The Baha’is and Politics

Republished by: Bahaismiran

Behind the act of politics

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

Abdul-Baha, the second leader of the Baha’is, had a key role in the events of the WW1, in the British front, especially in the occupation of Palestine and its separation from the Ottoman Empire. He received the sign of \"knighthood\" and later was given the title of \"Sir\" because of his efforts.

At the time of Shoghi Effendi, 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 Cause was expanded by colonial countries to follow their seditious goals.

But, the Baha’is cannot 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 the Baha’i faith, 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 his view.

But really how can we find the truth? I think we can find it only by a fair research where justice is observed and prejudice is avoided.

Is Baha’i dispensation really originated by colonial states to follow their goals, or it is only a slander made by the 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 cannot be a guarantee to obey it. If so, the Muslims will claim that because accusation is illegitimate in their religion, they will never accuse others, and in this manner, 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 the Baha’is reasoning nor the Muslims’ response is acceptable. We conclude that the best way for proving the accuracy or inaccuracy of a historical fact, is referring to history. Since the historical documents of the Muslims are not accepted by the Baha’is completely, we use the Baha’i historical books.

Fortunately, in our studies, we find convincing documents that can be useful for those who seek the truth .You can read the texts and judge yourself!

Introduction

About the relations between the Baha’is and strangers we prepare two notes and each of them has two acts.

* The first note is named \"the footprint of Czar\" and is about the relation of the Babis and Baha’is with the Czari Russia.

* The second note is named \"the old colonizer\" and is about the relations of the Baha’is with the Ottoman Empire, Britain and Israel.

Both of them will prove the fact that even if the Babi and Baha’i dispensations were not generated by the colonial countries, they are certainly growing in their hands and have been supported by them.

The third act: In the embrace of the old colonizer

Flattery and spurious prayer

It was mentioned that after the king’s thwarted assassination, Baha’u’llah was accused of collaboration with the agents of this terror and he was arrested, but by the generous efforts of the Russian ambassador, he was released and exiled to Iraq. After a time, when his division with his brother was intensified, the Ottoman Empire which governed Iraq and Palestine, exiled Baha’u’llah and his family to Palestine and after his death, his son who was called Abdul-Baha controlled the affairs of Baha’is.

Abdul-Baha was also one of the devotees of the Russian emperor like his father. He was always praying for that glorious government. But after the disintegration of the czarina Russia, Abdul-Baha missed his supporter and because he was living in ottoman at those days, he began to pray for Ottoman Empire. He supplicated God humbly in his prayers:

O my God! O my God!

Assist the glorious government of Ottoman and this Mohammedan succession with Thy good pleasure and secret confirmation; strengthen them in earth and in Empyrean by Thy power for the spreading of Thy divine fragrances! I supplicate Thou to immune the lands of this empire and secure their center of succession from difficulties and sufferings.( Makatib [the letters of Abdul-Baha], vol.2, p.312)

As you see, Baha’u’llah humbly prays for the endurance of Ottoman Empire and besides it, he calls their government “a Mohammedan succession” and claims that they are true successors of the prophet of Islam. He set the divine seal to their government and in addition, he wishes the strengthening of this empire in all around the world and also in the empyrean!

We understand nothing about the government of Ottoman Empire in the empyrean. Maybe he supplicated God to give them a power to rule over the angels in the empyrean!

An elegant point in this supplication is the implied confession of Baha’u’llah on the seal of the prophet of Islam and on the eternity of Islam; on the one hand he supplicates for the endurance of Ottoman Empire in the world, and on the other hand, he supposes them the true successors of the prophet of Islam, in fact, by this supplication he is insisting on the eternity of Islam.

This supplication continues as follows:

O Thou Glorious Lord

Immunize ottoman government and safeguard them by Thy eye of loving kindness. Because ottoman government protects the sacred spot and the Sinai desert and Baha’is are under their auspices and support. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Precious, the Protecting!

The important part in this supplication is this part:

“Baha’is are under the auspices of ottoman empire.”

Don’t forget this part, because in following pages you will read Shoghi’s words about Ottoman Empire completely in contrary to these expressions.

As you see, Abdul-Baha supplicated God to strengthen Ottoman Empire. he endorsed the justice of this government and confessed that the flag of justice of this government is staffed in the countries under its dominance and he seeks the authority of the emperor’s military forces.

Let’s read another prayer of Abdul-Baha for the endurance of the Ottoman Empire:

O Thou Glorious Lord!

Aid the fair government of Ottoman by Thou pleasure and confirmation.

O my God! Assist their forces and confirm their raised flag.

Make the commands of this government effective and penetrating.

O God! Support their supporters and keep whatever which should be protected in this government.

O God! Expand the fame and respectability of this empire.

Disseminate their signs and works and elevate their flags.

O Thou Glorious Lord! Do whatever had been requested by Thy power which is capable of doing everything in the world.

Verily, Thou assist every one thou desire and thou art the Mighty.

By considering these prayers, it becomes obvious that Abdul-Baha had been in great allegiance and devotion to the Ottoman Empire. The important point is that he was known as a Muslim when he was living under the protection of that empire. Even in the period of the occupation of Palestine by UK, he continued to pretend as a Muslim and in spite of Baha’i orders, in which collective prayer is inhibited, he attended the collective prayers of Muslims, and even sometimes was the chaplain of those prayers.