Baha’i Child Rape Court Case

You only have to know three names to understand this story: (1) Remey, (2) Abdu\'l-Bahá, and (3) Jensen.  The U.S. court’s opinion rejecting the appeal of the Baha’i leader’s rape conviction is below.  And as you will see Remey sought to design a Baha’i building in Iran.

Charles Remey:

Charles Remey was a prominent American Bahá\'í, with a close relationship with one of the central Baha’i holy figures, Abdu\'l-Bahá, and was one of the people that organized his family’s trips to the U.S. and looked after them. Remey was also an architect within the Bahá\'í leadership. He designed the Australian and Ugandan Bahá\'í House of Worship which still stand today and are the “mother temples” for Africa. Upon the request of Shoghi Effendi, Abdul Baha’s son, Remey made designs for a Bahá\'í House of Worship in Tehran. Remey was also a member of what is called ‘Nine Hands of the Cause’ (the Baha’I leadership) elected as the authority until the election of what is called Israel’s ‘Universal House of Justice’ in 1963.

Remey was well-liked by`Abdu\'l-Bahá and worked with him:
Abdu\'l-Bahá praised Remey’s efforts and character in a a writing (called a “Tablet”) to Corrine True, published in the Bahá\'í newsletter “Star of the West” in August 1920.

What follows is one of the many examples of `Abdu\'l-Bahá’s affection for Remey:

\"Praise be unto God, that the model [of the structure] made by Mr. Bourgeois was approved by his honor, Mr. Remey, and selected by the Convention. His honor, Mr. Remey is, verily, of perfect sincerity. He is like unto transparent water, filtered; lucid and without any impurity. He worked earnestly for several years, but he did not have any personal motive. He has not attachment to anything except to the Cause of God. This is the spirit of the firm and this is the characteristic of the sincere.\" (Star of the West. Volume 11, No. 9, p. 139)

Abdu\'l-Bahá in 1921 stated the following about Remey:
\"I have adopted you as my son. You have to appreciate this favor very much indeed. One should see that you are living according to the requirements of this sonship. You should be aware of your responsibilities. My prayers will help you. I always pray for you.\" (`Abdu\'l-Bahá to Remey, 1921: Final Visit in Tiberias, Folio 2, \"A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: Reminisces of the Master, 1921\", pp.127-129)

Remey & Jensen:

Remey’s close associate was a man by the name of Dr. Leland Jensen, (“Local Bahá\'í Leader dead at 81”. August 8, 1996. Missoulian p. B2).   Remey and Jensen implemented a scheme to use children, sexually, to lure people to the Baha’i movement.  During the three Iranian eras (Qajar, Pahlavi, and IRI) there were similar complaints, and there were similar complaints during the 1940s and 1950s by India’s and Pakistan’s Parsi (Zoroastrian) Community.

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