The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bahai Community Part 20

Letter of 22 November 1934

22 November 1934

Dear Baha'i Sister,

Your letters dated September 21st and November 16th have been received and their contents carefully noted by the Guardian.

He has also received the one hundred and fifty copies of "The Promise of All Ages" and wishes me to thank you for them, and to renew his appreciation of your painstaking efforts for the publication of this most timely and singularly penetrating book on the Cause. He hopes and prays that your labours in this connexion may be abundantly rewarded. He has already sent Mr. Townshend a cheque of thirty-five pounds on account of the 150 copies of his book. He hopes the sum will reach him very soon. He would deeply appreciate if you kindly send him copies of the letters of acknowledgment which you receive from those to whom the book has been offered, as in this way he can more or less know of the reaction which the book has produced on the mind of the intellectual public in London and elsewhere.

With regard to Mr. Townshend's suggestion to procure the copyright of the portraits of the Master taken in Paris, Shoghi Effendi fully approves the idea, and would advise you to write the Paris a.s.sembly about it and to try to enlist their co-operation and help in this matter.

The Guardian also wishes to express his whole-hearted approval of the steps your National a.s.sembly is taking for incorporating their a.s.sembly as a duly recognised religious body in England and throughout the British Isles. He would suggest that in case the authorities refuse to recognise the N.S.A. as a religious society you should insist on having it temporarily registered as a commercial body or under any other designation. He requests you to send him copies of the registration doc.u.ments as soon as they are ready, as he intends to take the necessary steps for the establishment of a Palestine Branch of your National a.s.sembly similar to that which the American N.S.A. now possesses in Palestine.

With his fervent prayers and loving greetings to you and to all the friends in London,

Yours in His Service,

[From the Guardian:]

Dear and valued co-worker:

The books you have sent me are being widely distributed and I am sure they will serve to stimulate genuine interest in the fundamentals of the Faith.

A special and sustained effort, I feel, should be exerted by your National a.s.sembly in order to ensure that copies of this brilliant production may reach most, if not all the Baha'i centres throughout the East and West and may be made accessible to the most influential leaders and organisations in every continent of the Globe. The success it can achieve largely depends upon the publicity which the continued and organised endeavours of your a.s.sembly can now accord it.

Praying for your success and protection.

Your true brother, Shoghi

Letter of 17 December 1934

17 December 1934

Dear Mrs. Slade,

The Guardian has directed me to thank you for your welcome letter dated December 8th, and also for the undated one just received.

In regard to his money order for the 150 copies of the "Promise of All Ages", he wishes you to offer the remaining sum to your National a.s.sembly for the purposes of their national fund.

He is pleased to learn that the editor of "The Times' Literary Supplement"

has accepted to have Canon Townshend's book reviewed in his paper. He trusts that the result will be such as to stimulate many people to buy this volume, and to carefully and seriously study and meditate upon its contents.

With reference to Mr. ... property on Mt. Carmel, the Guardian specially requests you to proceed quickly in the matter of your National a.s.sembly's incorporation so as to enable him to establish a branch of that a.s.sembly in Palestine and thus make possible the registration of the land in question in the name of the British N.S.A. The land is completely safe-guarded at present.

He would deeply appreciate if you send him photostatic copies of the registration doc.u.ments as soon as they will be ready.

In this connection, the Guardian wishes me to draw once more your attention to the importance of following, in the adoption of your a.s.sembly's const.i.tution, complete and exact wording of the text of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the American N.S.A., with due consideration however to all local conditions which may necessitate some minor departure from the original American copy.

It will interest you to know that the N.S.A. of the Baha'is of India and Burma have carefully followed the const.i.tutions adopted by the American believers, both in the local and the national sphere, and have succeeded in registering their National a.s.sembly as a legal body empowered to administer the affairs of the Cause throughout India and Burma. The Guardian is now engaged in establis.h.i.+ng a branch of the Indian N.S.A. in Palestine. The National a.s.semblies of Egypt, 'Iraq and Persia have likewise adopted without any alteration whatever the text of the American const.i.tution as a pattern for their local as well as national regulations and by-laws.

Yours in His Service,

[From the Guardian:]

May the Almighty enable you to surmount all the obstacles that stand in your path and accomplish the great project which you are initiating, and establish your manifold administrative activities on a sound, permanent and una.s.sailable basis.

Your true and grateful brother, Shoghi

Letter of 27 December 1934

27 December 1934

Dear Mrs. Slade,

The Guardian has directed me to send you enclosed a copy of the Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the National Spiritual a.s.sembly of the Baha'is of India and Burma.

You will find, after going carefully over the text, that except for Article VIII which is being amended, it is fully identical with the const.i.tution adopted by the American N.S.A., and as such is in close conformity with the principles laid down by the Guardian concerning national Baha'i const.i.tutions throughout the world.

He feels it his duty, now that your N.S.A. is taking steps for its formal registration in the Government, to earnestly request you to adopt, in its entirety and without any alteration, the full text of the const.i.tution of the American N.S.A. so as to maintain the necessary uniformity in the essential principles of the Administrative Order. Whatever is not specified in the text of this national const.i.tution, the Guardian has already explained to the National a.s.semblies of America, India, Egypt, 'Iraq and Persia, is to be left to the discretion of these a.s.semblies. He does not object if there be any differences in these secondary matters, but he feels that he should insist on uniformity in essentials. Diversity in unity-which is so vital and basic a principle of the Movement-would thereby be maintained.

With heartiest greetings to you and to all the friends, Yours in His Service,

Letter of 15 February 1935

15 February 1935

Dear Mrs. Slade,

I am directed by the Guardian to thank you for your letters of the fourth of January last and of the seventh of this month, all of which he has read with deepest interest.

He was, however, grieved to learn of the slight indisposition in your health, and particularly of the serious illness of Miss Elsie Lea. He is praying for you both at the Holy Shrines that you may be given the necessary strength to resume your work for the Cause in London.

With regard to the situation in Persia, it is pretty bad indeed.

Conditions have not improved in the slightest degree, and the friends are still suffering from the intolerable burden of restrictions imposed upon them by the Authorities. The Guardian does not advise your a.s.sembly to enter into detailed correspondence with any of the friends there, but sees no objection if you send them copies of your News Letters....

The friends will no doubt appreciate the possibilities which the admission of so distinguished a person as ... in their midst will have for the Cause. This new development should, indeed, encourage and stimulate them to persevere, nay to redouble their efforts for the extension of their teaching activities throughout Great Britain. The future of the Cause in that country is, indeed, bright. But the friends should also exert their utmost, lest through neglect and apathy its progress be impeded. Now that such a wonderful opportunity has presented itself to them, it is their responsibility to take their full chance and to make a renewed attempt to extend and further consolidate their teaching work in London and throughout the British Isles.