News of the Cause

--Issue No. 2 January 1925:

The friends will be delighted to learn of the arrival in this country of Monsieur and Madame Dreyfus-Barney from Paris, their plans including a visit of several months in California with Mrs. Dreyfus-Barney’s mother. The world-wide Baha’i experience of Mons. and Madame Dreyfus-Barney, their intimate knowledge of the history and teachings of the Cause, and their unique proficiency in the Persian language, bring to the American believers a mental and spiritual reinforcement that will assist us greatly in our effort to promote the international solidarity of the Cause.

The following cablegram was received on New Year’s Day by Roy C. Wilhelm: “Convention grateful for America’s cooperation and visitors. Greetings.” signed, Bhargava, Bombay, India. The reference to visitors from America refers to the party of Mrs. Cook who left New York for Haifa and the Orient in October.

At the present moment when every believer should strive with all his power to promote confidence and goodwill among all the races, it is most important to keep in touch with the Baha’i friends in other countries, through subscriptions to the foreign Baha’i magazines. Sonne der Wahrheit, the organ of the German Baha’is, is published at 35 Hoelderlinstrasse, Stuttgart, Germany; yearly subscription, 7.20 Gold marks. The Herald of the East, the Indian organ for the promulgation of the Baha’i Teachings, is published by Professor Pritam Singh, M.A., College of Commerce, Cawnpore, India, and subscriptions are payable to N.R. Vakil, Esq., Havadia Chakla, Surat, India, $2.00 a year, post free. The Dawn, the Baha’i organ of Burma, is a monthly journal published at Rangoon, subscription $2.00 a year, post free, communications to be addressed to Syed Mustafa Roumie, No. 2 B, 41st Street, Rangoon, Burma.

It is suggested that in addition to as many individual subscriptions as possible, each local Spiritual Assembly subscribe regularly to these Baha’i publications.

News of the Cause throughout Palestine, Persia and the Orient is regularly published in letter form by our dear brother, Mirza Badi Bushrui, English Secretary of the Haifa Spiritual Assembly. Quoting from his letters of October and November, 1924: “Since our last circular letter, we have received many letters from different Assemblies containing good news about the progress of the Cause. In spite of the unstable conditions in Persia during the past few months the Divine Cause has been sending down its roots deeper and deeper into the hearts of men. Persecution has doubled the activities of the friends and they are united as one body in their attempt to break down the foundation of fanaticism and prejudice laid by the Mullas during the many years of their rule over the ignorant mass.

“The circular letter from Shiraz informs us that the Spiritual Assembly has delegated two noted teachers to organize different committees in the city as well as in the District. The handmaids of the Lord have also elected nine members to look after the interests of the Cause among women.

“An extract from the circular letter from Bushruiyih, Persia, states that fanatics and ill-wishers are spreading the rumor that the friends of God have been massacred in different parts of Persia, neglecting the fact that Baha’is pay no heed to such trifles and that they have been so long amidst such experiences that they can withstand any obstacle in the path of the Beloved.

“A new Spiritual Assembly has been established in Ishtihard. From Mashhad we hear that partial tranquility is established but the religious leaders are always on the alert to find some pretext in order to persecute the friends.

“From Nay-riz we learn that for about a year they have established a school officially recognized by the Educational Department of the Province of Shiraz. An English teacher has now been sent for from the capital.

“The Religious Court in Cairo summoned three of the prominent friends who have recently been won over to the Cause, to appear before them to defend themselves against the charges lodged in the court alleging that they are working against the holy Moslem Religion. The Egyptian Press is taking great interest in the matter and the case is expected to be heard some time this month.

“After the arrival of Mirza Mahmud Zarqani and Shaykh Muhyyiddin at Bombay, the Spiritual Assembly arranged a program for them to travel to different cities and they are expected to visit the headquarters of the Qadian Community in Punjab. The head of this community has given the verdict that those members who accept the Baha’i Cause are to be considered outcasts and that it is illegal for them to keep their wives. This was put into effect in the case of Mahfuz’ul Haq whose wife was put under severe restrictions, but she bravely withstood all persecutions and publicly declared that she shared her husband’s faith and that no physical power could separate them as long as both were convinced of the reality of the Baha’i Movement.

“You may be interested to know that after the occupation of Palestine by the British Army, the Government decided to turn the Acca barracks into a central prison for all Palestine, and at the time the High Commissioner sent a deputation to the Beloved Master that the character of the cells in which His Holiness Baha’u’llah was imprisoned would not be altered. In July of this year it was found necessary to utilize part of the barracks as a hospital for the prisoners. The District Engineer recommended the upper rooms of the very cells where the Blessed Beauty was confined, and work was started forthwith. The Haifa Spiritual Assembly immediately took steps to point out to the Government that these cells had also been occupied by Baha’u’llah. The case was finally referred to the High Commissioner in Jerusalem and the District Governor sent the following letter to the Haifa Spiritual Assembly on August 18th, ‘I am directed to inform you that the Government have decided that the character of the cells, in the old barracks at Acca which served for a period as the place of confinement of Baha’u’llah and Sir Abdu’l Baha Abbas, will not be altered. This decision has been taken with regard to the sentiments of the Baha’i Community throughout the world toward the cells, notwithstanding the fact that the changes needed in the Acca prison may be thereby somewhat prejudiced.’ “

A letter from Clara and Hyde Dunn brings the good news that the work in Australia is progressing very rapidly. Melbourne and Perth have their Baha’i Assemblies as well as Auckland, New Zealand, and new Assemblies are about to be formed in Adelaide and Sydney, Australia.

The tremendous contribution which Martha Root has been making to the promotion of the Cause in China, Australia and South Africa is a subject which would require many pages to do it justice. We hope to devote an early number of the News Letter to a full account of her activities.