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INTRODUCTION

 

RESPONSE OF MR. DERAKHCHAN TO MR. MIR CHOKRAI (Moslem), HIS

REPRESENTATIVE IN IRAN.

 

Mr. Mir CHOKRAI made him know that the N.S.A. forbid his

daughter, Parvine, from going near him [Mr Derakhchan], when she was traveling in Europe to see her children.

He added that: all his old baha'i friends love him, but

that they say that DERAKHCHAN was misled, because an American

couldn't become the Guardian of a Faith which had been born in

Iran; an American who didn't know the Iranian language.

So, he [Mr. Chokrai] who is Moslem and not baha'i, counselled him, for the health of his daughter and the tranquillity of her mind, as much as to diminish his own sufferings in a faraway country, ‑ to write some words to the N.S.A. of Iran, to acknowledge his mistake and repent.

In this fashion, his daughter could come to France; otherwise she would be obliged to go only to England, near to her

children, for some months, and to return afterwards to Teheran,

without having seen her father who loves her so much.

 

Jacques Soghomonian's Handwritten introductory note:

 

"Monir Derakhchan ... Very important...

Testament of Monir Derakhchan, believer and (unreadable), the guardianship. Faithful to the covenant and testament. (unreadable) in Teheran, Iran....Letter and document written by Monir Derakhchan before his decease (unreadable) in Teheran, Iran"

 

Translator's note: Monir Derakhchan's letter typewritten in French was sent to the translator, Brent Mathieu, myself, by Jacques Soghomonian in October 1995. Translation was accomplished by use of Microtec's French Assistant computer program. The translator knows limited French. He acknowledges the many grammatical and some other errors resulting from his limited ability to properly translate. Translation was initially completed December 19, 1995.

 

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Marseille

Month of Ordibehechte 1343

 

My dear and respected Friend,

I thank you for your detailed letter of 5‑2‑43 (April 25, 1964) and, address to you my sincere regards, I thank you with all

my heart for your sympathy.

Not only your letter didn't annoy me, but, on the

contrary I was very happy from the reading. It encourages me to

write you at length on the subject of which you spoke to me.

Although my answer is very lengthy, and although you are

Moslem, I ask you to have the patience to read my letter

attentively. In this manner, you can judge me, for I know that

you are an impartial judge, just, right; and more, you are a

true believer of your Faith, and you search for the truth.

You will look at this is not to the slight that, ‑

contrary to the opinion of my dear and old friends, ‑ I

accepted as Second Guardian someone who not only doesn't belong

to the family of Baha'u'llah, but also is American and does not

know the Iranian language.

This acceptance corresponds to all the principles

mentioned in the Sacred Writings of Baha'u'llah, of Abdu'l Baha,

and of Shoghi Effendi, his infallible interpreters.

If you have some doubts on the origins of these

Writings, you may find them at the home of my old Baha'i friends

and at the home of Mr. Salom Haghighi, your associate; you can

thus verify my statements.

In order to not fatigue you, I shall try to write the

most possible, in summary, but however this letter will be long.

Now, before entering into the subject, I am going to treat with

you some personal questions, and, as my state and my age [p3]

doesn't permit me to do this letter in a single day, I begin

today, 9‑2‑43 (4‑30‑64), and I will mail the letter when it is

finished.

I. ‑ Since my daughter Parvine doesn't have any support,

I entrust her first to God, Protector of all His creatures, then

to you, who is a true friend. Protect her, as if she was your

sister, refuse her neither your material aid, nor your

spiritual aid; try to make her comprehend that she has to be

tranquil on my subject; prove her that her first duty is to

wonder at the happiness of her children, conforming to the laws of

nature and to the teachings of all the Prophets. She can not

sacrifice them for me, but, on the contrary she must sacrifice

me for them. Although divorced from her baha'i husband, he

remains the father of her children and, if she is excommunicated, she could be deprived of seeing them. It must therefore be that she renounces visits to me and quits being worried on my subject. Because, paternal love is not attached to the physical meeting; it is interior and spiritual.

Since April 1960,

this several times, explaining this to her well; but I didn't

succeed in convincing her, because she is in state of nervous

depression.

This depression began in 1960; she had to come at this

moment to England with her husband, for the conduct of their

children and left them there, so that they could do their

studies. As result of the interdiction against coming to

see me, made by the N.S.A. of Iran, she fell sick and had to be

hospitalized. Each time that she had the intention to come see

her children, ‑ that her husband had guided, alone, in England,‑

the same interdiction was reached. In this moment it is again

the same thing; furthermore there is the disagreement between her

husband and her, which lead them to ask for the divorce. [p4]

By these events she is therefore stuck between two

stones of the mill; on one hand her attachment for me; on the

other her extreme love for her children. And especially,

although divorced, she still loves her husband and is in his

grip.

I implore you therefore now,‑ with all the belief that

you have in your Faith, (Muslim) ‑ to try to convince her to

renounce coming to see me, in order to keep her children, by

sacrificing me to safeguard them, and not to sacrifice

them for me.

Since 1960, I wrote several times to her, asking her to

make the same decision that her sister Bahéreh did, in order to

not be more torn between the love that she has for me and that

which she has with her children, because she is surrounded by

fanatic believers. Those who reckon this is the deep love of

the heart, not the meeting or the correspondence which is not of the appearances. She and Bahéreh are in my heart, whether I meet

them again or not, and whether I receive any letter from them or

not.

To both I wrote that, according to the words of

Baha'u'llah, each person has to seek the truth individually and

in complete independence, without any prejudice, and choose

afterwards that which she comprehends and judges right for

herself. The parents don't have any right to influence their

children nor to oblige them to accept their own belief.

This is the reason of that law, that, each child born of

Baha'i parents, is not Baha'i, if, at the age of 16 years old,

he doesn't declare himself Baha'i. Likewise, the children don't

have the right to require of their parents, the renouncement of

their belief, in order to prove by it, their love.

Responding to this, Bahéreh said me: "If you don't

repent, I will cease all correspondence with you, because you

are the shame of the family". Since that moment, we have not

had any relationship. But for her, I am alone. I shall always

love her like before and her act can not prevent me from

maintaining the same love for her. [p5]

As for Parvine, she told me: "You are free, you chose

your Faith, I don't have the right to intervene in your belief".

Her sister threatened her with ceasing all correspondence with

her, if she continued to write me.

Since that moment, she is pulled between two loves:

filial love for me, maternal love for her children, especially

when she is still threatened with being excommunicated and in consequence, deprived of seeing them.

Threatened from all sides, she suffers and her nervous

depression maintains. Sometimes even, she is obliged to be

hospitalized.

From the bottom of my heart, I ask you to make her

understand reason, so that she decides, one time for all, to

follow the way of happiness of her children, and for her to

maintain in good health, that she dismiss the idea to come to see

me. That she knows well, that I always keep her in my heart,

that I love her and will love her all my life. If I know her

happy and in good health, I will have peace in my soul and I

will be joyous. Aid her spiritually, like you do her already

materially.

If you succeed in convincing Parvine, this will be the

greatest service that you can render me. The belief is a

question of soul, an interior relationship of each person with

his God. One shouldn't renounce it for love the children and I can

not sacrifice my Faith, for love for my daughters. With all my

heart, I ask of God that by your wisdom and by your profound

belief in your religion, you succeed in convincing Parvine and I

ask you to do for her, this as you would do for your sister or

for your children.

2 and 3 are points on the consignments of money. [Apparently deleted from the copy sent by Jacques Soghomonian for translation]

4. ‑ Yet another time, I pray you please to make Parvine to

understand this which is reasonable, for you are my only real

friend; at the same time you are a true Muslim, [p6] ‑ just and

you have heart. For her, she doesn't have any other true friend

who can guide her. According to this that I believe and

comprehend, she has divorced, but since Manouchehr is her

children's father, she always remains under his influence. I

believe that you realized some of this yourself by the way of

the mortgage placed on her house by Manouchehr. According to

me, this desires revenge by me, but it ignores that God knows

everything and protects all his creatures.

Save Parvine, extract her from her distress, get her to

understand that her first duty is to assure her children's

happiness. For that, it must be that she renounces seeing me,

so much that she is threatened with being excommunicated and by

it deprived of seeing her children; she would fall sick from

this.

Since I am far from her, you are my only hope. Save

her, do for her this which your Faith dictates to you and your

conscience.

As soon as I received your before last letter, telling

me that Parvine was afraid of being deprived of seeing her

children if she came see me, I wrote her immediately, but

without mentioning this that you had told me. I affirmed to her

that I would have a tranquil mind if I knew she was happy, even

though far from me, without any hope of seeing her again. By

contrast, I would be the most unhappy of men, if because of me,

I didn't feel her happy, deprived to see her children. This

would be for me the worst suffering.

Her happiness is from being with her children. This is

the law of nature and also the law of all the Prophets: the

children come in first, next the husband; the father is only the

third. This has to be sacrificed for the first, but not the

first for the third.

5. ‑ On the subject of the summary of the account. [p7]

Now, I am going to enter into the subject of my belief,

since you spoke to me of it in your letter.

Before, I tell you in all sincerity, that, if I permit

me do it, this is only for you to know my judgment on this

point, so that you know it from myself, not from that which our

friends tell you about me, and that you can judge me by this

that I write personally.

You know what is my Faith and my religion: so that you

know how I have been authentic until this day to it, I must

give you certain details and I ask you to excuse me if my letter

is very long.

My grandfather and his brothers accepted the Bab (the 12th

Imam, Chaem). They were in the war with the Bab‑ul‑Bab [Mulla Husayn] in the fortress of Cheykh Tararsi, and, in consequence of the treason, made under the cover of the Koran by the Government, were ransomed by the soldiers of their country and returned to the family.

My mother became Baha'i; I was born therefore Baha'i,

but I became one myself by accepting Baha'u'llah, the first time

in 1918. ‑ so that you realize that I was not superficially

Baha'i, I recount you this which follows:

After having passed my baccalaurate, I did a year of

medicine, to obey the desire of my father. But in 1916, I

enlisted as a professor in a high school of the State, ‑ (for I

loved this profession) ‑ and one named me Inspector of public

Instruction for Isphahan. The minister was Mr. Nasir‑ab‑Doulah.

I worked much.

In the month of Ramadan 1918, from consequence of the

opposition of the ulamas of Isfahan one threatened the Director

of the public Instruction to come into a group for pursuing me, if

he did not do it himself; and he added: "Maybe the crowd will

make a mistake and will continue until it kills him!" [p8]

The Director made known to me the requirement of the ulamas

who demanded my expulsion, because I was baha'i, adding:

"Tomorrow evening, we will go to the ulamas; you will say

nothing, you will let me only say before you that you are not

baha'i; in this way you will stay with me". And he insisted

much that I accept his proposition, for he liked me much, by

reason of my work that I did as sincerely as possible. He was

named Mr. Asad‑al‑lah Mosaffa, son of Mohaseb‑al‑Douleh, chief

of the sect Zahir‑al‑Douleh.

I answered him: "If, in my presence, you affirm that I

am not baha'i, if I keep the silence, that seems to say that

this is myself who affirms this, while a Baha'i has to be

prepared to sacrifice his life for his Faith". And I chanted

this poem to him:

"If you desire to save your life, do not come here, but

if you are prepared to sacrifice it, come and bring those who

resemble you. If you desire to progress towards Baha'u'llah,

this is the path that you have to follow, but if you are not a

man of this path, turn aside and be not for us a source of

pain".

I promised him that, upon my arrival in Téhéran, I would

go to the Ministry and I asked of him to send someone to

replace me.

Upon the following day, I quit the high school, but

before departing from Isfahan, I received the order for me to

retire definitely from the Ministry of the Education.

I was married, a father of a family, I had nothing to

live on, ‑ since my father was angry with me, since I had

abandoned medicine. For 9 months, without work and without

money, I could live with my wife and my daughter, thanks to the

aide of my father‑in‑law, to one of my very dear friends Mr

Naïmi. We were lodged in an apartment of his house, and this is

again thanks to him that I could then enter into the "Bureau of

accounting" of the Police, as comptroller.

[p9] (Since 1960, because of our divergence of opinion,

Mr Naïmi stopped seeing me and writing me)

In the year 1920, the Police were dissolved, its members

were joined to the Army and I was appointed lieutenant of

administration.

In the month of Fire (June, 1932), after my studies in

the French military Schools‑ (6 and a half years)‑ I was again

in Iran. The Army was ordered to establish a file for every

officer, a file which had to be written and signed by the

officer himself, and, kept in the archives. According to the

laws of the Iranian State, the Baha'i religion was not and is

not yet recognized; the official religion is Islam, but the

State admits a minority of Jews, of Zoroastrians and of

Christians. Each officer who declared Baha'i, had to be

expelled not only from the Army, but from all of the Ministries;

he could not even work as a porter.

Also, the officer who had done his studies at the

expense of the Army, had to make immediately reimbursement,

otherwise, he was imprisoned, until repayment of the sum owed.

At that moment, I was chief of 4th Bureau in the

Ministry of the War, of which the minister was the General

Amir‑Fazli. Because of the studies that I had done, he was

content with my work and he liked me.

I established my file, declaring myself baha'i, but I

there attached a written letter and signed by my hand; I remitted

all to the Minister. This he kept for 6 months, without

presenting it to the king ‑ (father of present king)

During this time, several officers in the army

department and four officers of the Ministry had been expelled,

then imprisoned until settlement of their debt. Our allowances

for study in France amounted to nearly to 250,000 Rials (about

14,750 present Francs); and I did not even have 1000 immediately

available! [p10]

After 6 months, the Minister of War presented my file to

the King (the habit was that 3 times per week, this was the

Minister who presented a report on his administrative work and

on his officers and that the 3 other days this was the Chief of

the state regimental adjutant who presented to the King his

affairs and those of the officers of the army Department)

The King, seeing my file, became angry and ordered to do

with me, as with the other baha'i officers. After the reading

of some other reports, the King resumed his natural appearance.

The minister said then to the King: "This baha'i officer attached

a letter to his file, it says: Upon entering the army, I vowed

before God to be upright and sincere, to not lie, to not betray

my King, nor my country and you ask me to keep myself my file!

According to this that I vowed, I have to tell the truth,

otherwise, I lie and I betray my King and also my country ".

Hearing that, the King ordered to leave me alone. By

this order of the King, I stayed therefore in the army, and,

since that moment, all the baha'i officers of the administration

also stayed there. By contrast, those of the army Department

who declared themselves baha'is, were expelled, for the Chief of

state regimental adjutant, was a Moslem fanatic who didn't like

the Baha'i officers. Furthermore, there was a rivalry between

the chief of state regimental adjutant and the Minister.

The Chief of state regimental adjutant couldn't believe

in the reality of the order which had been given on my subject.

To be convinced, he asked for my file; after reading it, he sent

it back without saying anything. ‑ (This was recounted by the

Minister to General Alaï, my former Director; he lives still, he

is one of the 27 Hands)

My respected friend, if I recounted these two histories

to you, this is so that you may judge whether I accepted the

baha'i Faith with all my heart, not lightly and not because I

was born baha'i. [p11]

Among the principles of Baha'u'llah, ‑ that I like and

try to practice ‑ is one of them which says: Search personally

and independently for the truth, without prejudices, for Faith is a relationship between man and his God. And each accepts this

when he acknowledges it right for himself.

Another says: The wise men are the ones who speak only

when they find an ear ready to listen to them and who doesn't

give to drink unless to one who is thirsty.

A third teaches: Tell the truth, even if this truth is

the negation of God; it is better than lying and showing it to

the believer by the lie.

Now what I write you on my state of mind and my state of

spirit in my life of Faith, I enter into the subject itself.

According to us, the Baha'is, all the Prophets promised

to the people of their Day, two Manifestations for the last Day.

The first is a Manifestation, but also Herald of the Second

greater than him, and this second Manifestation will gather

under his tent all the people, all the religions, all the colors

and all the races.

According to the Koran and the written interpretation of

the Imans [Shi'ites], the first is the 12th Imam or Chaëm. For

us, Baha'is, this is the Bab or Rabbé Aala and the second is

Baha'u'llah.

In the Writings of the Bab, Baha'u'llah is named Man

Jazher‑al‑lah, that is, "the one that God shall make manifest".

In his own Writings, Baha'u'llah says that his

Manifestation is for the whole world and he invites all the

religions, all the people, to gather under his tent, in the

perfect unity, the universal peace, the equality of men and of

women, the unity of language and of writing,‑ (in addition to

the maternal language) ‑ so that the whole human kind

understands.

At the end of his Book of Laws, that is named

Kitab‑I‑Aqdas, he writes that the world will be perfect, when it

attains two goals:

[p12] The first is the unity of language and of writing;

the second, is the possibility of transforming into gold all the

metals.

For the language, he says in a Tablet: If one chooses

the Arabic or the Persian, this is good, for these two languages

are eloquent, vast and gentle, but one is free to choose

another. In this Tablet, he declares that his eldest son is the

infallible interpreter of his Writings; he introduces him under

the title of "The most great Branch". ‑ His second son Mirza

Mohammed Ali is only "The great Branch".

In the Kitab‑i‑Ahd, he invites his children, the members

of his family and all the Baha'is to obey the "most great

Branch". He says: To obey him, this is obey to God, to disobey

him, this is to disobey God; he placed between his hands the

safeguarding of his Sacred Writings and all the Baha'is.

Despite that, after the ascenscion of Baha'u'llah, all

the brothers of Abdu'l Baha violated the Kitab‑i‑Ahd and stood

up against him. They tried to suppress him, and, by their acts,

they are separated from the Baha'i Faith.

Before Baha'u'llah, all the Manifestations had

designated their successor verbally and by a discrete manner.

Even the Bab, precursor of Baha'u'llah, did only announce the

next coming of the great Manifestation, that he calls Man

Yozher‑al‑llah ‑ (the one that God shall manifest)

But, Baha'u'llah, in the Kitab‑i‑Aqdas and the

Kitab‑i‑Ahd designates in writing his successor in clear terms

and by calling him by his name.

Jesus Christ had said to Peter: You are Peter and on

this stone, I will build my Church. The Prophet Muhammad on the

18th day of the month Hédgir‑ (Zi Hadjat‑al‑Haram) ‑ ascended

onto the saddle of the camel, and, addressing all the present

Moslems, designated Ali, (his cousin and his son‑in‑law) for his

successor. These are some verbal designations, not written. [p13]

After the ascension of Muhammed, Abou‑Bakr and Omar,

intriguing with Aicha,‑ (daughter of Abou‑Bakr and favorite wife

of the Prophet)‑, placed the Koran on a lance, he carried it,

saying: "We have the Book, it is sufficient to us and we don't

have need of an interpreter". In this way, they created the

discord among the Moslems.

A majority followed Abou‑Bakr and Omar; these are the

Sunnites. A minority followed Ali, obedient thus to the word of

the Prophet; those are the Shi'ites. Now still, they are in

minority.

During the lives of Abou Bakr and of Omar‑ (1st and 2nd

Caliphs) the Iman Ali, decided that he would do nothing against

them. At the same time, he taught those who had accepted him

and they did progress.

After the death of Omar, when Ottoman became 3rd Caliph

and began to act against the laws of the Prophet, he stood up

against him with all his strength; a fanatic assassinated him.

The son of Ali, Hassan, became the 2nd Iman. He remained

calm, until the Sunnites poisoned him.

His second son became the 3rd Iman. He opposed the

Sunnites and with 70 Moslems (members of his family and others)

he made war against them in the city of Karbila. By ruse the

Moslems of that town proposed to him to guide the people and the

70 were all killed. Among them, there was his brother Abbas and

two of his sons of which one was a child. One only of his sons

stayed alive; he was imprisoned with the women of his family; he

became the 4th Iman, and remained imprisoned always; in the end, he

was poisoned. All this, you know much better than me.

The most great Branch: Abdu'l Baha Abbas, successor of

Baha'u'llah, in an Persian Tablet, known by the name of the

"Tablet of the thousand Verses", explained to the Baha'is the

question of the violation, saying: In Islam, it was the

Shi'ites who took the true path. [p14]

Abdu'l Baha, saw that his brother "the second Branch"

was violating the Faith ‑ had disobeyed the commands and the laws of Baha'u'llah, made with him, his other brothers and the major

part of his family. In his lifetime, he wrote a Testament, made

of successive parts in some different eras. Each was signed by

his hand and this Testament was kept secret until his ascension.

This Testament contains praises to God and prayers, and

also the foundations of the Baha'i Administrative Order which

was made by leaving, lengthy explanations on the violation, ruin

of the Faith, some adjurations so that the Baha'is do not act

like after the ascension of Baha'u'llah, and obey his Testament.

After his ascension, in 1921, his sister, (of the same

mother), gathered all the Baha'is present in Haifa and showed

them the envelope sealed by Abdu'l Baha himself; she unsealed

it, then read in high voice. All the present Baha'is and all

the members of the family knew consequently that the First

Guardian of the Cause was Shoghi Rabbani, grandson of Abdu'l

Baha, doing, at that moment his studies in England. His

aunt recalled him immediately by telegram.

The sister of the Master sent the photocopy of the

original of the Testament to all the Baha'i World in order to dispel any doubts.

Since the receipt of the news, Shoghi Rabbani fell sick,

due to the greatness of his responsibility and of his duty.

Arriving in Haifa and taking in hand the reins of the

Cause, he entrusted to his Aunt the direction of the Faith,

during the decided necessary time for his recovery (6 months) ‑

This was announced by telegram to all the Baha'i World.

Baha'u'llah himself had named his daughter (aunt of

Shoghi Rabbani) ‑ Amat‑al‑Baha, that is: handmaiden of Baha.

[p15]

In his Testament, Abdu'l Baha, himself addresses to the

Branches ‑ (descendants of Baha'u'llah) ‑ to the Twigs ‑

(descendants of the family of the Bab, who had only a son, dead

at three years old) ‑ to the Hands, to all the Baha'is and

presents Shoghi Rabbani as Guardian of the Cause, he adjures all

to submit to him and to obey him. He who obeys him, says he,

these obey God; he who disobeys him, these disobey God; he is the

infallible interpreter of the Sacred Writings and he adds: Fear

being for him a cause of grief; do not do like after the

ascension of Baha'u'llah.

In his Testament, he indicated and explained the baha'i

principles, so many spiritual that administrative, thus that the

duties which results in. Here is the summary:

1‑ The method of the election of the House of

International Justice; the qualities of the persons worthy to

be elected; the principles of the election of the N.S.A. and

of the L.S.A. and the qualities of their members. ‑ (After the

formation of the House of International Justice, all the N.A.

and L.A. have thus the title of House of Justice.)

He wrote explicitly that the House of International

Justice will be under the direct direction of the Guardian of

the Cause who is the president of it for life.

If a member of this House of Justice, commits an act,

harmful to the Faith and to the Baha'is, the Guardian will expel

him by his function and, according to the conditions already

fixed, one will give him a replacement.

The Guardian has to assist all the meetings of this

House of Justice; if he can not be there, he will designate

someone for his representative.

The duty of this House of Justice is to promulgate the

laws which are not written down in the Sacred Writings, but they

must always be conforming to the principles of these Writings.

And just as it has the power to promulgate some laws, this could

be changed by it in the present or the future. [p16]

If the Guardian, infallible interpreter of the Sacred

Writings, ‑ sees a promulgated law not conforming to those

Writings, he has to invite the House of Justice to revise this

law.

The Guardian, president of the House of Justice, is not

eligible. Its presidency is hereditary like the Gardianship.

The infallible Guardian being the head of the House of

Justice, the laws promulgated by this latter also are

infallible; they are divine laws and have to be executed like

the laws inscribed in the Sacred Writings.

If the House of Justice is not formed according to these

principles, it is not valid and its laws are not enforceable.

II ‑ The Hands of the Cause are nominated and designated

by the Guardian; they are under his commands and must obey him.

If the one of the Hands doesn't obey the Guardian, it belongs to

the other Hands to expel him, he has fallen from his rank.

The duties of the Hands are: teach and propagate the

Faith, instruct the Baha'is. They don't have any right in the

administrative organizations. They have to elect 9 from among

them by secret vote and these 9 elected Hands will be under the

direct orders of the Guardian in order to aid him in his tasks.

The Guardian designated by the preceding Guardian has to be

approved by these 9 Hands. In general, the Hands have to

execute all the orders given by the Guardian.

III ‑ The essential principle of the Baha'i Faith is the

Gardianship.

According to the Kitab‑I‑Aqdas and Kitab‑I‑Ahd and

according to the Testament, the Gardianship is continuous until

the next Manifestation.

The Guardian of the Cause is infallible in the

interpretation of the Sacred Writings; he is the chief of the

two Bodies, the one of the House of Justice and the one of the

Hands. [p17]

During his lifetime the Guardian has to designate his

successor who will be approved by the Body of the 9 Hands; this

would be his eldest son, but if this one is not of his spiritual

blood, he must choose another branch.

In different Tablets, written in Persian, Abdu'l Baha

treats two subjects which complement his Testament: 1st The

embryo from its formation, has in power all the force of the

complete body; it is already a total organism. 2nd God is a

perfect gardener; when the gardener finds a dry branch, he cuts

it and grafts into its place a living branch, so that the tree

can develop it ‑ (this in response to a question posed by the

American Baha'is).

Another special and very important topic, is the Béda

(or change in the accomplishment of the divine promises) In the

Koran one finds this word in several places, but Baha'u'llah

affirms that there won't be Béda in the Baha'i Faith. The

Master and Shoghi Effendi confirms after him this: "there won't

be Béda in the Cause of God and this is a written order".

During the lifetime of the Master, there was not other

formation than the one of the L.S.A. As soon as Shoghi Rabbani

took in hand the reins of the Faith, he started to accomplish

the tasks which it was indicated in the Testament of the Master.

First he gave some orders to perfect the existing L.S.A.

and, in the countries where they were in sufficient number, he

ordered the formation of a N.S.A. and promulgated the Baha'i

Administrative Order for the L.S.A., then the fundamental

principles of the N.S.A. declarations. He ordered these latter

legally known in the States favorable to the recognition of the

Baha'i Faith, as a valid religion. In this declaration the 1st

article stipulates that the N.S.A. is under the direction of

the Guardian.

Among the Baha'is of Iran, of America and of Europe, he

chose and named the Hands of the Cause of God, for aiding him

[p18] in his tasks and fixed their spiritual duties, for

example, the country where they must accomplish them.

In January 1951, he formed the International Baha'i

Counsel, choosing among the Hands and out of them, 9 persons

(Americans, Europeans and one only Iranian to the title of

secretary and who is not among the Hands) ‑ He designated Haifa

for the residence of this Counsel.

Through a Message, he announced to the World Baha'i this

formation, presenting this Counsel as "the embryo of the

Universal House of Justice", saying that this event was the most

important of the Baha'i "formative Age", coming in second in the

important events of the Faith.

In March 1951, by a new Message, he announced to the

Baha'i World that Mr. Charles Mason Remey, American, had been

appointed by him, President of this International Counsel.

He designated the N.S.A. of North America as the valid

interlocutor to receive his Messages, with charges for it to

communicate them to the other N.S.A. and even to the N.S.A. of

Iran.

He announced to all the N.S.A. that henceforth, all the

administrative questions had to be submitted to the

International Counsel; only the spiritual questions had to be

addressed to himself.

He authorized the N.S.A. to withdraw the right of

voting with Baha'is who commit some administrative faults, but

he kept for himself alone the right of excommunication. None of

these rights were given to the Hands.

(Only for the particular case of Abadeh and of

Ardestan, he authorized the N.S.A. of Iran to impart

excommunication, after having studied the case of each person

and in the conditions that he himself had fixed. This

excommunication was not valid other than for Iran, while the

excommunication given by himself was valid for all the Baha'i

World. ‑ Even for this particular case, he didn't give this

exceptional right to any Hand) [p19]

He didn't give to the Hands the right to intervene in

the decisions of the N.S.A. If a N.S.A. desires to have the

point of view of the one of the Hands, it invites him and the

Hand gives his opinion to consultive title.

According to the information of the Guardian, a Hand (or

several) could be elected to a N.S.A. He becomes a member and

his voice doesn't have more value than those of the other

members; he participates in the discussions like the others.

If, by command of the Guardian, she received a mission,

during all the duration of this, she would not assist with the

meetings of the N.S.A.

During the lifetime of Shoghi Rabbani, his brothers and

sisters, and even his Parents, and all the other members of the

family of Abdu'l Baha violated the Testament of the Master. All

were excommunicate by his Messages, except his Parents. This

was not appointed by writing, but, practically, he is

excommunicated.

In 1953, he outlined a "Ten Year Plan". This Plan was

addressed to all the N.S.A. existing, in their order of the

execution. It was known under the name of the "Ten Year Plan of

the spiritual Crusade". In this Plan is indicated the duties of

the Baha'is, those of the L.S.A. and of the N.S.A.

For the execution of this Plan, he didn't give to the

Hands, any administrative right; he authorized them only to

fulfill some spiritual duties; encourage the Baha'is, be in

relationship with the N.S.A. etc...

In this Plan, he indicated:

1st The number of Temples which had to be constructed

and the countries where should be done this construction.

2nd The number of the N.S.A. which had to be formed,

3rd The number of languages into which the Sacred Writings

should be translated;

4th The number of the L.S.A. which had to be formed in

such or such countries. [p20]

He fixed likewise the organization of the five

conventions, the countries where they had to take place and named

the Hands who must there participate in the representative.

In addition, he wrote, that if the circumstances

permit it, in Ordi‑Béhéchte (21 April) 1963, one will have to

celebrate, at Bagdad, the centenary of the Manifestation of

Baha'u'llah. Manifestation which took place at Bagdad in

1863.

He didn't indicate any date for the formation of the

House of Justice; he specified only the conditions of its

formation, that is, when all the countries will have their

N.S.A. and when the Baha'is will have the qualities sought by

the Testament of the Master.

Among the countries which have to have their N.S.A., he

mentions Russia and charges the N.S.A. of Iran and of Germany

to work in common to prepare the land in that country, as soon

as the circumstances will permit it.

He said and explained that the International Council,

embryo of the House of Justice, has to go through four steps

before becoming the International House of Justice:

1st formation of five Baha'i Courts in five Moslem

countries: Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan and Afganistan;

2nd formation of the Baha'i Court at Haifa;

3rd formation of the preliminary House of Justice;

4th formation of the House of Justice, such as it was

fixed by Baha'u'llah and explained in the Testament of the

Master.

In his Message of 1957, he increased the number of the

Hands to 27 and indicates the names of those that he has

designated to form this number.

During his lifetime, he didn't charge the Hands to elect 9

among themselves by secret vote for assisting him in his tasks

in abiding under his commands; he gave directly some orders and

some missions to each among them, and sent them to such or such

a country, according to this that he judged necessary. [p21].

All the Baha'is knew that the Guardian didn't have

children, that, during his lifetime, he had not designated the

Guardian to come among the Branches remaining faithful to

Baha'u'llah. His ascension took place at London November 4,

1957 and no one found a Testament.

November 18, 1957, the 27 Hands met at Haifa and were in

three days of conclave. They couldn't succeed in electing 9

Hands by majority and secret vote, they designated then 9 from

among them to direct the Faith and the Baha'is. Among them, was

Mr. Charles Mason Remey, President of the International Counsel,

embryo of the House of Justice, designated and presented as such

by Shoghi Rabbani himself. These 9 directed together the Faith

until November 1959.

In the Conclave of 1959, the 27 reunited Hands ‑ (except

one who was absent) ‑ wanted to dissolve the International

Counsel, formed by Shoghi Rabbani, to form themselves another

Counsel in 1960 and the House of International Justice in 1963.

That, in contradiction with the principles mentioned in the

Sacred Writings.

It is at this moment that Mr. Charles Mason Remey

protested against all, stating that they didn't have the right

to be acting in this way, for this was the annulment of the

Sacred Writings. He withdrew therefore and quitted Haifa to go

to reside in America.

Until November 1959, he had worked with the other Hands,

for they had been acting in accord with the fundamental

principles. He was acting like Iman Ali, interpreter of Islam.

He separated from the Hands when he saw that they had decided to

strangle the embryo formed by Shoghi Rabbani.

Since the ascension of the Guardian, this embryo had

been born and had to go through the four steps fixed by the

First Guardian. By their acts, the Hands had decided to

suppress forever the Gardianship. And this Gardianship is

continuous, not only in the Baha'i Faith, but in all the

previous religions. [p22]. Abdu'l Baha tells us this in his

"Tablet of one thousand verses", like I wrote you this at the

beginning of this letter.

On the first day of Rizvan 1960, from America, Mr.

Charles Mason Remey launched his Proclamation, declaring himself

the Second Guardian of the Cause. He made it attain to the

Hands of Haifa, to the N.S.A. of the United States, mother of

all the N.S.A., and to all the N.S.A. existing in the Baha'i

World, asking them to review the Sacred Writings of Baha'u'llah,

the Testament of the Master, the teachings of Shoghi Effendi and

to present his Proclamation to the Baha'is.

On the receipt of this Proclamation, instead of

examining the Sacred Writings and of following the true path,

the Hands followed the one of the Caliphs of Islam. They sent a

telegram forbidding to all the N.S.A. to study the Proclamation

and from making it known to the Baha'is of their country.

At the same time, they presented Mr. Charles Mason Remey

as a violator and smasher of the Alliance of God, forbidding all

the Baha'is from having dealings or correspondences with him.

All those who wouldn't obey would be likewise declared violators

and excommunicated.

By these acts, the Hands showed that they were acting

contrary to the fundamental principle of Baha'u'llah, which is:

Personal and independent search of the Truth. They go against

in this of the Testament of the Master and of the Writing of

Shoghi Rabbani. They destroyed the "The 10 year Plan of the

Spiritual Crusade", they strangled the embryo, formed by the

First Guardian.

Unfortunately all the N.S.A. obeyed the Hands, except

the N.S.A. of France, of which I was part.

Since they [the N.S.A. of France] received the Proclamation, after having prayed, each member, individually and in total independence studied the Sacred Writings and each made his decision. Afterwards, gathering in Assembly, they discussed for 24 hours. [p23]. After these deliberations the secret vote took place. Only one member abstained under the pretext that he felt sick.

The telegram of the Hands had arrived after the

Proclamation. Following the chronological order of the

arrivals, the Secretary presented it to the Assembly after the

study of the Proclamation. A second time, each [relut] the

Writing and studied together the Proclamation of Mr. Charles

Mason Remey and the telegram of the Hands. After this study the

8 members maintained their acceptance. They gave to the member

who had not given his opinion, the necessary time for to make

it, then one decided to telegraph to the 2nd Guardian, Mr.

Charles Mason Remey for him to know the acceptance of the 8

members of the N.S.A. of France.

One was afterwards a meeting to decide this that one

would have to do with the Baha'is of France. By unanimity, it

was decided that the duty of the Assembly was to act with them

like the Secretary had been acting for the N.S.A. To each

L.S.A. and to each Baha'i was sent with a letter from the

N.S.A., the Proclamation and the telegram of the Hands, asking

all to study following the fundamental principle of

Baha'u'llah: "personal and independant Search of the Truth",

to make a decision and to make it known by writing to the N.S.A.

Afterwards we separated and each regained his place of

residence.

The Hands of Haifa obtained knowledge of all this, by

the member who had refused to vote. Immediately, they sent one

from among them to Paris: Mr. Faizi.

The N.S.A. was again convened, but before the meeting, 3

members among the 8, were contacted individually and changed of

opinion. These were:

‑ an American, ‑ a Frenchwoman, Iranian by her marriage,

‑ a Belgian. p24.

These members, under the influence of the one who had

not voted, and of an Iranian, auxiliary Hand in Europe,

telegraphed their disclaimer to Mr. Charles Mason Remey.

The meeting took place since the arrival of Mr. Faizi,

in the presence of the auxiliary Hand. The discussion lasted

from 9 hours to 17 hours. At the end the five majority members,

remained firm, had not changed their belief. The five were:

‑ two Frenchman, an American, one of American and French

nationality, and myself, Iranian.

After this meeting, Mr. Faizi assembled the same day all

the Baha'is residing in Paris and declared that the five members

are violators and smashers of the Alliance of God. He forbade

all, under pain of excommunication, from seeing them or from

corresponding with them. The same evening, a circular was sent

to all the L.S.A. and to all the Baha'is of France, saying the

same thing, and announcing the dissolution of the N.S.A. of

France.

All this manner of action was contrary to the principle

of the Baha'i Administrative Order, approved by Shoghi Rabbani.

Some French accepted Mr. Charles Mason Remey as Second

Guardian.

The Baha'is of America had posed to Shoghi Rabbani the

following question: "In the Testament of the Master, he is says

that the 9 Hands have to approve the choice of the Guardian for

the Guardian who must succeed him. If the Hands don't approve

this choice, what will happen from it." Shoghi Rabbani answered

that the Hands had to approve this choice, for the Master,

saying that, had not wanted to create a dissension.

(according to me the terms of the Testament are very

clear for according to the Persian words, he says: "it must be

that the 9 Hands approve", and, furthermore "The Hands are

appointed and designated [p25] by the Guardian; they are under

his commands and if one of the Hands disobey, the other Hands

must exclude him").

On the topic of this that you told me: "How is it

possible that an American has become the Guardian of the Baha'i

Faith?" there are two manners of answering:

Until present, I have done it according to the Sacred

Writings and especially according to the situation of

pre‑eminence that Shoghi Rabbani gave to Mr. Charles Mason

Remey. He was designated Hand among the first who were

appointed. Then he was chosen as President of the International

Counsel, embryo of the Universal House of Justice. He was

presented as such to the Baha'is of the World and all the

administrative questions must be directly addressed him. He was

thus chosen to know the spiritual plan as well as on the

administrative plan.

Now I give some reasons to you, coming from my own

comprehension. I confess frankly to you that I am surprised by

my old Baha'i friends' astonishment, deciding that I was

mistaken!

Like I wrote you of it in this letter, the Baha'i Faith is

a worldwide Faith. According to its Laws and even according to

the promises of the previous Prophets, it has to gather under

its tent, the whole human kind. Furthermore, we Baha'is, we

know that all the humans, whatever that they are, are equal, the

differences of races, of colors, of nations and even of social

rank, does not exist. The sole valid distinction is the one of

the degree of spirituality, of the sincerity in the belief, of

the practice of the Laws contained in the Sacred Writings. If

my friends rely on this they will see that these are only those

qualities which differentiate the Baha'is from one of the

others.

All the Baha'is of Iran know that the people of Africa

are considered as under developped people and however the

Baha'is of Africa are very beloved by Shoghi Rabbani (as

reported in his Messages), for this who is valuable before God,

[p26] this is the profound belief, not the human values. And,

this that the Master, in his Testament, counselled to Shoghi

Rabbani to designate the Guardian to come, this is to regard the

heredity of the spiritual blood. If the firstborn of the

Guardian of the Cause didn't manifest the truth of the words:

"The child is the secret essence of his father, that is, if he

didn't inherit of the spiritual element which is in him....he

must chose another branch".

As I told you already about him, Shoghi Effendi didn't

have children; none of the faithful Branches to Baha'u'llah had

been designated in his lifetime and he didn't leave a Testament.

He followed the example of the gardener of which spoke the

Master in a Tablet to America: he grafted another branch.

If one affirms that the Guardian of the Faith has to be

of the Iranian language and not of the American language, it

must refer back to the words of Baha'u'llah saying that the

Baha'i Faith is a worldwide Faith for the entire, whole human

kind and that each individually and in whole independence has to

search the truth. After that we are have to admit that the

language is not essential, because to study the Sacred Writings,

one can do that if it is translated into the language of the one

that reads them. It is for this purpose, that the First

Guardian ordered to translate the Writings into all the

languages. He himself sent his worldwide Messages in the

English language, not in the language Persian or Arabic.

However, all the two years, on the occasion of the feasts of

Naw‑Ruz, he wrote in Persian, for Iran and some of the countries

of Asia, not for the world.

Furthermore, Baha'u'llah wrote that one of the signs of

the perfection of the world will be the use of one language and

of one common writing, without it suppressing, for each, the

mother language and writing.

From now there, what must we do? Do we have to stop the

movement of the Baha'i Faith? And if the adopted language is

neither the language Persian nor the language Arabic, it must

translate well the [p26] Sacred Writings into this new language!

We see therefore rightly that the language is not an essential

thing for the Faith.

Now I give to you some personal reasons on the subject

of the heredity of the spiritual blood of Mr. Charles Mason

Remey.

1. ‑ We, the Baha'is of Iran, we know that, among the Iranian Hands, certain had encountered Baha'u'llah; they were learned and knew well the principles of the Faith. However, the

infallible First Guardian, chose Mr. Charles Mason Remey,

American, to be President on the International Counsel, embryo

of the House of Justice.

2. ‑ according to the Testament of the Master, the First Guardian gave all the Hands the spiritual power. To Mr. Charles Mason Remey, he gave the spiritual power and also the administrative power by appointing him President of the International Counsel.

3. ‑ He didn't give to any Hand the authorization to buy a house in Haifa and to get settled there definitely. But he ordered Mr. Charles Mason Remey do to it.

4. ‑ Among the 9 members of the International Counsel, he appointed only one Iranian: the secretary, who was not a Hand.

According to that, I understand that he had a spiritual

rank which distinguished him from the other Hands.

I return again on the language, to which my friends give

so much importance in the Baha'i Faith. How is it that our

First Guardian, ‑ infallible in the interpretation of the Sacred

Writings ‑ has not chosen the N.S.A. of Iran to be the mother

of the other N.S.A. until the formation of the House of

Justice? He chose the N.S.A. of the United States, addressing

to it directly in English all his worldwide Messages, with

charges to communicate them to the other N.S.A. and even to the

N.S.A. of Iran. [p28]

My dear friend, if we refer us back to the history of

Islam, that you know much better than me, we see that among

the adepts of the Prophet, there were some Arabs of high rank,

some learned and some brave, but his favorites after the Iman

Ali were Salmané Farsé and Balalé Habchhi, an African Negro; neither of them knew arabic.

These are the reasons which led me to accept Mr. Charles

Mason Remey for my Second Guardian. But especially this was the

words of First Guardian who said:

1st "The Testament of the Master and the Kitab‑I‑Aqdas

complement mutually; one can not separate them the one from the

other".

2nd "The laws promulgated by the House of Justice and

which are not inscribed in the Sacred Writings are infallible;

one must obey them like one obeys the divine laws....and the

President for life of the House of Justice has to be the

Guardian of the Faith".

Now, Mr. Charles Mason Remey was appointed by the First

Guardian, President of International Counsel, embryo of the

House of Justice.

Since the ascension of the First Guardian, this embryo

has been born and has to travel through the stages fixed by the

First Guardian himself, until it arrives at the real House of

Justice.

On the Rizvan of 1960, when I studied faithfully the

Proclamation of Mr. Charles Mason Remey and the telegram of the

Hands, I arrived at this conclusion. or it must be that I

renounce, not only the Baha'i faith, but all the religions and

even God, or I make the only possible solution to stay faithful

to the Baha'i Faith and to God, that is, I accept Mr. Charles

Mason Remey as my Second Guardian, because his Proclamation is

conformable to the Testament of the Master and to the Writings

of Shoghi Rabbani. [p29]

If I obeyed the telegram of the Hands, I would strangle

the embryo created by Shoghi Rabbani, I would nullify the

continuity of the Gardianship in the Baha'i Faith and in all the

previous religions. Furthermore, I wouldn't believe in the

perfect infallibility of Baha'u'llah, in the infallibility of

the interpretation of the Master and of Shoghi Rabbani.

Since I didn't accept the Baha'i Faith to the slight, I

couldn't renounce to the slight and I accepted therefore Mr.

Charles Mason Remey for my Second Guardian, trusting myself in

the judgment of God, just and merciful.

I am entrusting me also to this written word of the Bab

(Chaem) who says: "If someone proclaims, accept him without

discussion; or he is true and you accepted the Truth, or he is

false and this is not for you to judge of him; he belongs to God

to punish him and to destroy him".

Although this word has been written for "the one that

God shall manifest" (Baha'u'llah); it is equally true for the

Guardians of the Faith.

It is possible that one said about me: How is it that

the majority have not been comprised and that only a small

number has accepted this Proclamation? It is this that one said

to me in 1960.

To answer to this, I follow myself the report of the

history of the religions and especially to the one of Islam,

because my ancestors are Moslems. After the ascension of the

Prophet, the majority of the believers followed the Caliphs,

while a small number accepted the Iman Ali as Guardian, obedient

thus to the word of the Prophet. During all their lives they

suffered, were maltreated and martyred by their brothers,

Sunnite Moslems. The majority of the Imans was martyred,

imprisoned or poisoned. Even now, after 1400 years since the

Hégire, the number of the Shi'ites is about the third of the one

of the Sunnites, as well as the Westerns suppose that it is the

Sunnites who are the real Moslems. We, Baha'is, by the

testimony of Abdu'l Baha [p30] in his "Tablet of one thousand verses", we have a contrary judgment; in recognizing the continuity of the Gardianship, essential principle of all the religions, the

Shi'ites took the true path of Islam.

In this same Tablet the Master explains that, if Islam

didn't progress as it should have, this is by reason of the acts

of the Caliphs who provoked the separation of the believers of

Islam.

If we refer us back to the history of the religions, we

see that Moses was manifested in Egypt, but he was chased from

there and the center of his religion was Jerusalem. ‑ The

Christ Jesus was manifested at Jerusalem, he was crucified there

and the centers of his religion were Rome, Russia and Greece,

which, to this era is the most pagan country of the world. ‑

The Prophet Muhammad was manifested at Mecca; he had to quit

that town, get settled at Médina and the center of his religion

has been Iran. ‑ The Bab was manifested at Shiraz and he was

martyred at Tabriz. ‑ Baha'u'llah was revealed at Téhéran, when

he was imprisoned in the dark pit; he was manifested at Bagdad

(capital of Iraq) ‑, where he had been exiled and the center of

his religion is St. Jean d'Acre and Haifa, spiritual and

administrative center.

If we refer us back again to history, we see in the past

of the less, the Sacred Writings had to be read in the hebrew

language or Latin for the Christians, in the Arabic language for the Moslems, and, many understood nothing.

So that all could understand, Baha'u'llah demanded the

unity of language and of writing. In awaiting that humanity can

attain to that, the Master and Shoghi Rabbani ordered that the

Sacred Writings be translated into all the currently existing

languages in the whole world so that all could put into practice

this essential principle of Baha'u'llah: "Personal and

independant search for the Truth". [p31]

If we say that the Baha'is of all the countries have to

study the Persian and Arabic languages to understand the Faith

and especially if we believe that the Guardian has to be an

Iranian and not an American, we destroy all the Sacred Writings

of Baha'u'llah, we nullify the principles of the Testament of

the Master and we demolish the solid foundation established by

the First Guardian when he formed the International Counsel,

giving it as President Mr Charles Mason Remey, attributing in

this way to him the double spiritual and administrative power.

By this method, he showed the continuity of the

Gardianship and made known to us our Second Guardian.

We should not follow the Hands who are not Hands now when

the Guardian declared them as such, that he has the right to

expel and to replace by others.

We should not follow them, for they demolished and

annihilated the Sacred Writings, the foundation of the First

Guardian and suppressed the continuity of the Gardianship,

writing clearly that there was "Bada" in the Testament of the

Master. They have annihilated in this way the Baha'i Faith and

the other beliefs, strangling the embryo created by Shoghi

Rabbani.

We believe blind, they waved the word "Unity" turning

away from there of it the sense that Baha'u'llah had given to

it: Unity in agreement with all the principles inscribed in his

Writing.

You tell me again that, for the love of my daughters and

especially of Parvine, to whom one forbids to come see me under

pain of excommunication, I would have to write to the N.S.A. of

Iran a letter of repentance.

My dear and real friend, I wish that in reading this

letter you judge whether I am not someone who embraced the

Baha'i Faith to the slight, without pains and without

sufferings. I renounce not then therefore that to the slight,

through love for my daughters. I wish that they are strong

enough to support this suffering and don't expect of their

father a similar feebleness. [p32]

If, because of my love for them, I renounce my belief,

established on the profound studies, if I let fail the pains

that I had to endure to keep my Faith intact and if I commit the

mistake of my repentance, I make a great sin, inexcusable next

to Baha'u'llah who says: "don't humiliate yourself before the

creatures; if you commit a sin, repent you before him, who is

the Merciful".

To obey this Sacred Word, I submit myself to the

judgment of God, who is just and merciful. And if I have

committed a sin, I repent myself beside my living and infallible

Guardian, not beside of persons like me, who do not have any

right on me.

My dear friend, although you are not a Baha'i, you are

however a true Moslem, believing and practicing; you are just

and you know well that being deprived of seeing his children and

the members of his family, support the unhappiness which results

of it is not a valid reason near by God to renounce his Faith;

on the contrary, one has to be ready to sacrifice all to guard

it. It is for that that there were 20,000 Martyrs. At Yazdé,

under the eyes of the parents, the mouthpiece of a samovar was

put in a baby's mouth and one poured boiling water until he was

dead. The parents didn't renounce their Faith in order to save

him. All these deprivations and sufferings are insignificant in

regard to the Faith.

We have the example of the sufferings of Moses and of

his exile; of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; of the sufferings

of the Prophet Muhammad; of the martyred Imans; of the exile of

the Bab, imprisoned in the fortress of Tchéhrighe Makou; of his

execution at Tabriz; of the imprisonment of Baha'u'llah and of

his successive exiles to Bagdad, Istanbul, Adrianople and

finally his confinement at Saint Jean d'Acre, ‑ the most

unhealthy fortress among the fortresses ‑ with all the members

of his family, of his poisoning by his brother, elevated and

taken care of by himself; of the Master [p33] Abdu'l Baha, who, since nine years old shared the exile and the imprisonment of his Father. He was delivered only by the coup of State of the Young Turks, in 1908. (He was then 64 years old) ‑ All that, for God.

My dear friend, I finish this long letter, today Tuesday

May 5, 1964 and (15‑2‑43) I pray you to read it attentively when

you will have some liberty, and to judge me by yourself,

according to this that I write, not according to my friends'

judgment, who sincerely love me, I know this. I thank you for

the affection and the friendship that you have for me.

Before finishing I have yet one subject to treat with

you.

Yesterday, I received a very short letter from Parvine.

According to her writing, I sense her fatigued and in a state

very depressed. She tells me that she won't go to England to

see her children, but her husband will be going to pass time

with them however during the summer; she will wait therefore the

next year, by the Will of God. ‑ She adds that she asked the

N.S.A. to calculate the date of her divorce from the month of

Fire 1342 (21‑6‑63) Furthermore, she has not had any letter from

her sister and a member of the family returned from a pilmagrage

to Saint Jean d'Acre.

Yet another time, my dear friend, I beg you to consider

Parvine as your sister; make her to understand that our meeting

doesn't have any value, that my happiness, to her, near to her

children. Do, for her, all that which is in your power. After

God, I don't have other support than you, who is a real friend

and believer, according to your Faith. I know you are just and

understanding; then, in the present circumstances, the health

and the happiness of Parvine depends on your goodness and on

your benevolence. [p34].

As this letter is my spiritual Testament, I recommend

you send it; I pray you keep it with you, until my death;

afterwards, remit it to Parvine or to her children, if you have

their address or if you can see them.

I thank you with all my heart, excuse me from disturbing

you and from fatiguing you by this long letter.

Yours devoted and sincere,

Monir DERAKHCHAN

5 - 5 - 64 [May 5, 1964]

15 - 2 - 43

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