Arohanui: Letters from Shoghi Effendi to New Zealand

Our beloved Guardian has asked me to write to you for him. He is very pleased with your letter of Dec. 8th which reached him on Jan. 10th and he is very glad to hear of your activities in New Zealand. He will pray earnestly that your sincere efforts to make Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation widely known will bring forth much fruit and have a great result. In the newer countries minds are more open, and the people more ready and willing to receive this Great Message.

With regard to the Queen of Rumania’s 3 articles—he will see that you receive them correctly. He considers the last one in which she acknowledges Muḥammad as a true Prophet of God to have great importance for the East and especially in Persia. This evening, I personally have had a most interesting conversation with Dr. Habíb of Kermanshah[+E6] who is now on a visit to Shoghi Effendi with his wife and little girl. He was telling us of the continued fanaticism of the Moslems of Persia—and how during two periods of the year especially, the fanatical Mullahs preach against the Bahá’ís from their pulpits—saying to the ignorant “No matter what evil things you have done during your life, or what sins you have committed, 26 if you kill a Bahá’í who is an enemy of Islam, or even if you take his property or severely injure him, all your own sins will be wiped out and forgiven for the sake of this good deed of destroying an enemy of the Faith!!”—in this way they incite the people to deeds of violence and persecution. He said that the Bahá’í teachings are spreading rapidly amongst the more educated classes—but it is difficult to teach the very poor and ignorant fanatical people—tho’ when they do become Believers, they are very strong and faithful. The 2 periods of particular danger for the Bahá’ís in Persia are the fast month and the period of Moharram[+E7]—which lasts for 8 weeks.

Shoghi Effendi is very interested to hear of the engagement of your son to a Bahá’í young lady—and he prays that in future they may do a great work for the “Cause”. He hopes so much that you will recover your full health and strength, and he will pray especially for that. It is good to know that Esperanto is increasingly studied in New Zealand.

He will certainly pray for Miss Palter 1 and her Mother as you ask him to do—and also for your dear son and your two daughters. Please accept all best wishes from myself and Believe me

[From the Guardian:]

I have read the issues of the “Herald” with deep joy and thankfulness. I will continue to pray at the holy shrines that the invincible power of Bahá’u’lláh may add to your present opportunities, extend the sphere of the Journal, and 27 enable you, individually and collectively, to mirror forth the beauty and the power of this Divine Revelation.