Divine grace
we have witnessed has ensured that the Plan of Shoghi Effendi for
these great Conferences has been successfully fulfilled, the spirit
he hoped would be generated by them has been generated, the
pioneers he hoped would arise, have arisen, the funds he hoped
would be raised have been forthcoming, and the ways and means for
the furtherance of the work of the Crusade, which he urged should
be discussed have been deliberated upon and are bearing fruit
already in different parts of the Baha'i world. The beloved
Guardian often said that whenever he suffered the work of the Cause
went forward. We may ask ourselves if this unworthy world did not
require the supreme sacrifice of the life of its Guardian to
release those forces, at this critical juncture in human history,
which are necessary to carry it forward into that Golden Age of
spiritual civilization which the Baha'i Dispensation must give rise
to. Whatever interpretation we place upon the passing of Shoghi
Effendi an event which in its very essence is one of the mysteries
of God, one thing must be evident to all
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the sacrifice of this infinitely precious life must not for an
instant, to the slightest degree, be in vain. We must be the ransom
that pays for that sacred blood. We, all the Baha'is everywhere,
East and West, young and old, new in the Faith or veterans, must
arise with complete unity, a more mature consecration, a deeper
love for Baha'u'llah, and ensure that the vital objectives of the
Ten Year Crusade are completed, and in many fields added to and
markedly surpassed. We have had a soul-shattering shock; deepest
grief, longing for our beloved Guardian so suddenly removed from
our midst, has moved us to the depths of our being and made our
hearts restless with desire to do many things for him now which we
neglected to do when he was alive. The Baha'is have rallied to his
Conferences, helped in the protection of the Faith to which he gave
his all in service, and have supported the appointed Hands of the
Cause and the elected representatives of the believers. This,
however, is only the first step. Before us lie almost five years
of hard work, years we may well believe of turmoil in the world,
years when, in the face of a steady process of deterioration in
human affairs, our institutions must be painstakingly erected and
consolidated, the foundations for the future Universal House of
Justice securely built, in order that this Supreme Edifice when it
comes into being may be in a position to fulfil its Divinely
appointed functions, the spirit of the Faith made to burn brighter,
its teachings disseminated far and wide and that process of mass
conversion so often referred to by the Guardian, set in motion and
given increasing momentum. These will be hard years for us all, but
love has matured us, grief steeled us. At these five Conferences
we have gathered strength from the outpourings the Guardian
promised us these gatherings would attract from on High, and from
our association with each other. We must now go forth like good
soldiers, a conquering army, each to his own post, to do his own
battle, to keep his own tryst on the home or the pioneer front.
This is not going to be easy. Every formation of something new
involves a certain degree of death of the old self. The old order
is dying and we see how harsh are its death pangs. Something of our
protected past may well be said to have died with the closing of
this Conference. For over one hundred and fifteen years we Baha'is
have been nursed and personally watched over. Now we are required
to stand on our own feet and, in the path of service to this Holy
Faith, we ourselves must watch over and assist our fellow-men to
turn to the Supreme Manifestation of God for this Day, and seek
their salvation through Baha'u'llah. That patience and
fair-mindedness, that loving forgiveness and wise tolerance Shoghi
Effendi invariably showered on us individually, we must emulate and
show to each other as well as to the world. That justice he
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so impartially administered must be emulated by all elected Baha'i
bodies, that unflinching, adamant adherence to principle which won
him the respect of government and layman alike, the believers, as
individuals and when functioning as Assemblies, must show forth at
all times. In other words, dear friends, the spirit of Shoghi
Effendi must go with us from this Conference, not only with the
attendants gathered here, but with the believers all over the
world, who surely, inwardly if not outwardly, have participated in
these five majestic, stirring, creative, commemorative Conferences.
His spirit we must keep alive in our hearts, his love we must
foster through loving him more, his radiant nature, which the
Master so well knew, must always be remembered by us so that we
may, as individuals, strive to acquire a little of that selfless
radiance ourselves. Purity of heart, honesty of mind, sincerity of
motive were characteristics deeply prized by Shoghi Effendi These
characteristics he felt were strongly represented in the so-called
primitive peoples; they drew him to them and increased his
conviction that the Cause of God has a tremendous future amongst
the dark-skinned peoples of the world and that they have great
racial gifts of mind and heart to bring to the service of this
Faith. It is significant to ponder that the first, the opening
Conference of this hAli-way point of the World Crusade was chosen
by him for the heart of Africa, and that the last, the closing
Conference, was set midway in the Pacific-Asian region. He did not
thus honour the old world and the new. No, he chose the black
people and the brown people for this distinction. He visualized the
African and the Pacific peoples vying with each other in the spread
of the Faith. Each marked increase in membership in one region was
relayed by him to the other, with the hope of stimulating a fresh
burst of enthusiastic teaching efforts. Much of his joy, during the
last years of his life, came from the news of the remarkable
progress the Faith was making in these two areas. The African
Conference released a great spiritual power among the Negro
believers, who returned from it to their tribal homes to teach with
new enthusiasm and understanding, and to convince their own peoples
of the truth of Baha'u'llah's Message. We feel confident that the
representatives of many of the peoples of the Pacific region
attending this Conference will do likewise, and that this will mark
the beginning of a vast process of conversion of the inhabitants
of the islands of this immense Ocean to the Cause of God. Who
knows, perhaps it is the immediate destiny of our great Faith to
be raised on the two wings of the black and brown races through a
great wave of mass conversion which will have repercussions all
over the
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world, and, releasing spiritual powers as yet untapped, enable the
leaven of the Faith of Baha'u'llah to penetrate into the lives of
the peoples of the older yellow and white civilizations, so
materialistic, so disillusioned, so morally corrupt and spiritually
bankrupt. The first evidences of this mighty process envisaged by
our beloved Guardian have already become manifest in the
extraordinary, the truly heartening conversion of such a large
number of people in the Mentawai Islands and die Gilbert and Ellice
Islands to this new religion. Those who have had the privilege of
carrying the Message of Baha'u'llah to them can testify how deep
is the faith with which they have embraced it, how steadfast their
intent to serve it and uphold its laws, how ripe their hearts to
enfold its truth and make it a part of their lives. Another
evidence of the unfoldment of this process has been the formation
of Baha'i schools in the New Hebrides, in Mentawai and in the
Gilbert and Ellice Archipelago-schools of which Shoghi Effendi was
immensely proud. How many pilgrims watched enthralled as the
strong, forceful and fascinating hand of the Guardian pointed to
the spots on the map of the world he had filled in, and tapped the
circle which marked one of these precious schools. How bright the
light that lit up his blessed face as he stated this was no mere
summer school, but a real school, opened and maintained by Baha'is
in which the children of the indigenous people were being educated
in both a normal curriculum and in the Baha'i standards! It was his
ardent hope that these schools should be maintained, reinforced,
and similar ones established on a sound and permanent basis in
other areas. He repeatedly made it clear that in these unspoiled
regions of the world lay a great hope for the future. He constantly
encouraged pioneers to move into them, and in these fertile fields
of service, busy themselves with the teaching work where it
promised the greatest success. This culminating Conference of the
five held during this sad but fruitful year must yield, for all
believers present, as well as for those throughout the Baha'i
world, a special harvest. Our hearts, still bleeding in separation
from our dearly beloved Guardian, we must anneal in the fire of
self-sacrifice to this infinitely precious Faith. The need of our
fellowmen to hear the Glad-Tidings of Baha'u'llah is greater than
ever. The doors to pioneering, to the construction of the Mother
Temples called for in the Ten Year Plan, to the founding of Baha'i
schools, to the dissemination of our literature, to the erection
of our administrative institutions, still stand open. Before some
world catastrophe closes them devastatingly, albeit temporarily,
in our faces, let us not waste one precious moment! Shoghi
Effendi's love is burning in our hearts, his appeals still fresh
in
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our ears. The vision he gave us of our present task is clear and
perfect; let us keep it forever before our eyes. "Let there be no
mistake. The avowed, the primary aim of this Spiritual Crusade is
none other than the conquest of the citadels of men's hearts. The
theatre of its operations is the entire planet. Its duration a
whole decade. Its commencement synchronizes with the Centenary of
the birth of Baha'u'llah's Mission. Its culmination will coincide
with the Centenary of the Declaration of that same Mission. The
agencies assisting in its conduct are the nascent administrative
institutions of a steadily evolving, divinely appointed Order. Its
driving force is the energizing influence generated by the
Revelation heralded by the Bab. and proclaimed by Baha'u'llah. Its
Marshal is none other than the Author of the Divine Plan. Its
standard-bearers are the Hands of the Cause of God appointed in
every continent of the globe. Its generals are the ... National
Spiritual Assemblies participating in the execution of its design.
Its vanguard is the chief executors of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Master Plan,
their allies and associates. Its legions are the rank and file of
believers standing behind these same. . . National Assemblies and
sharing in the global task embracing the American, the European,
the African, the Asiatic and Australian fronts. The charter
directing its course is the immortal Tablets that have flowed from
the Pen of the Centre of the Covenant Himself. The armour with
which its onrushing hosts have been invested is the glad tidings
of God's Own Message in this Day, the principles underlying the
Order proclaimed by His Messenger, and the laws and ordinances
governing His Dispensation. The battle cry animating its heroes and
heroines is the cry of Ya Baha'u'l-Abha,
Ya 'Aliyyu'l-A'la.
HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND To the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of... [To various National Spiritual
Assemblies] October 17, 1958 Dear Baha'i Friends: You will be very
happy to know that the work on the sacred monument of our beloved
Guardian has begun, and it is hoped that it will be completed in
November. The entire Baha'i world has spontaneously responded with
the greatest devotion to make this precious and holy undertaking
a united expression of the immeasurable love which our beloved
Guardian awakened in all of our hearts. Now that the erection of
this blessed memorial is under way, we would
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appreciate having your Assembly send whatever funds you may be
holding for this purpose to the United States. It should be sent
to the Treasurer's office of the National Spiritual Assembly, 112
Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. If there are any exchange
problems involved in this transaction, please let us know. We shall
offer prayers in the holy Shrines that this same spirit of
consecration and oneness may inspire each of us to work as never
before, so that every hope of the beloved Guardian for the
fulfilment of the goals of the Ten Year Crusade may be speedily
accomplished. With warm Baha'i love, In the service of the beloved
Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND HOLLEY CARE BAHA'I
WILMETTE NOVEMBER 1, 1958 WITH THANKFUL HEARTS ANNOUNCE FRIENDS
COMPLETION EXQUISITELY BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT BELOVED GUARDIAN'S
RESTING PLACE NOVEMBER FIRST SACRED DUST BAHA'U'LLAH'S SHRINE
PLACED FOUNDATIONS PRESENCE FOUR HANDS CAUSE GARDEN EMBELLISHMENT
PRECINCTS PROGRESSING STOP APPEAL BELIEVERS REDEDICATE THEMSELVES
SERVICE HOLY CAUSE FOR WHICH BELOVED ALL HEARTS SACRIFICED HIS
PRECIOUS LIFE. [CABLE] HANDS HOLY LAND A SIMILAR MESSAGE WAS SENT
TO ALL CONTINENTS REQUESTING THAT IT BE SHARED WITH THE, HANDS OF
THE CAUSE AND THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES. To All National
Spiritual Assemblies December 6, 1958 Beloved Friends: On behalf
of the entire body of the Hands of the Cause of God we send you
this copy of the Message to the Baha'is of East and West, issued
by the Hands at the conclusion of their second historic meeting in
the Holy Land. We ask that you bring this vitally important
communication to the attention of all the believers in your area
as quickly as possible, through your News Letter, or otherwise.
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Our loving thoughts and prayers are with you as you press forward
to discharge the momentous tasks of this crucial year. In the
service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY
LAND CONCLAVE MESSAGE 1958 From the Hands of the Cause to the
Baha'is of East and West Mansion of Baha'u'llah Bahji 'Akka,
Israel, November 30, 195 8 Beloved Friends: Twenty-five of the
twenty-seven Hands of the Cause of God have once again met in the
blessed Mansion of Baha'u'llah near the holiest spot on this
planet, and prayerfully considered the grave problems now facing
the Baha'is of the world. Though no longer plunged in the agony of
grief that afflicted our hearts last November, we are nevertheless
profoundly concerned over the success of the tasks entrusted to the
believers of the East and West by our beloved Guardian in the
provisions of his mighty globe encircling Crusade. With feelings
of deepest gratitude we realize that Baha'u'llah has vouchsafed to
us during this past year-dark and overshadowed though it was by the
passing of our beloved Guardian-many evidences of His unfailing
grace and protection. The unity of the Cause of God has been
maintained, and out of the fire of this mighty test, the believers
have emerged with chastened and consecrated hearts, mature in
spirit, with a deeper sense of oneness than ever before, eager to
assist in winning every goal set for them by their beloved
Guardian. God has indeed opened the doors of His mercy to us. A
befitting and magnificent monument to the beloved Guardian's
precious memory has been raised up above the sacred earth in London
which enshrines his blessed remains, a memorial to the erection of
which the believers from every corner of the earth had the
privilege of contributing. The five mighty Conferences called by
Shoghi Effendi and whose purposes he outlined in his Message
marking the midway point of the Crusade, were held with outstanding
success, almost five thousand believers being privileged to attend
them. The roll-call from among the followers of the black race in
Africa and the brown race in the Pacific has more than doubled
during the past year, a triumph which alone would have brought
infinite joy to his blessed heart. Two of the three Mother
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Temples which he specified should be built, will be completed well
within two years of his passing. The funds for these Temples, and
for the teaching work to which he attached such supreme importance,
have poured in abundantly from all parts of the world, a loving and
loyal testimony to the determination of the Baha'is everywhere to
carry out his every wish. Spitzbergen the last and one of the most
difficult of all the virgin territories to be opened during the
Crusade, received its first pioneer less than six months after he
left this world. In spite of such heartening progress, we must face
the fact that this year ahead may well prove to be the crucial
turning-point of the entire Crusade, and upon which its completion
critically hangs. Many of the most important goals still remain to
be achieved: Work on the Mother Temple of Europe has not yet
commenced, although it must rise in all its splendour to shed its
spiritual blessings upon that continent before 1963. The Local
Spiritual Assemblies still to be formed as part of the original
plan number no less than 394. The number of National and Regional
Assemblies which must be elected before the end of the Crusade, in
the alarmingly short time of four and a half years, are no less
than thirty-eight, four of which are to be formed as planned by the
beloved Guardian this coming Ridvan. We are now embarked upon the
fourth and final phase of this historic Crusade. Our beloved
Guardian's own words tell us that this phase must be characterized
by "a powerful impetus, the world over, to the vital process of
individual conversion-the pre-eminent purpose underlying the Plan
in all its ramifications" and "must be immortalized, on the one
hand, by an unprecedented increase in the number of avowed
supporters of the Faith, in all the continents of the globe, of
every race, clime, creed and colour, and from every stratum of
present-day society, coupled with a corresponding increase in the
number of Baha'i centres . . ." The fateful years of the beloved
Guardian's glorious Crusade are swiftly passing. "How staggering",
he told us, is "the responsibility that must weigh upon the present
generation." His stirring appeal for an "upsurge of enthusiasm and
consecration, before which every single as well as collective
exploit, associated with any of the three previous phases (of the
Crusade), will pale" is directed to every believer on the planet,
but especially "to their elected representatives, whether local,
regional, or national, who, in their capacity as the custodians and
members of the nascent institutions of the Faith of Baha'u'llah"
must shoulder "the chief responsibility in laying an unassailable
foundation for that Universal House of Justice which, as its title
implies, is to be the exponent and guardian of that Divine Justice
which can alone ensure the security of, and establish the reign of
law and order in, a strangely disordered world."
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This House of Justice, he tells us, "posterity will regard as
the last refuge of a tottering civilization." Upon these National
and Regional Assemblies which we must now raise up, has been
conferred the sacred privilege of electing the members of this
Universal House of Justice. The guidance of the Bab. and
Baha'u'llah will flow into the World Order established in the
Baha'i Dispensation through this Supreme Body, whose infallibility
is assured by the Pen of Baha'u'llah Himself. 'Abdu'l-Baha declared
in His Will and Testament that the members of the Universal House
of Justice must "deliberate upon all problems which have caused
difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not
expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever they decide has the same
effect as the Text itself." "That which this body, whether
unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth
and the Purpose of God Himself." Guided by the precious storehouse
of Sacred and inviolable Texts given to us by Baha'u'llah and
elaborated by 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi pouring our forces
into the execution of the Divine Plan of the Master, now in the
twenty-second year of its unfoldment within the successive Plans
laid down by our beloved Guardian, supported by the unfailing aid
of the Supreme Concourse promised in our Writings, with our beloved
Guardian's spirit watching over the work he so dearly loved and
served so unsparingly for thirty-six years, we cannot fail. The
Hands of the Faith, solemnly mindful of the primary function
conferred upon them in the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha to
protect the Cause of God and promulgate its Teachings, and deeply
conscious of their present great responsibility as Chief Stewards
of Baha'u'llah's embryonic World Commonwealth, have already
arranged for a number of the Hands to travel extensively during the
coming year in order to carry the spirit of the beloved Guardian
and the World Centre of our Faith to the believers and their
elected representatives, particularly in those areas where so many
of the future pillars of the International House of Justice must
be erected, namely, Latin America and the goal countries of Europe.
The Hands of the Faith have also planned to give every aid within
their power to the National Spiritual Assemblies in supporting and
stimulating the work on the home fronts of such old and tried
communities as those of Persia, the United States, Canada, India,
Australia, Great Britain, and Germany. In rededicating themselves
to their share of the heavy burden now resting upon each and every
follower of Baha'u'llah, the Hands appeal to the National and
Regional Assemblies to assist them in the mighty tasks that lie
ahead through a closer and swifter cooperation with the Hands
serving at the World Centre, who of necessity are called upon to
coordinate the international work so laboriously
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built up, at such a great cost to himself, by our most beloved
Guardian. Prompt consultation on teaching problems, reports
concerning the progress being made and the present status of the
work undertaken by each National or Regional Assembly, as well as
appeals for advice and aid, should pour continually into the Holy
Land in order that good news may be shared for the encouragement
of all and any crises which arise in the Baha'i world may be
swiftly dealt with, and not a moment of our infinitely precious
time between now and the completion of the Crusade-just fifty-two
short months away-be lost. Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha, and the
beloved Guardian have repeatedly warned us that the time is short,
that these fast-fleeting hours in which we live will come to us no
more, and we shall never again have a similar opportunity. The
beloved Guardian has in no uncertain terms stated that the
"pre-eminent task ... in this day" is "a task ... so urgent" as to
be "accorded priority over every other Baha'i activity." Let us
each one take to heart his passionate appeal. "However arduous the
task; however formidable the exertions demanded of them; . . .
however afflictive the darts which their present enemies, as well
as those whom Providence will, through His mysterious dispensation
raise up from within or from without, may rain upon them; however
grievous the ordeal of temporary separation from the heart and
nerve-centre of their Faith which future unforeseeable disturbances
may impose upon them, I adjure them, by the precious blood that
flowed in such great profusion, by the lives of the unnumbered
saints and heroes who were immolated, by the supreme, the glorious
sacrifice of the Prophet-Herald of our Faith, by the tribulations
which its Founder, Himself, willingly underwent, so that His Cause
might live, His Order might redeem a shattered world and its glory
might suffuse the entire planet - I adjure them . . . to resolve
never to flinch, never to hesitate, never to relax, until each and
every objective ... has been fully consummated." Upon the immediate
and continued response in each individual heart to this ringing
call depends the victory of his precious and holy Crusade, the last
world-encompassing Plan which his divinely-guided pen bequeathed
to the believers. Never before in the history of the world have
human beings been faced with such a staggering responsibility and
such a blessed privilege. Now more than ever before the heroic
pioneers must cling courageously to their vital outposts; a swift
stream of new pioneers must flow out spontaneously, without a
moment's delay, to reinforce them; travelling teachers must
dedicate themselves to the work both in far-off lands and on the
critical home fronts; ample resources must be poured forth with
unprecedented generosity from hearts consecrated to nothing less
than an overwhelming victory on every front. The success of
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the Crusade depends upon the individual believer arising to
teach. For, as the beloved Guardian himself has told us, "The
unseen legions, standing rank upon rank, and eager to pour forth
from the Kingdom on High the full measure of their celestial
strength on the individual participants of this incomparably
glorious Crusade, are powerless unless and until each potential
crusader decides for himself, and perseveres in his determination,
to rush into the arena of service ready to sacrifice his all for
the Cause he is called upon to champion." "This challenge, so
severe and insistent, and yet so glorious, faces no doubt primarily
the individual believer on whom, in the last resort, depends the
fate of the entire community ... He it is who serves as one of the
multitude of bricks which support the structure and ensure the
stability of the administrative edifice now being raised in every
part of the world. Without his support, at once whole-hearted,
continuous and generous, every measure adopted, and every plan
formulated, by the body which acts as the national representative
of the community to which he belongs, is foredoomed to failure. The
World Centre of the Faith itself is paralyzed if such a support on
the part of the rank and file of the community is denied it. The
Author of the Divine Plan Himself is impeded in His purpose if the
proper instruments for the execution of His design are lacking."
The beloved Guardian ends with this stem warning, "The sustaining
strength of Baha'u'llah Himself, the Founder of the Faith, will be
withheld from every and each individual who fails in the long run
to arise and play his part." We feel confident that the friends in
every comer of the Baha'i world, fully aware of the gravity of the
crisis facing them, and unified as never before by the sacrifice
of the life of our beloved Guardian, will arise as one soul in many
bodies in a mighty forward surge to complete as an immortal
monument to his memory the triumph of his holy Crusade. The Hands
of the Faith eagerly and confidently anticipate that upon the
unassailable foundation of this united victory brought about by the
consecrated devotion of the friends, there will be raised up the
crowning glory of all, the Universal House of Justice, and once
again a precious source of divine infallibility will return to the
earth with the establishment of that Supreme Body on the occasion
of the Most Great Jubilee in 1963-the World Congress called by our
beloved Guardian himself, a glorious and befitting fulfilment of
his life of complete sacrifice. Of this Most Great Jubilee, the
Guardian has written: "The Lord of Hosts, the King of Kings, has
pledged unfailing aid to every crusader battling for His Cause.
Invisible battalions are mustered, rank upon rank, ready to pour
forth reinforcements from on High. Baha'u'llah's army of light is
standing on the threshold of the Holy Year. Let them, as they enter
+123
it, vow with one voice, one heart, one soul, never to turn back in
the entire course of the fateful decade ahead until each and every
one will have contributed his share in laying on a world-wide scale
an unassailable administrative foundation for Baha'u'llah's
Christ-promised Kingdom on earth, swelling thereby the chorus of
universal jubilation wherein earth and heaven will join, as
prophesied by Daniel, echoed by 'Abdu'l-Baha, 'on that day will the
faithful rejoice with exceeding gladness."' With grateful hearts
for the love that has bound us all so closely together, with
undeviating confidence and hope, the Hands of the Faith invoke the
divine promise of the Revealer of our Faith: "Unloose your tongues,
and proclaim unceasingly His Cause. This shall be better for you
than all the treasures of the past and of the future, if ye be of
them that comprehend this truth." "I swear by Him Who is the Truth!
'Erelong will God adorn the beginning of the Book of Existence with
the mention of His loved ones who have suffered tribulation in His
path, and journeyed through the countries in His Name and for His
praise. Whoso hath attained their presence will glory in their
meeting, and all that dwell in every land will be Illumined by
their memory." "Vie ye with each other in the service of God and
of His Cause. This is indeed what profiteth you in this world, and
in that which is to come." In the service of the beloved Guardian,
[Signed as follows] Ruhiyyih Leroy Ioas, Amelia Collins Tarazu'llah
Samandari, Horace Holley Mason Remey Ugo Giachery, Zikrullah Khadem
H. Collis Featherstone Jalal Khazeh Dr. A. Vargha Hermann Grossmann
A. Furutan Adelbert Muhlschlegel, M.B. Musa Banani] Enoch Olinga,
Hasan M. Balyuzi John Ferraby Sh. Alai Paul Haney John Robarts,
A. Q. Faizi; Mohajer Agnes B. Alexander William Sears To the Hands
of the Faith December 26, 1958 Beloved Friends: In the month since
we parted from you all after our meeting in Bahji
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we have been concentrating our efforts on arranging to give from
Haifa a swift and dynamic impulse to the teaching work all over the
world, as agreed upon by all of us, and also on catching up with
the work which inevitably accumulated during the time when the
Custodians were not able to work on their usual day-to-day tasks.
I After the Conference of the European Hands at the end of
December, Hermann Grossmann, Ugo Giachery, and Adelbert
Muhlschlegel, will start on their important journeys to South and
Central America and Scandinavia, respectively. In January (after
a month's absence) Hasan Balyuzi will return to the Holy Land.
Shortly Enoch Olinga, will commence a tour of some of the West
Africa countries. Tarazu'llah Samandari, has proceeded to Persia
where, in conjunction with Dhikru'llah Khadem and Shu'a'u'llah
'Ala'i he will visit many of the important centres and encourage
the friends to arise and work intensively to achieve their
home-front goal of 110 Spiritual Assemblies. They will divide the
places to be visited between them so as to avoid duplication of
effort. In a short time, as you know, William Sears will leave for
the United States. In January, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan will proceed to
Turkey for a visit of two months or so in order to assist the
believers there in their preparations for the formation of their
National Assembly in Ridvan. This means that nine of the Hands will
be devoting all of their time and energy for some months to come
to travelling amongst the believers and directly stimulating them
to arise and accomplish the all-important task of teaching the
Faith and creating new Assemblies, particularly in those places
where so many national bodies must be formed before the end of the
Plan. We feel that, in addition to the constant services to the
Faith being carried on by the Hands who will be left here, and
those serving in their respective continents, these plans for
extensive travel present, for the first time since the beloved
Guardian's passing, a most heartening picture of the services of
his Hands, in whom he placed such great trust and to whom he left
such crushing responsibility. The pilgrims who have so far come and
gone have all left in a happy spirit, more conscious than ever
before of the greatness of their beloved Guardian's accomplishments
and more determined to help in prosecuting his Plan. This
encourages us greatly. We do feel, however, that each and every one
of the Hands (including ourselves) cannot be too careful during
this present year not to elaborate on the Message sent by us this
November from Bahji Let us adhere strictly to our united statement
regarding the future Universal House of Justice-and say neither
more nor less on this subject, assuring the friends who may ask us
questions that what was signed by all the Hands,
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after careful and prayerful consultation, is what they should turn
to. We appeal once again to all of you to let us have at frequent
intervals your reports, your suggestions and your ideas. We must
remember that serving all the time here has the advantage of being
able to grasp the whole picture of the progress and needs of the
Faith the world over-but the detailed needs-so vital in
themselves-we may never see clearly if we do not receive your help,
as it is you who are constantly in touch with the believers and the
National and Regional Assemblies, and can better feel the pulse of
local situations. Please give us your full cooperation in this
respect, so that we may feel the beloved Guardian's Hands are
indeed one soul in many bodies. In the service of the beloved
Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
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THE MINISTRY OF THE CUSTODIANS 1959
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To the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Germany and
Austria [Similar letters were sent to all National Spiritual
Assemblies, outlining to each the outstanding goals still to be
achieved.] January 6, 1959 Dearly beloved Friends: These days are
swiftly passing, and once gone, can never be recalled. Only
fifty-two months remain of the Ten Year Crusade our beloved
Guardian gave to us as his last trust. The Community of the Most
Great Name has won many significant victories, but numerous as
these have been, tremendous tasks remain to be accomplished by the
Baha'i world during these fast-fleeting months. In opening the
fourth phase of the Ten Year Crusade, upon which we are now
embarked, the beloved Guardian called for an unprecedented increase
in the number of avowed supporters of the Faith, in all the
continents of the globe, of every race, clime, creed and colour,
and from every stratum of present-day society, coupled with a
corresponding increase in the number of Baha'i centres ... Let us
concentrate our minds and all our efforts on the achievement of
these supreme goals. The Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land have
analyzed the situation now confronting the friends, especially in
relation to the establishment of Local Assemblies, the bedrock on
which the pillars of the Universal House of Justice must rest. On
the German home front (excluding Austria) a total of at least
twelve new Local Assemblies must be established before 1963, and
those now existing must be strengthened and maintained, and many
new localities must be opened to the Faith. These are the original
home-front goals set by our beloved Guardian when he launched the
world-embracing Spiritual Crusade, and now in the remaining months
of the Plan, these objectives become the most vital unfinished
tasks, upon the accomplishment of which total victory in the Holy
Crusade itself now depends. The Local Assemblies which must be
created are the particular responsibility of your Assembly, and the
most urgent task before you is the development of promising groups
into Assemblies and the opening of new centres An intensive
teaching campaign should be inaugurated, aimed at a steady increase
in the number of Baha'is in these localities, so
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that the required number of Assemblies may be speedily formed and
new centres created. We therefore urge your national body to study
this pressing problem immediately, and select for prompt action
those localities or centres which are most promising. Pioneers
should be sent, either from your own areas if they are available,
or help should be sought from other national communities.
Arrangements should also be made for travelling teachers to visit
these centres continuously. Experience in other areas has proved
that a strong National Teaching Committee, with a membership
largely centred in one locality, is the best instrument through
which a National Assembly can work to carry a teaching plan through
to a successful conclusion. When the time element is so important,
such committees should be able to meet frequently, and constantly
follow up and encourage the various projects and activities aimed
at accomplishment of the goals. We suggest you review your present
teaching structure to see if any changes can be made which will
enable it to function more effectively. We give you an instance of
what we mean by this. A National or Regional Teaching Committee (as
the case may be) may meet once a month and consider its own plans.
If it has to get approval for major projects or expenditures from
the National Spiritual Assembly before the Committee can put the
project into operation, there may be a lapse of not only some
weeks, but even months. Such time gaps between a sound project for
creating Assemblies and starting a teaching campaign can mean
months are lost in reaching the all-important goals. When you have
consulted on ways and means of carrying out the urgent task ahead,
please write to us in detail, giving all the facts, and your plans
and suggestions. In this critical and fate-laden period which lies
ahead, all National and Regional Assemblies must constantly guard
against the ever-present danger of becoming too much involved in
administrative details. They must constantly encourage the friends
to show individual initiative in teaching, and remind them that
Baha'u'llah has made the teaching of His Faith the foremost
obligation of every believer. Now more than ever before these
divinely-ordained administrative institutions of our precious Faith
must fulfil the supreme purpose of their creation, which is to
serve as instruments for the spread of the Divine Teachings, and
the establishment of the World Order of Baha'u'llah. The time has
come when we must surge forward as one victorious army of light,
each and every one of us aspiring for more glorious service than
ever before, with our minds, our hearts, our resources, bent upon
the single purpose of winning the sacred goals of the Crusade. What
service could be more meritorious than sacrificing for the
establishment
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of the Universal House of Justice, and what demonstration
of love and devotion to the Guardian could be more wonderful than
achieving all the objectives of his Ten Year Plan! We live at an
hour of great destiny. We pray that each one of us may valiantly
play his or her part until total victory is won. In the service of
the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND To the
Hands of the Cause throughout the World March 17, 1959 Dearly
beloved Fellow-Hands: As Naw-Ri6z approaches and we start a new
Baha'i year, our thoughts are very much with you all and we know
yours are with us also. It is almost four months since we all
parted after our meeting in Bahji and we know you are eager for
some news of what is going on here at the World Centre. The work
has been pressing and we try very hard not only to keep abreast of
current problems and correspondence, but to do creative work, in
the spirit of the decisions which we all made last November during
our second Conclave, regarding expediting the execution of the Ten
Year Plan. As you no doubt know, Ugo Giachery, is in Central
America on the mission we arranged for him. His reports have been
most illuminating and show clearly a number of things: That the
Faith is firmly founded in the hearts of the local Baha'is that
they need encouragement and mature teachers very much; that there
must be an influx of pioneers from outside if they hope to
accomplish their goals; and that some of the Assemblies which
existed on paper, according to the survey we presented to you at
Bahji do not in fact exist at all, as they have less than nine
members in the community. The picture is both grave and
encouraging; grave because wide-scale action is required at once,
encouraging because of the spirit of the friends and the firmness
of the foundation laid in these countries by so many
self-sacrificing American pioneers. Hermann Grossmann has recently
left on his trip to South America, and we are eagerly awaiting his
reports. We assume his experience and observations will be much the
same as those of Ugo Enoch Olinga, is travelling extensively in
West Africa and meeting with great success in the teaching work.
The progress of the Faith in the Cameroons has been extraordinary,
and he reports that in the past month and a half alone, over two
hundred have been enrolled, and since the
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beloved Guardian's passing over seven hundred have embraced the
Faith there. Already the results of Enoch's visit to the Maoris of
New Zealand is bearing fruit. Recently, at the request of some of
the Maori leaders that a distinguished Baha'i should visit them and
tell them more of the Faith, Collis Featherstone has made a special
trip to one of their largest centres and met with a most
encouraging response on the part of some of the chiefs as well as
the people. The Teachings are now being studied there. John
Robarts, after consultation with us, has now given up his business
and is devoting his full time to the African work. Musa Banani will
soon have much more help from 'Ali Nakhjavani in carrying on his
share of the work of the Hands in Africa. We hope that the
full-time efforts of these three Hands will now produce a momentum
in the continental teaching work which will, in conjunction with
the plans being undertaken by the Regional Assemblies, witness the
inauguration of that great wave of mass conversion the beloved
Guardian said must take place during this second half of the Ten
Year Plan. The National Spiritual Assembly of Central and East
Africa wrote us so encouragingly about the possibilities of
large-scale teaching in their area, if the funds were available,
that we responded by sending them ten thousand dollars from the
Memorial Fund of the beloved Guardian. You will recall that we
assured the Baha'is that any sum over and above the amount required
to erect the monument on his grave would be expended for the
teaching work, so dear to his blessed heart, and the construction
of the Temples. We believe this may enable the first great wave of
mass conversion in Africa to take place at this time. For the
teaching of the Africans in the area under the jurisdiction of the
South and West Africa Regional Assembly, we have sent three
thousand dollars from this same Fund. Adelbert Muhlschlegel, on the
eve of his departure for the Scandinavian countries, suffered
another heart attack, but, thank God, is recovering satisfactorily
from its effects. We hope he will soon be able to start his work
in the North. Horace Holley likewise suffered another heart attack,
but is at home again and able to go on with his work. Bill Sears,
pursuant to our decision taken in Bahji has proceeded to the United
States and commenced his important work there as a Hand serving in
the Western Hemisphere. When there are so few of us, it is most
regrettable that illness should hinder us from carrying on our
all-important and sacred work of seeing the beloved Guardian's Plan
effectively prosecuted and consummated. News has reached us that
some other Hands have not been well enough to travel and carry on
their duties. We ask you to join us in praying that they may soon
recover sufficiently to go about the work of Shoghi Effendi during
this all-important year.
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We feel it will encourage you to know that our dear Milly Collins
and Mason Remey, in spite of advanced years, and the acute
suffering of the former through arthritic attacks, are both with
us, serving devotedly. Tarazu'llah Samandari, in response to our
appeal, is now visiting many centres in Persia-in spite of his age
and rheumatism which causes him much pain. The younger Hands of the
Faith have every reason to be proud of the older Hands and their
wonderful example of steadfastness and perseverance. Although the
correspondence from you is more frequent than last year, we still
feel that, with a few exceptions, we are not getting enough reports
from you indicating the status of the Plan in various countries,
the state of the believers, and making any recommendations you may
have in mind. Please remember that the more help we get from you
here, the more we can assist in the execution of the various
pressing tasks confronting the Baha'i world, and the better our own
work of coordinating and stimulating the activities of the
believers can go forward. The flow of pilgrims here has been
steady, and the spirit they bring with them deeply touches our
hearts and gives us new energy to struggle on with our own work.
They take away with them, in their turn, new strength, vision and
enthusiasm, and we hope, as the beloved Guardian wished, that they
will carry out to the Baha'i world a fresh impetus and stimulate
the friends to arise and speedily accomplish his goals. Generally
speaking, the news received here indicates a stirring throughout
the National, Regional and Local Assemblies and the rank and file
of the believers in the direction of more active execution of the
Plan. However, it is still moving at such a slow tempo as to alarm
us. We cannot urge you too strongly to constantly remind the
National Assemblies and the friends of the need for haste at this
critical hour-days are slipping by unperceived, and now only four
years remain to us in which to win this Holy Crusade! The formation
of Local Assemblies, we all know, is a lengthy and difficult
process. When we realize that most of these new Assemblies must
constitute pillars of the new National Assemblies, which in their
turn are the pillars of the Universal House of Justice, we begin
to appreciate how little time we have not only to build them, but
to build them solidly. We do not wish to see some of the Assemblies
on which the new National Spiritual Assemblies are built, and which
thus form indirectly the foundations of the Universal House of
Justice, crumble away as soon as that august Body is established.
We must remember how painstakingly Shoghi Effendi-the Sign of
God-built, and how much importance he attached to laying the widest
and firmest possible foundation for National Assemblies. The
response to our recent letter to the European and Latin American
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Regional Assemblies, asking them to choose specific goal cities in
which to establish Spiritual Assemblies at the earliest possible
date, is bearing fruit, and we are beginning to get encouraging
reports from them indicating progress in settling these vital
goals. In view of the extreme urgency for immediate action in the
teaching field, and the fact that in most places lack of funds is
perhaps the most serious impediment, we have allocated for this
specific purpose and the settlement of pioneers three thousand
dollars to each of the four Latin American Regional Assemblies, and
a similar sum to the German, Benelux, Scandinavian and Italo-Swiss
Regional Assemblies, as well as one thousand dollars to the Iberian
Assembly. Reports received here indicate that Board members
everywhere are not travelling sufficiently, primarily through lack
of financial support. We are therefore making available to the
Continental Funds of the Hands the following sums to assist you all
in carrying out your work more effectively: $3,000. America $3,000.
Africa $3,000. Europe $2,000. Asia $1,000. Australia Please,
beloved co-workers, let us receive more news of your activities and
more reports of the work and progress being made in your region.
We send you our most loving Naw-Ruz greetings and we shall be
praying for us all in the holy Shrines on that great Feast Day of
the New Year. In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE
CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND RIDVAN MESSAGE 1959 To Annual Baha'i
Conventions Dearly beloved Friends: The most glorious Feast of the
Baha'i Year, the "King of Festivals", the Ridvan commemoration of
the Declaration of Baha'u'llah, "Whose Day every Prophet hath
announced" and for Whose advent "the soul of every Divine Messenger
hath thirsted", is once more upon us, the second Ridvan since the
passing of our precious, our most beloved Guardian. No report from
the World Centre can ever take the place of the wonderful stream
of inspiring words he poured out in his great messages to us at
this
+135
period, when so many of the believers gather together at the Annual
Baha'i Conventions, and which conveyed to us not only the
soul-stirring news of the progress the Faith had made during the
past year, but called us to new heights of service, rallied our
spirits and refreshed our souls with his own great vision of the
future. Much as we long for his presence, his words, his
inspiration, his loving care, we must realize that what has been
given to us no man can take away. What Shoghi Effendi showered on
us for thirty-six years of his Guardianship, what he built into the
Faith and into its followers' hearts all over the world, is a
permanent creation and one that has become on the one hand a part
of history, and on the other a part of our personal lives. We must
show our gratitude to him in a mighty renewal of deeds. We must
rejoice over the continuing evidences of the never-failing grace
of Baha'u'llah which carries the work of His Faith forward in spite
of every test, trial and crisis. This past year has witnessed the
steady onward march of the Cause of God in every field. When we
recall how grievous and shattering was the blow we received in
November, 1957, we cannot but marvel at the evidences, so clear for
friend or enemy to behold, of the indomitable strength of this
Cause which the Guardian knit so firmly together, and the
foundations of whose Administrative Order he laid so securely
during his lifetime that the earthquake of his passing neither
shattered the unity nor shook the confidence of the Community of
the followers of the Most Great Name. Let us bow our heads humbly
in gratitude to the Author of our Faith for His protection and
manifold mercies showered upon us during these days of supreme test
and suffering. The monument erected on the grave of the beloved
Guardian was completed just two days before the anniversary of his
passing; the gleaming pillar of pure white Carrara marble, resting
on a base of three steps and surmounted by a Corinthian capital
bearing a globe of the world, all of the same stone, rose up
against the grey autumn skies of London, in its simplicity and
beauty a befitting memorial to that great being who himself created
so much beauty on the slopes of Mt. Carmel and around the Holiest
Spot on this planet, the Tomb of Baha'u'llah. Perched, as if about
to take off in flight, or just settling from the skies, a gilded
bronze eagle, the emblem of so many victories, crowns the monument.
A dignified white stone balustrade, surmounted at the four corners
by ornate stone urns, encloses the inner garden where the grave
lies; adjoining this sanctuary, and constituting its approach, is
a second larger garden surrounded by a red brick wall; a red path
stretches from the two white steps leading down from the inner
garden straight to the beautiful gilded wrought iron gates at the
bottom of the second garden-which constitute the main entrance to
the Guardian's resting-place. On either side of these gates two
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cypress trees, reminiscent of the hundreds of cypress trees the
Guardian himself planted in the Shrine gardens at the World Centre
of the Faith, stand guard. Two lovely weeping holly trees, two
white pedestals with white Carrara marble vases planted with
flowers, decorate the grounds as one approaches, through this outer
garden, that sacred spot where the Beloved of our hearts is laid
to rest. Many hundreds of Baha'is have already made a pilgrimage
to this shrine. Many hundreds of non-Baha'is have likewise visited
it, drawn by the powerful spirit they feel there, attracted by what
they see in the faces of the believers who come there to pray, and
by the abundance of radiant flowers which constantly surround the
foot of the monument. The tribute of the believers has been
completed outwardly, but the mighty, invisible tribute to his
memory continues to be built. The friends will recall that when
they were invited to contribute to the Memorial Fund for the
erection of this monument, the Hands of the Faith stated that any
sum received above that required to construct the monument itself
and embellish its precincts would be spent to carry on the teaching
work and erect the Temples he specified should be constructed
during the Crusade. Sums have been received from the believers all
over the world, and now that this blessed grave has been
befittingly completed, we could think of no work dearer to Shoghi
Effendi's heart at this time than that of the new teaching
campaigns being launched in Africa, and aimed at that mass
conversion he said in his last message to the Baha'i world, should
be undertaken as part of the work of the remaining five years of
the Ten Year Plan. The first expenditure from this Memorial Fund
was therefore made to assist some of the Regional African
Assemblies in launching an intensive teaching campaign in those
areas most receptive to the Faith; many of the African teachers are
now travelling amongst their own people, financed from this Fund.
What better memorial to Shoghi Effendi can be erected, now that his
physical resting-place has been suitably completed, than this
mighty spiritual one which will endure in the hearts of men and
will help lay the foundation of the Kingdom of God in such distant
and promising lands? Aware of how eager the friends are to receive
from the World Centre a report of the progress the Faith has made
during the past year and the status of the beloved Guardian's
world-girdling Crusade, we are happy to share with the believers
attending the thirty-one Annual Baha'i Conventions now being held
in Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australasia, Europe and the Pacific
region the following truly inspiring news, which testifies so
eloquently to the greatness and the enduring quality of the work
Shoghi Effendi achieved during his lifetime, and over which, we
firmly believe, he constantly and lovingly watches from on High.
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The number of countries, islands and dependencies where the
Standard of Baha'u'llah has been unfurled now totals two hundred
and fifty-five, as a result of the settlement during the past year
of a pioneer in Spitzbergen the one remaining virgin goal outside
the Soviet orbit. This feat, achieved by the Knight of Baha'u'llah
Paul Adams, brings the total number of new territories opened to
the Faith since the inception of the Ten Year Plan to one hundred
and twenty-seven. At the end of the sixth year of the Crusade the
number of localities included within the pale of the Faith has
reached the impressive total of over five thousand two hundred,
fulfilling the wish of Shoghi Effendi expressed in his last Ridvan
Message that ". . . strenuous efforts must be exerted for the
purpose of multiplying the existing groups and isolated centres in
all the continents of the globe, ensuring thereby the early
attainment of the goal of five thousand Baha'i centres in the
Eastern and Western Hemispheres." Such a signal achievement
represents an increase of almost seven hundred centres since his
passing, centres referred to by him as pivots of Baha'i teaching
and administrative activity, and which have more than doubled since
the launching of the World Crusade in 1953. This truly remarkable
reflection of the victories won under the divinely-guided
leadership of our Guardian has brought the number of such centres
in the Goal Countries of Europe to over a hundred and twenty, in
Germany and Austria to a hundred and thirty-five, in Australasia
and in Canada, respectively, to nearly a hundred and forty-five,
in the British Isles to nearly a hundred and fifty, in the Indian
sub-continent to almost a hundred and seventy, in Latin America to
nearly two hundred and forty, in the entire Pacific area to over
four hundred and fifty, in the African continent to nearly nine
hundred and fifty, in Persia to more than one thousand and fifty,
and in the United States of America to more than one thousand five
hundred. The most striking increases during the past year, and
indeed since the ascension of the beloved Guardian, have occurred
in Africa and in the widely dispersed countries and islands of the
Pacific-the two areas whose competition for "the palm of victory"
brought such happiness to his heart in the last years and months
of his precious life. The formation during the current Ridvan
period of the new National Spiritual Assemblies of Austria, Burma,
and Turkey, and the Regional National Spiritual Assembly of the
South Pacific, as specified by the beloved Guardian himself, brings
the total of these forerunners and future pillars of the Universal
House of Justice to thirty-one, sixteen of-which are now
incorporated, four having achieved this status during the past
year. The total number of Local Spiritual Assemblies established
throughout the world, and constituting, in the words of our
Guardian, "the foundation of
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a rising Administrative Order", is now nearly twelve hundred and
seventy-five, almost two hundred more than the number reported in
last year's Convention Message. Over two hundred of these are now
incorporated. Included in the substantial number of recent new
registrations is that of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Port
Victoria, Seychelles Islands, as a result of an enactment by the
Legislative Council, and the approval of the Articles of
Incorporation of the Local Assembly of Nuku'Alofa, Tonga Islands,
representing significant victories won in important islands of the
Indian and Pacific Oceans, respectively. The number of languages
into which Baha'i literature has been translated now totals two
hundred and sixty-one, an increase of one hundred and seventy-two
in six years, over ninety of which represent supplementary
languages added since the inception of the Crusade. The acquisition
of the Haziratu'l-Quds in Caracas, Venezuela, and the endowment in
Brussels, Belgium during the past year completes the list of such
properties originally specified as goals of the Ten Year Crusade.
In addition to these, located in the capitals and chief cities
which are or will be the seats of the National and Regional
Assemblies to be established by 1963, a significant number of
Haziratu'l-Quds have been acquired in recent years as supplementary
goals in such widely scattered and important cities as Apia, Samoa;
Osaka and Amagasaki, Japan; Callao, Peru; Kuching, Sarawak;
Algiers, Algeria; Rabat, French Morocco; Larache, Spanish Morocco;
Bathurst, Gambia; Victoria, British Cameroons; Salisbury, Southern
Rhodesia; Rembang, Indonesia; Solano, Philippine Islands; and six
in Viet Nam, including Saigon and Tourane. A number of
supplementary endowments and sites for future Haziratu'l-Quds have
also been acquired, including properties in Morocco, the Canary
Islands, Liberia, Basutoland, the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia, Viet
Nam, Malaya, the Philippines, and Brazil. Although not specified
as goals of the Ten Year Plan, the establishment of separate Baha'i
burial grounds has given increasing emphasis to the independent
status of the Faith and added to its prestige in the many different
places where such properties have been acquired in recent years,
such as Dar-es-Salaam, Tanganyika; Nairobi, Kenya; Kampala, Uganda;
Rabat and Meknes, French Morocco; Tripoli, Libya; Salisbury,
Southern Rhodesia; Khartoum North, in the Sudan; Djakarta,
Indonesia; Singapore, Malaya; and Ashiya, Japan. The independent
character of the Faith is further attested by the growing number
of countries, states, provinces and other governmental subdivisions
where the Baha'i Marriage Certificate is recognized. Such
recognition has now been granted in over forty different
jurisdictions throughout the five continents, the most recent being
Poona, in Bombay
+139
State, India, and the Province of British Columbia in Canada. The
Baha'i Holy Days have been recognized by the educational
authorities in nearly seventy countries, states or provinces, and
cities. Noteworthy during the past year has been the achievement
of such recognition throughout Japan, as a result of the inclusion
of such a provision in the document incorporating the National
Spiritual Assembly of North East Asia. The original Crusade goal
calling for the acquisition of eleven Temple sites was fulfilled
more than a year ago, with the purchase of the site of the future
Mashriqu'l-Adkhar Stockholm. In anticipation of the day when Baha'i
Houses of Worship will be built, not only in every continent, but
in many different countries, the beloved Guardian included the
purchase of additional Temple sites in the subsidiary Plans which
he assigned to the new National and Regional Assemblies formed
since 1953. Seventeen of these supplementary sites have now been
acquired throughout the world, eight during the past year, in
Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Honduras, Paraguay and Uruguay in Latin
America; New Zealand in the Antipodes; and in Tunisia on the
northern fringe of the African continent. The steady consolidation
and expansion of the Faith in the Pacific area and in Africa
continues to furnish striking evidence that the rapid spiritual
awakening which began in those regions in the last years of the
blessed Guardian's life is continuing. In the countries and islands
under the jurisdiction of the four Regional National Assemblies of
Africa, the number of declared believers is approaching nine
thousand. This area now has almost three hundred Local Spiritual
Assemblies, with a substantial increase assured during the current
Ridvan period. Two hundred and forty-three African tribes are now
represented in the Baha'i Community, an increase of forty-three
during the past year. In Central and East Africa, the total number
of believers has more than quadrupled in the three years since the
formation of the Regional Assembly in 1956. In North West Africa,
a gain of fifty percent has occurred since Ridvan 1957. In the
British Cameroons alone over seven hundred new Baha'is have been
enrolled since the ascension of the beloved Guardian. In the
southern part of the continent, in Swaziland, The Paramount Chief's
Council, the legislative body for the Swazi nation, has recognized
the Baha'i Faith as one of the religions that can be taught in that
country, and one of the prominent tribal chiefs has encouraged the
teaching of the Faith amongst his people. In the Pacific, exclusive
of Australasia, the area where the beloved Guardian said that
Baha'i exploits bid fair to outshine the feats achieved in any
other ocean, and indeed in every continent of the globe", the
number of centres has now risen to well over three hundred,
seventy-four of which constitute Local Spiritual Assemblies. The
ranks of the believers
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in the Mentawai Islands alone have swelled to more than three
thousand; in all of Indonesia, including Mentawai, the number of
declared Baha'is has more than trebled since Ridvan 1957; and in
Viet Nam the rate of gain has been even more striking. a seventh
Baha'i School has been opened in Mentawai, and two more schools
have been established in Viet Nam in the past year. The
extraordinary progress the Faith has made throughout the highly
promising Pacific region has been markedly reinforced by the
translation of Baha'i literature into nearly seventy-five
indigenous languages. Throughout the Western Hemisphere, the
Community of the Most Great Name now comprises over nineteen
hundred Baha'i centres In Central and South America and the
neighbouring islands, where a total of twenty new National
Spiritual Assemblies must be formed before 1963, there are nearly
two hundred and forty centres sixty-five of which have their own
Local Spiritual Assemblies. Since the beginning of the World
Crusade, contact has been established with nearly sixty Indian
tribes in North, Central and South America, of which nearly thirty
are now represented in the Faith. The steady advancement in this
field, to which the beloved Guardian attached so much importance,
is evinced by the formation of the second all-Indian Local
Spiritual Assembly in South America last Ridvan in Vilcollo,
Bolivia. Among many other evidences of the expansion of Baha'i
institutions throughout the Americas during the past year may be
mentioned the inauguration of the first Summer School in Alaska;
the beginning of active publication by the newly-established Baha'i
Publishing Trust in Buenos Aires; the first dependency of the
Mother Temple of the West, the Baha'i Home for the Aged, was
officially opened a few months ago, an event of undoubted historic
importance exemplifying those institutions of humanitarian service
which Baha'u'llah Himself specified should cluster about the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in every city-and demonstrate the spirit of His
Teachings. As the friends will recall, the beloved Guardian
attached such great importance to the various teaching conferences
and institutes held all over the world that he included an
enumeration of them in his annual Ridvan Message. The following
list of some of those held during the past year is most impressive,
not only from the standpoint of the very large number of such
gatherings which took place, but also in their wide geographical
range. The Conference held by the European Hands of the Cause in
Brussels, Belgium, attended by their Auxiliary Board members and
representatives of the National and Regional Assemblies of that
continent; the National Teaching Conference in Blackpool, England;
the Scottish Regional Teaching Conference in Glasgow; the Northern
Ireland Regional Teaching
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Conference in Bangor; and the Northwest Regional Teaching
Conference in Manchester, as well as numerous week-end schools held
throughout the British Isles; the teaching and study conferences
held in the Benelux countries, in Charleroi, Liege, Antwerp,
Brussels, and two at The Hague; the National Teaching Conference
of France in Lyon, and of Italy in Rome, as well as the Swiss
Teaching Conference in Bern; the Regional Teaching Conferences held
in Germany, in Heilbronn, Wiesbaden, Tulungen, Koln, Darmstadt,
Ludwigsburg, in Goppingen, Frankfurt, Karlsruhe and Ulm, as well
as the three held in Nurnberg, and the two in Hannover; the
teaching conferences held in India and Burma, in the cities of
Rangoon, Devlali, Bangalore and Daidanaw, and in Colombo, Ceylon;
the All-Pakistan Teaching Conference in Karachi; the many teaching
conferences held throughout the length and breadth of the African
continent and the surrounding islands, including two in Mauritius,
one in Southern Rhodesia, four in South Africa, and one in the
British Cameroons, in Tangiers, International Zone of Morocco, in
Rabat, French Morocco, in Monrovia, Liberia, and in Mogadiscio,
Italian Somaliland, as well as the seventeen week-end schools held
in Central and East Africa; the Western Canada Summer Conference
in Banff, the Maritimes Summer Conference in Shediac, New
Brunswick, the Canadian Summer Teaching Conferences in Beaulac,
Quebec, and in Ontario, as well as nearly twenty other teaching
conferences held throughout the Dominion of Canada, from Prince
Edward Island to British Columbia; the teaching conferences in
Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Ketchikan, the four major Baha'i
centres in Alaska; the Regional Teaching Conferences held in
Rosario, Argentina, and in Quilpue, Chile, as well as the teaching
conferences held in Asuncion, Paraguay and in Montevideo, Uruguay;
the Teaching Conference of Venezuela in Caracas, the All-Brazil
Teaching Conference in Jundiai, and the International School held
in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; to which should be added the teaching
conferences and week-end schools held throughout the United States,
too numerous to mention. The work at the heart and nerve centre of
the Faith has progressed steadily during the period from last
Ridvan. In November the plenary meeting of the Hands of the Cause
was held, at Bahji -- the second since the sudden passing of the
beloved Guardian forced upon the Chief Stewards of the Faith such
crushing responsibility. The mighty institution of Baha'i
pilgrimage, which began in the days of the Manifestation of God
Himself, has been reopened, and a steady stream of friends from
East and West has poured into the twin Holy Cities of Haifa and
'Akka, to kneel at the Threshold of the sacred Shrines, to visit
the historic sites located here, to gaze in reverence at the relics
so carefully collected and preserved by
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the beloved Guardian, to marvel at the beauty of the Shrine of the
Bab. and the International Archives Building erected under his
direction and according to his own matchless taste, as well as to
enjoy the wonderful gardens he designed and created on the slopes
of Mt. Carmel and in the plain of 'Akka, four thousand square
metres of land on the ridge of Mount Carmel overlooking the
resting-place of the Herald of the Faith, have been registered in
the name of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran
the sixty-six thousand square metres of land facing the Tomb of
Baha'u'llah at Bahji negotiations for the purchase of which were
carried out at the Guardian's instruction during his lifetime, have
now been registered in the name of the Israel Branch of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States,
in accordance with his wishes; the third terrace at Bahji
artificially created, and which enables the visitor to obtain an
imposing view of the Holy Shrine and its gardens, was built
according to his own plan on top of the two he had himself
completed, and the strip of garden to the cast of the Mansion of
Baha'u'llah which he had planned to develop, was likewise
completed, thus adding to the landscaped area at Bahji another four
thousand square metres of garden; the visitors to the Baha'i Holy
Places in both Haifa and 'Akka, continue to pour in, the impressive
number of over a hundred thousand having been received since last
Ridvan. During the past eighteen months, six Hands of the Cause
have acted as substitutes for those who were permanently selected
to serve in the Holy Land, but were temporarily absent either on
some special mission or for reasons of health; five of the Hands
of the Cause have, at the request of the Hands residing in the Holy
Land, undertaken special teaching missions to assist the friends
and their elected representatives in areas where either the need,
or the promise of results, was the greatest. The last three of the
five mighty Intercontinental Conferences, called for by the beloved
Guardian at the midway point of the World Crusade, were held in
Chicago, Frankfurt and Singapore, and proved the vehicles for a
communion of heart amongst the sorrowing believers the world over
such as had never before been experienced in Baha'i history. Over
six thousand of the followers of Baha'u'llah attended these
Conferences, the greatest number being present at the one held in
Europe on German soil, at which over twenty-five hundred Baha'is
from Europe and Asia assembled; the next largest Conference was the
one held in the heart of the North American continent, where almost
two thousand were gathered, largely representative of believers
from the Western Hemisphere; the African Intercontinental
Conference, with the exception of some believers from Europe and
America, and at which nine hundred friends assembled, was divided
almost equally between African and Persian
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believers; at the Asian Intercontinental Conference about five
hundred Baha'is highly representative of the peoples of South East
Asia and the North Pacific area, were able to view the portrait of
Baha'u'llah, whose Faith they have espoused, and to have a share
in the bounties of the Conference the beloved Guardian had called
for them, whilst in far-off Australia an attendance of almost three
hundred Baha'is some of them from such distant places as Japan,
Persia and the United States, reflected the progress the Cause of
God has made in the Antipodes. At all of these Conferences, in
spite of the deep shadow of sorrow upon them, the believers,
mindful of the beloved Guardian's words, praised and thanked the
Founder of their Faith for His manifold blessings; reverently
viewed His portrait, sent to them for this purpose as an act of
loving-kindness, by the Guardian himself, consulted on ways and
means of rapidly achieving the remaining goals of the Crusade;
reviewed its great victories to date and poured forth over half a
million dollars in contributions and pledges for the building of
the Mother Temples of Africa, Australia and Europe, and the general
work of the Ten Year Plan. So great has been the response to the
beloved Guardian's appeal to the friends to rapidly build these
sacred Houses of Worship that the Kampala Temple and the Sydney
Temple, the cornerstones of which were laid during the African and
Australian Intercontinental Conferences, respectively, are expected
to be completed before Naw-Ruz 1960, and a large sum is now
available for the construction of the European Mother Temple. There
can be no doubt in anyone's mind, as we survey the status of the
Cause of God six years after the inception of the World Crusade,
that the most imposing and in many ways the most difficult part of
its tasks were accomplished in the Guardian's own lifetime. One
hundred and twenty-seven new territories have been included in the
orbit of the Faith as a result of the departure of a veritable army
of pioneers to all parts of the world. The Guardian, in the early
years of the Ten Year Plan stated that this extraordinary
achievement, "the most vital and spectacular objective of the Ten
Year Plan", had been "virtually attained ere the termination of the
first year of this decade-long, stupendous enterprise" through the
opening of one hundred countries and islands. The dedication of two
of the three Mother Temples called for in the provisions of this
globe-encircling Plan will take place in the near future, and
permission to build the third in Langenhain, near Frankfurt, has
just been received from the County Council. All the
Haziratu'l-Quds, all the endowments, all the Temple sites
originally called for in the World Crusade have been acquired. The
Baha'i Publishing Trusts enumerated by the beloved Guardian have
been established. The number of Israel branches of various National
Spiritual
+144
Assemblies to be formed in the Holy Land has been exceeded. The
resting-place of the remains of the father of Baha'u'llah has been
identified. Baha'i women in Persia have been elected to the
National and the Local Assemblies. The translation of Baha'i
literature into various languages has already exceeded the original
objective set in 1953. Almost a third of the new National and
Regional Assemblies which must be established before 1963 will have
come into existence by the end of this Ridvan. This impressive
tally of victories cannot but lift the hearts of all the believers
and fill them with fresh courage to arise and win the remaining
goals of the Crusade, in the name and for the sake of their beloved
Guardian. Although the work before us may be less spectacular than
that already accomplished, there can be no doubt in anyone's mind
that upon its successful conclusion depends the ultimate triumph
or failure of the entire Crusade. It constitutes no less than the
bedrock of future Baha'i activities for centuries to come, for upon
it depends the erection, on a firm and lasting foundation, of those
new National Assemblies which are to be among the first pillars of
that mighty institution of Baha'u'llah, the Universal House of
Justice. The task is a two-fold one: In the republics of Latin
America and the ten Goal Countries of Europe immediate action must
be taken to reinforce and bring to Assembly status those groups
which are at the present time the most promising nuclei for new
Assemblies, and without the multiplication of which the new
independent National Assemblies will lack the foundation the
Guardian specified as prerequisites for their election. On the home
front of such old and tried Baha'i communities as Persia, the
United States, Germany, Great Britain, Australia, India, Canada,
Egypt and 'Iraq the same process must take place-promising groups
must be immediately raised to Assembly status. Careful
consideration of the nature of the work facing the Baha'i world
during the coming four years reveals that the paramount need, one
might almost say the sole need, is to raise a second glorious
all-conquering army of pioneers, who will arise and go forth with
the same rapidity, dedication and zeal as did that first glorious
army in the opening years of the Crusade, and this time conquer,
not new territories and islands, but new cities, towns and villages
in the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Asia, North Africa and the
Antipodes. We feel the Baha'is should have placed before them a
factual picture of the work to be done in this field: In the United
States, termed by our Guardian the base for operations in every
continent of the globe, a hundred and three new Local Spiritual
Assemblies must be formed; in the Dominion of Canada, thirty-two;
in Latin America, over twenty; in the British Isles, twenty-five;
in Germany,
+145
twelve; in the European Goal Countries, forty-five; in Persia, the
Cradle of the Faith, a hundred and ten; in India, at least
twenty-five; and in Australia and New Zealand, over twenty. This
presents to each and every Baha'i a tremendous personal challenge.
Is he or she going to have a part, before it is too late, in the
Guardian's Global Crusade, the purpose of which is primarily to lay
that lasting foundation for the Universal House of Justice created
in His Most Holy Book by Baha'u'llah? There is no longer time for
hesitation, the sands of the Crusade are rapidly running out and
with them each one's own great personal opportunity, never to
recur. Every single believer must hold before himself the goal of
either personally being responsible for the attainment of these
objectives, through arising to pioneer himself, or through
assisting his fellow-Baha'is to do so, and thus be instrumental in
ensuring that by 1963 the followers of Baha'u'llah will be found
in firmly grounded, well informed, actively functioning communities
in every area where a National or Regional Assembly exists, and in
many of the territories and major islands where His Cause has been
established during the World Crusade. We must face the fact that
in Europe and Latin America where the beloved Guardian's Ten Year
Plan requires that Regional Assemblies must be replaced by
thirty-one National Assemblies, the needs of the various home
fronts cannot be met locally. Baha'u'llah Himself has exhorted His
followers to "Centre your energies in the propagation of the Faith
of God. Whoso is worthy of so high a calling, let him arise and
promote it. Whoso is unable, it is his duty to appoint him who
will, in his stead, proclaim this Revelation, whose power hath
caused the foundations of the mightiest structures to quake, every
mountain to be crushed into dust, and every soul to be
dumbfounded." The Hands of the Cause, mindful of these words, have
recently proposed a joint deputization project to the Assemblies
representative of the two strongest Baha'i communities in the
world, namely, Persia and America. The oppressed, steadfast and
devoted Persian friends are ready and eager to go forth as pioneers
in large numbers, but the barrier of language and many other
complications such as obtaining visas for the countries where
pioneers are required prevent them from doing so. The North
American believers are, on the contrary, because of their
citizenship, in a much better position to gain entry to these
places so urgently in need of teachers and settlers; therefore this
great joint undertaking, the first of its kind between the East and
the West, has been set in motion, whereby the friends in the Cradle
of the Faith can deputize their Baha'i brothers and sisters who
are, as the Guardian said, the spiritual descendants of the
Dawn-breakers, to go forth and help win the Crusade. The Persian
believers are now raising a fund to be transmitted through their
National Assembly to the American National
+146
Assembly for this express purpose. It is our ardent hope that a
tremendous response will be forthcoming, and that the North
American Baha'is mindful of the truly extraordinary role the
Guardian himself has said they must play as "the champion-builders
of a divinely conceived Administrative Order, the standard-bearers
of the all-conquering army of the Lord of Hosts, the torch-bearers
of a future divinely inspired world civilization" will arise in
large numbers and place themselves at the disposal of the committee
responsible for this mass migration, ere it is too late, and not
only cover themselves with imperishable glory, but by doing so,
share the lustre of this achievement and sacrifice with their
devoted brethren who have suffered so much and so long in
Baha'u'llah's native land. No message from the World Centre of the
Faith would be complete that did not call upon the pioneers,
whoever and wherever they are, be they serving in foreign fields
or on the home fronts, be they old or young, robust or in frail
health, of the Negro, the white or the brown race, to remain at
their posts at this critical hour. There can be no doubt that in
the sight of Shoghi Effendi it was the pioneers who accomplished
the most difficult tasks of the Crusade, and because of the
sacrifices, the consecration and the enthusiasm of these devoted
souls, one hundred and twenty-seven territories of the globe, as
well as hundreds of cities and localities on various home fronts
received the light of Baha'u'llah. The importance the Guardian
attached to the opening of these virgin areas and to the work of
consolidation in those countries already possessing National
Assemblies cannot be sufficiently emphasized. How dear to his heart
were the services the pioneers rendered! How he cherished each one
labouring in this vast field, often at the cost of great personal
sacrifice! It is not possible for us to describe the wistful
sadness and the look of concern and care that would pass over his
blessed face when he received news that a goal had been abandoned
for whatever reason, and was lacking a pioneer. We therefore appeal
to the friends to remain at their posts, however great the
difficulties confronting them, and to persevere in this vital field
of service in order to fulfil the wishes of their beloved Guardian
and to gladden his spirit in the Kingdom on High. It is, we firmly
believe, the supreme duty of all National and Regional Assemblies
to concentrate their undivided attention during this particular
year of the Crusade on procuring new pioneers and settling them
with no delay whatsoever in those spots where their presence in the
chosen objectives abroad or in the goal cities of the various home
fronts will enable new Assemblies to be formed next Ridvan. There
can be no doubt that upon the success of such steps taken
immediately depends the fortunes of our Guardian's Crusade, a
Crusade which in its world-embracing scope, has carried the Divine
Plan of 'Abdu'l-Baha a mighty step forward in its
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unfoldment, and which must inevitably lead to the spiritual
conquest of the entire planet. The financial resources of the
Baha'i world must be mustered and expended at this time for the
attainment of this mighty purpose. We can do no better than appeal
to each and every individual believer in the Guardian's own words:
"Let them resolve, instantly and unhesitatingly, to place, each
according to his circumstances, his share on the altar of Baha'i
sacrifice, lest, on a sudden, unforeseen calamities rob them of a
considerable portion of the earthly things they have amassed."
Victories, however glorious, won in other fields, will be empty of
their meaning if this most great victory is not achieved. Every
follower of the Faith is aware of that great spiritual truth that
God in His mercy and all-encompassing love does not require of His
creatures something that He will not empower them to do. We cannot
and must not fail. How many times have we been assured that the
Concourse on High is ready and eager to rush forth and assist us
to seize the palm of victory. Our Guardian never doubted our
ability to accomplish the Plan he set for us; he entrusted it to
our care and left this world, after so many years of sorrow and
toil, for realms where his spirit could operate more freely. We
cannot betray his sacred trust, we cannot disappoint the hopes he
pinned on us or prove unworthy of the supreme confidence he showed
us! Let us arise and win his Crusade and meet the challenge and
fulfil the promise enshrined in one of his last messages: "The
heights its champions must scale are indeed formidable. The
pitfalls that bestrew their path are still numerous. The road
leading to ultimate and total victory is tortuous, stony and
narrow", he tells us. "Theirs, however, is the emphatic assurance,
revealed by the Pen of the Most High-the Prime Mover of the forces
unleashed by this world-girdling Crusade-that 'Whosoever ariseth
to aid our Cause God will render him victorious over ten times ten
thousand souls, and, should he wax in his love for Me, him will We
cause to triumph over all that is in heaven and all that is on
earth.' "Putting on the armour of His love, firmly buckling on the
shield of His mighty Covenant, mounted on the steed of
steadfastness, holding aloft the lance of the Word of the Lord of
Hosts, and with unquestioning reliance on His promises as the best
provision for their journey, let them set their faces towards those
fields that still remain unexplored and direct their steps to those
goals that are as yet unattained, assured that He Who has led them
to achieve such triumphs, and to store up such prizes in His
Kingdom, will continue to assist them in enriching their spiritual
birthright to a degree that no finite mind can imagine or human
heart perceive." HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
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Election of the Independent National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey
Ridvan 1959 To the First Convention of the Baha'is of Turkey
Beloved Friends: The hearts of the followers of Baha'u'ah are
uplifted in thanksgiving upon the occasion of the historic election
of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Turkey. Next
to the formation of the National Assembly of the Community of the
Most Great Name in the Cradle of the Faith, and the National
Assembly of the Baha'is of 'Iraq the land which witnessed the
unveiling of the station of the Blessed Beauty, no country, with
the exception of the Holy Land, is more deeply associated with the
sufferings of the Manifestation of God, and the revelations of His
grandeur, than this former stronghold of Islam, and one-time seat
of the Ottoman Empire. It is well for us to recall in the midst of
our rejoicing that the fruit of this hour was watered with the very
blood of the heart of the Divine Beloved. It was from the City of
Constantinople that Baha'u'llah set out, in the dead of winter, for
the "Land of Mystery" (Adrianople), that grievous city on the
European shores of Turkey, which He Himself wrote, in His protest
to the Sultan against the wanton cruelty and injustice of this
further exile, is a "place which none entereth except such as have
rebelled against the authority of the sovereign". "They expelled
us", He declared in the Suriy-i-Muluk, "from thy city
(Constantinople) with an abasement with which no abasement on earth
can compare." "Neither My family, nor those who accompanied Me had
the necessary raiment to protect them from the cold in that
freezing weather." "The eyes of Our enemies wept over Us, and
beyond them those of every discerning person." The twelve-day
journey over the blizzard-swept countryside was but the prelude to
the years of the greatest sorrow in His life, when the "most great
separation" took place and "the most grievous veil" was torn
asunder-the "Days of stress", as He characterized them, when His
faithless brother, whom He designated the "Most Great Idol", openly
defied Him, calumniated Him, humiliated Him and finally made the
attempt on His life which left its marks upon His health until the
end of His days. It was in Adrianople that He wrote to one of His
friends: "The cruelties inflicted by My oppressors have bowed Me
down, and turned My hair white. Shouldst thou present thyself
before My throne, thou wouldst fail to recognize the Ancient
Beauty, for the freshness of His countenance is altered, and its
brightness hath faded, by reason of the oppression of the infidels.
I swear by God! His heart, His soul, and His vitals are melted!"
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The crises of Adrianople, however, gave rise to evidences of the
incomparable greatness of the Faith and the glory of the station
of Baha'u'llah. It was in Adrianople that the believers began to
be known as Baha'is that the greeting "Allah-u-Abha" was first
used, that the pilgrimage to the Presence of the newly revealed
Manifestation of God began, that the Proclamation of the Faith took
place, and it was there also that the majority of the challenging
and mighty Tablets to the Kings and Rulers of the world were
revealed. Therefore we see how great is the blessedness of this
country, which the beloved Guardian often stated is under the
direct shadow of the Holy Land itself, and which is now to receive,
after the lapse of almost one hundred years, the crowning blessing
of its own National Spiritual Assembly. The friends gathered at
this first Convention held on Turkish soil, are particularly
blessed in that the beloved Guardian himself, during the last days
of his life, made note that in 1959 the election of this pillar of
the future Universal House of Justice should take place. As the
Turkish Community emerges into its independent national Baha'i
life, it carries therefore a special gift of confirmation from the
Guardian of the Faith, and the knowledge of this added bounty must
gladden the hearts of all those present on this memorable occasion,
and encourage the members of the new Assembly to arise to great
heights of service in their stewardship of the affairs of this
glorious Faith in that country so dear to the hearts of all the
believers the world over. It is quite evident that the first
concern of this new national body must be to protect the Faith. The
greatest wisdom and circumspection must guide them in their
management of Baha'i affairs. They must likewise constantly
remember that to their care must be entrusted some of the most
sacred sites in the entire Baha'i world, located and purchased at
the instigation of the beloved Guardian himself, protected with
such great difficulty and at the cost of so much effort and
self-sacrifice, and to which he attached the greatest importance.
The most important task confronting the new National Assembly is
undoubtedly the teaching work; all efforts in this field should be
carried out in conformity with instructions already given by the
beloved Guardian himself, in previous messages to the friends who
undertook this mighty service to the Cause of God. With what
eagerness the beloved Guardian encouraged the pioneers to establish
Assemblies in every one of those blessed and historic centres
through which the Abha Beauty passed on His way to Constantinople;
how much he rejoiced when news reached him of the settlement of one
of these towns and the formation of a group or Assembly. It is as
if he had visualized the map of Turkey with a pathway winding
across it-the journey of Baha'u'llah-pricked out in
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lights, each light an Assembly shining in His Name and radiating
the splendour of His Faith. To keep these lights burning, to
enkindle new ones, to increase their brilliance, is the foremost
duty of the new national body. Its members must likewise constantly
bear in mind that the beloved Guardian enjoined all pioneers and
all travelling teachers to concentrate their attention on
confirming the native people of the land; any community in which
the local people do not comprise the majority of the Baha'is is a
community whose foundations are insecure. The Persian pioneers, who
heeded the appeals of the beloved Guardian, left their homes, and
sacrificed so much in order to diffuse the Teachings of the Blessed
Beauty throughout that land, must concentrate all their efforts on
winning over the hearts of the Turkish people; they must learn
their language, become a part of the life of that country, adopt
its ways and thus predispose a naturally reserved and conservative
people to listen to the Divine Glad-Tidings of which they are the
bearers. The newly elected National Spiritual Assembly of Turkey
should, we feel, form a supplementary Four Year Plan for the
purpose of swelling the number of believers in that historic land,
in accordance with the instructions of the beloved Guardian;
consolidating the work already achieved; markedly increasing the
number of Spiritual Assemblies, groups and isolated centres
throughout the country; incorporating, if circumstances permit, the
new national body as well as those Local Assemblies which are
firmly grounded; expanding the translation of Baha'i literature
into the Turkish language, in anticipation of the time when
publishing can be undertaken; initiating if possible a Baha'i
summer school; completing the purchase of a suitable site for the
future Mashriqu'l-Adhkar to be erected in Constantinople; and
inaugurating an independent National Fund. Well knowing the
difficulties that confront it and the enthusiasm with which its
newly elected members plan to carry forward the work of our
glorious Faith in that promising region, a land so infinitely
blessed and rich in promise, we are placing at its disposal in the
name of our most beloved Guardian the sum of one thousand dollars
as an inaugural gift to the new National Fund. We feel sure this
reminder of the constant love of Shoghi Effendi of the high hopes
he cherished for the future of the Faith there and the rapid
unfoldment of its institutions under the aegis of this new national
body will serve to stimulate the friends to shoulder a greater
measure of responsibility, to rise to fresh heights of service and
self-sacrifice and to prove worthy of all the blessings showered
upon them by that wonderful being who served them with such
selfless and self-sacrificing devotion for thirty-six years. As the
Turkish Baha'i Community enters this new phase of its development,
which marks its coming of age in the Administrative Order of the
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Faith, we cannot but recall those prophetic words of Baha'u'llah
this Youth hath departed out of this country and deposited beneath
every tree and every stone a trust, which God will 'Erelong bring
forth through the power of truth." Already some of those sacred
"trusts" have been found, the establishment of the Turkish National
Spiritual Assembly doubtless being one of them. That many more of
these inestimable bounties of Baha'u'llah may soon be brought to
light, and the country which witnessed some of His greatest moments
of agony blossom in the Faith like a goodly tree and bring forth
in days to come the full harvest He planned for its people, is the
ardent prayer and hope of every believer. Let those whose future
is now associated with this new phase of the development of
Baha'u'llah's mighty Faith in that land recall the glorious promise
enshrined in His words: "Whoso openeth his lips in this day, and
maketh mention of the name of his Lord, the hosts of Divine
inspiration shall descend upon him from the heaven of My name, the
All-Knowing, the All-Wise. On him shall also descend the Concourse
on High, each bearing aloft a chalice of pure light." "Arise,
therefore, and, with the whole enthusiasm of your hearts, with all
the eagerness of your souls, the full fervour of your will, and the
concentrated efforts of your entire being, strive to attain the
paradise of His presence, and endeavour to inhale the fragrance
of the incorruptible Flower, to breathe the sweet savours of
holiness, and to obtain a portion of this perfume of celestial
glory." "I swear by God! That which hath been destined for him who
aideth My Cause excelleth the treasures of the earth." In the
service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY
LAND Election of the South Pacific Regional National Spiritual
Assembly Ridvan 1959 To the First Convention of the Baha'is of the
South Pacific Islands Dearly beloved Friends: On the occasion of
the historic formation of the South Pacific Regional National
Spiritual Assembly the hearts of the followers of Baha'u'llah are
uplifted in thanksgiving for this great victory which testifies to
the progress of His world-encompassing Faith and to the powers He
has released in this age, which will inevitably enable mankind to
establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth foretold by the Prophets
of God in past Dispensations. This latest achievement in the
promulgation of the Divine Plan revealed
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by 'Abdu'l-Baha Himself, and set in motion by our beloved Guardian
through successive detailed plans, cannot but release untold
blessings in that area of the world so dear to his heart and which
absorbed so much of his attention during the last years of his
life. In the darkest period of the First World War, 'Abdu'l-Baha
called upon the members of the North American Baha'i Community, in
His Tablets of the Divine Plan, to "travel through the three great
Island groups of the Pacific Ocean-Polynesia, Micronesia and
Melanesia, and . . . with hearts overflowing with the love of God
... deliver the Glad Tidings of the manifestation of the Lord of
Hosts to all the people." The first results of His ringing appeal
were witnessed in the opening of Australia and New Zealand to the
Faith of Baha'u'llah, the carrying of His Message to the Society
Islands and the formation of a strong community in Hawaii, thus
establishing a bridge of centres stretching from San Francisco to
Sydney, and paving the way for the tremendous victories which have
been won in this area under the direct guidance of the beloved
Guardian during the first six years of his ten-year
globe-encircling Plan. With the inception of this World Crusade in
1953 and the allocation amongst the National Spiritual Assemblies
of America, Canada, Persia and Australia of the major islands and
island groups of the Pacific, the teaching work began to stride
forward at a formidable pace. Pioneers from the older communities
poured into the Pacific region and it is primarily due to the
dedication, perseverance, self-sacrifice and initiative of these
consecrated souls that this first Convention is being held just one
year after the passing of the midway point of the Crusade. Great
as is this fruition of their labours, we must not forget for a
moment that the greatest achievement we are witnessing on this
happy occasion is the fact that the delegates chosen to elect this
first Regional Pacific Baha'i Assembly are representative of the
peoples of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia who have become
afire with the love of Baha'u'llah, embraced His Faith and risen
to establish it in their home islands. This is the glorious victory
of our beloved Shoghi Effendi the realization of his hopes, the
consummation of his plan for this part of the world. The
extraordinary progress made throughout the Pacific region is
evident to all, and must be a great source of pride and joy to
those gathered together during these blessed Ridvan days to hold
their first Annual Convention. Let us recall some of the milestones
that have led up to this crowning event: Your National
Headquarters, the seat of your Assembly, has been purchased
according to the beloved Guardian's own Plan and your national
Baha'i endowment, registered in the name of the Suva Assembly and
likewise situated in Fiji, has been acquired as one of the goals
of that same Plan; the rapid spread of the Faith in the Gilbert and
+153
Ellice Islands, which led to the establishment of the first Baha'i
school in the entire Pacific area, on land contributed by one of
the Gilbert Islanders and built through the efforts of the Baha'is
themselves; the founding of the second Baha'i school in this
region-which has recently completed its new building on its own
land-in the New Hebrides; the construction in Samoa of the first
local Haziratu'l-Quds of the South Pacific and the holding there
of a Baha'i summer school; the large and rapidly increasing number
of Spiritual Assemblies, groups and isolated centres which have
been established in such widely-scattered areas as Tonga, the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Samoa, the Solomons, the New Hebrides,
New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, the Loyalty and Marshall Islands
and Fiji, all of which will now come under the guidance of their
own Regional Assembly; the many translations of Baha'i literature
into the languages spoken throughout these island groups-when we
recall all these evidences of the onward march of the Faith, our
hearts are lifted up in thanksgiving to Baha'u'llah, Who made these
victories possible, victories which bear eloquent testimony to the
great spiritual promise this area of the globe holds for the future
and lead us to believe that 'Erelong its peoples will contribute,
in the World Baha'i Community, a particular, unique and important
share to its counsels and render it great services in both the
teaching and administrative fields. The words of the beloved
Guardian, so often reiterated in the last years of his life, that
the continent of Africa and the Pacific Islands were vying with
each other for the palm of victory in the teaching field, are still
ringing in our ears. We have recently seen during the visit of an
African Hand of the Faith to that area how electric is the effect
produced on the minds and hearts when a representative of a
different race, from a distant land, travels amongst Baha'i
communities of another region. It forecast that happy day when
Baha'i teachers from the great ethnic groups of the Pacific will
arise and travel to the far comers of the world, teaching the
people the Glad-Tidings of this Divine Message, exchanging visits
with their African brethren and, like bees in a garden of flowers,
pollinating the hearts of men the world over with the love of
Baha'u'llah. The new Regional Assembly of the South Pacific should,
we feel, form a supplementary Four Year Plan for the purpose of
rapidly swelling the number of the adherents of the Faith
throughout the area of its jurisdiction; consolidating the historic
work already achieved in these newly opened territories; markedly
increasing the number of Spiritual Assemblies, groups and isolated
centres in the ten island territories which it represents;
incorporating, whenever possible, those Local Assemblies which are
firmly grounded; multiplying the translations of Baha'i literature
in the languages spoken in that region; founding additional local
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Haziratu'l-Quds, Baha'i schools and summer schools; purchasing the
site of the future Mother Temple of the South Pacific to be erected
in Suva; and inaugurating an independent National Fund. Well
knowing the difficulties that confront it and the enthusiasm with
which its newly elected members plan to carry forward the work of
our glorious Faith in that promising area, we are placing at its
disposal, in the name of our most beloved Guardian, the sum of one
thousand dollars as an inaugural gift to its new National Fund. We
feel sure this reminder of the constant love of Shoghi Effendi of
the high hopes he cherished for the future of the. Faith there and
the rapid unfoldment of its institutions under the aegis of this
new Regional Assembly, will serve to stimulate the friends to
shoulder a greater measure of responsibility, to rise to fresh
heights of service and self-sacrifice, and to prove worthy of all
the blessings showered upon them by that wonderful being who served
them with such selfless and self-sacrificing devotion for
thirty-six years. You are now launching the barque of your own
independent administrative existence. Although the American
National Assembly -your Mother Assembly -will always be ready to give
you advice and assistance, and although your fellow-Baha'is all
over the world will surround you with their loving thoughts and
moral encouragement, your destiny is nevertheless now in your own
hands, the hands of the peoples of these islands who have become
Baha'is and who are the electors of this historic Regional South
Pacific Assembly. We feel confident that, just as you have already
produced from amongst yourselves many Baha'i teachers, you will in
the future, with the help of the devoted pioneers who have come to
live amongst you, ever increasingly carry on your own work, and
teach this Faith to the people in hundreds of the larger islands
throughout this area. Your activities will gladden the soul of our
beloved Guardian, vindicate the confidence he placed in you and the
high hopes he cherished for your future, and attract upon you the
blessings of the Author of our Faith. We can do no better than
recall some of Baha'u'llah's gem-like utterances when He appealed
to His followers to arise and teach His Faith: "Be unrestrained as
the wind, while carrying the Message of Him Who hath caused the
Dawn of Divine Guidance to break. Consider how the wind, faithful
to that which God hath ordained, bloweth upon all the regions of
the earth, be they inhabited or desolate. Neither the sight of
desolation, nor the evidences of prosperity, can either pain or
please it. It bloweth in every direction, as bidden by its
Creator." "0 ye beloved of God! Repose not yourselves on your
couches, nay bestir yourselves as soon as ye recognize your Lord,
the Creator, and hear of the things which have befallen Him, and
hasten to His assistance. Unloose your tongues, and proclaim
unceasingly His Cause." "Blessed is the spot, and the
+155
house, and the place, and the city, and the heart, and the
mountain, and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the
land, and the sea, and the island, and the meadow where mention of
God hath been made, and His praise glorified." "Please God ye may
all be strengthened to carry out that which is the Will of God, and
may be graciously assisted to appreciate the rank conferred upon
such of His loved ones as have arisen to serve Him and magnify His
name. Upon them be the glory of God, the glory of all that is in
the heavens and all that is on earth, and the glory of the inmates
of the most exalted Paradise, the heaven of heavens." In the
service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY
LAND Election of the Independent National Spiritual Assembly of
Burma Ridvan 1959 To the First Convention of the Baha'is of Burma
Dearly beloved Friends: The hearts of the believers all over the
world rejoice with you on this glorious occasion of the formation
of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Burma. Many
have been the blessings showered upon this Community, from the
inception of its existence over four score years ago, blessings
which began with the arrival of Jamal Effendi who journeyed to
India and Burma in 1875 at the command of the Blessed Perfection
Himself, to carry the Message of God to its peoples. You have never
ceased to be under the watchful and loving care of the Supreme
Manifestation, of the Centre of His Covenant and of the Guardian
of His Faith. After the setting of the Sun of Truth, the beloved
Master constantly fostered your development and encouraged you
through the Messages He sent you, through Tablets revealed to the
early believers amongst you, through the dispatch of travellers and
teachers, from both the East and the West, through the honour He
conferred on the Mandalay Baha'is of being permitted to construct
the alabaster sarcophagus for the remains of the Primal Point in
which they are now laid to rest on Mt. Carmel. It was in the days
of 'Abdu'l-Baha, almost sixty years ago, that the Illumined and
dedicated teacher of the Cause, Siyyid Mustafa Rumi carried the
Message of Baha'u'llah to Daidanaw, which became the first
all-Baha'i village in the world outside the Cradle of the Faith,
and was a great source of joy to the beloved Master. After His
Ascension, the beloved Guardian continued to shower that same love
and care upon you. How often he praised the activities and
+156
spirit of the friends of Burma to Baha'is of other lands, extolling
you as examples of purity of heart and steadfastness, encouraging
many teachers to visit you, giving you a special objective of your
own-namely, the formation of your National Assembly in the World
Crusade. How greatly he grieved to learn of your sufferings during
the war, the destruction of the Baha'i school and Haziratu'l-Quds
in Daidanaw, the assassination of some of the believers, the
wide-scale spoliation that took place, and particularly of the
ruthless murder of your beloved teacher, Siyyid Mustafa Rumi, that
"distinguished pioneer", that "high-minded and noble soul as he so
beautifully characterized him, whom he elevated to the rank of Hand
of the Cause, whom he affirmed had attained the station of
martyrdom, and whose resting-place he declared was the "foremost
shrine" of the Burmese Baha'i Community. And last but not least,
how blessed you have been to have had the date for the election of
your historic National Assembly fixed by the beloved Guardian
himself just a short time before his passing. Gathered in this
first historic Convention of your own, your hearts no doubt turn
in praise and thanksgiving to Baha'u'llah for these manifold and
repeated evidences of His love and His all-encompassing grace. The
formation of the Burmese National Spiritual Assembly must
inevitably witness a new quickening in the Community of the Most
Great Name there, and release forces which will enable the friends
to spread the Faith much faster in their native land. As the
community emerges into independent national Baha'i life, the
thoughts of its elected representatives must turn to the mighty
tasks that lie ahead. It is our conviction that the beloved
Guardian would wish the members of the new National Spiritual
Assembly of Burma to formulate a supplementary Four Year Plan in
order to carry out, within their own area, the general provisions
of the World Crusade. They should purchase, however modest in size,
a plot of land in Rangoon to serve as the site of the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the capital city of Burma; they should
concentrate the efforts of all of the believers on carrying forward
an active and comprehensive teaching plan, aimed at the
establishment of new Assemblies and groups, the multiplication of
isolated centres and above all, at increasing at a rapid rate the
number of Baha'is in their native land; they should carefully
consolidate the historic work already most painstakingly achieved
in a period of almost four score years; they should make every
effort to translate and print a wider range of the literature of
the Faith in order to reinforce their teaching work and strengthen
the friends in their understanding of the fundamental verities
underlying the Revelation of Baha'u'llah; they should plan and hold
Baha'i summer schools for the education of the believers and close
contacts; they should take the steps
+157
necessary to incorporate the new national body, as well as those
Local Assemblies which are firmly established; and they should
immediately inaugurate a National Baha'i Fund to finance the work
of the Cause in Burma, and encourage the followers of the Faith to
support this essential Baha'i institution. Well knowing the
difficulties that confront this new Assembly and the enthusiasm
with which its elected members plan to carry forward the work of
our glorious Faith in that promising region, we are placing at its
disposal in the name of our most beloved Guardian the sum of one
thousand dollars as an inaugural gift to its new National Fund, We
feel sure this reminder of the constant love of Shoghi Effendi of
the high hopes he cherished for the future of the Faith there and
the rapid unfoldment of its institutions, will serve to stimulate
the friends to shoulder a greater measure of individual
responsibility, and to rise to fresh heights of service and
self-sacrifice. We know from the words of the Founders of our Faith
that all Asia must be set ablaze with the fire of this supreme
Revelation given to mankind at the time of its coming of age. We
feel sure that the Burmese Bahais -- members of a nation which
forms
a bridge between the peoples of the Indian sub-continent and the
teeming millions of Mongolian extraction who are as yet, for the
most part, unaware of the existence of this glorious Cause, and are
in sore need of its life-giving teachings-will play their part in
spreading the Faith, not only amongst their countrymen, but amongst
the peoples of those countries lying eastward and southward of
their homeland. Let each one recall the touching and wonderful
words of 'Abdu'l-Baha when He voiced His longing to teach His
Father's Faith and expressed the hope His followers might arise and
accomplish it in His stead: "0' that I could travel, even though
on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and, raising
the call of 'Ya Baha'u'l-Abha in cities, villages, mountains,
deserts and oceans, promote the Divine teachings! This, alas, I
cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve
it." "Whosoever ariseth to aid Our Cause", is Baha'u'llah's Own
emphatic promise, "God will render him victorious over ten times
ten thousand souls, and, should he wax in his love for Me, him will
We cause to triumph over all that is in heaven and all that is on
earth." "Let trust in God be his shield, and reliance on God his
provision, and the fear of God his raiment. Let patience be his
helper, and praiseworthy conduct his succourer, and goodly deeds
his army. Then will the Concourse on High sustain him. Then will
the denizens of the Kingdom of Names march forth with him, and the
banners of Divine guidance and inspiration be unfurled on his right
hand and before him. " HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
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Election of the Independent National Spiritual Assembly of Austria
Ridvan 1959 To the First Convention of the Baha'is of Austria
Dearly beloved Friends: On the occasion of the holding of the first
Austrian National Convention in the city of Vienna, our thoughts
inevitably go back not only to the many associations this capital
city has had with the progress of our Faith on the European
continent, but to its historic past as a meeting point, down
through the centuries, between East and West. During His visit to
the occidental world 'Abdu'l-Baha travelled to this city and
blessed it with His presence; from that time until this day of
spiritual victory it has been the object of the solicitous care and
interest of both the Master and Shoghi Effendi -- an interest which
culminated, during the last days of the Guardian's life, by his
noting that in Ridvan 1959 the National Assembly of the Baha'is of
Austria should be elected. The Community in this country has
therefore received a special blessing and impetus from Shoghi
Effendi himself on the eve of its independent existence as it takes
its place among the family of National Assemblies responsible for
the organized work of the Cause of God, and the election of that
Supreme Administrative Body which, we confidently hope, will come
into being as the culmination of all Baha'i endeavours exerted
during the Ten Year Plan, and thus worthily crown the glorious
global Crusade inaugurated by our beloved Guardian. Many are the
tasks which must face this new national body. Hitherto the Austrian
Baha'i Community has received its main impetus from its sister
community in Germany; it has shared the same National Assembly,
been served by the same committees, been financed from the same
fund, and partaken of a joint community life. Now the new National
Spiritual Assembly of Austria must shoulder independently its own
load of responsibility, guide its own affairs, appoint its own
committees, establish its own National Fund. This presents at once
a tremendous challenge to its members and a glorious opportunity
to vindicate the hopes cherished for it by the Guardian.
Undoubtedly the primary obligation of this new body is in the
teaching field. Due to the self-sacrificing efforts of a great many
pioneers-the vast majority of which are of Persian extraction-the
formation of this Assembly has been made possible and its
foundation, the Local Spiritual Assemblies, been firmly laid. A
wonderful spirit of dedication to the Faith and obedience to the
call of the Guardian for pioneers characterizes the Austrian Baha'i
Community, but in spite of this great spiritual vitality, its
+159
position is not as strong as it should be because the majority
of the believers are not native Austrians. If the political
situation in the world changes, if the antagonism of the
ecclesiastical powers becomes focused on the Cause at this critical
stage in its development there, the devoted pioneers and settlers
from abroad may find themselves forced to leave, the painstakingly
erected new pillar of the Universal House of Justice be suddenly
undermined, and the work of half a century placed in jeopardy. It
is therefore evident that the first and paramount duty of the new
National Spiritual Assembly is to concentrate its attention on
teaching the Faith to the Austrian people and reversing the present
precarious situation in which they constitute the minority instead
of the majority of the Baha'i Community in that country. The
National Spiritual Assembly of Austria should, we firmly believe,
formulate a supplementary Four Year Plan for the purpose of
consolidating the work already achieved; rapidly increasing the
number of adherents of the Faith among the Austrian people;
founding new Assemblies and groups, as well as isolated centres
incorporating as soon as feasible the new national body, and those
Local Assemblies which are firmly grounded; registering the site
of the future Mother Temple of Austria in the name of the National
Assembly; and inaugurating an independent National Fund. Well
knowing the difficulties that confront it and the enthusiasm with
which its newly elected members plan to carry forward the work of
our glorious Faith in that historic country, we are placing at its
disposal in the name of our most beloved Guardian the sum of one
thousand dollars as an inaugural gift to its new National Fund. We
feel sure this reminder of the constant love of Shoghi Effendi of
the high hopes he cherished for the future of the Faith there and
the rapid unfoldment of its institutions, will serve to stimulate
the friends to shoulder a greater measure of responsibility, to
rise to fresh heights of service and self-sacrifice, and to prove
worthy of all the blessings showered upon them by that wonderful
being who led us from victory to victory with such selfless and
self-sacrificing devotion for thirty-six years. The bonds of long
and close association with the sister community of Germany must not
be severed; on the contrary these two great German speaking
countries should continue to cooperate in the teaching work, in the
field of Baha'i publications, and in the tasks allotted to them by
the Master, as well as the Guardian, at the time when they formed
one unit, namely, the propagation of the Faith of Baha'u'llah not
only throughout Europe but particularly in the Balkan area and
eastwards into the Russian zone of influence and the Soviet
Republic itself. In their constant efforts to propagate the Cause
of God in a land that forms a meeting place between East and West,
where ancient customs
+160
and new philosophies meet, and where they must seek to attract
people from all walks of life, the members of this community can
find no better guidance than in these inspiring words of their
Guardian: "They must be neither provocative nor supine, neither
fanatical nor excessively liberal, in their exposition of the
fundamental and distinguishing features of their Faith. They must
be either wary or bold, they must act swiftly or mark time, they
must use the direct or indirect method, they must be challenging
or conciliatory, in strict accordance with the spiritual
receptivity of the soul with whom they come in contact, whether he
be a nobleman or a commoner ... a layman or a priest, a capitalist
or a socialist, a statesman or a prince, an artisan or a beggar.
In their presentation of the Message of Baha'u'llah they must
neither hesitate nor falter. They must be neither contemptuous of
the poor nor timid before the great. In their exposition of its
verities they must neither overstress nor whittle down the truth
which they champion, whether their hearer belong to royalty, or be
a prince of the church, or a politician, or a tradesman, or a man
of the street. To all alike, high or low, rich or poor, they must
proffer, with open hands, with a radiant heart, with an eloquent
tongue, with infinite patience, with uncompromising loyalty, with
great wisdom, with unshakeable courage, the Cup of Salvation at so
critical an hour, to the confused, the hungry, the distraught and
fear-stricken multitudes, in the north, in the west, in the south
and in the heart, of that sorely tried continent." Baha'u'llah has
promised them victory; let them go forward with His assurance in
their hearts: "This is the Day in which God's most excellent
favours have been poured out upon men, the Day in which His most
mighty grace hath been infused into all created things." "This is
the Day whereon the Ocean of God's mercy hath been manifested unto
men, the Day in which the Day Star of His loving-kindness hath shed
its radiance upon them, the Day in which the clouds of His
bountiful favour have overshadowed the whole of mankind." "Speed
ye forth from the horizon of power, in the name of your Lord, the
Unconstrained, and announce unto His servants, with wisdom and
eloquence, the tidings of this Cause, whose splendour hath been
shed upon the world of being." HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
BAHA'I WILMETTE JUNE 7,1959 GRATEFUL REMARKABLE RESPONSE BELIEVERS
APPEAL RIDVAN MESSAGE SECOND ARMY PIONEERS NEW IMPETUS TEACHING
ACTIVITY HOMEFRONTS STOP STRONG EVIDENCE BAHA'U'LLAH'S INVINCIBLE
HOSTS GATHERING
+161
FORCES PREPARATION CONQUEST REMAINING GOALS BELOVED GUARDIAN's
CRUSADE STOP PERSIAN AMERICAN DEPUTIZATION PLAN RECEIVING
ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE LONG-SUFFERING DEDICATED SELF-SACRIFICING
FRIENDS CRADLE FAITH WHOSE INITIAL PLEDGE WILL ASSIST MANY PIONEERS
PROCEED POSTS VITAL GOAL AREAS EUROPE LATIN AMERICA STOP
ENCOURAGING NEWS RECEIVED WORLD CENTRE IMPELS US SHARE FOLLOWING
HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUOUS PROGRESS GLOBAL CRUSADE STOP OVER THREE SCORE
NEW LOCAL ASSEMBLIES FORMED PERSIAN HOMEFRONT SURPASSING ALL
PREVIOUS RECORDS STOP IN CENTRAL EAST AFRICAN TERRITORIES ALONE
OVER 2300 NEW BELIEVERS ENROLLED PAST YEAR TOTAL NOW NEARLY 6500
STOP 77 NEW LOCAL ASSEMBLIES FORMED KENYA TANGANYIKA UGANDA TOTAL
ENTIRE AREA NOW EXCEEDS 250 STOP IN INDONESIA NUMBER centres
INCREASED FROM 30 TO 150 IN BRIEF SPAN ONE YEAR STOP IN JAVA ALONE
97 centres NOW ESTABLISHED COMPARED ONLY 8 YEARS AGO NUMBER
ADHERENTS FAITH THAT COUNTRY NOW OVER 900 REPRESENTING NINE-FOLD
INCREASE PAST YEAR STOP CALL UPON BELIEVERS EAST WEST ARISE
SHOULDER GOD-GIVEN RESPONSIBILITIES SUPPORT PRESENT PLANS FOR
SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION PRECIOUS UNIQUE HISTORY-MAKING CRUSADE BEING
UNDERTAKEN THIRTY-ONE NATIONAL REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES CREATED BY
BELOVED GUARDIAN STOP CONFIDENT TOTAL VICTORY WITHIN REACH IF ALL
HEARTS TURN Baha'u'llah, SUPPLICATING HIS UNFAILING ASSISTANCE
UNITED WHOLEHEARTED DEDICATED EFFORT FULFIL PRESENT PHASE ABDU'L-
BAHA'S DIVINE PLAN STOP SHARE MESSAGE HANDS NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES.
[CABLE] HANDSFAITH
BAHA'I WILMETTE
JUNE 14,1959 ANNOUNCE WITH PROFOUND
GRATITUDE FULFILMENT ONE MOST DIFFICULT GOALS BELOVED GUARDIAN's
WORLD CRUSADE IDENTIFICATION REMAINS COUSIN BAB SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER
CEMETERY EVIDENCE UNFAILING GRACE BAHA`U'LLAH VOUCHSAFED HIS
FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS STOP SHARE JOYFUL NEWS HANDS NATIONAL
ASSEMBLIES. [CABLE] HANDSFAITH To the Hands of the Cause throughout
the World June 30, 1959 Beloved Co-workers: As you know, it is the
responsibility of the Custodians to call the
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Annual Meeting of the Hands of the Cause. After prayerful
consultation we have selected the period of October 23 -- November
1, 1959 (both dates inclusive) as the time for this year's
Conclave. This is just a brief notice to enable all of you to make
your plans. Later we shall send you a suggested agenda for this
important meeting. With our warmest greetings and loving prayers,
In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE
HOLY LAND To the National Spiritual Assemblies formed during
Ridvan, 1959 September 2, 1959 Dear Baha'i Friends: Shortly after
the passing of the beloved Guardian, the Hands in the Holy Land,
acting upon the advice of our attorney, secured from each of the
National Assemblies then in existence a letter recognizing the body
of nine Hands serving in the Holy Land as the supreme body of the
Faith, pending the establishment of the Universal House of Justice.
We enclose a photostat of a legal document, signed by the
twenty-six Hands of the Cause present at the Conference in the
Mansion of Bahji in November, 1957, setting up the body of nine
Hands to act on behalf of all the Hands of the Cause, under the
legal title "The Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith". Our
attorney advises us that we should have a similar letter from each
new National Assembly after it is formed. We therefore request that
your Assembly adopt such a resolution, which should include the
following sentence: We pledge our full support, faith and
allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith
selected by the Hands of the Cause. This should be incorporated in
a letter sent to us by your Assembly, signed by the Chairman and
the Secretary. The names of the nine Hands originally chosen appear
on the photostat enclosed. The Custodians are empowered to call
upon any of the other Hands to serve temporarily as a substitute
for those unable for the time being to be present in the Holy Land.
Please keep the enclosed photostat in a safe place, but we ask you
not to display it or give it general circulation. With warm Baha'i
love, In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE
IN THE HOLY LAND
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GERMAN BAHA'I COMMUNITY CARE BAHA'IRAT FRANKFURT SEPTEMBER 2,1959
ADDRESS SPECIAL APPEAL GERMAN BAHAIS OLD WELL-TRIED FAITHFUL
COMMUNITY HEART EUROPEAN CONTINENT ARISE SEND PIONEERS ASSIST
YOUTHFUL NEIGHBOURING BAHA'I COMMUNITIES SCANDINAVIAN BENELUX ITALO
SWISS AREAS STOP CONVINCED THEIR SELF-SACRIFICING SERVICES TEACHING
FIELD THIS CRITICAL JUNCTURE EXECUTION BELOVED GUARDIAN's WORLD
CRUSADE CAN BE INSTRUMENTAL ENSURING ESTABLISHMENT NEW ASSEMBLIES
SPECIFIED BY GUARDIAN ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE, FORMATION FORTHCOMING
INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES CONSTITUTING PILLARS UNIVERSAL
HOUSE JUSTICE STOP RECALLING REPEATED BLESSINGS SHOWERED UPON THEM
BY CENTRE COVENANT WHO PERSONALLY VISITED ENCOURAGED THEM PROMISED
THEM GREAT VICTORIES AND MINDFUL IMPORTANT ROLE DEVELOPMENT FAITH
EUROPE CONFERRED UPON THEM BY BELOVED GUARDIAN LET THEM NOW
DEMONSTRATE THEIR GRATITUDE WORTHINESS DIVINE BESTOWALS THROUGH
RUSHING AID FELLOW EUROPEAN BELIEVERS FEW IN NUMBER BUT VALIANTLY
STRUGGLING WIN GOALS THEIR HOMEFRONTS STOP PLACING SPECIAL FIVE
THOUSAND DOLLARS GERMAN PIONEER FUND DISPOSAL NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FACILITATE DEPARTURE VOLUNTEERS THIS HISTORIC SERVICE PRAYING
SHRINES ASSISTANCE BAHA'U'LLAH IMMEDIATE RESPONSE THIS CALL RAISED
IN NAME MEMORY DEARLY LOVED GUARDIAN. [CABLE] HANDSFAITH To the
Hands of the Cause of God throughout the World September 11, 1959
Beloved Co-workers: Enclosed is a suggested agenda for this year's
Annual Meeting of the Hands of the Cause. The Custodians have
prepared this tentative list of subjects in order that all of the
Hands may give prayerful thought, in advance of the meeting, to the
many matters upon which we must consult. For obvious reasons this
agenda should be kept completely confidential, and we request each
of you to take special care that only the Hands themselves see it,
or have knowledge of its contents. We look forward to seeing you
all in Haifa next month, and eagerly await the opportunity of
consulting on ways and means of winning all the goals of our
beloved Guardian's Plan. Meanwhile we send you our warmest
greetings and loving prayers. In the service of the beloved
Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
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AGENDA - 1959 CONCLAVE GENERAL SUBJECTS PRESENTED BY THE HANDS THE
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE ELECTION OF INTERNATIONAL Baha'i COUNCIL
STATUS OF WORLD CRUSADE Local Assemblies Temples Formation of
National Spiritual Assemblies Other Unfinished Goals ACTIVITIES
OF THE HANDS The Custodians Functions of the Hands Auxiliary
Boards Travel of Hands To the National Spiritual Assemblies Formed
in Recent Years October 8, 1959 Dear Baha'i Friends: In connection
with the plans formulated by your Assembly for the progress of the
work in your area during the remaining years of the Crusade, we
would like to call your attention to the fact that, although the
beloved Guardian himself encouraged some of the Assemblies elected
after the commencement of the Crusade to purchase Temple sites, he
made it amply clear that such Temple sites should be in the nature
of token purchases of land. In other words, it is not necessary at
the present stage of the unfoldment of the Faith all over the
world, when the principal objectives of the World Baha'i Community
are to spread the Cause of God and establish new Assemblies and
national bodies, that the Temple sites purchased be considered
permanent in nature. A small area-even as little as two or three
acres-would fulfil this goal for the time being. It could be
purchased for a modest sum, and at a future date, if the situation
were suitable, it could be added to by further purchases of land,
or the original plot could be sold or exchanged, and a better site
obtained by the believers. We feel that it is very important for
the elected representatives of the Baha'is to bear this instruction
of the beloved Guardian in mind, so that the limited financial
resources of the Faith can be used during the remaining
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years of the Crusade for the attainment of those objectives which
are absolutely essential and were specified by him in the Ten Year
Plan. With warm Baha'i greetings, In the service of the beloved
Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND P.S. It should also
be clearly understood that the financing of supplementary goals
such as Temple sites must be assumed by the National Assemblies to
whom these goals were assigned, without calling upon outside
sources. BAHA'I WILMETTE OCTOBER 9,1959 REJOICE ANNOUNCE ATTAINMENT
DIFFICULT IMPORTANT GOAL BELOVED GUARDIAN'S WORLD CRUSADE THROUGH
REMOVAL AFTER LAPSE OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS REMAINS MIRZA BUZURG
FATHER Baha'u'llah, AND LOVING BEFITTING REINTERMENT BAHA'I BURIAL
GROUND VICINITY MOST GREAT HOUSE STOP SHARE HANDS NATIONAL
ASSEMBLIES. [CABLE) HANDSFAITH BAHA'I WILMETTE NOVEMBER 5,1959
ANNOUNCE ALL NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES SELECTION HORACE HOLLEY JOHN
FERRABY MEMBERS BODY NINE HANDS HOLY LAND REPLACING MASON REMEY
Hasan BALYUZI BOTH UNABLE SERVE PERMANENT CAPACITY STOP Hasan
BALYUZI HENCEFORTH WILL SERVE AS ALTERNATE HAND HOLY LAND STOP
HAPPY INFORM BAHA'I WORLD HERMANN GROSSMANN PROCEEDING LATIN
AMERICA RESIDE DURATION CRUSADE ASSIST PROSECUTION URGENT IMPORTANT
TASKS WESTERN HEMISPHERE, [CABLE] HANDSFAITH To All National
Spiritual Assemblies November 7, 1959 Beloved Friends: Enclosed is
the Message sent by the body of the Hands of the Cause of God to
the Baha'is of East and West from their third historic meeting in
the Holy Land.
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The vital decisions announced in this communication, affecting the
course of Baha'i history for centuries to come, will be such a
source of joy to all the friends in your area that we ask you to
share it with them immediately through your News Letter, or
otherwise. We are confident that the friends everywhere will now
arise to make still greater sacrifices in the path of service and,
with renewed zeal and dedication, carry forward the Holy Crusade
of our beloved Guardian to total victory, and that glorious
consummation which is promised for 1963. With warm B Baha'i love,
In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE
HOLY LAND CONCLAVE MESSAGE 1959 From the Hands of the Cause to the
Baha'is of Fast and West Mansion of Baha'u'llah Bahji 'Akka, Israel
November 4,1959 Beloved Friends: The Hands of the Cause gathered
in the precincts of the holiest spot on the entire planet have,
after long and prayerful deliberations, made plans embracing those
final steps which they feel must be taken by all the followers of
Baha'u'llah in East and West in order to bring to a successful
conclusion the World Crusade of our beloved Guardian. Alarmingly
little time is now left to us in which to accomplish his design.
Well aware of the fact that this great Faith of Baha'u'llah stands
in sore need of the erection of that infallible and supreme
legislative Body which in the words of the Centre of the Covenant
Himself "God hath ordained as the source of all good and freed from
all error", and which the Guardian said "posterity will regard as
the last refuge of a tottering civilization", we have fixed the
date for the election of the Universal House of Justice as Ridvan
1963, coinciding with the termination of our glorious World Crusade
and the celebration of the Most Great Jubilee commemorating the one
hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Baha'u'llah. As we look
back over the past two years which have elapsed since that
unforgettable and heart-breaking moment when we realized our
beloved Guardian had been taken from us, we cannot but marvel at
the protection which has been vouchsafed this Holy Cause. As one
man the
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believers have rallied to the support of their Faith, closed their
ranks, stood firm in the hour of supreme test and arisen to carry
forward the World Crusade. The enemies of the Cause have been
powerless to harm it, so complete has been the unity between the
Baha'is of the world, so strong the confidence and support with
which they have surrounded the Hands of the Cause. The numerous
properties and resources of the Faith have been completely
protected; the Government authorities of the State in which the
World Centre is situated have acknowledged the stewardship of the
Faith as represented by the Hands of the Cause serving in the Holy
Land on behalf of the Chief Stewards; the National and Regional
Assemblies have supported, assisted and worked in the closest
cooperation with this nucleus of Hands resident at the World
Centre; a great wave of pioneers unprecedented since the inception
of the Crusade, has arisen and is even now beginning to pour out
to those goals most urgently in need of settlers and teachers; the
Temples, so dear to the heart of the beloved Guardian, are in two
continents rapidly reaching completion, and in a third, plans for
its erection are now at long last being implemented. Profoundly
thankful and encouraged as we are for these manifold blessings
showered on us from on High in our hour of greatest darkness and
need, we are nevertheless aware that from this instant until the
end of the World Crusade there can be no rest for any of us if we
are to achieve the goals of the Crusade. We have therefore
formulated the following plan of action which will enable the
Baha'i world to establish the Universal House of Justice in 1963,
and which we now share with our fellow-believers. We call for the
election in Ridvan 1961 of the twenty-one National Spiritual
Assemblies of Latin America which will constitute some of the
pillars of the Universal House of Justice in that region. This
historic decision is based on the fact that we have every reason
to hope and believe that the devoted band of the followers of
Baha'u'llah in those countries will succeed during the Ridvan
period of 1960 in forming those Spiritual Assemblies required of
them by our beloved Guardian in the specific provisions he laid
down for them in the World Crusade. Reports we have received from
the Hands of the Cause who have visited those countries during the
past year, as well as from the four Regional Assemblies responsible
for the work in that area, have convinced us the time is ripe to
make this joyous announcement to the Baha'i world. We therefore
urge the two Regional Assemblies of South America and the Regional
Assembly of Central America as well as that of the Greater
Antilles, in collaboration with the Hands of the Cause in the
Western Hemisphere and the National Assembly of the Baha'is of the
United States, to concentrate their attention, during the remaining
months of this Baha'i year, on
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ensuring that those Local Assemblies which form the bedrock of
these future national bodies may be formed next April. In studying
the world-wide state of the Ten Year Plan, we have been forced to
realize that the election of the eleven independent National
Assemblies which must, in accordance with the Plan of the Guardian,
be established in the European continent before the end of the
Crusade, is much more difficult and presents a greater challenge
than is the case in Latin America as the Local Assemblies must be
quadrupled rather than doubled. We have therefore set the date for
the election of these European national bodies for Ridvan 1962. It
is our conviction that with constant and concentrated effort and
sacrifice, our objectives can be accomplished there and the
requisite number of Local Assemblies be brought into being by
Ridvan 1961. The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Ceylon will likewise be elected in 1962. With the formation of
these national bodies, and we trust, circumstances permitting, of
the two others specified in the provisions of the Ten Year Plan,
a wide and representative foundation for the Universal House of
Justice will have been laid. We are also happy to announce that
another milestone in Baha'i history will be reached with the
election of the International Baha'i Council during Ridvan 1961.
The embryonic institution established and so highly extolled by the
beloved Guardian will thus enter its final stage preceding the
election of the Universal House of Justice. The members of all the
National and Regional Spiritual Assemblies of the Baha'i world,
duly constituted in Ridvan 1960, will take part in a postal ballot
to elect nine members to the International Council. This
International Baha'i Council is to work under the direction and
supervision of the Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land,
serve a two year term of office, and cease to exist upon the
occasion of the election of the Universal House of Justice. All the
Baha'is of the world, men and women alike, are eligible for
election. As the Chief Stewards of the Faith are wholly occupied
with specific tasks assigned them by the beloved Guardian and
perforce assumed since his passing, they should not be considered
for election to this Council. Two of the functions originally
allotted to the Council by the beloved Guardian, namely, to forge
links with authorities of the State in which the World Centre is
situated, and to conduct negotiations related to matters of
personal status with civil authorities will still be discharged,
and to them are added the following: To assist the Hands of the
Cause in the care of the properties at the World Centre, and in the
establishment of the Universal House of Justice; and in any other
functions which the Hands may assign from time to time. We wish to
assure the believers that every effort will be made to
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establish a Baha'i Court in the Holy Land prior to the date set for
this election. We should however bear in mind that the Guardian
himself clearly indicated this goal, due to the strong trend
towards the secularization of Religious Courts in this part of the
world, might not be achieved. At this turning-point in the Crusade
when all our forces must be unitedly concentrated on winning its
goals, the friends should not be deflected from the vital tasks
confronting them by discussion of such subjects as can only be
considered when the Universal House of Justice is established.
Therefore we feel it is necessary to recall the words in the
Proclamation we sent out after the passing of the beloved Guardian:
"When that divinely-ordained Body comes into existence, all the
conditions of the Faith can be examined anew and the measures
necessary for its future operation determined in consultation with
the Hands of the Cause." This includes the subject of the
Guardianship. Aside from the pressing demands of the world-wide
work of the Faith which must be met and administered from the Holy
Land, and which require so much attention on the part of the Chief
Stewards, plans are being formulated for the Hands to travel to
various countries and lend the National Spiritual Assemblies their
personal assistance during the months immediately ahead and indeed
until the end of the Crusade. These plans include visits to the
Cradle of the Faith, where the vast majority of the followers of
Baha'u'llah reside, to the Baha'i communities in the United States
and Canada, who constitute the chief prosecutors of the Divine
Plan, to the Latin American countries where by 1961 so many
National Assemblies must be formed, and to Europe, where another
eleven of the future pillars of the Universal House of Justice must
be erected by 1962. In addition to these plans, the Hands, pursuant
to the wishes of our beloved Guardian, are contemplating a much
more intensive and wider use of the Auxiliary Board members in
carrying out the work of the World Crusade, and a much closer
cooperation between the Institution of the Hands and the National
Spiritual Assemblies. The importance of the plans made for the
election of these National Assemblies as well as that of the
International Baha'i Council cannot be overestimated, because the
above plans constitute the end of a forty-two-year-long prelude to
that glorious consummation which will take place with the election
of the Universal House of Justice in Ridvan 1963. Through the
creation of this mighty Institution, the Formative Age of the
Dispensation of Baha'u'llah, will have entered a now stage in its
development; the thirty-six years of Shoghi Effendi's
heart-breaking, self-sacrificing ministry will bear one of its
fairest fruits, and that wondrous prophecy of Baha'u'llah be
fulfilled: "Verily this is the Day in which both land and sea
rejoice at this announcement, the Day for which have been laid up
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those things which God, through a bounty beyond the ken of mortal
mind or heart, hath destined for revelation. 'Erelong will God sail
His Ark upon thee, and will manifest the people of Baha) who have
been mentioned in the Book of Names." On the eve of the great
victories which lie ahead and which we will befittingly celebrate
on the occasion of the "Most Great Festival", the "King of
Festivals", the "Festival of God" Himself, let us recall the
glorious appeal and promise in these words of our Guardian:
"Dearly beloved friends! ... Ours is the duty to fix our gaze with
undeviating attention on the duties and responsibilities
confronting us at this present hour, to concentrate our resources,
both material and spiritual, on the tasks that lie immediately
ahead, to ensure that no time is wasted, that no opportunity is
missed, that no obligation is evaded, that no task is halfheartedly
performed, that no decision is procrastinated. The task summoning
us to a challenge, unprecedented in its gravity and force, is too
vast and sacred, the time too short, the hour too perilous, the
workers too few, the call too insistent, the resources too
inadequate, for us to allow these precious and fleeting hours to
slip from our grasp, and to suffer the prizes within our reach to
be endangered or forfeited. So much depends upon us, so pregnant
with possibilities is the present stage in the evolution of the
Plan, that great and small, individuals, groups and Assemblies,
white and coloured, young and old, neophytes and veterans,
settlers, pioneers, itinerant teachers and administrators, as
isolated believers, as organizers of groups, and as contributors
to the formation of Local or National Assemblies, as builders of
the Temple, as labourers on the home teaching front ... all,
without exception and in every sphere of activity, however modest,
restricted, or inconspicuous, must participate and labour,
assiduously and continually, until every ounce of our energy is
spent, until, tired but blissful, our promised harvest is brought
in, and our pledge to our Beloved fully redeemed." [Signed as
follows] Ruhiyyih A. Furutan Amelia Collins Zikrullah Khadem Leroy
Ioas William Sears Horace Holley John Robarts, Sh. Alai John
Ferraby Ugo Giachery, Jalal Khazeh Adelbert Muhlschlegel, Enoch
Olinga, H. Collis Featherstone Agnes B. Alexander Paul E. Haney
Tarazu'llah Samandari, A. Q. Faizi; M. B. [Musa Banani Hermann
Grossmann Hasan M. Balyuzi
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To All National Spiritual Assemblies December 4, 1959 Dear Baha'i
Friends: Since the passing of our dearly beloved Guardian, we feel
ever increasingly the necessity of protecting the many invaluable
instructions and interpretations which he gave to the Baha'is all
over the world during the thirty-six years of his Guardianship. No
copies for the most part were kept by him of his letters, whether
written in handwriting or typed by his various secretaries. This
includes the precious postscripts on these letters which were
written in his own handwriting. This sacred reservoir of his
guidance must be preserved for posterity, and we feel no time
should be lost in making fresh appeals to the believers to send
immediately either the original letters they have received from
Shoghi Effendi regardless of subject matter, or authenticated
copies to your National Assembly for preservation in your archives.
We would like you to send a duplicate copy or the original,
whichever you prefer, to us of any material of this nature you
receive, so that it can be preserved in the International Archives
here. We also take this opportunity of asking your Assembly to take
immediate steps to see that all copies of his letters to your body
are forwarded to the World Centre for our information and for
careful preservation here. We know that in many cases in the
history of our Faith, words of supreme importance regarding the
conduct of its affairs were written by the Founders of our Faith,
the Master and the Guardian in letters to individuals and
Assemblies. Now that the time is drawing near for the formation of
the Universal House of Justice, all material available pertaining
to the Cause, its direction, the interpretation of its teachings
etc. is urgently needed for future reference. We request you
therefore to start collecting such material yourself at once and
send copies on to us as soon as possible. With loving greetings,
In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE
HOLY LAND To the Hands of the Cause of God and the National
Assemblies of the Baha'i World December 22, 1959 Dearly loved
Friends: Forty months are left to us to finish our beloved
Guardian's holy Crusade. In these months that lie immediately ahead
we have to bend
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every effort in order to achieve that supreme task. Time is swiftly
passing, and every moment of these fast-fleeting days is
immeasurably precious. That which stands supremely important over
and above everything else, to which we must look every day of the
year until the appointed time is reached, is the fulfilment of the
goals of the Ten Year Crusade. Forty years ago in the darkest days
of the First World War, the Master revealed the Tablets of the
Divine Plan. The beloved Guardian laboured over thirty-six
agony-laden years to raise the Administrative Order and make it a
fit instrument for the implementation of the Plan which the Master
had laid down for us. "The most important of all things", says
'Abdu'l-Baha in His Will and Testament, "is the guidance of the
nations and peoples of the world. Teaching the Cause is of utmost
importance for it is the head corner-stone of the foundation
itself." For the accomplishment of this paramount purpose, the
beloved Guardian assiduously built the Local and the National
Spiritual Assemblies of the Baha'i world. He often reminded us that
the perfecting of the Administrative Order and the administrative
procedure, was not to be an end in itself. Our Beloved in the very
last message which he sent to the Baha'is of the World, in October,
1957, told us that we were about to enter the fourth phase of the
Crusade, and in that weighty, vital and fate-laden message, his
last command and his last behest was that this fourth phase "must
be immortalized ... by an unprecedented increase in the number of
avowed supporters of the Faith, in all the countries of the globe,
of every race, clime, creed and colour, and from every stratum of
present-day society, coupled with a corresponding increase in the
number of Baha'i centres . . ." To the accomplishment of this
command, and the fulfilment of this behest, we must now direct our
undivided attention. Thus we will be assured of victory everywhere,
in new fields as well as old, in countries whose goal is to
establish independent National Assemblies, as well as those where
the home-front goals are themselves a major task. Whilst valiant
pioneers go out, determined and dedicated, to their posts, a
movement that must be well planned and urgently accelerated, every
effort must be made to greatly intensify the work of teaching
everywhere. It is the sacred duty of every Baha'i to teach. It is
also the inescapable duty of all Assemblies, Local and National,
not only to organize the work of teaching, but to give all possible
assistance to individuals who arise to carry out this pre-eminent
task. We should bear in mind that by naming the Hands of the Cause
the "Chief Stewards of Baha'u'llah's embryonic World Commonwealth",
the beloved Guardian has conferred upon them, as the last act of
his life, specific and particular responsibilities which they must
discharge. But another specific duty which devolves equally and
unequivocally upon
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both the Hands of the Cause of God and the National Spiritual
Assemblies, is to implement fully and immediately the instruction
of the beloved Guardian, contained in his message of June 4th,
1957: "Call upon Hands and National Assemblies, each continent
separately, to establish henceforth direct contact and deliberate,
whenever feasible, as frequently as possible, to exchange reports
to be submitted by their respective Auxiliary Boards and national
committees, to exercise unrelaxing vigilance and carry out
unflinchingly their sacred, inescapable duties. The security of our
precious Faith, the preservation of the spiritual health of the
Baha'i communities, the vitality of the faith of its individual
members, the proper functioning of its laboriously erected
institutions, the fruition of its world-wide enterprises, the
fulfilment of its ultimate destiny, all are directly dependent upon
the befitting discharge of the weighty responsibilities now resting
upon the members of these two institutions, occupying, with the
Universal House of Justice, next to the Institution of the
Guardianship, foremost rank in the divinely ordained administrative
hierarchy of the World Order of Baha'u'llah." The words of the
beloved Guardian and the action they indicate, are manifestly
clear. The Hands of the Cause and the National Spiritual Assemblies
must for the welfare of our beloved Faith and in compliance with
our Guardian's instruction, establish this close collaboration at
the earliest possible moment. Meeting as frequently as possible,
they should at the same time exchange their reports, and keep one
another informed of all the developments in every aspect of the
work so dear to all our hearts. These two institutions must
therefore assist each other in every way to speedily accomplish the
remaining goals of the Crusade. We are on the last lap, and the
road that leads to the completion of the Beloved's Holy Crusade,
to total triumph, to the Most Great Jubilee, to the crowning glory
of the establishment of the Universal House of Justice, is indeed
difficult and beset by many formidable obstacles. But the beam of
our Guardian's guidance shines as bright as ever, and as long as
we keep within the path of that light and follow its course, there
is nothing to fear and we are assured of victory, The requisites
of this pressing hour are unwavering resolve, clear vision, prompt
action. We pray ardently at the Sacred Thresholds that our combined
efforts may be blessed, and that we may all give adequate
expression in our deeds, to the love that we bear in our hearts for
our Guardian. With deepest love, In the service of the beloved
Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
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MINISTRY OF THE CUSTODIANS
1960
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To the Hands of the Cause of God throughout the World January 8,
1960 Beloved Co-workers: Reports received from all parts of the
Baha'i world tell of the enthusiasm of the friends over the message
sent from the recent gathering of the Hands held in Bahji The
National Assemblies, as well as many of the believers, have assured
us that this message has greatly inspired them and they have
pledged the fullest support in carrying out the detailed plans we
have made for the fulfilment of the supremely important objective
of establishing the requisite number of Local and National
Assemblies by Ridvan 1962. This response has greatly encouraged us
and we hasten to share this good news with you all. As we all
realized in Bahji the complete unity of the Hands of the Faith at
this crucial time is essential to ensure the triumph of the Plan
of our beloved Guardian and the glorious consummation of the
establishment of the Universal House of Justice in 1963. Above all,
we must adhere strictly to the solemn agreement we made to limit
all discussions of the Guardianship to the references made in the
messages from our three Conclaves. The same of course applies with
equal force to our agreement that none of us would express any view
individually concerning the question of the eligibility of the
Hands for membership on the Universal House of Justice, but would
simply refer the friends to the Writings of the Central Figures of
the Faith, including those of the beloved Guardian. We have
recently written a letter to all National and Regional Assemblies,
asking them to refrain from publishing or printing any new
treatises or statements relating to the Administrative Order in its
present stage and to the question of the Guardianship. There have
been one or two instances of such things being published which
might cause confusion and unnecessary discussion amongst the
friends. We therefore felt it imperative to take action before
other material of this nature appeared. The response of the
Assemblies concerned has been very cooperative when we called this
matter to their attention. We have received word that some of the
Hands have not been sufficiently careful in strictly observing the
understandings which we reached, particularly that no comment
whatsoever would be made concerning the Guardianship or its future
except as outlined in our three messages. We call this to your
attention because we are fearful that the least infraction of this
most important matter on the part of any Hand may lead to very
serious consequences throughout the Baha'i world. When we visit the
sacred Shrines, we pray most ardently for each and
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every one of you and for the success of the great work you are
carrying forward in such a sacrificial and effective manner. We
send loving Baha'i greetings, In the service of the beloved
Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND To the Hands of the
Cause of God throughout the World February 11, 1960 Dear
Fellow-Hands: It was agreed at the Conclave that the Hands residing
in the Holy Land should from time to time circulate some of the
news contained in the reports and letters that flow in to the World
Centre. We enclose the first of these News Letters which we trust
you will find helpful in your teaching and other activities. We are
asking the National Assemblies to share this with the friends
through their own News Letters. With warm Baha'i love, In the
service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY
LAND To All National Spiritual Assemblies February 11, 1960 Beloved
Friends: Enclosed is a communication from the World Centre, giving
some highlights on the progress of the Faith, gleaned from news
reaching Haifa from all over the Baha'i world. We feel that such
a News Letter from the Holy Land, which we plan to issue from time
to time, will be of interest to the friends and provide a source
of inspiration and encouragement. Please share this bulletin with
the believers in your area through your News Letter. With warm
Baha'i love, In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE
CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND NEWS FROM THE WORLD CENTRE OF THE FAITH
February 11, 1960 Dearly beloved Friends: The Hands of the Faith
in the Holy Land have received many requests
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for news direct from the World Centre, and it has been our hope
for some time to share with the believers selections from the
glad-tidings which reach us here. The two years which have elapsed
since the passing of our dearly beloved Guardian have imposed such
heavy burdens that it has been impossible hitherto for us to
undertake this informal news letter to the friends, which we hope
to be able to send out from time to time in the future. Through the
grace of Baha'u'llah, the day-to-day work of the World Centre has
continued very much as it did in the time of our beloved Guardian,
but of course without the divine inspiration, the wondrous wisdom
and love which it then received through the Sign of God on earth.
As the friends have no doubt noticed from the correspondence coming
from the Hands in the Holy Land, we have been blessed with the
assistance on different occasions of many of our fellow-Hands. That
is why the signatures on the letters are not the same at different
times. Some of us are occasionally absent for necessary reasons,
and then one or more of the Hands from another place has come to
our assistance and acted as a substitute. This has greatly enriched
our meetings by bringing us the viewpoints of our fellow-Hands, and
enabling them to acquire an intimate experience with the problems
facing the Baha'i world in the course of the prosecution of the Ten
Year Crusade. In view of the vast territories of the Western
Hemisphere, and the fact that two of the Hands of the Faith of that
area have moved to the Holy Land, for service at the World Centre,
it was decided at the recent Conclave of the Hands that in addition
to William Sears, Hermann Grossmann should serve as a Hand of the
Western Hemisphere for the remainder of the Crusade. He is now in
South America, actively assisting the two South American Regional
Assemblies in the attainment of their Crusade goals. Many of the
Hands, realizing how little time is left to us to achieve the World
Crusade goals of our beloved Guardian are now engaged in extensive
travels. Ugo Giachery, is making a tour of Central America. John
Robarts, has left Africa for an extended visit to Canada to assist
the friends in attaining their home-front goals. Adelbert
Muhlschlegel, is spending some months in Scandinavia and Finland,
assisting the Regional Assembly of these countries in the
all-important work of teaching and consolidation. 'Ali-Akbar
Furutan one of the Hands serving in the Holy Land, is at present
making a lengthy visit to Iran, encouraging the believers to arise
as pioneers for centres abroad, as well as in Iran itself.
Shu'a'u'llah 'Ala'i is visiting centres in the Indian
sub-continent, the Northern Pacific
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region, and Japan. The other continental Hands are carrying on
their activities at a heightened pace. At the present time the Hand
of the Cause Tarazu'llah Samandari, is working in Haifa on the
identification of the handwriting of the innumerable Tablets
collected in the International Baha'i Archives. His long
association with the Faith, dating from the days of the Blessed
Beauty Himself, has made him familiar to a unique degree with the
penmanship of the Bab. Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha, and their various
amanuenses, and ideally fits him for this important service. The
prominence of the edifices associated with the World Centre of the
Faith is steadily increasing in Israel, like a constellation that
mounts the heavens as the hours advance. The peace and beauty which
streams from the inner Shrine of Baha'u'llah and the splendour of
the Haram-i-Aqdas which surrounds it; the Shrine of the Bab. the
International Archives Building, and the extensive surrounding
gardens of both buildings, are becoming recognized more and more
as outstanding sites in this country. Indeed it can be truly said
that nothing comparable to these buildings and gardens exists
anywhere in Israel, or for that matter on the shores of the
Mediterranean Sea. Innumerable postcards, greeting cards,
photographs and books publicize the Holy Shrines and their environs
in Haifa and 'Akka, A ceaseless stream of tourists from abroad and
from different towns in Israel flows into the Shrine gardens daily;
tour buses and school buses pour hundreds of sight-seers into the
Baha'i Holy Places; and there can be no doubt that just as the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in America is a great silent teacher, as the
Master said it would be, so the Shrines here have likewise become
mighty teachers of the Faith. We feel sure that in the future a
rich harvest will be reaped from the many souls who have visited
their sacred precincts. It is surprising how many of the visitors
inform the friends who show them around that they have Baha'i
friends or relatives in other countries. Ten years ago this was a
remark rarely heard, but it is now becoming commonplace, and
testifies to the extraordinary progress the Faith has made all over
the world -- a progress directly attributable to the unremitting
labours, the determination and the self-sacrifice of our beloved
Guardian. The plans made by him are continually bearing fruit.
Since his passing, with the exception of a few remaining
territories in the Soviet zone of influence, every single virgin
country specified by him in the Ten Year Crusade has been opened
to the Faith. Paul Adams succeeded, as the friends know, in opening
Spitzbergen in 1958, and this devoted young Knight of Baha'u'llah,
after overcoming many difficulties, was able to return this winter
to that far northern outpost. During the last few months Jeanne
Frankel and her mother, Elizabeth Bates, were able to enter the
Cocos Islands. This goal of the Ten Year Plan had been previously
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opened to the Faith by Frank Wyss, Knight of Baha'u'llah from
Australia. Unfortunately he was refused permission to remain, but
Jeanne has been more fortunate, and the wonderful news has recently
reached us that she now has a group of Baha'is in that far-off
tropical island. Great indeed is the power of Baha'u'llah! It is
not possible to go into details of the progress being made all over
the world; however, some of the highlights are indeed thrilling.
Recently in Swaziland the Faith has been listed as a fourth
religion by the Government. Last year it was possible for Collis
Featherstone to visit, at the invitation of some of the Maori
chiefs in New Zealand, a centre of Maori culture and to present the
Faith to the leaders of the people. As all religious teaching has
been forbidden in that area because of the conflicts the different
Christian sects aroused amongst the people, this was indeed a
unique honour conferred by the Maori leaders upon a representative
of our Faith. The chiefs were deeply impressed and requested that
literature be left for their people to study. The third
all-American Indian Baha'i Assembly was formed last April in
Bolivia, and since then many hundreds of Indians have entered the
Faith-outstanding steps toward fulfilment of one of the dearest
hopes of the beloved Guardian, who urged the friends on many
occasions to remember the words of 'Abdu'l-Baha, in the Divine
Plan, that if the original inhabitants of America accepted the
Faith they would become as enkindled as the original inhabitants
of Arabia who accepted the Prophet Muhammad. Among the many
outstanding advances in Africa may be cited the extraordinary
number of enrolments in Uganda and Kenya, which are now on such a
scale as to present a serious problem to the administrative bodies
responsible. There are just not enough Baha'is to keep up with the
work of checking the declaration cards that come in! The mass
conversion desired and foretold by the beloved Guardian is now
taking place in this area, as well as in the Malayan Archipelago
and other areas of the Pacific. It presents a great challenge and
a wonderful hope for the future. Schools run by Baha'is for the
Africans are perforce increasing throughout the continent as the
Faith spreads and the Baha'i membership increases so rapidly. In
view of the urgent need for pioneers to fill the goals in Latin
America and Europe, it is encouraging to note that there is a
strong internal movement of pioneers. At least ten German Baha'is
have arisen and volunteered to go to the aid of their sister
communities in neighbouring countries. This is a great step
forward, as the German Baha'i Community has had special
responsibilities and honours conferred upon it by both 'Abdu'l-Baha
and the Guardian. In Latin America also, many pioneers are leaving
the established communities, to settle in the
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goal cities where Local Assemblies must be formed this coming
Ridvan Plans for the construction of the Mother Temple of Europe
in Frankfurt are at last beginning to take concrete form. The
German National Spiritual Assembly, in view of past frustrating
experiences had refused to purchase outright the Temple property
until such time as permission to build was assured from the
authorities. This now having at last been obtained, the deeds to
the property have been transferred to the name of the Assembly. The
architect's working drawings are well under way, and as soon as
weather permits, actual work on the site will be commenced. As the
friends are aware, the Mother Temple of Africa, situated in
Kampala, will be dedicated at the beginning of next summer. The
Mother Temple of Australia is advancing at a rapid pace, and
although the exterior of the building may be completed by the
coming Ridvan plans for its dedication are being made for the
following year, in other words, 1961. The funds for these two
Temples, thanks to the munificence of the beloved Guardian himself,
and the generosity of the believers, have been assured; but the
greater part of the funds needed to construct the German Temple has
still to be raised, and this presents a serious challenge to the
Baha'is throughout the world in completing this vital goal of the
Fourth Phase of the Crusade before 1963. The many pilgrims who
visited the Holy Land will remember how often the beloved Guardian
mentioned his heavy burdens, and that he was over-worked and
concerned over the multitudinous problems which faced him. This
work and these problems have fallen to the lot of the Hands of the
Faith, who have been obliged and privileged to assume the burden
at the World Centre. We ask the believers to remember us in their
prayers as we remember them in ours in the Holy Shrines. We realize
that only the grace of Baha'u'llah can assist us all-His followers
all over the world-to bring to a successful conclusion the mighty
plan of our beloved Guardian. We also realize, however, that the
grace of God must be attracted by a magnet in this world. The
magnet, we know, is purity of heart, dedication in service,
obedience to the Divine commands, and willingness to sacrifice. We
urge all of the friends, whoever they are and wherever they are
serving, whatever their station in life, their age, their education
or abilities, to remember their individual and collective
responsibility for executing the Plan of God. Let them study the
Guardian's World Crusade, and determine in what manner locally,
nationally, on the home front or in the international arena they
can most effectively assist in laying the foundation of that
supreme edifice, the Universal House of Justice. In the service of
the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
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To All National Spiritual Assemblies February 21, 1960 Dear Baha'i
Friends: We would like to remind you of our request that all
National Spiritual Assemblies submit semi-annual reports to reach
the Holy Land not later than October 15 and March 15. The
information you send us each year in the March 15 report is of
great assistance in preparing our Ridvan Message to the Annual
Conventions, which summarizes the progress of the Faith throughout
the world. It is vital that these reports reach Haifa not later
than March 15. Our previous communications have outlined the
specific information to be included in these reports. This next
report should include, in addition to the number of Assemblies,
groups and isolated centres a brief summary of the status of the
settlement of the goal cities chosen to achieve the vitally
important home-front objectives in your area, as well as a list of
teaching conferences and schools held in your territory since last
Ridvan. The report should also include any particularly noteworthy
or interesting achievements during the past year, whether they
represent World Crusade victories or the achievement of
supplementary goals. With warm Baha'i love, In the service of the
beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND RIDVAN
MESSAGE 1960 To Annual Baha'i Conventions Dearly beloved Friends:
Another twelve months of important Baha'i events have revolved upon
the mighty axis of our beloved Guardian's divinely inspired, world
encompassing Crusade. Once again, at this blessed Ridvan period,
we pause to survey the accomplishments of the past year, to
enumerate its victories and to assess the tasks that still lie
ahead ere we reach the goal of 1963 and enter upon the celebration
of the supreme Jubilee of our Faith, the hundredth anniversary of
the Declaration of Baha'u'llah's Mission -- a Mission which casts
its light forward over five hundred thousand years of human
destiny. We Baha'is may well raise our hearts in thanksgiving to
Him for the constant evidences of His unfailing grace, protection
and guidance vouchsafed to us, the small but faithful band of His
followers
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scattered throughout the populous and ancient centres of culture
in both the East and the West, throughout the wildernesses of
Africa and the New World, and the far-flung islands of the seas.
In spite of the heavy blow we received so recently through earthly
separation from our Guardian --a blow from which our hearts still
bleed; in spite of our frailty as chosen instruments of God; in
spite of the fewness of our numbers in the face of the teeming
millions as yet unaware of the advent of the Promised One of all
ages; in spite of the circumscribed nature of our material
resources in spite of all these things we witness that this Faith
of ours is receiving an uninterrupted impetus from the Will of
Baha'u'llah and that its nascent institutions, given to us by Him,
elaborated by 'Abdu'l-Baha and erected by Shoghi Effendi are
multiplying in number, growing in strength, casting down deeper
roots into the life of society, increasing in prestige and
demonstrating the power nascent within them which must flower
eventually into a World Civilization and bring about that Golden
Age which will in truth be the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth. The
process of knitting the Baha'i world together and coordinating its
far-flung activities, which was carried on from the World Centre
of our Faith by the beloved Guardian, has steadily continued since
his passing and bears witness to the enduring foundations he laid
during the thirty-six years of unremitting toil and self-sacrifice
which characterized his ministry. The brilliance of his planning,
the far-reaching vision which inspired his decisions, the vitality
of the Administrative Order he built up during his lifetime,
continue to bear fruit. The "heart and nerve centre" of the Faith,
the hub into which the spokes of this mighty wheel of God, this New
World Order, fit has continued to function with unabated vitality,
receiving its spiritual impetus from the twin Holy Shrines in which
are laid to rest the Twin Manifestations of God for this Day, and
pouring this life-force into the world-wide Community of the
followers of the Most Great Name, in spite of having so recently
passed through one of the worst crises in one hundred and seventeen
years of Baha'i history. The Ten Year Plan, the latest step in the
unfoldment of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan designed to bring about
the spiritual conquest of the entire globe, has forged ahead in a
truly miraculous manner since that grievous and fateful November
day in 1957 which witnessed the removal of its guiding force, its
Commander-in-Chief, the designer of its every phase, and the one
to whom its prosecutors, whether Hands, Board members,
administrative bodies, pioneers or teachers, looked for words of
encouragement and guidance and from whom they eagerly anticipated
receiving that measure of reward or acclaim that he in his wisdom
and love might bestow upon them. Not only has the unity of the
Faith been protected, the plans of its
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enemies forestalled and its properties safeguarded, but the spirit
of the believers has not faltered in the darkest hour of test. We
may truly say that it is this great pact of faith in the hearts of
the friends that has held the Cause steadily on the course
chartered for it by its Guardian, and has been the magnet
attracting so many new souls to the Faith during the past two
years. It is this force of faith in Baha'u'llah and love for Him
that has swept the Baha'is of the world forward to such astonishing
victories as the establishment during this present Ridvan period
of the entire number of Spiritual Assemblies specified by the
beloved Guardian in the Ten Year Plan as the necessary foundation
for the future independent national Baha'i bodies of Latin America.
Those responsible for this feat obeyed his behest to ". . . set
their faces towards those fields that still remain unexplored and
direct their steps to those goals that are as yet unattained,
assured that He Who has led them to achieve such triumphs . . .
will continue to assist them in enriching their spiritual
birthright to a degree that no finite mind can imagine or human
heart perceive." How shining are the evidences that this promised
support has been vouchsafed to them by Baha'u'llah Himself. Last
Ridvan with so many Local Assemblies still needed in Latin America,
the heights still to be scaled seemed unattainable; this Ridvan the
banner of conquest floats proudly from every hilltop. How greatly
must Shoghi Effendi's heart rejoice! The truly extraordinary
evidences of progress throughout the entire range of Baha'i
activity should cause us all to ponder anew the mysterious power
of this Faith, to marvel at the secret springs that so constantly
feed its needs, and to supplicate that during the coming year a
still greater measure of Baha'u'llah's loving protection, His
all-conquering strength, His unfailing guidance, may be vouchsafed
to us in the prosecution of the beloved Guardian's mighty Crusade.
With humble gratitude for the untiring and consecrated labours of
our fellow-believers and deep joy in their achievements, we share
with the friends the truly remarkable list of the major events and
victories of this past year. The number of territories comprising
the World Community of the Most Great Name has now risen to the
impressive total of two hundred and fifty-six, including all of the
one hundred and thirty-one original virgin goals of the World
Crusade listed by our beloved Guardian, with the exception of ten
territories within the Soviet orbit. One of the most difficult
objectives of the Ten Year Plan, Hainan Island, has recently been
opened by a stalwart Knight of Baha'u'llah of Chinese origin,
adding another pearl to that chain of islands girdling the Asiatic
mainland. The steady process of multiplication of localities where
Baha'is reside in all parts of the globe has raised the total of
these centres to over five thousand eight hundred, far exceeding
"the goal of five thousand Baha'i
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centres in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres" called for by our
beloved Guardian in his Ridvan Message three short years ago. More
than thirteen hundred localities have been added since his passing,
over six hundred of these during the past year alone. This
uninterrupted expansion, brought about by the twin processes of
dispersion and enrolment of new believers, has brought the number
of such centres in the Goal Countries of Europe to more than a
hundred and forty; in Germany and Austria, to a hundred and
forty-eight; in the British Isles to a hundred and fifty-one; in
Australasia and in the Dominion of Canada, respectively, to nearly
a hundred and sixty; in the Indian subcontinent to a hundred and
eighty; in Latin America to nearly three hundred and forty; in the
Pacific area to over five hundred; in Persia to more than one
thousand and seventy; in the African continent to eleven hundred
and forty; and in the United States of America to nearly fifteen
hundred and seventy. In the African continent and throughout the
Pacific region, areas encompassing almost half of the original one
hundred and thirty-one virgin territories to be opened during the
World Crusade, extraordinary progress continues to be made, the
rate of increase far surpassing that in any other parts of the
world and bearing conclusive witness to the spiritual vitality in
the hearts of their indigenous peoples. As evidence of this mighty
process of conversion now taking place, we may cite the fact that
over four hundred new centres have been added in Africa during the
past two years, and over two hundred in the Pacific region during
the last twelve months. In Latin America, the scene next year of
the formation of no less than twenty-one new National Spiritual
Assemblies, more than a hundred centres have been added since last
Ridvan a feat the magnitude of which cannot be sufficiently
stressed when one considers the vast territory involved and the
relatively small number of believers able to carry forward the work
of the Crusade. The number of Local Spiritual Assemblies throughout
the world, referred to by our Guardian as the "foundation of the
edifice of a rising Order", is rapidly approaching one thousand
five hundred, reflecting an increase of almost two hundred in each
of the last two Ridvan periods. Of these more than two hundred and
forty are now incorporated. Over half of the thirty-one National
and Regional Spiritual Assemblies now established have achieved the
Crusade goal of incorporation, seventeen having so far secured this
legal registration, the latest being the energetic National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Burma, which has just
received, less than a year after its own formation, official
recognition by the Government of the Union of Burma. Translations
of the continually expanding literature of the Faith have
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now been made in two hundred and sixty-eight different
languages, representing an increase of nearly one hundred and
eighty since the inception of the Crusade. Ninety-six of these are
supplementary to those originally specified by our beloved Guardian
in the Ten Year Plan. During the Crusade years Baha'i literature
has been translated into all of the European languages called for
in the Plan; into eighty-two of the indigenous languages of Asia;
sixty-five of Africa; and over twenty in the Americas. Progress in
erecting the three great Mother Temples of Africa, Australasia and
Europe is steadily continuing. Practically three years before the
end of the World Crusade the beautiful and highly suitable
Mashriqu'l-Adkhar at present reaching completion in the heart of
Africa, will be dedicated, during this coming August, at a ceremony
attended by believers from many districts and territories of what
was once known as the "dark continent" but now shines as one of the
brightest regions of the entire Baha'i world. The Temple in Sydney,
Australia, is rising at a rapid pace, and already this great
"silent teacher" of the Antipodes is attracting wide publicity and
the attention of thousands of people who pass by it daily on an
adjacent main highway. It is anticipated that its dedication will
take place early in 1961. The plans for the European
Mashriqu'l-Adkhar, long the subject of opposition on the part of
certain church elements in Germany, are now well advanced and it
is hoped that construction can commence during the coming months
at the Temple site near Frankfurt. These historic first steps
in-the process of erecting Houses of Worship and their attendant
institutions, which play such an important part in the Baha'i
society envisaged by Baha'u'llah, are being followed up and
supported through the purchase of many sites for future Temples.
During the past year, Japan, Austria, Bolivia, Guatemala and the
Dominican Republic have acquired plots of land for this purpose,
raising the number of such sites since the inauguration of the Ten
Year Plan to the truly impressive total of thirty-three. Among the
many other properties added in various parts of the world during
the past year to the already impressive list of Baha'i holdings,
the following are of special interest because of the official
recognition which their acquisition has involved, giving increasing
emphasis to the independent character of the Faith, and adding to
its prestige: The approval, by the District Commissioner of Kenya,
of the allocation of two plots of land in village areas for Baha'i
purposes, and the pending approval of a third plot; the
authorization, confirmed through a special decree issued by the
Ministry of Finance in Laos, for the Baha'i Community in Vientiane
to own in its name a plot of land as an endowment; and the
recognition by Governmental authorities of Baha'i burial grounds
as such in Abbotabad, Nawabshah and Montgomery, in Pakistan, and
in Seremban, Malaya, the
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three latter sites being direct allocations of Government land for
the purpose of establishing separate Balid'i cemeteries. Another
evidence of the growing recognition of the independent character
of the Faith is the continued expansion in the number of
territories, states, provinces and other civic units where the
Balid'i Marriage Certificate is legally accepted. Such recognition
has now been granted in nearly forty-five different countries and
political sub-divisions, the latest additions being the provinces
of Alberta and Saskatchewan in the Dominion of Canada. The Balid'i
Holy Days are now officially recognized by school authorities in
eighty different countries, states and cities. In the United
States, including Alaska, more than ten new areas have been added
since last Ridvan. In the African continent, the onward march of
the Faith bears eloquent testimony to the spiritual receptivity of
its inhabitants, so strongly emphasized by our beloved Guardian,
and reflected, even before his passing, in the beginnings of that
mass conversion confidently predicted by him. As a result of the
intensive teaching campaigns launched by the four African Regional
Assemblies, the number of declared believers throughout this vast
continent has risen to well over fifteen thousand, seven thousand
having been added since last Ridvan. In Central and East Africa,
the number of enrolled believers has more than doubled in the short
space of a year. Over four thousand new declarations have been
recorded in Uganda alone since April 1959, nearly twelve hundred
in Kenya, and well over two hundred in Tanganyika. In the Belgian
Congo, also, the beginnings of mass conversion are becoming
evident. In the far-flung territories under the jurisdiction of the
Regional Assembly of South and West Africa, a gain of over sixty
percent has occurred during the past twelve months in the total
number of adherents of the Faith. The zeal of the now believers in
this area is well illustrated, by the recent settlement of the
Island of Sesse in Lake Victoria, an accomplishment of a nature
ever dear to Shoghi Effendi's heart. The number of Local Spiritual
Assemblies in the whole of Africa has reached a total of three
hundred and seventy-six, an increase of well over two hundred since
the passing of the beloved Guardian. Representatives of two hundred
and seventy-three different African tribes are now included in the
membership of the Balid'i Community. Noteworthy among the many new
instances of official recognition accorded the Faith during the
past year are: The establishment and registration of the first
Balid'i Publishing Trust in Africa, in Kampala, Uganda; the
inclusion of "Baha'i' on the official census sheet as one of the
religions of Swaziland; and the registration of the Haziratu'l-Quds
of Port Victoria, Seychelles as a religious property, thereby
exempting it from all taxation.
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The Pacific area, exclusive of Australasia, competing with the
African continent for that "Palm of victory" so often mentioned by
the beloved Guardian himself, continues to fulfil the high
expectations held by him for the rapid advancement of the Faith
throughout its widely dispersed countries, islands and territories.
Last year the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies in this region
had reached one short of the hundred mark double the number which
existed in 1957, and a further substantial increase is anticipated
during the present Ridvan period. In the region of South-East Asia,
the number of declared believers now exceeds seven thousand five
hundred, including over forty-eight hundred in the Mentawai Islands
alone. In addition to the astounding progress being made there,
more than a thousand new believers have entered the Faith in
Indonesia during the period since Ridvan, 1959. In the ten island
groups comprising the territory of the Regional Assembly of the
South Pacific, there are now nearly sixty localities. A three-fold
increase in the number of centres in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands
has occurred in the past year, and news has recently been received
that on one of these islands, to which the first Gilbertese Baha'i
was banished because of his association with the Faith, nearly
fifty new believers have recently been enrolled, due to his
single-handed efforts. One Haziratu'l-Quds has already been
completed in this remote outpost, and two more are under
construction. In the vast territory of the Western Hemisphere,
including within its confines the Cradle of the Administrative
Order, as well as those republics whose rulers were addressed by
Baha'u'llah in such insistent and weighty terms, the number of
localities to which the light of His Faith has penetrated now
totals nearly two thousand one hundred, well over three hundred of
which constitute Local Spiritual Assemblies; almost a hundred and
forty of these are now incorporated. The rapid spread of the Faith
among the Indians of South America in recent months has rivaled
the extraordinary progress made in the heart of the African
continent and the islands of the Pacific, and may well foreshadow
a parallel process of mass conversion in the New World. In Bolivia,
a seven-fold increase in the number of Indian believers has
occurred since last Ridvan bringing the total to over the one
thousand mark, drawn from almost a hundred different localities.
As many as twenty-five new all-Indian Local Spiritual Assemblies
may be formed in this country alone during the current Ridvan
period. Throughout the Americas contact has been established with
more than sixty different tribes since the inception of the
Crusade, evidence of the steady progress made in carrying the
Teachings to these indigenous peoples to whose enrolment in the
Faith both 'Abdu'l-Baha, and our beloved Guardian attached such
great importance. Among the many instances of an ever-wider
proclamation of the Message
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of Baha'u'llah during recent months, the following may be cited as
an indication of the wide geographical area now being reached, and
a testimony to the increasing official and public recognition of
the Faith as an independent religion: The Australia-wide press and
publicity campaign recently initiated by the National Assembly of
that country; the first publicity received over both radio and
television in the British Isles; the broadcast of a program
consisting of Baha'i Sacred Writings over the All-India Radio from
New Delhi; the presentation of the Message to the people of Japan
on Radio Tokyo, and from a national television station in that
country; the time accorded to a Baha'i speaker in Switzerland over
Radio Lausanne, as well as the television interview granted a
travelling teacher in France, which was telecast from two principal
stations in that country; the allocation of radio broadcast time
to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Suva, Fiji Islands, along with
other religions, including Christian, Hindu and Muslim; and the
notable increase in publicity freely accorded the Faith in the
United States of America, particularly in connection with such
Baha'i-sponsored events as World Religion Day, Race Amity Day, and
the Baha'i observance of United Nations Week. An enumeration of the
various teaching conferences, institutes and week-end schools held
throughout the world during the last twelve months is most
impressive, not only because of the very large number which took
place, but also because nearly every part of the world-wide Baha'i
Community is represented. Though not necessarily complete, the
following is a representative list of these gatherings, which our
beloved Guardian considered to be a demonstration of the zeal and
earnestness of the believers in "discharging their primary
obligation to propagate their Faith": The Austrian Teaching
Conferences held during the past winter in Vienna, and in Linz, as
well as the first Austrian Youth Winter School in Krieglach; the
Benelux Teaching Conference in Brussels; the striking total of one
hundred and sixteen teaching conferences, one-day and week-end
schools held in twenty-four different cities and towns in the
British Isles; the Regional Teaching Conferences held in Germany,
in Hannover, Heilbronn, Koln, Stuttgart, Ulm, and two in Frankfurt;
the two Regional Teaching Conferences held in France, in Orleans
and Montpellier; the six Regional Teaching Conferences held in the
Iberian Peninsula; the Teaching Conference for the German-speaking
cantons of Switzerland, in Zurich, and that for French Switzerland,
in Lausanne; the Italian Teaching Conference, in Rome; the Finnish
Teaching Conference, in Helsinki; the three Teaching Conferences
of India, in New Delhi, Kanpur, and Mysore; the Teaching
Conferences of Japan, in Tokyo, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki; the
Teaching Conference of East Pakistan, at Dacca, and of West
Pakistan, at Lyallpore; the forty-five teaching
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conferences and week-end schools held in Central and East Africa,
including thirty-five in Uganda, four in Kenya, four in Tanganyika,
and one in Ruanda-Urundi; the teaching conferences and teacher
training schools held in Mauritius, Mozambique, both Northern and
Southern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Swaziland, the Union of South Africa,
and Zululand; the many teaching conferences in the Australian
continent, including three in each of the States of Victoria, and
Queensland, respectively, two each in New South Wales, South
Australia and Western Australia, and the same number in Tasmania;
the teaching conferences held in all of the main centres of the
North Island of New Zealand; the first All-Philippine Teaching
Conference, in Manila, and the conferences held in Indonesia,
Malaya, and other areas of Southeast Asia; the Teaching Conferences
of the South Pacific Islands, at Tuarabu Village, in the Gilbert
and Ellice group, in Apia, Western Samoa, the three conferences
held in the Tongan Islands, and the Fiji Teaching Conference in
Suva; the Winter Workshop held on the campus of the University of
Alaska, at Fairbanks; the Winter Conference in Ketchikan, Alaska;
the All-Argentine Teaching Conference, in Rosario, and similar
conferences held in Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay; the National
Teaching Conferences of Peru, in Lima, and of Brazil, in Niteroi;
the twenty-five teaching conferences held in Canada, covering every
province of the Dominion, and including thirteen in Ontario alone;
the Costa Rica Teaching Conference in San Jose; the Teaching
Conference of Nicaragua, held in Managua; the All-Mexico
Conference, in Mexico City; the Youth Congress held in Guatemala
City; the Intercommunity Teaching Conference of Panama, in La
Chorrera; the Honduran Teaching Conference, held in Taulabe; the
three International Schools of the Greater Antilles, one in Ciudad
Trujillo, Dominican Republic, and two in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as
well as two National Teaching Conferences in the same area; and the
series of nation-wide conferences, nearly sixty in number, held in
the United States of America, sponsored by the National Spiritual
Assembly, and aimed at creating a deeper understanding of the needs
of the Cause at this present stage of the World Crusade, and
designed to lend a marked impetus to the teaching work, both abroad
and on the home front, as well as approximately sixty additional
Area Teaching Conferences held throughout the length and breadth
of that country. The recapitulation of facts such as these,
concrete evidence of the astonishing forward march of this
irresistible, divinely-inspired Plan, cannot but fill our souls
with courage and determination to arise and carry out the remaining
tasks of the World Crusade with greater vigour and dedication than
ever before. The supreme importance and significance of the World
Centre of the
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Faith, irrevocably fixed by Baha'u'llah Himself in the Holy Land,
and constantly stressed by the Guardian in his writings, has
emerged since his passing and looms before us in its stupendous
outlines, as the Most Great Jubilee approaches and the institutions
of the World Centre evolve. It is incumbent upon the Baha'is
particularly their elected National and Regional representatives,
to realize that the unity of the Faith and the necessary uniform
spread of its activities depend upon the proper co-ordination and
protection which is given from the World Centre. National or
Regional plans or interests cannot be permitted to sacrifice the
overall interests of a closely-knit, smoothly functioning World
Community. The eagerness of the Assemblies, and the believers they
represent, each striving to attain in its own area a greater
measure of development, to raise up new institutions such as
Haziratu'l-Quds, Temples, schools and endowments, must be at once
fostered and contained; fostered so that the Faith may arise
locally in all its glory and power in different parts of the world;
contained and directed so that each part whilst expanding and
developing as fast as possible may not place in jeopardy the work
of another area or undertake over-expansion or expenditure at the
expense of another member of this single entity -a World Community.
A constant consultative flow of communications must
ever-increasingly, as the Crusade draws to its close, pass in and
out of Haifa between the various National and Regional Assemblies
and the Hands of the Faith in the Holy Land upon whom has devolved
the task at this critical juncture in Balid'i history of
safeguarding and promoting the world interests and world-wide
progress of the Cause of God. During this year of momentous
preparation for the election of no less than twenty-one new
National Spiritual Assemblies in Central America, the Antilles and
South America, a ceaseless effort must be exerted on the part of
all those responsible for the fulfilment of these supremely
important goals of the Crusade in order to ensure that the newly
elected Local Assemblies, as well as those previously elected,
remain at their present level, that they be deepened in faith and
understanding of the Administrative Order, that the Communities
they represent are increased in number and the rank and file of the
believers more deeply confirmed in the spirit of the Faith and
encouraged to serve its interests and spread its knowledge among
the peoples of their respective countries. This is going to require
arduous work on the part of those devoted and consecrated pioneers
who constitute the vanguard of Baha'u'llah's advancing hosts; it
is going to mean more pioneers and teachers may still be required
in this strategic field of service; it will entail on the part of
the Mother Community in North America an unabated flow of
assistance in the form of loving consultation, cooperation and
guidance, as well as a supply of
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material means from this more prosperous and richly blessed
community to these struggling new daughter communities, rich in
spirit and in promise, but often lacking in the financial resources
necessary to attain their objectives and maintain their centres it
is going to necessitate further outpourings of treasure from the
devoted self-sacrificing followers of Baha'u'llah in the Cradle of
the Faith who already, through the operation of the Persia-America
deputization plan, have been responsible during the past eighteen
months for much of the present spectacular success we now enjoy in
the Latin American field; it will entail a greater measure of
activity on the part of both the Board members and the elected
representatives of the present four Regional National Assemblies
functioning in this area. It must inevitably draw heavily upon the
strength and the time-so fleeting, so short and therefore so
precious-of the Hands of the Faith, both those serving at the World
Centre and those allotted to the Western Hemisphere. We are
confident, however, that these needs can and will be met and the
glorious prize now well within our reach be seized in all its
perfection and the new National Assemblies emerge next Ridvan in
all their promise, prepared to assume their function as pillars of
that Universal House of Justice so soon to be born. We are
evidently entering a new phase in the unfoldment of 'Abdu'l-Baha's
Plan for the spiritual conquest of the entire planet. A movement
can be seen in different parts of the world such as has not been
witnessed since the inception of this Cause in Persia. The masses
are beginning to stir, to raise their eyes and look questioningly
upon the Message we are presenting to them; at first by hundreds,
now in some places by thousands, they are embracing this Faith,
fulfilling the prophecies of the Master and the words of the
Guardian. Although at the present time this new process is taking
place largely amongst the so-called more primitive members of human
society, introducing into the Baha'i family of peoples much needed
qualities of both heart and mind, we have every reason to believe
it presages similar movements of mass conversion in other
territories. The impact of the passing of our beloved Guardian, the
electric shock it administered to the entire body of the believers,
the fire of sorrow and test through which they passed and from
which they are emerging stronger than ever before, cannot but
release, as has every major crisis in the past history of our
Faith, a fresh flow of those forces which mysteriously and
irresistibly lead it to new victories, widen the pale of its
influence, and swell the ranks of its followers. In view of this
conspicuous process now taking place we call upon those pioneers
and believers struggling in distant and difficult fields and
particularly those in the recently opened territories, to persevere
in their labours, to take fresh heart, to appreciate the spiritual
significance of the service they are rendering and remain
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steadfastly at their posts-posts so dear to our beloved Guardian
and to which he attached such great importance. Though the soil of
men's hearts be infertile, the spiritual climate of their thoughts
inhospitable and the promised harvest seem but a distant dream, let
them remember their sacred responsibility as Baha'u'llah's
"forward-marching warriors" and steadfastly persevere in their task
until they not only achieve success, but God willing, in the end
bless the land they have served so faithfully by laying their bones
to rest in it, as many a pioneer has done before them, and their
graves become places of visitation for future generations. The
recent, little short of miraculous, achievements in Latin America
demonstrate to us what hidden springs of strength are released in
us when we obey the behests of our Guardian. They prove to us that
the promised aid of the Supreme Concourse is at hand, eager to
assist us, and that in the words of Shoghi Effendi its "invisible
battalions are mustered, rank upon rank, ready to pour forth
reinforcements from on High" and sustain even the humblest service
undertaken in the Path of God. Very little time remains to us if
we are to accomplish fully and with resounding success the tasks
allotted to us by Shoghi Effendi in the last, mighty Plan we
received from him, the final fruit of his divinely-inspired mind.
We need not, we cannot, and we will not fail him. It lies within
our power to seal with complete victory his world-encircling
Crusade. This can only be done, however, if mighty and ceaseless
efforts are made by each and every believer and more particularly
those who form a part of such richly blessed and favoured
Communities as those in the Cradle of the Faith and in the Cradle
of its Administrative Order. Aside from the task of consolidating
and maintaining the work in Latin America, prior to the election
in Ridvan 1961 of the twenty-one independent National Assemblies
to be formed there, a tremendous amount of work faces the Baha'is
whether they be Hands, national bodies entrusted with specific
tasks, teachers or pioneers. In Europe, where no less than eleven
National Assemblies must be formed in the spring of 1962, the
requisite number of Local Assemblies, the foundation for these new
institutions, is far from being complete. Approximately forty must
be constituted by next April. The field is difficult, the people,
sunk in materialism, often cynical and disillusioned as a result
of two world wars, are indifferent to religious truth and
preoccupied with the economic problems and social diversions of a
highly civilized continent. All these factors constitute one of the
greatest challenges of the entire Crusade. A Faith, however, for
which twenty thousand of its adherents died as martyrs, which has
planted its banner in a little over a hundred years in two hundred
and fifty-six territories of the globe, embracing every independent
nation, every dominion, mandate and trust territory and all the
major islands of the world,
+195
whose valiant pioneers and teachers are scattered like life-giving
seed in every comer of the planet, has the power within it to sweep
away every obstacle in its path. If the present National Assemblies
focus their strength and concentrate their thoughts, resources and
energies on the goals they must attain; if the individual believers
consult their hearts and their consciences and arise and proceed
to the battle-fronts most in need of their assistance; then the
power placed by God in the Ten Year Plan, the third and final stage
of the initial epoch in the evolution of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Master
Plan, will, like a mighty tidal wave, sweep away every remaining
obstacle and carry us to glorious victory. We must face the fact
that a still greater measure of self-sacrifice is required of us
than perhaps at any previous time in the prosecution of the World
Crusade. Two-thirds of this Crusade is already won; the opening of
the virgin territories, the translation of our literature into so
many diversified languages, the erection of continental Houses of
Worship, the multiplication of Assemblies and centres the
increasing recognition of the independent character of our Faith,
the incorporation of its administrative bodies, the formation of
new national bodies, are either accomplished facts or now lie well
within our grasp. The last third, however, still remains. The new
National Assemblies must be securely raised on their specified
foundations; the home fronts, the very bedrock of existing older
National Assemblies, which have lagged far behind the general rate
of progress achieved in other fields, must now receive the
assistance which alone can fulfil their objectives, namely, a wide
increase in settlers and an influx of new souls enlisted under the
banner of Baha'u'llah through a renewed and unremitting teaching
effort. And finally, the European Temple, one of the most important
goals of the Ten Year Plan, still remains to be erected. The
accomplishment of these tasks not only requires a fresh dedication
to our work on the part of every single believer, but of necessity
will demand a great outpouring of our material resources. The
strength of the Cause of God in all Dispensations, however, has
been in the rank and file of its adherents; it is the meek, the
obscure, the poor, indeed often the needy, who have arisen like
veritable spiritual giants and established its institutions, raised
its first precious edifices, carried its Message to the masses,
laid down their lives for its Teachings, and demonstrated the
regenerating spiritual power of the Word of its Manifestation. So
today, as our Guardian's Crusade approaches its end, it is to the
rank and file of the believers that we must took. From them will
come its heroes, saints and martyrs; they will be the ones to
fulfil the hopes of Shoghi Effendi to realize the promises of
'Abdu'l-Baha, to lay the foundations of the World Order of
Baha'u'llah on an unshakeable foundation, to win the ultimate
victory.
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The beloved Guardian made quite clear the supreme role of every
single Baha'i He said, one year after the inception of the World
Crusade, that "This challenge, so severe and insistent, and yet so
glorious, faces no doubt primarily the individual believer on whom,
in the last resort, depends the fate of the entire community. He
it is who constitutes the warp and woof on which the quality and
pattern of the whole fabric must depend. He it is who acts as one
of the countless links in the mighty chain that now girdles the
globe. He it is who serves as one of the multitude of bricks which
support the structure and ensure the stability of the
administrative edifice now being raised in every part of the world.
Without his support, at once whole-hearted, continuous and
generous, every measure adopted, and every plan formulated, by the
body which acts as the national representative of the community to
which he belongs, is foredoomed to failure. The World Centre of the
Faith itself is paralyzed if such a support on the part of the rank
and file of the community is denied it. The Author of the Divine
Plan Himself is impeded in His purpose if the proper instruments
for the execution of His design are lacking. The sustaining
strength of Baha'u'llah Himself, the Founder of the Faith, will be
withheld from every and each individual who fails in the long run
to arise and play his part." The Master has made clear in an
impelling and impassioned appeal, the overwhelming potency of the
forces released by Baha'u'llah, which activate those who respond
to His call. These words surely leave none of us any excuse for
failing in our duty to God, Baha'u'llah and His Cause: "The undying
Fire which the Lord of the Kingdom hath kindled in the midst of the
holy Tree is burning fiercely in the midmost heart of the world.
The conflagration it will provoke will envelop the whole earth. Its
blazing flames will illuminate its peoples and kindreds. All the
signs have been revealed; every prophetic allusion hath been
manifested. Whatever hath been enshrined in all the Scriptures of
the past hath been made evident. To doubt or hesitate is no more
possible ... Time is pressing. The Divine Charger is impatient, and
can tarry no longer. Ours is the duty to rush forward and, ere it
is too late, win the victory." HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
To the Continental Hands and All National Spiritual Assemblies
APRIL 28, 1960 DEEPLY REGRET NECESSITY INFORM BAHA'I WORLD HAND
CAUSE MASON REMEY NOW ASSERTING HE IS GUARDIAN FAITH STOP THIS
PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM CLEARLY CONTRARY SACRED TEXTS CAN ONLY BE
REGARDED AS
+197
EVIDENCE CONDITION PROFOUND EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE STOP CALL UPON
BELIEVERS EVERYWHERE JOIN HANDS HOLY LAND COMPLETE REPUDIATION MS
MISGUIDED ACTION STOP SHARE THIS MESSAGE FRIENDS. [CABLE] HANDS
HOLY LAND To the Hand of the Cause Mason Remey April 30,1960 Dear
Mason: For your information we quote below the text of a cable sent
by the Hands in the Holy Land to the Continental Hands and to all
National Assemblies on April 28: Deeply regret necessity inform
Baha'i world Hand Cause Mason Remey now asserting he is Guardian
Faith Stop This preposterous claim clearly contrary Sacred Texts
can only be regarded as evidence condition profound emotional
disturbance Stop Call upon believers everywhere join Hands Holy
Land complete repudiation this misguided action Stop Share this
message friends. Before their departure for Canada and the United
States, Ruhiyyih KHANUM and Mrs. Collins participated in the
decision to take this action, making it unanimous. With heartfelt
regret, Faithfully yours, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND To
the National Spiritual Assembly and the Believers of France May
5,1960 Dear Friends: The Hands in the Holy Land are sending the
Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, to France, to meet with the
National Spiritual Assembly and the Baha'is of France, and to act
on behalf of the Hands for the protection of the Faith in the
situation created by Mr. Remey's unfounded claim. Mr. Faizi, will
act in accordance with instructions given him by the Hands in the
Holy Land. He is empowered to take whatever steps may be necessary
to carry out these instructions. In the service of the beloved
Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND
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To the Hands of the Cause of God and the National Spiritual
Assemblies throughout the Baha'i World May 10, 1960 Dearly beloved
Friends: In order that the Baha'i world may know the reaction of
the various National Assemblies and Conventions to Mr. Remey's
misguided action proclaiming himself to be the Guardian of the
Faith, we are sharing with you the texts of the messages already
received by the Hands in the Holy Land, reflecting widespread
repudiation of this baseless claim, and pledging loyalty to the
divinely-ordained institution of the Hands. We know the friends
will rejoice in the world-wide expressions of solidarity and
stead-fastness with which this fantastic and ill-advised claim was
met. God indeed protects His Cause! It is clear that by claiming
that he is the Guardian, Mr. Remey has abandoned his station as a
Hand of the Cause, and therefore cannot receive recognition as a
Hand until he renounces the self-conferred title of Guardian. The
Hands of the Holy Land will notify the National Assemblies if this
occurs. For the protection of our beloved Faith we call upon the
friends every-where to have no association with Mr. Remey as long
as he continues to press his false claim to the station of
Guardianship. We also request the believers to forward to the World
Centre through their National Assemblies any communications which
they may receive from Mr. Remey. Naturally we hope that the
emotional disturbance that led to Mr. Remey's regrettable action
will prove not to be permanent and that we shall soon be able to
inform the friends that he has withdrawn the claim and that
communication with him is again permitted. Meanwhile you should be
watchful, and keep us informed of any developments. Such episodes
as this can, through firmness, steadfastness and loyalty to the
Covenant, prove of great benefit to the Cause of God, and through
the consecrated efforts of the friends attract the bounties of
Baha'u'llah that alone can ensure its triumph. With warm Baha'i
love, In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF THE CAUSE
IN THE HOLY LAND The following are the messages already received
by the Hands in the Holy Land from the various National Assemblies
repudiating the Remey claim and pledging loyalty to the
institution of the Hands. In many cases the news of Mr. Remey's
action was received while the National Conventions were in session.
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The separate messages received from these Conventions are also
included. Alaska April 30,1960 COMPLETELY REPUDIATE RIDICULOUS
CLAIM STOP PROCLAMATION RECEIVED REMEY NOT BEING CIRCULATED STOP
WIRING MESSAGE ALL LOCAL ASSEMBLIES STOP ASSURING HANDSFAITH
CONTINUED STEADFASTNESS ALASKAN COMMUNITY. Alaska Convention MAY
1, 1960 LOVING GREETINGS FROM 8 DELEGATES 52 ASSEMBLED GUESTS
FOURTH ANNUAL ALASKA BAHA'I CONVENTION STOP CONVENTION HAPPY JOYOUS
NEWS VICTORIES ACCOMPLISHMENTS PAST YEAR STOP EACH BELIEVER
ENTHUSED INCREASE EFFORT DURING COMING YEAR STOP DETERMINED ACHIEVE
REMAINING GOALS STOP PLEDGE PRAYERS SUPPORT INSTITUTION HANDS FAITH
STOP PRAYERS FOR HEALTH EACH HAND. Arabian Peninsula MAY 4,1960 ON
BEHALF EACH EVERY MEMBER OUR COMMUNITY WE AFFIRM OUR DISREGARD
COMPLETE REPUDIATION MISGUIDED ACTION HAND CAUSE MASON REMEY STOP
ALL FRIENDS HERE PRESENT UNEQUIVOCAL OBEDIENCE FAITHFULNESS
STEADFASTNESS SACRED TEXTS REVERED CUSTODIANS RESIDING HOLY LAND.
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay April 30, 1960
EXTREMELY REGRET NEWS HAND CAUSE MASON REMEY STOP SHARING MESSAGE
FRIENDS STOP ASSURING HUMBLE LOYALTY Australia April 30,1960 NSA
DEEPLY SYMPATHETIC YOUR DISTRESS REMEY STOP MEMBERS PRAY DIVINE
COMPASSION MASON ASSURE DEVOTED ALLEGIANCE PRAYERS PROTECTION.
Australian Convention April 30, 1960 ASSEMBLED DELEGATES FRIENDS
GRIEVED MISGUIDED ACTIONS DEVOTED SERVANT MASON REMEY STOP PRAYING
HIS RETURN SHELTER COVENANT STOP PLEDGE UNSWERVING ALLEGIANCE
INSTITUTIONS HANDS NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES FERVENTLY PRAYING PROTECTION
HANDS AND FAITH. Austria April 29, 1960 RECEIVED MESSAGE SHARE WITH
FRIENDS JOIN HANDS HOLY LAND COMPLETE REPUDIATION MISGUIDED ACTION
DEVOTEDLY.
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Benelux April 29, 1960 REMEY'S PROCLAMATION ONLY REINFORCES OUR
UNSWERVING LOYALTY FAITHFULNESS CONSECRATED DEVOTION CUSTODIANS
FAITH HAIFA AND FIRMNESS IN COVENANT STOP UNDEVIATINGLY DETERMINED
ACHIEVE GOAL UNDER DIRECTION GUIDANCE WORLD CENTRE PRAYING
PROTECTION CAUSE. Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela MAY
1, 1960 REGRET INFORMATION RECEIVED IN YOUR CABLE ALL BELIEVERS
ASSEMBLED CONVENTION AND NSA PLEDGE LOYALTY AND SUPPORT TO HANDS
DEEPEST LOVE. British Isles MAY 8,1960 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN SESSION
CONFIRMS UNRESERVEDLY EXPRESSION LOYALTY TO HANDS ALREADY SENT BY
LETTER REJECTS COMPLETELY BASELESS CLAIM MASON REMEY STOP CONFIDENT
LOYALTY ENTIRE BRITISH BAHA'I COMMUNITY STOP ASSEMBLY GOING TODAY
BELOVED GUARDIAN'S GRAVE OFFER PRAYERS COMFORT BELOVED HANDS
PROTECTION BAHA'I WORLD STOP SINCERE DEVOTION DEEPEST LOVE. Burma
April 30,1960 BURMESE BAHAI'S FIRM STEADFAST LOYAL ASSURE OUR
ALLEGIANCE. Canada MAY 3,1960 ASSURE HANDS HOLY LAND UNDIVIDED
SUPPORT COMPLETE REPUDIATION REMEY PROCLAMATION STOP CANADIAN
CONVENTION INFORMED UNANIMOUSLY VOTED SIMILAR ACTION STOP WRITING
CANADIAN BELIEVERS IMMEDIATELY CONFIDENT THEIR FULL UNALTERED
LOYALTY SHOGHI Effendi HANDS HAIFA. Canadian Convention MAY 3,1960
FOLLOWING READING MASON REMEY'S REGRETTABLE DOCUMENT CANADIAN
NATIONAL CONVENTION DELEGATES AND FRIENDS PLEDGE TO OUR BELOVED
GUARDIAN SHOGHI Effendi AND HANDS OF THE CAUSE FIRM LOYALTY
ABSOLUTE DEVOTION FERVENT PRAYERS PROTECTION FAITH. Central
America, Mexico and Panama MAY 2,1960 RECEIVED CABLE ABOUT MASON
REMEY STOP PLEDGE COMPLETE SUPPORT WORLD CENTRE. Central and East
Africa MAY 5,1960 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BEHALF COMMUNITY CENTRAL EAST
AFRICA
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WHOLEHEARTEDLY REPUDIATE CLAIM REMEY ASSURE CHIEF STEWARDS LOVING
LOYALTY Greater Antilles Convention MAY 1, 1960 PLEDGE COMPLETE
LOYALTY FIRMNESS COVENANT TEST BRINGS GREATER CRUSADE VICTORY.
India April 30, 1960 SADDENED NEWS MASON REMEYS PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM
STOP BEHALF INDIAN BELIEVERS ASSURE HANDSFAITH UNFLINCHING
STEADFASTNESS LOYALTY STOP CONFIDENT UNITY FAITH DESPITE SEVERE
TESTS AS IN PAST STOP PRAYING ARDENTLY. Iran MAY 5,1960 YOUR
MESSAGE CONCERNING MASON RECEIVED WE SUBMIT OUR UTMOST DEVOTION
LOYALTY TO CAUSE WILL TESTAMENT AND BELOVED ALL HEARTS THE GUARDIAN
STOP MOST GRATEFUL THAT REVERED BODY PROTECTORS FAITH CONFERRED
UPON THEM CHIEF STEWARDSHIP WORLD ORDER Baha'u'llah, HAVE AT ONCE
ARISEN PROTECT CAUSE FROM ATTACK DISLOYAL UNFAITHFUL PERSONS STOP
HEREBY DECLARE OUR SUBMISSIVENESS OBEDIENCE DECISIONS THAT REVERED
BODY Italo-Swiss MAY 5,1960 ASSEMBLY REPUDIATES COMPLETELY REMEY
CLAIM STOP PLEDGES UNFAILING TRUST IN CHIEF STEWARDS DEEPEST LOVE.
North East Africa MAY 9,1960 REGRET DEEPLY MASON REMEYS FALSE
ATTITUDE ALL BAHXIS STEADFAST AS EVER. North East Asia MAY 2,1960
THIS NSA WILL FULLY SUPPORT ANY ACTION TAKEN BY HANDSFAITH HOLY
LAND IN REPUDIATING PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM MASON REMEY. Pakistan MAY
3,1960 RECEIVED MESSAGE REGARDING HAND CAUSE REMEY STOP ASSURING
STEADFASTNESS COMMUNITY COMPLETE LOYALTY SUPPORT HANDSFAITH
HOLYLAND. Scandinavia and Finland April 29, 1960 SADLY ANNOUNCE
REMEY PROCLAMATION CLAIMING GUARDIANSHIP RECEIVED DEFYING AUTHORITY
HANDSFAITH ANNULLING PLANS FULFILMENT CRUSADE GOALS DEMANDING
ALLEGIANCE HIS INFALLIBILITY STOP
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FORWARDING PROCLAMATION STOP ASSURING CHIEF STEWARDS STEADFAST
OBEDIENCE DEVOTED LOVE HEARTFELT SYMPATHY NSA REELECTED FOUR NEW
ASSEMBLIES ESTABLISHED. South East Asia MAY 2,1960 BEHALF BAHA'I
COMMUNITIES SOUTH EAST ASIA EXPRESS LOYALTY REVERED CUSTODIANS
SUPPORT FIRM ACTION REPUDIATING REMEYS PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM. South
Pacific Islands April 30, 1960 ASSURE HANDS FAITH ABIDING LOYALTY
WILL TESTAMENT CHIEF STEWARDS BAHA`U'LLAH COMPLETELY REPUDIATE
CLAIM GUARDIANSHIP MISGUIDED ACTION MASON REMEY PRAYING REMOVER
DIFFICULTIES. South Pacific Islands Convention MAY 3,1960
DELEGATES BELIEVERS ASSEMBLED CONVENTION ASSURE LOYALTY LOVE.
United States MAY 1, 1960 NEW NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAIRMAN BORRAH
KAVELIN VICECHAIRMAN DAVID RUHE SECRETARY CHARLES WOLCOTT TREASURER
ARTHUR DAHL RECORDING SECRETARY EDNA TRUE ASSISTANT SECRETARY
CHARLOTTE LINFOOT OTHER THREE MEMBERS FLORENCE MAYBERRY ELLSWORTH
BLACKWELL AMOZ GIBSON ALL PLEDGE LOYALTY COOPERATION DEEPEST LOVE
TO HANDS OF FAITH. United States Convention April 29, 1960
ASSEMBLED DELEGATES 52ND ANNUAL CONVENTION PLEDGE ANEW UNDEVIATING
LOYALTY INSTITUTION OF HANDS ESPECIALLY STEWARDS LABOURING IN HOLY
LAND STOP CONVENTION UNANIMOUSLY REPUDIATES REMEY PROCLAMATION
JOINING PRAYERS WITH YOURS FOR DIVINE HEALING STOP DEEPEST LOVE
(SIGNED) CONVENTION DELEGATES. Germany MAY 10, 1960 ASSURE
COMPLETE REPUDIATION (REMEY) PROCLAMATION AND LOYALTY TO CHIEF
STEWARDS HOPE GETTING FURTHER CLARIFYING NEWS FROM BODY HANDS
LOVING GREETINGS AND PRAYERS PROTECTION CAUSE. To the Hands of the
Cause of God May 14,1960 Dear Baha'i Friends: Some of you already
know that most of the National Assemblies have
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repudiated Mason Remey's claim and cabled their loyalty to the
institution of the Hands. Up to the date this letter was written,
twenty-five National Assemblies had sent such messages, and we are
confident five of the remaining six will be received soon. To our
surprise however the French National Assembly voted to recognize
the claim. Our first news of this was a cable from Mr.
Barafrukhteh, a member of the National Assembly, telling us that
eight of its members were recognizing Mason Remey. Confirmation
came from Mr. Navidi, Protection Board member, who was asked to go
to France to investigate and report. He cabled that the French
National Assembly was circulating the French believers to accept
the claim; and as the situation seemed to be dangerous, and as Ugo
and Hasan were not well and Adelbert was in Scandinavia, the Hands
in the Holy Land decided to send Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, to deal with
the situation on their behalf. Some of the National Assembly
members repented their action and cabled the Hands for forgiveness,
but five remained unyieldingly obstinate in their recognition of
the claim and obstructed the actions taken by the Hands to protect
the Faith. These were led by Mr. J. Marangella, General M.
Darakhshan and Mr. B. Fillon, all of whom Faizi, felt to be
spiritually diseased and contaminating others. Steps are being
taken to find out whether the European Hands join Faizi, in
recommending their expulsion in accordance with the decision of the
first Bahji Conclave, that the Hands in the Holy Land were
responsible for denouncing Covenant-breakers upon recommendation
by
the Hands of the continent concerned. A recommendation will if
necessary be obtained later about Mr. Soghomonian and Mr. Harvey,
the other two members of the National Assembly who support the
claim. Meanwhile the French National Assembly has been dissolved
and the five offending members declared ineligible for re-election.
The Paris Assembly, which is loyal, is acting for the time being
as the Central Assembly for France, under Faizi's guidance. Faizi,
will visit all the French communities before a new election is
held. We believe that the prompt action of sending Faizi, to France
has prevented the infection from spreading far; cables of loyalty
have been received from all the National Assemblies of Europe
except the Iberian Peninsula, and the exception is believed to be
due to difficulties of communication as our original "cable" had
to be sent by mail. Adelbert has returned to Germany at our request
to watch the situation there because of the previous strong feeling
about the Guardianship in that country. Episodes such as the
present tragic claim of Mason Remey serve to strengthen the Cause,
and it is gratifying that his claim has secured no
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greater following. Even in France, we are hoping the disturbance
will prove of limited extent. This letter is sent to keep the
Continental Hands informed of the situation and to ask for their
special prayers for France. Any further action taken regarding the
three ringleaders will be communicated to you later. Meanwhile the
possibility of the infection spreading to individual believers in
other lands should be borne in mind. We send you all our warmest
and deepest love. In the service of the beloved Guardian, HANDS OF
THE CAUSE IN THE HOLY LAND To the Hands of the Cause of God and the
National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the Baha'i World May 28,
1960 Dearly beloved Friends: Two weeks ago we shared with you
messages received up to that time from twenty-four National
Spiritual Assemblies repudiating the preposterous claim of Mr.
Remey and pledging undeviating loyalty to the Institution of the
Hands of the Cause. Since then similar messages have been received
in Haifa from all of the remaining national and regional bodies
with the exception of the National Assembly of France. The full
texts of these communications are attached. In spite of this
world-wide demonstration of solidarity and steadfastness in the
Covenant, a group of five members of the French National Assembly
accepted Mr. Remey as the Guardian of the Faith, and the National
Assembly informed the believers of France of the advent of a new
Guardian. Acting immediately to protect the Faith, the Hands in the
Holy Land sent the Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, to France
as their representative, with specific instructions to dissolve the
National Assembly and call for a new election if the five members
persisted in their dangerous and disloyal course of action. These
misguided believers remained adamant in their views, refused to
cooperate with the Hands, resigned as members of the National
Assembly, and are now actively opposing the efforts of the Hands
to protect the Faith. The vast majority of the French believers
have remained firm, and coinciding with the Commemoration of the
Ascension of Baha'u'llah, a new election will be held, and a
reconstituted National Assembly will come into existence. The
thirty-one national and regional bodies will then form an
impregnable and closely-knit World Community, dedicated to
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the fulfilment of the divinely-guided Plan of our beloved Guardian,
and triumphant over-any forces seeking to disrupt its basic unity.
The cables and other messages received from the various National
and Regional Assemblies, as well as numerous communications sent
to the Hands from individual believers in various parts of the
world, reflect general acceptance and understanding of the reasons
why Mr. Remey's regrettable claim, and his so-called proclamation
announcing it, are insupportable and contrary, not only to the
Sacred Texts of our Faith, but also to specific instructions and
messages of our beloved Guardian. For the information of the
friends everywhere we bring to their attention some of the points
which refute this unfortunate and baseless claim. (1) The quality
or station of infallibility, we are told by 'Abdu'l-Baha, is of two
kinds, one the Most Great Infallibility, which is the one possessed
inherently by the Manifestations of God, and the other the
conferred infallibility, such as that given to the Master, to the
Guardian of the Cause of God, and to the Universal House of
Justice. In the Baha'i Dispensation, only the authorized
interpretations of the. Holy Word by the Master and the Guardian,
and legislation by the Universal House of Justice have been given
this conferred infallibility. There is nothing in the Will and
Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, nor in the messages or instructions of
our beloved Guardian, which gives Mr. Remey any basis whatsoever
for claiming to be the infallible Guardian. Indeed no one can claim
such a station; it can only be conferred by an infallible source,
in this Dispensation in accordance with explicit, divinely-revealed
Texts. (2) Mr. Remey makes the preposterous claim that since the
International Baha'i Council was referred to by our beloved
Guardian as the forerunner of the supreme administrative
institution of the Universal House of Justice, his appointment or
designation by Shoghi Effendi as President of this appointed body
meant that he would: automatically become the head of the Universal
House of Justice when it is elected, and therefore is now to be
considered as the Guardian of the Faith. This ridiculous and
insupportable contention completely overlooks the fact that the
beloved Guardian created the International Council as an appointed
body, to serve for a temporary period, with functions clearly
defined by him, and that he announced it would be transformed into
a "duly elected body". Thus the membership and officers of the
elected body would be created only by election, not appointment.
There is not the slightest indication in any text or message of the
beloved Guardian that Mr. Remey's designation as President of the
appointed International Council was any more permanent than that
of any of the other appointed