An article in the Broadway Magazine of September, 1906, written by G. A. Dobson and published in New York, was read. It is entitled, “The Strangest Religion in New York.” Unquestionably, you get that magazine and read it. The writer complains of the Ottoman government and its treatmet towards the Bahai community. There is no doubt that this article will be read by His Excellency the Turkish Minister or the members of the Legation. The truth is that His Imperial Majesty the Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan hath exercised the utmost justice toward Abdul-Baha. Although the internal and external enemies entered into an alliance, wrote reports full of pure calumnies and baseless impositions, became themslves the complainers and witnesses, a body of examiners came from Constantinople for the investigation of the true situation and that committee of commissioners became united with the outside and inside enemies, ratifying all the impositions and adding to those some more important matters, yet His Imperial Majesty Abdul Hamid Khan—may God assist him! —acted with delilberation until it became known and evident that all these calumnies were founded upon rancor and hositility. Therefore, he hath treated us, until the present time, with the utmost justice and because of this treatment we are exceedingly happy. If there were any other king beside His Imperial Majesty Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan, he would exercise his autority in another way in the face of these unjust imputations and the conspiracies of the external and internal foes. Nevertheless, the justice and equity of the Sultan prevented the attacks of the enemies and the reports of the people of oppositions and falsehood from producing any effect. Therefore, all the friends must pray from their hearts in behalf of their Imperial Majesties the Padeshah of the Ottomans and the Shah of Persia. As in these days His Imperial Majesty Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan is in a state of illness and indisposition, therefore the believers of God, in meetings and assemblages, in private and public, but invoke from the Threshold of Oneness swift recovery for him. The friends and strangers must know and realize that all the believers of God have the utmost love for His Majesty the Padeshah of the Ottoman empire and that they are entreating for him protection and confirmation.
“O thou who art firm in the Covenant!...”
O thou who art firm in the Covenant!
The International Congress of Religions was organized this year[228] in the capital of Japan. Many souls hastened to that empire from different parts of the world, in order that they might talk of and discuss the principles of their own religions, each one longing to convert that assembly to his own religion and establish the validity of his own particular belief. This congress had under discussion the politics of the religions., In truth, it is a political affair and not the attraction of the heart, faith, advancement toward God nor enkindlement with the fire of the love of God. This congress will not produce a lasting effect, for it is essentially politico-religious. What is effective and conducive to the penetration of the Word of God and the attraction of hearts is the fragrances of holiness and the divine glad-tidings, which the members of the congress do not in the least comprehend.
Consequently, if the believers of God go to that country—not to the congress—and through the power of the Word of God, the breath of the Holy Spirit, the reading of the verses of Oneness and associating with the individual inhabitants of that kingdom, undoubtedly untold and tremendous results will be realized and the sweet fragrance of the rose-garden of mysteries will perfume the nostrils of the people of those regions. It is significantly useful if some of the friends of God put forth and effort and hasten from America to those parts (Japan).
O thou servant of God! Unquestionably, through the manifestation of the Infinite Power in this glorious age, wonderful signs will appear in the world and great changes are seen in the present and promised in the future, for the Word of God is like unto the Spirit, and the contingent world like unto the embryo in the womb of the mother. Through the power of the Spirit such various changes and metamorphoses become apparent, transforming them from one form to another. Especially in Persia, through the power of the Word of God, wonderful signs will appear.
O thou servant of the True One! Though I had not the opportunity of reading one line of the paper * * * yet I read it with the utmost attention. Truly, I say, it was a superior paper and the details of the reception of the two great ambassadors in the house of the favored and attracted maid-servant of God, Miss ..., became known. Such receptions are very acceptable and praiseworthy. You must all show forth the utmost consideration to these two ambassadors, neither do ye fall short in serving them in whatever manner possible.
It is very acceptable for you to present to them the excellent praises which the Blessed Perfection hath made in behalf of these two governments, the exhortations which He hath delivered for obedience to them and the prayers He hath written for the confirmation and protection of His Imperial Majesty the Shah. Likewise, the advices and recommendations that this servant (Abdul-Baha, himself) hath written in Tablets to Persia and America; also the irrefutable command that the Blessed Perfection hath given in Tablets that the believers must obey the kings with the utmost sincerity and fidelity, and He hath forbidden them to interfere at all with political problems. He hath even prohibited the believers from discussing political affairs.