The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-10-17
|BahaiFacts
Are Outlined
I'm Article

AuC 1OuuueE VI tllC oa10 oAeii
emphasized certain principles to
help bind people together in a unit
ed world: Men must seek for truth
in spite Of custom. prejudice, and
tradition; men and women must
have equal opportunities, rights
and privileges; the nations must
choose an international language
to be used along with the mother
tongue; all children must receive
q basic education: men must make
q systematic effort to wipe out all
those prejudices which divide peo-
lple; men must recognize that re-
|ligion should 60 hand-in-hand with
science; men must work to abolish
extreme wealth and extreme pow
erty.
This Faith and these challenging
ideas originated in Persia (Iran)
in 1874. In that year q young Man
who called Himself the Bah (which
means "Gate") began to teach
that God would soon make mani
fest" a World Teacher to unite
men and women and usher in an
age of peace. The Bah attracted
so many followers that the Per-
sian government and the Islamic
clergy united to kill Him. And they
mastered more than twenty thou
sand of His followers.
In 1863 BAHIA ~ llah announced
to the few remaining followers of
the Bah that He was the chosen
Manifestation of God for this age.
He called upon people to unite; He
said that only in one common faith
and one order could the world find
an enduring peace. He declared
that terrible wars would sweep the
face of the earth and destroy the
institutions and ideas that keep
men from their rightful unity.
The teachings of BAHIA u llah
are a ringing call to action. They
offer hope, courage, and vision.
But BAHIA ~ llah was not greet
ed with enthusiasm by the religi-
GUS leaders of Islam. AS they saw
His Faith spread, their hatred
grew. They forced Him into exile
- first to Baghdad, then to Cons
!tantinople, to Adrianople, and final
ly to Aka, Palestine. There He
died, still an exile and prisoners,
in 1892.
BAHIA ~ llah appointed 'Abdu I
BAHIA, His eldest son, as the Inter.
prefer of His teachings and the Ex-
|emplar of the Faith. Under the
leadership of 'Abudu I BAHIA the
Faith was introduced to Europe
and America. After He was freed
from prison in 1903, 'Abdu I BAHIA
made several missionary journeys.
In 1912 He was in America for
eight months during which time He
laid the cornerstone of the BAHIA i
House of Worship at Wilmette, I'LL
noiS.
In 1921 'Abdu 1-Baha died and
left viii naming His eldest grand
son, Shoghi Effendi, the First guar
dian of the Faith and the inter pre-
ter of the teachings. Under Shoghi
Effendi's direction the BAHIA is
throughout the world have adopted
an administrative order that is an
application of BAHIA ~ llah's teach
Iings for a world order. Thus Ba-
hats have begun to practice in
their own affairs the social teach
Iings of BAHIA ~ nah.
Local and National BAHIA i Spiri-
tual Assemblies are the pattern for
the Houses of Justice of tomorrow.
BAHIA is know from increasings ex-
perience that differences of nation,
race, class, and religion can be re-
moved by the uniting power of Ba-
ha ~ llah. BAHIA lis know from in
creasing experience that this Faith
can save men and women from the
hatreds, the pessimism, the cor
Iruption, and the materialism of our
age. They know this because they
have seen it and experienced it.
They invite you to investigate this
Faith and share in this spiritual
adventure. From: Basic Facts of
the BAHIA i Faith, by W. Kenneth