The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-03-06

THE BAHIs OF PERSIA.

4 Sect With Many Good Points, but
Greatly Prosecuted.
81 was in Persia on the 18th of last
May" said gentleman recently.
''Why do you mention that particular
day?" asked the reporter.
Because he returned, sit is day
of sorrow to thousands of the inhabi-
tants of the land of Cyrus There is a
new sect in that country, and they be-
lieve they will supplant all others
They are known as the Bahis. These
peculiar people claim that on the 10th
of May, in some year unknown, God
became man in the person of Behao
Allah. who left the human body and
ascended to heaven, after praying his
people to prepare themselves for bet
ter and perfect life, and to do every
thing that would build up the temporal
man and ennoble this life. It was the
son of this prophet who thus related
his fathers death. The followers of
Beha are called pBahis. They admit
that Jesus and Mohammed 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-five years ago marked the
advent of Ali Mohammed. He went
abroad in Persia proclaiming himself
prophet The new sect has been per.
secuted with violence. They have
suffered in degree equally as terrible
as that undergone in the days of mar
tyrdom. They have deserved it as lit
tie, too. The Bible or creed of this
new sect is called the Bayan. In no
way does it conflict with the estab-
lished rule of any government. 1t
lacks among its adherents one thing
which has been deemed essential to
the success of religious teaching. They
are not orthodox. The Bayan teaches
that there is no hell, except in unbe-
lief, and that to believe is heaven
paradise. It claims the mission of the
Old and New Testament, and the Koran
to have been fulfilled and therefore use
less in the present day. 1t holds that
the human intellect has developed and
is able to receive a better creed, a
stronger religion and a better ono.
This new religion is patterned after
the Mohammedan religion more than
any other. However, the ritualism has
undergone some decided changes. In
the last month of the year fast is Or
dered, and only children, travellers and
women in travail are exempt from the
observance. There is one thing about
this new sect which deserves consider.
alton and support A higher status is
placed on women. No veil is required
when the female desires to appear in
public celebrations. The Bahis insists
on charity and demands brotherly
love. Begging is prohibited, and
efforts are made by those in high sta.
ton and aff1uence to assist their in
feriors to rise by labor and independ-
ence above the role of mendicants.
They believe in q millennium and hope
for its Inauguration. They hope to
obtain it strictly by religious means
The Bayan is strongly opposed to ig-
norance and superstition. Auricular
confession they consider unpardonable
and do not allow it. They reject sla-
very and the outward distinction OF
dress. They believe that God alone
knows their state after death.-New
Orleans Picavune