The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-11-03
THE NEW BELIEF, BABISM.
AMERICAN CONVERTS TO A. FIFTH
FROM THE EAST.

syria-RevivaI Teachers of 1T Here
Some of the Women who Have BE.
come Bubists.
That Christ has returned to this
world and is now dwelling in Acre,
Syria, fulfilling prophecy, is believed by
about four millions of people in Persia
and Turkey, and by eight thousand in
this country, most of whom are to be
found in New York city, Chicago and
Kenosha, Wis. So many sects have
arisen in the Orient that little surprise
is felt in that region at the beliefs Of
the Babists as they are called in this
country. Some of the orthodox have
been much concerned over the success
Of the Syrians who have been teaching
the Bah religion, and making converts
of Well-known men and women.
The name of the supposed Christ in
Syria is Abdul Beha, and his represent
tatiyes in this country are Ibrahim G..
Kheiralia, D. d. and Abdul Karin
Effendi, the latter a man of about eigh-
ty, who was sent to New York from
Syria last spring to correct certain
teachings of DR.. Khelralla, who was
formerly his pupil. About three years
ago DR. Kheiralla appeared in New
York having come from Chicago UNI
der the patronage of Mr.. and Mrs.
Dodge, who had been converted in that
city. He had large audiences, COM
posed mainly of women, and he was in
a fair way to settle down here as the
head Of a new religious society; but
certain of his doctrines created discus
sion, and then dissens1on, and there
was trouble.
Many of the teachings of Babism as
espoused by the doctrine were object
ed to by American women, and the
doctor soon found himself involved in
quarrel-some of his pupils quarreled
with one another and soon there We're
two hostile camps one for and one
against Kheiralla.
Some of the men and women who
heard his lessons declared that he was
preaching Northumberland Then
came to this country Abdul Karin,
who called DR.. Kheiralla to task, and
who had HE trouble for his pains, for
the doctor did not heed his admoni
tons and took himself back to Clica-
go, where he is now fourishing. Mr..
Dodge, who paid the expenses of DR..
Kheiralla's winter stay in New York,
paid his expenses back to Chicago and
then opened his home to Abdul Karin.
Singular as it may SEEM large
number of welI-educated and well-to-do
people took up the cult, among others
Mrs Phoebe Hearst of San Francisco,
Miss Lillian Whiting of Boston, Miss
Farmer, the founder of Greenacre col
ony in Maine, and Nine. Aurela G.
Pote of this city There were a num-
Der of men in the several classes, but
the women outnumbered them ten to
one. Kheiralla taught these people
that the Bah religion would4in time
outgrow all others, and that the pres
ent head of it was the reincaruated de-
sus. He is, the doctor stated, a prison
er in the city of Acre, Syria.
-~Babsm originated in Persia in the |
year 1886, when Mira Ali Muhammed, |
a young man of noble family and a de- |
scendant of the Prophet Mahomet, |
started out to teach Babhood The !
word bah means gate, and he said that |
he was the channel or gate of grace. |
Those who listened to DR.. Kheiralla |
learned very little about Babisln, but |
enough to search the public libraries |
for information about the Bah religion. |
Not much had been printed on the sub
ject, but the encyclopedias and one or
two foreign magazines contain some
facts, and Professor Bronze of Cam
bridge university has written enter
tainingly of the sect in his Year
Among the Persians'' and other works
DIR. Kheiralla is not authority for
this statement, but nevertheless it is
true, that what he teaches is nothing
more or less than an esoteric Moham-
modernized and American
lied so that educated people may not
be repealed by some eastern doctrines.
Signs and wonders are said to have
the birth and earliest in
fancy of Mira Ali the founder of Bah
ism, and he was put to death by the
Persian government, thereby securing
for himself the martyrs crown The
he made was that one was to
follow greater than he. In his teach
ngs he advocated the restriction of
polygamy and advised his followers to
have not more than four wives. His
teachings We're an advance in morality
on the state of things existing in his
time among the Arabs, and his death
was due to his opposition to polygamy
and to other doctrines of the Islamtes.
his followers was woman of
great renown, Zareen Tai (or Kurratul
Aqu), and her advocacy of the new
-eachings and her adoption Of one Of
he Bah reforms, viz, the abolition of
he veil, helped to make his fame
Known throughout the Orient. The
Bah was killed at the age of twenty
seven, and with him died two of his
most devoted disciples. Prosecutions
we're heaped upon those who survived !
and the new faith spread proportionate-
"
The Zareen Tai was punished with
1eath, and Immediately her fame be-
,ame securely established second only
o that of the Bah himself The success
or of Mira was 3eha-ullah, who it is !
declared by the Babs, was no less per
onage that God. The present head of | ,
he faith is the son of Baha-u'llah Cor | !
1od), and is declared to be Jesus | !,
thirst. II
One of the arguments advanced by | :
Or. Kheiralla in favor of the Bah over !
yer other religion is that the present +
'hrist was born in holy wedlock, there |
~ exalting Womanhood and wedlock. |
NE Rahists do not believe in the di- | ;
orce laws of Pehsia and the east gem