Baha’i faith and involvement of Foreign powers (Imperialism )

Preface: behind the act of politics

From the beginning of the appearance of the Babi and Baha’i dispensation, many were of the opinion that the czarina Russia wanted to reap the benefits of these circumstances to make division and discord among Iranians. And after the overthrow of the Russia Empire, the Great Britain Empire followed the same goal and tried to achieve it.

Abd-ul-baha, the second leader of Baha’is, had a very important role in the events of First World War especially in the occupation of Palestine and its separation from Ottoman Empire. He received the title of \"knighthood\" and later was called \"sir\" because of his efforts.
At the time of Shoghi, the third leader of Baha’is, and after the establishment of Israel in the occupied Palestine, the relations of this sect and the colonial countries improved and this progress indicated that the Baha’i dispensation is expanded by colonial countries to follow their seditious goals.
But, Baha’is can’t bear this bitter fact and always try to penetrate these relations as usual and in some cases as divine!
About the growth and expansion of Baha’i dispensation, there are different points of view. Some people deny it, some emphasize it and some hesitate about it, some response positively and some response negatively. Anyhow, everybody tries to prove the truthfulness of his beliefs.
But really how can we find the truth? How can we recognize it among these decisive partisanships?
I think we can find it only by such a fair research in which justice is observed and prejudice is avoided.
Is Baha’i dispensation really originated from colonial countries to follow their goals or it is only a slander made by Muslims to accuse Baha’is?
Baha’is reject this claim and the first reason they give to get rid of it, is their religious order in which they are prohibited from interference in political issues. But this reason is not convincing because the mere existence of an order in a religion can’t be a guaranty to obey it. If so, the Muslims will say that because accusation is illegitimate in their religion, they will never accuse others and therefore all of Baha’is certainly are cooperating with colonial countries. In such a case there is no claim and it can be taken into account as a kind of fact.
By means of this logic, neither of the Baha’is reasons nor of the Muslims responses is acceptable. So the best way for proving the accuracy or inaccuracy of a historical fact is referring to history and because the historical documents of Muslims are not accepted by Baha’is completely, we use Baha’i history books. In this case there is no reason for objection or protest.
Fortunately, in our studies we find convincing documents that can be useful for those who seek for the facts.
You can read the texts and judge yourself!

* Introduction

About the relations between Baha’is and strangers we prepare two notes and each of them has two acts.
* The first note is named \"the footprint of tzar\" and is about the relation of Babes and Baha’is with czarinas Russia.
* The second note is named \"the old colonialism\" and is about the relations of Baha’is with Ottoman Empire, Britain and Israel.
Both of them will prove the fact that even if the Babi and Baha’i dispensation were not the generated by colonialism, they are certainly growing in the heart of strangers and colonizers.

The first act: the footprint of tzar

Escape from Shiraz

When Mirza Ali Mohammad claimed that he is \"bab-e-baqiat Allah\" i.e. the gate of Qaim Mahdi of Islam, he caused turbulence and unrest in Shiraz and was recalled by government and when was slapped in the face, he desisted from his claim and ascended a pulpit in Vakil mosque in Shiraz and confessed in front of people:
\"Damn to the men who call me as the attorney of the Hidden Imam.
Damn to the men who suppose me as the denier of Imamate of Amir-Al Momenin Ali (A.S.) and other Imams.
Damn to the men who called me as the Bab of Imam.\"
After this confession, Bab was under the surveillance of government. But when cholera was widespread in the city and anarchy prevailed, he found a good situation to escape from Shiraz. He escaped while he was \"fearful and feeling\" and then he went to Esfahan.

Before entering Esfahan, he sent a letter to the governor and asked him to prepare a settlement for him. The governor was Manochehr khan Gorgi who was known as \"motamed-ul saltaneh\" i.e. the one who is trusted by government and he did as it was mentioned in the letter.

Manochehr khan Gorgi

He was from Georgia and he was Armenian and Christian. In 1209 A.H., Manochehr khan was among the prisoners whom were brought to Iran by Agha Mohammad khan Qajar. After a time he made a good progress and because of his ingenuity and efficiency or maybe because of his commission by intelligence organization of Russian emperor in Iran, he became one of the most influential figures in Qajar government and later he was appointed as the governor of Esfahan. He was a powerful governor in Esfahan from 1254 to 1263 A.H and as it was mentioned in history books, he was an efficient manager, very oppressor, severe and hard-hearted. He pilled up a mass wealth during his government and was known as one of the affluent men in Iran. He was also the establisher of \"Motamed press\" in Iran.

The surprising support

Manochehr khan didn\'t know Bab but surprisingly, after receiving his letter, ordered the chief mullah of Friday prayers of Esfahan to prepare his house for Bab\'s settlement and entertainment and also ordered him to send his brother out of the gates of the city to welcome Bab.
Why did Manochehr khan try to respect Bab highly while he didn\'t have any precedence about him?
Bab was under surveillance of the government of Shiraz at that time and as it was mentioned by him he was obliged to escape from Shiraz.
So really what is the reason for such a support from such a guilty man?
Did they have friendly relationship before these circumstances? No.
Did the high ranking authorities urge the Christian and Georgian governor of Esfahan to welcome and respect Bab? Maybe yes.
Because Manochehr khan had a Georgian nationality, he surely was attached to Russia empire and it is not unlikely that Russia government obliged him to do so.

The hypocritical behavior

When Bab arrived in Esfahan, he went to the house of the chief mullah of Friday prayers and was entertained by him.
After a time because of the request of the mullah, he wrote a commentary on Sourih of Val-asr in Quran. The mullah admired the commentary and informed the governor about it. Manochehr Khan visited Bab and in a meeting where Bab and some religious authorities were present, the governor ordered all of them to prove the prophecy of the holy prophet of Islam (s.a.v.a) for him. The clerics couldn\'t do that convincingly and only Mirza Ali Mohammad (Bab) wrote a treatise by the name of \"the special prophecy\" and convinced the governor! Manochehr Khan studied the treatise and converted to Islam and confessed in a loudly voice that he didn\'t believe in Islam sincerely up to that time.
By this confession, it became obvious that he was a double-faced, liar and intriguing man who had deceived the Qajar government because at those days they never appoint a non-Muslim as governor of a city. he may also pretend this claim to deceive Bab and encourage him falsely and maybe both of these probabilities are correct.

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