Bahaism and Its Claims Part 16

Of a piece with this was the action of Baha's trusted agent, Maskin Kalam, in Cyprus. This Bahai was sent by the Turkish Government with Azal. "He set up a coffee-house at the port where travellers must arrive, and when he saw a Persian land he would invite him in, give him tea or coffee and a pipe, and gradually worm out of him the business that had brought him there. If his object were to see Subh-i-Azal, off went Maskin Kalam[477] to the authorities, and the pilgrim soon found himself packed out of the Island." This account is given by a faithful Bahai. Afterwards Maskin Kalam retired to Acca and spent his old age as an honoured guest of Baha.

FOOTNOTES:

[380] "Life of Abbas Effendi," p. x.x.xvii.

[381] "New Hist.," p. 236; "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 82.

[382] "Bahai Proofs," pp. 63, 77.

[383] "The Bahai Religion," p. 111.

[384] Quoted in "New Hist.," p. 373; comp. p. 61.

[385] Professor Browne's Introduction to Phelps, p. xxi.

[386] "New Hist.," p. 426.

[387] _Ibid._, p. xxvii.

[388] "Trav.'s Narr.," pp. 342-343.

[389] Browne's "A Year Among the Persians," p. 530. "If, instead of talking in this violent and unreasonable manner, you would produce the 'Bayan,' of which ever since I came to Persia I have been vainly endeavouring to obtain a copy."

[390] Its authors were Mirza Husain of Hamadan, M. Abul Fazl, and Manakji.

[391] Numerous magazine articles, and even the "Life of Abbas Effendi"

have been written by Bahais, as if they were outsiders making observations.

[392] In his Introduction (pp. x.x.xii.-v.) to Mirza Jani, which he has had printed in Persian, Professor Browne says, "But for Count Gobineau it would have perished utterly. This fact is very instructive, that so important a work could be successfully suppressed," and "that the adherents of a religion could connive at such an act of suppression and falsification of evidence." "This fact is established by the clearest evidence."

[393] "New Hist.," p. xxix.

[394] _Ibid._, pp. xiv., x.x.xi.

[395] _Ibid._, p. xiv.

[396] "Encyc. Brit.," article, Babism.

[397] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. xlv. It (1) belittles the Bab and glorifies Baha--making the former simply a forerunner; (2) belittles the sufferings and deeds of Babis, pa.s.sing over remarkable events almost unnoticed and magnifies inferior deeds of Bahais; (3) debases Azal, disregards his position as successor, disparages and scorns him as lacking in courage and wisdom; (4) tries to curry the favour of the Shah of Persia and excuses his persecutions, putting the blame on Mullahs and Viziers, deprecating the resistance and wars of the early Babis.

[398] Count Gobineau (p. 277) says, "There was some little hesitation about the successor of the Bab, but finally he was recognized as divinely designated, a young man of sixteen, named M. Yahya (Azal). The election was recognized by all the Babis."

[399] "Mirza Jani," p. x.x.xii.

[400] _Ibid._, p. x.x.xv. Professor Browne says, "When I was in Persia in 1887-1888, the Babis (Bahais) whom I met _feigned_ complete ignorance of the very name and existence of Subh-i-Azal."

[401] Page 64, note.

[402] "Abbas Effendi _suppressed_ all incidents and expressions not in accordance with later Bahai sentiment." "Of this I am certain that the more the Bahai doctrine spreads, especially outside of Persia, the more the true history is obscured and distorted" (Professor Browne in his introduction to "Mirza Jani," p. x.x.xvi.).

[403] Pages 36-38.

[404] One need not be surprised at this falsifying of claims and historical facts, for it is the testimony of the Bahai historian himself ("New Hist.," p. 5) that "the princ.i.p.al vice of the Persians is falsehood--so universal and customary and so familiar that truthfulness is entirely abandoned and ignored." "In matters relating to religion the Mullahs have shown themselves to be ready liars and shameless forgers."

The degree of reliability of this History may be judged from the following sentence, "When the people of Italy had proved the extent of the Pope's hypocrisy, guile and deceit, they so effectually deposed him and his children and his grandchildren that naught remained of him but the appearance" (referring to 1870-1871). I have received a pamphlet by A. J. Stenstrand, of Chicago, called "Third Call to Behaists." He writes (p. 27), "The Babi history as well as their sacred scriptures prove that a terrible corruption, changing and transposing of its meanings, has been going on in the hands of the Behaists." Again (p. 28), "We have plenty of proofs that there has been continual corruption, interpolation, changing, transposing and stealing away the sacred scriptures of the Babi religion in the hands of the Bahais."

[405] Cf. _Jour. Roy. As. Soc._, 1892, p. 447.

[406] "The Alwah-i-Salatin," in Collections Scientifiques, St.

Petersburg, 1877.

[407] "Trav.'s Narr.," pp. 108-164.

[408] _Jour. Roy. As. Soc._, 1892, p. 313.

[409] _Ibid._, p. 286.

[410] _S. W._, Sept. 27, 1913, pp. 9, 10, "If thou dost not obey G.o.d, the foundations of thy government shall be razed, and thou shalt become evanescent--become as nothing. If no attention is paid to this book, thou shalt become non-existent."

[411] The same explanation will account for the opposite narratives of the trial of Baha before the Turkish Court at Acca. Mr. Laurence Oliphant reports that the Court put the question to Baha, "Will you tell the Court who and what you are?" "I will begin," he replied, "by telling you who I am not. I am not a camel-driver (alluding to Mohammed), nor am I a carpenter."

[412] "New Hist.," p. xxv.

[413] "Facts for Behaists," p. 27. We mention a few of the important ones. (1) The so-called Tablet of Beirut, which confirmed the claim of Abbas, and was said to be transcribed by Khadim Ullah. The latter declared it to be a forgery by Abbas Effendi. (2) Abbas omitted the middle part of the "Tablet of Command" to make it certify his claims. A complete copy in Baha's own handwriting showed the subterfuge. (3) He combined parts of two different Tablets, called it the "Treasure Tablet," and claimed that it certified his succession. The two Tablets were produced and proved the falsity of the claim.

[414] "Facts for Behaists," p. 55. Afterwards Badi Ullah, who had accused the party of Abbas of making additions to the writings, with a purpose changed sides in the quarrel and accused Mohammed Ali of the same things--"interpolating," "erasing," "transposing," "replacing,"

"clipping and joining fragments," of the Tablets of Baha Ullah, besides issuing "a false writing in his name." Mohammed Ali is also accused of "carrying away by way of the window" two trunks full of the "blessed writings." See "Epistle to the Bahai World," by Mirza Badi Ullah, pp. 3, 5, 12-17.

[415] "Hidden Words," numbers 20, 37, 48.

[416] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 123.

[417] "New Hist.," p. vii.

[418] _Ibid._, p. 353.

[419] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 20.

[420] "New Hist.," p. 292.

[421] "Trav.'s Narr.," pp. 40, 41. Abul Fazl also is apologetic for the Shah, and says ("Bahai Proofs," p. 38), "Without seeking permission from the Shah, the Minister issued the order for his death."

[422] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 259.

[423] In "New Hist.," p. xvii., Professor Browne says, "The Babis made no profession of loyalty, nor did they attempt to exonerate the Shah from the responsibility of the persecutions. To the Shahs, such terms as tyrant, scoundrel, unrightful king, are freely applied. The battle cry, 'Ya Nasr-ud-Din Shah,' is described as 'a foul watchword.'"

[424] "Trav.'s Narr.," p. 52.

[425] _Ibid._, pp. 104-106.