Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-04-17
the sAAIs or PERSIA.

They Are Persecuted Almost Unto Martyr.
dom For Their Religious Views.
Said a gentleman who has travelled
extensively in Persia: ''The 10th of
May is day Of sorrow to thousands
of the inhabitants of the land of Cy-
rus. There is a comparatively new
sect in that country that believe
they will supplant all others. They
are known as the Bahis. These pc
culiar people claim that on the 10th
of May, in some year unknown, God
became a man in the person of Be
ha Allah, who left the human body
and ascended to heaven. after pray
ing his people to prepare themselves
for a better and perfect life and to
do everything that would build up
the temporal man and ennoble this
life 1t was the son of this prophet
who thus related his fathers death.
The followers of Beha are called Ba-
his. They admit that Jesus and Mo-
hammed and Moses were great
prophets. They maintain that God
has inaugurated new era and that
it began with the advent of Beha
and Ali Mohammed. The origin of
the belief is Persianic. A new Imam
is to arise. With his rising will
come peace to all men. There will
be more happiness in the world,
more charity, more honesty among
men.
"Seventy-fve years ago marked
the advent of Ali Mohammed. He
went abroad in Persia proclaiming
himself a prophet. The new sect
has been prosecuted with violence.
They have suffered in degree equally
IS terrible as that undergone in the
lays of martyrdOm. They have de-
served it as little too. The Bible or
reed of this new sect is called the
9ayan In no way does it conflict
with the established rule of any gov
srnment. 1t lacks among its ad-
herents one thing which has been
deemed essential to the success of re.
hgious teaching. They are not or
thodox The Bayan teaches that
there is no hell, except in unbelief,
and that to believe is heaven-para-
disc. 1t claims the mission of the
Old and New Testament and the Ko
ran to have been fulfilled and there
fore useless in the present day. 1t
holds that the human intellect has
developed and is able to receive a
bebter creed, a stronger religion
and better one.
"This snew religion is patterned aft
er the Mohammedan religion more
than any other. However, the ritu
alism has undergone some decided
changes. In the last month of the
year a fast is ordered, and only chill
dren, travellers and women in travail
are exempt from the observance
There is one thing about this new
sect which deserves consideration
and support. A higher status is
placed on women No veil is required
when the female desires to appear in
public celebrations. The Bahis in.
sists on charity and demand brother
ly love. Begging is prohibited, and
efforts are made by those in high
station and affiuence to assist their
interiors to rise by labor and indie
pendence above the role of mendi.
cants. They believe in a millenni
um and hope for its Inauguration.
They hope to obtain it strictly by re-
igious means. The Bayan is strong,
ly opposed to ignorance and super
stition, Auricular confession they
consider objectionable and do not
allow it. They reject slavery and
the outward distinction of dress.
They believe that God alone knows
their state after death. New Or
leans Picayune.