1951
1951
— 391 —
JANUARY 11, 1951
ADVISE 95 DELEGATES.[pg 318]
SHOGHI
— 392 —
MARCH 4, 1951
APPROVE ELECTION DELEGATES EARLIER THAN NAWRUZ.
SHOGHI
— 393 —
March 10, 1951
[To The National Spiritual Assembly Of The Bahá’ís Of India, Pakistan and Burma, Mr. ‘Abbás ‘Alí Butt, Secretary]
Dear Bahá Brother,
On behalf of our beloved Guardian, I have been instructed to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated May 12, July 8, 10, 28 and 29, 1948, April 13 and 18, June 11 and September 9, 1949, June 10, 12, 16 and 23, July 1, 4, 6, 10, 13, 14, 18, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, August 8, 11, 14, 17, 18, 21, 22 (two letters), 29 and 30, September 7,[pg 319] 8, 14, 19, 21, 25, 26 and 29, October 4, 13, 14 and 17, November 3, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 25 and 28, December 4, 5, 11, 13, 15 and 16, 1950, January 2, 3, 4, 13, 15 (two letters), 26, 29, February 8, 16, 19 and 20, March 1, 1951, together with their enclosures.
It should be noted that some of these were signed by Mr. Rustam Sabit, previous Secretary, as well as Mr. Akhtare Khaveri, acting as Secretary Pro. Tem.
As our beloved Guardian has been increasingly overburdened with the work of the Cause here at its International Centre, specially in view of the fact that he is now continuing the work on the Tomb of the Báb, it has been very difficult for him to attend to his mail; hence the delay in replying to your communications.
Regarding the various matters your Assembly has raised: He was very pleased to see that the policy of holding inter Assembly conferences has been adopted and is meeting with success; and he urges your Assembly to encourage the believers to hold more of such gatherings. It cannot but have a stimulating effect upon the teaching work, and inspire the friends to make greater efforts in their respective communities.
The news of the formation of an Assembly in Moulmein pleased him very much; and he wishes you to assure the believers there that he will pray for them in the Holy Shrines. The devotion and loyalty of the Burmese believers, in the face of so much turmoil in their native land, has aroused his admiration and increased his affection for this long standing Bahá’í Community, so persevering and so attached to the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
In connection with your publications, he would like to say that he found your “Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb” pamphlet excellent in every way, and was delighted to see that the Indian Bahá’ís had shown so much initiative in getting out this memorial pamphlet. He does not require any more books in Pushtu. The various publications you have sent have all been safely received and distributed amongst the Bahá’í libraries here and in ‘Akká and Bahjí.
The Guardian was very sorry to learn of the death, under such tragic circumstances, of our Bahá’í brother of Kamarhatti. It is a great tragedy to think that the people of the world are still so fanatical and so blind, spiritually. Surely their punishment is at hand.
In connection with the persecution of the believers in Persia: The Guardian does not consider that agitation in this matter will [pg 320] produce any favourable results … We must be patient, knowing that the end is with God, and victory assured for the Faith.
The increase in the number of delegates to 95 is an important milestone in the history of the Cause in those parts; and he feels that the friends, proud of the progress they have made, should determine that the coming Convention will be distinguished as one of the most harmonious and constructive ever held.
The Guardian is very anxious that pioneer activities should be carried forward in Siam; and he urges your Assembly to push this matter further, and either secure another visa for Mr Sabet, or try and send some other pioneer there.
It is most unfortunate that your Assembly has not been able to get back your Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds from the Government. You should goon — knocking on the door so to speak; and surely you will eventually meet with success.
The teaching activities of Mr. Yazdani in India have no doubt been much appreciated by all the friends; and he hopes that others will follow his example and dedicate some of their time to this all — important service.
The Guardian hopes that wherever you have a strongly established Spiritual Assembly, you will make every effort to register it legally, as he attaches great importance to the registration and incorporation of Spiritual Assemblies, and hopes that you will make every effort to add to their number in areas under your jurisdiction.
The contributions sent by the believers for the construction of the Tomb of the Bib have been deeply appreciated by our beloved Guardian. It is only right that this old Bahá’í Community, so tried in the fire of tests, and having been in existence from practically the days of the beloved Bib Himself, should play a part in building his Sepulchre. The Guardian is now undertaking the second phase of the construction work, which involves raising the Edifice above the level of the original Tomb…
The Guardian does not consider it advisable for Bahá’ís to become Free Masons.
… generally speaking, Local Spiritual Assemblies are not empowered to review material which is for national circulation. The Guardian thinks that your Assembly, or the Committee that you delegate such authority to, should review the pamphlet in question; and if it is in accordance with the Teachings, there is certainly no reason why it should not be circulated; but in the future, the Spiritual Assemblies [pg 321] should be more careful about publishing literature which is for more than local use.
In closing, he would like to urge the members of your Assembly to redouble your efforts to assist pioneers to go forth to Indonesia and Siam. The extraordinary success the promulgation of the Faith has met with in Ceylon should be sufficient evidence for all concerned of the way in which God strengthens the endeavours of His servants, and blesses their seed sowing, and brings it to harvest. He hopes that many of the believers, not only in India, but in Pakistan and Burma as well, will volunteer to go forth as pioneers, and will make every effort to do so.
The success of your past endeavours should encourage you all and the Community whom you represent, to forge ahead, unmindful of obstacles, and forgetful of personal differences of opinion in one united and unanimous effort to carry out all the work you have set for yourselves and achieve all your goals.
The Guardian assures you that he will pray for the success of your labours, during his visits to the Holy Shrine.
Dear co-workers:
The communications received in recent months from your Assembly testify to the perseverance and devotion with which the Bahá’í Communities of India, Pakistan and Burma have pursued the course of their activities in the face of manifold obstacles and trials and despite the severity of the problems which have confronted them since the outbreak of the political disturbances that have agitated the Indian subcontinent.
Though suffering from various reverses, though afflicted with disappointment, though sustaining repeated losses they have persevered in their labours, widened the scope of their task, pushed further the outposts of the Faith, and won their initial victories beyond the confines of their respective homelands.
In the field of Bahá’í publications, in the publicity given to the Bahá’í teachings, in their negotiations with the civil authorities under whose jurisdiction they faction, in their constant encouragement and support of the pioneers labouring both at home and abroad, the national elected representatives of these communities have, likewise, demonstrated a spirit of dedication, a zeal and fidelity worthy of the highest praise.
The great historic enterprise launched by them in recent years in the neighbouring territories of Ceylon, Siam, Indonesia and the Malayan Peninsula — a vast and highly meritorious undertaking still in its initial [pg 322] stage of development, and conferring a great and imperishable lustre on its valiant initiators — must be energetically prosecuted notwithstanding the unsettled political situation prevailing in those territories, and however threatening the clouds gathering on the international horizon. The movement and settlement of pioneers throughout India, Pakistan and Burma midst, moreover, continue unabated and must be paralleled by a steady multiplication of Bahá’í centres and the consolidation of nascent institutions, the negotiations with the civil authorities, however disillusioning and unfruitful they have been so far in their results, must continue to be conducted with extreme vigilance and unrelaxing vigor. The highly commendable task of completing the translation and publication of the “New Era” in the languages already chosen should be promptly and befittingly consummated. The efforts exerted to publicize the Faith, disseminate its teachings and spread its fame, should be redoubled by all administrative agencies concerned with this vital sphere of Bahá’í activity. The sacred duty of deepening and enriching the spiritual life of the newly enrolled believers should be faithfully discharged by both the local and national elected representatives of these communities. The added responsibility of contributing to the raising of the superstructure of the Báb’s Holy Sepulchre, now entering upon the second phase of its construction, and of speeding its consummation in view of the increasingly critical world condition, should be valiantly faced and nobly discharged. Above all, the inescapable obligation of guarding the integrity of the Faith, of preserving the unity of its fop cowers, and of reinforcing its spiritual and administrative foundations, must be continually borne in mind not only by the representatives of these communities but by every individual believer labouring for the good name and the glorification of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
The Bahá’í communities of the Indian sub continent and of Burma, constituting the largest entity throughout the Orient, next to the body of believers residing in the Cradle of the Faith, and enjoying, unlike their Eastern sister communities in Persia, Egypt and Iráq, the blessings of relative freedom from repression or persecution, and including within their fold a greater variety of races, creeds and tongues than any of their sister communities throughout the world, are faced with both a peculiar challenge and a unique opportunity. The resources at their disposal, the privileges they possess, the facilities they enjoy should, with clear vision, with confident hearts and inflexible resolve, be consecrated to the noble objectives which it is their mission to pursue. Conscious of their high calling, aware of the potentialities with which their homelands have been [pg 323] endowed, these communities, placing their reliance on the all-conquering power of Bahá’u’lláh must unitedly arise, however numerous the barriers imposed between them, to achieve their destiny, and contribute collectively and effectively, to the world wide propagation, the ,universal recognition and intimate world triumph of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.
May His Spirit overshadow them in their heroic struggle for so great a prize, so noble a victory.
Shoghi
— 394 —
MARCH 21, 1951
ASSURE MEMBERS COMMUNITIES INDIA PAKISTAN BURMA CEYLON LOVING APPRECIATION GREETINGS REMEMBRANCE HOLY SHRINES PRAYING SUCCESS HIGH ENDEAVOURS.
SHOGHI
— 395 —
APRIL 24, 1951
DEEPEST APPRECIATION SENTIMENTS BELOVED STEADFAST FRIENDS INDIA PAKISTAN BURMA CEYLON MALAYA INDONESIA. FERVENT PRAYERS OFFERED SUCCESS HIGH ENDEAVOURS OCCASION FESTIVAL.
SHOGHI
— 396 —
APRIL 29, 1951
DEEPLY APPRECIATE SENTIMENTS ASSEMBLED DELEGATES. URGE REDEDICATE THEMSELVES MANIFOLD TASKS CONFRONTING THEM. CONSOLIDATION MULTIPLICATION INSTITUTIONS LABORIOUSLY ESTABLISHED HOMELAND TRANSLATION PUBLICATION NEW ERA REMAINING LANGUAGES VIGOROUS PROSECUTION ENTERPRISES LAUNCHED CEYLON EXPANSION ACTIVITIES INDONESIA MALAYA SIAM INITIATION EXTENSION WORK INDOCHINA PARTICIPATION ERECTION SUPERSTRUCTURE BÁB’S HOLY SEPULCHRE OUTSTANDING INESCAPABLE RESPONSIBILITIES PRESENT HOUR. SUPPLICATING UNPRECEDENTED BLESSINGS HISTORIC LABOURS LOVING REMEMBRANCE SHRINES.
SHOGHI
— 397 —
MAY 6, 1951
APPEAL COMMUNITY VALIANT FOLLOWERS FAITH INDIAN [pg 324] SUBCONTINENT ARISE LEND ASSISTANCE VAST MOMENTOUS NEWLY LAUNCHED HISTORIC AFRICAN ENTERPRISE INVOLVING PARTICIPATION BRITISH AMERICAN PERSIAN EGYPTIAN BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES. NUMBER TERRITORIES AFRICAN CONTINENT ALREADY SETTLED COURSE SETTLEMENT OVER TWENTY. BAHÁ’Í LITERATURE TRANSLATED PROCESS TRANSLATION TWELVE AFRICAN LANGUAGES. URGE DESPATCH PIONEERS VIRGIN TERRITORIES PREFERABLY ZANZIBAR MADAGASCAR. PRAYING GREAT VICTORIES EXPANSION INTERNATIONAL TASKS ALREADY INITIATED DEARLY BELOVED SELF SACRIFICING INDIAN FRIENDS SOUTH EAST ASIA.
SHOGHI
— 398 —
May 6, 1951
ASSURE NEWLY ELECTED ASSEMBLY FERVENT PRAYERS BEFITTING DISCHARGE MANIFOLD GROWING RESPONSIBILITIES HOMEFRONT SOUTH EAST ASIA AFRICA SUPPLICATING ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.
SHOGHI
— 399 —
AUGUST 30, 1951
OVERJOYED MOMENTOUS HIGHLY MERITORIOUS NINETEEN MONTHS PLAN SPONTANEOUSLY INITIATED VALIANT REPRESENTATIVES BAHÁ’Í COMMUNITIES INDIAN SUBCONTINENT BURMA. SIGNAL ACT DISTINGUISHES INDIAN PAKISTANI BURMESE BELIEVERS AS SOLE COMMUNITY BAHÁ’Í WORLD ABLE BOAST INAUGURATION THREE SUCCESSIVE PLANS SINCE INCEPTION OPENING EPOCH EVOLUTION ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ’S DIVINE PLAN. HEARTILY APPROVE CHOSEN OBJECTIVES. ADVISE FIX DATE TERMINATION RIḌVÁN NINETEEN FIFTY THREE SAME AS PLANS OTHER SISTER ASSEMBLIES. FERVENT PRAYERS ASCENDING THRONE[pg 325] BAHÁ’U’LLÁH SUPPLICATING TRIUMPHANT CONCLUSION ENTERPRISE EXERCISING DIRECT INFLUENCE IMMEDIATE SPIRITUAL DESTINIES FAITH PACIFIC ISLANDS ASIATIC AFRICAN CONTINENTS. CONTRIBUTING THOUSAND POUNDS FURTHERANCE INTERESTS MAGNIFICENT PLAN.
SHOGHI
— 400 —
October 16, 1951
[To The National Spiritual Assembly]
Dear Bahá’í Brother,
Your letters dated February 7, 23; March 12; April 5, 10, 19; May 14 (two), 28; June 8, 11; July 3, 6, 12; August 2, 3; and September 6, have been received, as well as their enclosures and photos and material sent under separate cover, and the beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
The beloved Guardian was very sorry to hear of the passing of some of the oldest and most devoted Bahá’ís in India. He hopes the younger generation will arise and follow in their footsteps so that their joss will not be felt too much. He was also very sad to hear of the brutal murder of our dear brother Mr. Bahrám Jamshidi. Such an act only proves how terribly the world is in need of the Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and of the peace and unity His Revelation can and will bring. Please assure the relatives of this young man, as well as those of the other dear friends who have passed on, of the Guardian’s ardent prayers for them, and for those they have lost.
The wonderful news of the increase of believers in the Benares area, thanks largely to the heroic determination and great faith of Mr. Badi‘-uz-Zamán, brought great happiness to the Guardian. Please assure this devoted soul that the Guardian is very pleased about the wonderful services he is rendering the Cause of God, and that he is praying for him to be richly blessed by Bahá’u’lláh. He has suffered from the enemies of the Cause, but his reward will be very great!
The Guardian was very pleased to hear that through the generosity and efforts of Mr. Rosebehiyan, the Lahore Bahá’í Cemetery is better kept; such things impress the non-Bahá’ís very much and are a worthy service to the Faith…
It brought great joy to the Guardian’s heart to see there are so many believers now in the area of South East Asia. This marks a new[pg 326] epoch in the unfoldment of our Faith and an important one. Just as Ceylon, at one time empty of believers, has now developed an active and devoted community of Bahá’ís, so now, in these far flung territories, Assemblies and groups must be built up. Singapore, thanks to the pioneer spirit of the Fozdar family, flow has a firm nucleus, and the Guardian hopes that similar groups can be built up in Indonesia. He urges the younger believers, who are less held down by family ties, to make an effort to migrate there and seek employment.
He was delighted over the formulation of your Assembly’s 19 Month Plan. This spirit of initiative shown by you is highly commendable, and he hopes that all the Bahá’ís, whether of Indian or Persian origin, will arise to unitedly see it achieve its goals. Determination, courage, faith and perseverance are necessary if the Plan is to be a success, but he feels sure the friends will not hesitate to demonstrate their capacity to meet the challenge it presents.
He, likewise, wishes to call special attention to the work in Africa which is very promising and which is going ahead very well. Your Assembly must do all it can to speedily get pioneers settled in the two countries allotted to you as your portion in this historic campaign. Also, you should keep in close touch with the British National Spiritual Assembly as they are the coordinators of this work, and well situated in order to give advice as English experts, having had such along contact with Africa, its peoples and problems, are available in London and elsewhere for consultation with the British Africa Committee.
He assures you and all the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of his most loving prayers for your success, your guidance, your unity as a body, and your strength as individuals to carry on your vital work for the Cause of God.
Dear and valued co-workers:
The initiation of the 19 Month Plan by the elected representatives of the Bahá’í Communities of the sub continent of India and of Burma — the third of its kind undertaken by them since the inception of the Epoch marking the commencement of the Formative Age of the Bahá’í dispensation — evokes my deepest admiration. Through this spontaneous act, momentous in its consequences, and eloquently testifying to the initiative, the zeal and the valour of the followers of Bahá’u’lláh in India Pakistan and Burma, the body of their elected national representatives can well boast of the distinction it has achieved, throughout the Bahá’í[pg 327] world through the successive formulation of no less than three far-reaching Plans since the inauguration of the First Epoch in the history of the systematic prosecution of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Divine Plan. This striking demonstration of their resourcefulness and dedication to the interests of the Faith is, indeed, highly praiseworthy, extremely encouraging, and augurs well for the future of the Mission which it is theirs to carry out, in the years to come, not only in that subcontinent and the adjoining territories and neighbouring islands, but in South Asia as well.
They cannot, however, ensure the success of the Plan they have devised, unless the unity and solidarity of those who are participating in its execution, and above all the harmony of the body directing its operation, are safeguarded, maintained and consolidated. Time is pressing. The issues involved are momentous. The centenary celebrations of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh’s prophetic Mission will soon be upon us. The inauguration of the first organized Crusade, in which several Bahá’í’ National Spiritual Assemblies, in no less than four continents of the globe will be intimately associated, for the purpose of proclaiming the Message of Bahá’u’lláh in the South Pacific Islands as well as in South Eastern Asia, must directly depend ripen the successful conclusion of the Plan now envisaged. The obligations involved in, and the privileges confirmed by such an association — an association that will find its parallel in the collective and organized effort now being exerted in the African Continent, as well as in the joint campaign destined to be launched, by other Bahá’í communities, in both Northern and North Eastern Asia — are at once sacred and unique. Their significance, at this early stage, cannot be fundamentally apprehended. It is not for them, however, to attempt at the present time, to assess their value. Theirs, rather, is the ditty, to avoid any action or thought that might decay the unfoldment of so glorious a Plan or damage so splendid a destiny.
The members of all the communities participating in this Nineteen Month Plan, which may be regarded as a prelude to the mighty and historic Crusade, of still vaster dimensions and nobler scope, that is to be launched in the future, irrespective of race, creed, or class, of either sex and of every age, must rise as one man to the occasion that now presents itself.
No trace of bickering, no consciousness of racial distinction, no petty jealousies, must be allowed, under any circumstances, to darken the glorious prospect opening before them. They must neither flinch, nor hesitate nor lose sight, however briefly, of the distant and shining goal. An all powerful, all loving, all bountiful Master, watching their exertions [pg 328] from on high, will, surely, bless their effort, will intercede on their behalf before the throne of His all glorious Father, and will, if they persevere in their high endeavors, render them victorious.
I, for my part, will, with a prayerful heart, follow the course of their activities, and will continue to lend them whatever assistance that lies in my power, for the complete discharge of their inescapable duty and the total fulfilment of their united pledge to the Author of their Faith.
Shoghi
— 401 —
NOVEMBER 25, 1951
CABLE WHETHER WEATHER NOT TOO HOT IN NEW DELHI DURING OCTOBER FOR HOLDING CONFERENCE NOW BEING PLANNED FOR
SHOGHI