Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-04-07
PERSIAN HERETICS.
A PROSECUTED SECT DRIVEN OUT
eY THE PRESENT SHAH.

The Rise and Fail OF Bah, the Moham-
medaa Reformer-HIs Brave Though
UntimeIy Death-The Greater Beba,
Who Is an Exile from His Native Land.
Professor Browne. lecturer in Persian
at the University Of Cambridge, has
written a curious book, entitled "The
Episode of the Bah" Probably few
people know who the Bah is, but Mr..
Brownies researches are certain to
awaken interest in the man who was the |
arch hereto of Persia in the early part |
of the reign of the present shah. He |
died violent death at the hands Of the |
government when it was learned that
the heresy that he preached threatened |
the peace of the national church. His
followers live and are faithful to his
memory and teachings.
| Their leaders are in exile, and Profes-
sor Brownies book tells of his extraordi-
nary exertions to see them and get their
story from their own lips. They are
scattered far and wide. Some of them
are in Cyprus; others are in Palestine,
safe from the vengeance of the shah. All
of them would expect to lose their heads
if they showed themselves in Persia.
Only the humble followers of the Bah
live unmolested in their own country,
holding their meetings secretly for fear
of the persecution of the angry Mollahs.
The Bah was a Mohammedan re-
former, who went to Mecca and came
back with new commentary on the
Koran. He spoke of himself as superior
to Mohammed and to all other great re-
|. hgious refoTmers, but he announced
; that greater than he was coming. That
greater one is Beha, who lives in an
earthly paradise called Behje, near
: Tyre, where Professor Browne found
: him. The author says he feels quite un-
equal to the task of conveying vivid
: impression of the faces and forms that
surrounded him during his visit to this
strange retreat. He almost runs short
of adjectives when he describes the
wondrous and venerable figure of the
I holy man. He says he beheld face
which he will never forget, although he
cannot describe it. The piercing eyes
seemed to read his very soul. mo need
to ask in whose presence | stood as
r bowed myself before one who is the OBJ
+ ject of devotion and love which kings
e might envy and emperors sigh for in
y vain"
e Beha's preaching is prophecy of the
e "most great peace" and of the brother
: : hood and unity of man. The brother
= hood of the entire race is coming, he
!, predicts. Prof. Browne says Beha knows
?. the exact position of European affairs
k and is sorry for the western nations.
, He sees kings and rulers lavishing their
# treasures i'll the purchase of means of
e destruction instead of procuring the
q means of happiness. Meekness, con-
:, = cord, obedience, submission are the es-
sentials of his secret in the perfect way.
a He is loved and revered by all his fol
l. lowers wherever they may be, and many
a message from him is read in the secret
r, meetings in Persia of the humble fol
n lowers of the Bah.
'1 The Bah was not learned in the law
= like the great doctors of the church
= and for that reason they held him il
+a contempt. 1t was his habit to dispute
lie with them in the temples, and although
he was ignorant his wisdom put thei
at knowledge to shame. They said h
is proved himself an impostor because h
es talked bad grammar. He showed then
u that his grammar was the grammar O
;. the Koran, and asked them if it was no
or or better to be wrong with the prophe
as than right with the rest of the world
ep Whenever he became too TROUBLESOME
it, they beat him with rods. At last the,
had him shot A company of infantr,
;" was drawn up, and the Bah and one O
er his followers were placed before it a
m mre targets. The first discharge killed tn
- follower, but only broke the cords tina
bound the prophet. He might have con
verted his executioners then if he haa
It's had time to make the most of the situa
nd ton. But before he could speak tn
IL second voiley was fired and the Ba
-, died Of many wounds.
:" w His followers were terribly incense
he at the outrage, and tried to assassinat
re the shah. It is said that he tainted wit
ar terror at the sight of the conspirators
ad and was only saved by the timely arr
as val of his escort. For a time he mad
is Persia very unsafe for the followers c
er the Bah. He killed their leaders, an
u, y, to this day those who escaped from thei
Nv. native land have never dared to return
ise Among the victims was the one Salv;
ill ton Lass of the movement, the beaut
ch full Kurratu 1-'Ayn, who, it is said, wa
lr- a miracle of learning and of every fem
'ry nine charm. She was killed by slo'
'ry torture, and to the very last she declare
: her supreme faith in the teachings {
sst ct the Bab The Mollahs who slew ht
lie came near rebelling few months ag
IRE when their lord and master threatene
M to interfere with the tobacco questio
al in Persia. They made him tremble fl
led his life and throne until the obnoxiol
'rk measures be proposed were rescinded.
Meanwhile Beha is waiting patientl
in exile, confident that the day will con
when his teachings will triumph in Pc
VIZ VIZ sia and the leaders of his faith can r
tv turn to their land.-New York Sun.
ad- vuLGARlTY IN DESIGN.
on
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