The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahai Community Part 52

Letter of 4 April 1948

4 April 1948(43)

a.s.sURE DEARLY LOVED ALFRED SUGAR FERVENT PRAYERS RECOVERY HEARTILY WELCOME NEW BELIEVERS EDINBURGH DUBLIN GREATLY APPRECIATE SUPPORT NEW PIONEERS ADDRESS LAST MINUTE APPEAL VALIANT BRITISH BAHa'i COMMUNITY INTENSIFY EFFORT FILL REMAINING GAPS ENSURE TOTAL VICTORY INITIAL PHASE MOMENTOUS PLAN ARDENTLY PRAYING FULFILMENT DEAREST HOPES.

SHOGHI

Letter of 25 April 1948

25 April 1948

ACCLAIM TRIUMPHANT CONCLUSION INITIAL STAGE EPOCH MAKING PLAN INITIATED BAHa'i COMMUNITY BRITISH ISLES OPENING YEAR SECOND BAHa'i CENTURY SUSTAINED PRODIGIOUS EFFORT CULMINATING LAYING STRUCTURAL BASIS RISING ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER LEADING CITIES EIRE SCOTLAND WALES UNPRECEDENTED BRITISH BAHa'i HISTORY CONSt.i.tUTES LANDMARK ANNALS WORLD BAHa'i COMMUNITY SIGNALISES COMMENCEMENT SIGNIFICANT PHASE SPIRITUAL HISTORY IRISH SCOTTISH WELSH PEOPLES POTENT SEEDS SOWN 'ABDU'L-BAHa'S TWICE REPEATED VISITS UNITED KINGDOM LONG LAST GERMINATING CONCOURSE ON HIGH APPLAUDS BRILLIANT FEAT UNITEDLY ACHIEVED BRITISH FOLLOWERS FAITH BAHa'U'LLaH SISTER COMMUNITIES EAST WEST MARVEL VICTORY WON SUCH MAGNITUDE SO SHORT PERIOD BY COMMUNITY SO SORELY AFFLICTED SO SMALL NUMERICALLY SO CIRc.u.mSCRIBED IN RESOURCES YET SO ALIVE SO SOUND SO RESOLUTE PLEAD URGE VALIANT PROMOTERS SO MOMENTOUS PLAN GUARD AGAINST DISSIPATION RESOURCES RELAXATION EFFORT DISTRACTION ATTENTION FORFEITURE HARDWON PRIZES APPEAL FURTHER SACRIFICES n.o.bLER DEDICATION GREATER INTENSIFICATION LABOURS UNTIL LAST ACT FINAL PHASE DIVINELY SUSTAINED PLAN GLORIOUSLY CONSUMMATED.

SHOGHI

Letter of 29 April 1948

29 April 1948

Dear Baha'i Brother,

Your letters to our beloved Guardian, written on behalf of the British N.S.A., and dated as follows: Oct 20th, 22nd, 24th and 29th, Nov. 10th and 17th, Dec. 1st and 15th of 1947, and Jan. 13th, Feb. 8th, 9th, 13th, and 27th, and March 1st and 4th of 1948 and April 5th, 1948, together with various enclosures, have been received, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.

A number of matters referred to in them have been answered by cable, so I will not go into them again.

He was specially pleased to receive the copies of the Tablet of the Master to Andrew Carnegie, as this is yet another authentic and interesting Baha'i doc.u.ment.

He was, likewise, very pleased to receive the statement of Sir A.

Ramaswami Mudaliar testifying to his appreciation of the Faith, and he will use it in the appropriate section of "Baha'i World" in the forthcoming edition.

The instruction he gave to the effect that committees should elect their own officers, he feels, is universal in scope and should, therefore, apply to Great Britain as well....

Regarding the matter of the budget of the N.S.A. he feels that both wisdom and courage is required in this matter. You should not fix a budget which is too heavy for the community to meet, even with sacrifice. Both the pressing needs of the Cause and your Plan, as well as the foreseeable possibilities of your income should guide you.

He has no objection to extracts from his letters to ... being published.

He feels that in the future it is not necessary to ask his permission to publish such extracts. As long as the person who has received a letter, such as he would wish to share with others, from the Guardian, has no objection to its publication, he has no objection either. Anything confidential he always specifies as being such.

He feels that the question of Mrs. Hofman giving up the secretarys.h.i.+p of the National Teaching Committee, and who is to be chairman of it, etc. is something to be decided there by those responsible for the work.

In one of your letters you mentioned some ... who have visited the London Centre and their att.i.tude: great patience must be used in dealing with the child-like members of some of these primitive races. They are innocent in heart and have certainly had a very bad example, in many Christians, of a purely mercenary approach to religion, but if their hearts and minds once become illumined with the Faith they could make very fine believers.

Regarding the matter of believers who have been deprived of their voting rights: just as no one should ever be deprived of his voting right lightly, it should likewise be realised that to be deprived of it is a grave matter, and involves heavy penalties spiritually. People who have been so deprived should not be permitted to attend any meetings involving the administration of the Cause, such as an election or a 19 Day Feast.

They can attend the 9 Holy Days, however; they should not be married by Baha'i law, no money should be accepted from them, they should not be given credentials (which imply a member of the community in good standing) nor should they be used officially as teachers or speakers.

He has no objection to your getting out a book on Baha'i Procedure similar to the synopsis you enclosed for his information. He wishes you, however, to stick to essentials and, as far as possible, avoid-not only in the book but in your a.s.sembly's decisions-binding the friends by a lot of procedure on minor matters which he always urges should be, as much as possible, dealt with according to each case that comes up. He wishes to keep the administration of the Cause as flexible as possible and not impede the work by a codified set of rules.

As to the att.i.tude of the Baha'is in the British Isles towards the World Government Movement: he thinks that as this Movement, so far, seems to be working for what we believe in, and not for anything we do not subscribe to, the Baha'is should by all means support it, vote for the representatives to be sent to its const.i.tuent a.s.sembly in 1950, and stand for election if they wish to. However, he feels your a.s.sembly should keep a careful watch on this Movement, and if it becomes in any way imperialistic, anti-Russian, or in any other field starts sponsoring att.i.tudes partizan or political in nature, the believers should be advised to withdraw their support and help. He does not think your a.s.sembly should take any initiative in this Movement outside of its jurisdiction, such as in the Middle East, through asking the friends to send in non-Baha'i names, etc.

He does not advise you to try and create more than one a.s.sembly, i.e. the present one, in the London area.

The work being accomplished in the British Isles is not only a source of pride to him, but is increasingly being recognised and admired by the Baha'i communities throughout the World, and is greatly encouraging them in their own struggles. For people are p.r.o.ne to thinking that the American Baha'is accomplish so much solely because of the great advantages they enjoy in their very fortunate country, whereas now the friends, knowing full well how much England suffered during the war, and is still suffering, are forced to acknowledge that it is spirit, determination, faith and devotion which bring victories into being, one after another, in Britain, and not luxury and leisure. Your achievements are heartening the friends in many places where their numbers are few, and the obstacles to be overcome great! In fact the American Baha'is who have visited England feel there is much to be copied at home in your spirit and methods.

He, therefore, urges you all to persevere courageously, knowing what you are accomplis.h.i.+ng is infinitely precious and great. You are witnessing with your own eyes the fruition of your plans, the nearing of the moment when your hopes will be fully realised.

He a.s.sures you all of his very loving prayers on your behalf, and for the speedy progress of your work.

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-workers,

The successful conclusion of the Initial Phase of the first collective enterprise launched by the followers of Baha'u'llah in the British Isles during the first year of the second Baha'i century const.i.tutes a milestone of the utmost significance on the road leading the British Baha'i community to the glorious destiny ordained for them by Divine Providence.

The efforts exerted, the magnitude of the success which has been achieved, the spirit of consecration that has been demonstrated, the solidarity, determination and perseverance evinced by individuals, groups and a.s.semblies during the opening years of this century are indeed unprecedented in British Baha'i history, and may be regarded next to 'Abdu'l-Baha's twice repeated visit to the British Isles, as the most potent period in the annals of the British Baha'i community.

The establishment of the structural basis of the Administrative Order of the Faith in Scotland, Wales and Eire-an accomplishment of tremendous spiritual significance in itself-has greatly enhanced the momentous character of this period, and will lend a mighty impetus to the evolution of the Faith in the days to come.

The Final Phase of the Plan must now be carried forward with still greater energy, with still n.o.bler self-sacrifice, with a clearer vision of the historic import of the work which is to be accomplished, with a mightier determination to bring it to a successful conclusion. The resources at the disposal of the community must, as a result of its expansion, be continually augmented and carefully extended. The prizes so painstakingly won must, at all costs, be safeguarded and consolidated. The newly enrolled believers must be constantly encouraged to a.s.sume an increasing share of the responsibilities and of the administrative functions devolving upon the members of the community. The pioneer activities undertaken by its members must, however great the sacrifices involved, be increasingly developed, systematised and accelerated. The needs of the Faith in the newly opened territories in the west, in the north, and in the south, must, while the specific goals of the Plan are being pursued, be given special attention, in order to enrich the life of the entire community, to increase the diversity of its const.i.tuent elements, to demonstrate the welding and a.s.similative power of the Faith, and to stimulate the processes now set in motion for the spiritual regeneration of all the ethnic elements within the British Isles.

In token of my grat.i.tude for the work already accomplished, as a recognition of the status achieved by the British Baha'i community in the Western Hemisphere, in antic.i.p.ation of the tasks that still remain to be undertaken, I feel moved to initiate, as soon as the situation here permits, measures that will enable me, through the inst.i.tution of a Palestine Branch of the British Baha'i National a.s.sembly, to register in the name of the body of the elected representatives of the followers of Baha'u'llah throughout the British Isles, a portion of Baha'i international endowments dedicated to the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel. May this step, a.s.sociating it with its sister national a.s.semblies in the United States and India in the possession of so sacred a trust, lend its share to the consolidation and distinction of the central inst.i.tution of the Administrative Order of the Faith of Baha'u'llah in the British Isles.

Shoghi

Letter of 2 May 1948

2 May 1948

HAPPILY TRANSMIT REJOICING NEWS BELOVED GUARDIAN'S SAFETY HAIFA.

BAHABUREAU

Letter of 5 May 1948