The Washington times., 1904-10-30
Miss Laura Clifford Barney, an American
Convert to Beha ism, Performs
a Great Service for
Its Prophet.

- ROM the walled city OF Aka, in
- Tar Syria, under the dominion Of
the Turkish Empire, there has come
a story OF the rescue from cap
tivily OF the head OF the Babisu faith by
a prominent society gin OF Washington
III is known that the Turkish govern
meuL has relaxed It's severe ruling
against the person OF Abbas Emenul,
1.-The greatest branch" OF the Beha S
faith. and that he is now permitted 10
visit the tomb OF his father, BeIa
Unah. several miles beyond the walls of
Aka and 10 make short journeys in
the neighbOriug parts OF Syria and ru-
NOR is insisUauU that the Ottoman gov
eminent has made these concessions be-
cause Of the pressure brought by the
European governments at the sOLciJa-
tiOn or Miss Laura ClinOrd Barney Of
this city.
Ihe story is neither affirmed nor de-
MED. but il is known that Miss Barney
made a round Of the embassies and le-
cations before her departure from
Washington last spring. The British
ambassador Sir Mortimer Durauds and
CheHb Bey. the represeutaIiVe of the
Turkish government. were among those
visited. Since that time Miss Barney
has been ia Aka. and it is said that
her efforts have been energetically con-
tuued and finally crowned with success.
A Fervent Devotee.
Miss Barney is "a sinceer and devoted
follower OF the BabisU faith. Her attsn-
ti0n was directed 20 the new religion
nearly five years ago by friends OF her
family, and the force OF the arguments
adduc=d % support the claims OF the
converts Ia this country completely won
her belief She has made two pilgrim
feet Of the master, as Abbas Eheudi is
called by the faithful. her conviction
has been strengthened and her under
standing or Beha ism made clear To-
day the supreme aim OF her life is 10
conform 10 the manner of living pre-
scribed by her faith.
Babism. or Behaism, as IL b. eeuer-
ally called iu this country, is "a distinct
religious movement such as have swept
over the earth from the earliest records
OF thinking man. The cardinal belief OF
lis followers is that a C0ufucius
Z1roaster. "a Buddha. Christ Ma
homet. is born as other men, lives Jhe
ordinary span of human life. and dies
as others. but by his brief presence the
face of the world is changed
The Belief Of the Faithful
II is not SET up az a monopoly Of di-
der that which Be- dear 10 him by asso-
citation or inheritance. He hears only a
renewal or The oft-repeated message.
which has been dulIed and dlssipaJed by
the lapse OF ages. The teachings OF
Christ are accepted together with those
Of Moses. ALahomet, Buddha, and the
founder Of the present creed OF Beha'-
ism. Beha Uliah. as reflections CT rays
of divine truth.
This movement or Beha'ism was In
auguraIed Iu Persia iu 1874 by Ali Mo-
manned, a youth of twenty-five years,
who iu that year announced himself 10
b= the "Bab" lGatej-a term familiar 10
LoslemE. and by which is understood
AN avenue Tor the transmission 10 men
OF messages from zuperhuman source.
As expressed by a follower. Ali Mo-
manned meant by the term that he
was Jhe channel OF grace from some
great person still behind the veil OF
glory. who was the pOssessor OF count
less and bouUaless projections. Dy whose
win be moved and TO the bond OF whose
love he chung
All AIohammed supported his claims
by passages from the Scriptures and by
the traditions Of the Mgslem church.
which he Interpreted as f5recastns the
aupearauuce OF "a divine messenger at
the very time when be himself had au-
ugunced his mission. His eloquent and
elaborate disquisitious and the fertility
of his reasoning caused many 20 accept
him. The Moslem priesthood. apprehen-
slge for their influence, united 10 repres6
by force the risiug tide of the new faith.
AN era Of bloody and relentless perse-
cution followed tEat is almost without
parallel ia history The Babis were