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Bahá’í Martyrdoms in Persia |
From the meagre reports which have thus far been received
from that distracted country it appears that this shameful and
atrocious act, though the outcome of a number of obscure and complex
causes, has been chiefly instigated by that ever-present factor
of fierce and relentless impulse of religious hostility. Persia—long
neglected and sorely tried—continues, despite the revival of recent
hopes, to be the down-trodden victim of unscrupulous personal
rivalries and factious intrigue, of tribal revolt, political dissensions
and religious animosities—all of which have in times past brought
in their wake the shedding of the blood of so many of its innocent
and choicest sons.
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Fully alive to the gravity of the occasion, and realizing the
urgency of my sacred duty, I have, upon the receipt of the news,
transmitted telegraphically through the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of Persia a special message addressed in the name
of the Bahá’ís of every land to the supreme authority in the State,
expressing our profound horror at this outrageous act as well as
our earnest entreaty to inflict immediate punishment on the perpetrators
of so abominable a crime. And as this sad event involved
chiefly the welfare and security of the Bahá’í residents in Persia, I
have specially requested all local Assemblies in that land to address
a similar message to the highest authorities concerned appealing
for full protection and justice. Should future developments necessitate
direct and foreign intervention, I shall acquaint the national
Bahá’í representatives in every land to take in cooperation with all
local Assemblies such measures as will effectually conduce to a fuller
recognition of the dynamic force latent in the Bahá’í Faith and
insure the betterment of the lot of the heroic supporters of our
Cause.
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Pending the opening of official communication with recognized
authorities whether in Persia or elsewhere, I strongly feel that the
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time has assuredly come when it is incumbent upon every conscientious
promoter of the Cause to bestir himself and undertake in
consultation with the friends in his locality such measures of publicity
as will lead to the gradual awakening of the conscience of the
civilized world to what is admittedly an ignominious manifestation
of a decadent age.
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I would specially request all National Assemblies to give their
anxious and immediate consideration to this grave matter, and to
devise ways and means that will secure the fullest publicity for our
grievances. I would remind them that whatever is published should
be couched in terms that are at once correct, forceful and inoffensive.
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I would particularly stress the importance of making every effort
to secure the sympathy and hospitality of the leading journals and
periodicals of the Western world, and of sending to the Holy Land
any such references in papers that will arise to champion the cause
of righteousness and justice. I greatly deplore the fact that owing
to the remoteness and the unstable conditions in Persia, details and
particulars regarding this ugly incident are not as yet available, but
will be duly communicated to the various centers immediately upon
their receipt. I would, however, ask the believers throughout the
West to arise without any further delay and supplement the publication
of the news conveyed in this message with an account of previous
happenings of a similar character, combined with an adequate
survey of the aim, the principles and history of the Bahá’í Cause.
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It is to you, dearly beloved friends of the West, who are the
standard-bearers of the emancipation and triumph of the Bahá’í
Faith, that our afflicted brethren of the East have turned their
expectant eyes, confident that the day cannot be far-distant when,
in accordance with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s explicit utterance, the West will
“seize the Cause” from Persia’s fettered hands and lead it to
glorious victory.
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Though grief-stricken and horrified at this cruel blow, let us
be on our guard lest we give way to despair, lest we forget that in
the Almighty’s inscrutable wisdom this sudden calamity may prove
to be but a blessing in disguise. For what else can it do but to stir
the inmost depths of our souls, set our faith ablaze, galvanize our
efforts, dissolve our differences, and provide one of the chief instruments
which the unhampered promoters of the Faith can utilize
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to attract the attention, enlist the sympathy, and eventually win the
allegiance of all mankind?
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