LETTERS FROM THE GUARDIAN TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
(Australia, 1971 reprint)
FILENAME: LGANZ
FILEDATE: 08-12-94
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Fellow-labourers in the Divine Vineyard!
Upon my return, after a forced and prolonged absence, to the
Holy Land, it is my first and most ardent wish to renew and
strengthen those ties of brotherly love and fellowship that bind
our hearts together in our common servitude to His Sacred
Threshold.
The two years that have elapsed since the passing of our
beloved Master have been for the Cause, as well as for mankind,
years of deep anxiety and strain. The momentous changes that
are taking place in the history of both have proved so swift and
far-reaching as to arouse in certain hearts a strange misgiving as
to their stability and future.
On one hand the remarkable revelations of the Beloved's
Will and Testament so amazing in all its aspects, so emphatic in
its injunctions, have challenged and perplexed the keenest minds,
whilst the ever-increasing confusion of the world, threatened as
never before with disruptive forces, fierce rivalries, fresh commotions
and grave disorder, have well-nigh overwhelmed the heart
and damped the zeal of even the most enthusiastic believers in the
destiny of mankind.
And yet, how often we seem to forget the clear and repeated
warnings of our beloved Master, who in particular during the
concluding years of his mission on earth, laid stress on the severe
mental tests that would inevitably sweep over his loved ones of
the West ... tests that would purge, purify and prepare them for
their noble mission in life.
And as to the world's evil plight, we need but recall the writings
and sayings of &Baha'u'llah, who, more than fifty years ago,
declared in terms prophetic the prime cause of the ills and sufferings
of mankind, and set forth their true and divine remedy.
"Should the lamp of Religion be hidden", He declared, "chaos
and confusion will ensue." How admirably fitting and applicable
are these words to the present state of mankind!
Ours then is the duty and privilege to labour, by day, by
night, amidst the storm and stress of these troublous days, that
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we may quicken the zeal of our fellow-man, rekindle their hopes,
stimulate their interests, open their eyes to the true Faith of God
and enlist their active support in the carrying out of our common
task for the peace and regeneration of the world.
Let us take heart and be thankful to our beloved &Abdu'l-Baha,
as we remember his manifold blessings and unfailing care
and protection, ever since the hour of his departure from our
midst. The flames of sedition, so maliciously kindled in the past
by those who have dared to flout his will, are gone out for ever,
and the fondest hopes of these evil plotters are now abandoned,
doomed never to revive. He has indeed redeemed his promise!
It seemed not a long time ago that their agitation, so violently
renewed immediately after the passing of our Beloved, would for
a time confuse the Divine Message of &Baha'u'llah, obscure His
Covenant, retard the progress of His Cause, and shatter its unity;
and yet how well we see them all today, not through our efforts,
but by their own folly, and above all, by the intervention of the
hidden hand of God, reduced to the vilest and most humiliating
position.
And now, with the Cause purified and inwardly victorious,
Its principles vindicated, Its enemies silenced and sunk in unspeakable
misery, may we not, henceforth, direct all our efforts
to collective action and constructive achievement; and in utter
disregard of the flickerings of their fast-fading light, arise to carry
out those urgent measures that will secure the outward and complete
triumph of the Cause?
I for my part, as I look back to the unfortunate circumstances
of ill-health and physical exhaustion that have attended
the opening years of my career of service to the Cause, feel hardly
gratified, and would be truly despondent but for the sustaining
memory and inspiring example of the diligent and ceaseless
efforts which my fellow-workers the world over have displayed
during these two trying years in the service of the Cause.
I cherish the hope that, from now on the Beloved may bestow
upon me all the strength and vigour that will enable me to
pursue over a long and unbroken period of strenuous labour
the supreme task of achieving, in collaboration with the friends
in every land, the speedy triumph of the Cause of &Baha'u'llah.
This is the prayer I earnestly request all my fellow brethren and
sisters in the Faith to offer on my behalf.
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Let us pray to God that in these days of world encircling
gloom, when the dark forces of nature, of hate, rebellion, anarchy
and reaction are threatening the very stability of human society,
when the most precious fruits of civilization are undergoing
severe and unparalleled tests, we may all realize, more profoundly
than ever, that though but a mere handful amidst the seething
masses of the world, are in this day the chosen instruments of
God's Grace, that our Mission is most urgent and vital to the
fate of humanity and, fortified by these sentiments, arise to
achieve God's holy purpose for mankind.
Your brother in His service
Shoghi
for my beloved brethren
Haifa, Palestine, and sisters in Australia
December 2, 1923. and New Zealand--Shoghi.
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May 15th, 1934
Dear &Baha'i Friend,
The Guardian has deeply appreciated your message dated
April 10th, and he has asked me to convey to you once more his
grateful thanks for the services you are so continually rendering
the Faith in your centre. The gratifying news has just reached
him of the opening of the first Convention of the &Baha'is of
Australia and New-Zealand, and needless to say how deeply he
was moved by this historic step you have been inspired to take
for the consolidation of the Administration in your country. He
feels confident that through such remarkable evidences of the
self-sacrificing, heroic and united efforts of the Australian and
New Zealand believers an increasing number of hitherto skeptical
and unfriendly people will be gradually attracted to the Faith,
and some of them will eventually join the ranks of the faithful.
Assuring you again of the Guardian's fervent prayers for the
continued expansion of your &Baha'i activities, and with his best
wishes and greetings to you and to all the friends in Adelaide,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
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[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I rejoice to learn of the momentous step the &Baha'is of
Australia and New-Zealand have taken. They will surely be
reinforced by the hosts of the Kingdom, and deserve the praise
and admiration of their fellow-believers throughout the world.
Constancy, co-operation, unity and steadfast adherence to the
spiritual and administrative principles of the Faith are essential
during these days when the foundations of the Universal House
of Justice are being laid through your devoted efforts in your own
country. I will continue to pray for you from the depths of my
heart.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
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July 26th, 1934.
Dear Miss Brooks,
I am directed by the Guardian to acknowledge the receipt
of your letter of June 6th, written on behalf on the N.S.A. of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New-Zealand, and to convey to you, and
to your collaborators on that Assembly his grateful appreciation
of the stupendous efforts you have unanimously exerted for
making your first Convention such a sucessful and promising
meeting. Your collective and continued sacrifices, as well as the
assistance and guidance of &Baha'u'llah have surely been responsible
for this historic triumph which you have been able to
achieve in the administrative field of the Cause--a triumph which
will inevitably bring about a renewed and deeper spiritual consciousness
to all the believers in these far-off lands.
Shoghi Effendi is praying from the very depths of his heart for
your guidance and assistance, and hopes that as a result your
National Assembly will be soon enabled to take such steps as
would enable it to extend and to further consolidate its national
as well as international activities.
With warm greetings to you and to all the friends in
Adelaide,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
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[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
My heart is filled with joy and gratitude as a result of the
perusal of your letter. I long to be in close and constant touch
with your newly-formed national assembly--the first of your
administrative activities and the herald of one of the most fruitful
and stirring periods of the history of the Faith in that promising
continent. I will be so glad to receive copies of the minutes
of your gatherings, and urge you to keep in close touch with
your sister assemblies throughout the &Baha'i world. I will
assuredly pray for you and your dear and devoted collaborators
from the depths of my heart.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
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October 17th, 1934
Dear &Baha'i Friend,
I am directed by the Guardian to acknowledge the receipt
of your letter dated August 31st with its most interesting enclosures,
all of which he has carefully read and considered. It is
with deep gratification that he follows the progress and extension
of the work of your N.S.A., and he hopes and prays that through
the confirmations of the Almighty it will serve to give an increasing
impetus to the progress of the Faith in your land.
The Guardian has read with particular interest the minutes
of the meetings of your N.S.A. He hopes to receive them regularly,
and thus to be in close and constant touch with your
national activities.
In regard to your question as to whether it is permissible to
substitute the plural pronoun for the singular in prayers worded
in the singular, the Guardian would strongly urge your N.S.A.
to inform the friends to strictly adhere to the text of the Holy
Writings, and not to deviate even a hair-breadth from what has
been revealed by the Holy Pen. Besides, it should be noted that
congregational prayer has been discouraged by &Baha'u'llah, and
that it is allowed only in the case of the prayer for the dead.
Concerning the Healing Prayer, the Guardian wishes me to
inform you that there is no special ruling for its recital. The
believer is free to recite it as many times and in the way he
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wishes. There are also no obligatory prayers for the Fast. But
there are some specific ones revealed by &Baha'u'llah for that
purpose.
As to the instructions given in the little black covered
Prayer Book, they are by no means complete and are only tentative.
When the Book of Aqdas is published, the believers will
have then full and authoritative prescriptions about the form of
prayer, and other instructions and rulings of a spiritual character.
With loving greetings to you and to the members of the
N.S.A.,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dearly beloved co-worker:
My constant prayers for the extension of the activities in
which you and your dear fellow-labourers are so stenuously
engaged will be offered on your behalf that the splendid era
which you have inaugurated may redound to the glory and
honour of the Most Great Name. I am truly proud of the manner
in which my loved friends in Australia and New-Zealand have
arisen to discharge their sacred and pressing responsibilities.
Great triumphs, I feel convinced, are in store for them if they
persevere in their mighty task. May the Almighty bless their
high endeavours and enable them to achieve His purpose.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
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January 16th, 1935.
Dear &Baha'i Sister,
Your welcome letter of the 13th of December, together with
the accompanying message of December 11th addressed to the
Guardian by "The General Purposes and Business Committee"
of the N.S.A. have all been duly received and deeply appreciated
by him.
He has also received and read with great care and interest
the enclosed copy of the minutes of the above-mentioned committee,
and was pleased to realize that, despite the various impediments
standing in the way of your Assembly, that body is
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functioning smoothly and with one accord. He hopes that the
various steps taken by your Committee in connection with the
publication of the "Herald of the South" will all materialize
and meet with success.
May I also in closing express the Guardian's appreciation of
your efforts in connection with the management and direction
of this monthly review, and also with regard to your activities in
the field of teaching.
With his loving greetings to you and to your co-workers in
the "Herald of the South" Committee, and with the assurance of
his prayers for you all.
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The repeated evidences of the strenuous efforts exerted by
the believers in Australia and New-Zealand for the spread of the
Cause and the rise and consolidation of its institutions have
brought me intense joy and excited my deepest admiration. I
urge them to persevere, to remain united, not to relax in their
determination, and to strive with all their might to extend the
scope of their meritorious activities. I will continue to pray for
them from the bottom of my heart.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
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April 24th, 1935
Dear &Baha'i Sister,
The Guardian has read with great care and interest your
letter of the 24th of March last, and has noted with deep satisfaction
the steady progress which your N.S.A. is making since its
formation last year. He is particularly pleased and encouraged
to realise how wisely and effectively your Assembly is adjusting
itself to the general conditions and specific requirements of the
Cause in Australia and New-Zealand, to such an extent that
obstacles which a year ago seemed to be insurmountable have
now, through the sustained and earnest efforts of the friends,
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been partially if not completely removed. Your Assembly has,
indeed, truly vindicated its ability and power to function as a
well-organized and united body, and this in the face of manifold
difficulties which the all-conquering spirit of the Faith could
alone overcome. Nothing short of this Divine spirit, as expressed
through the self-sacrificing and confident labours of the Australian
and New-Zealand friends, could have so effectively subdued
those forces which every now and then threatened to undermine
the foundations of your Assembly, and thus overthrow the entire
system of the Administration in your land.
Now that the N.S.A. has successfully emerged out of these
difficulties and trials, the Guardian has every reason to believe
that the progress thus far achieved will continue undiminished
and undeterred by any obstacle, however formidable it may seem
to appear.
In his moments of meditation and prayer at the Holy Shrines
he will specially supplicate for the guidance and assistance of
the N.S.A. and will supplicate &Baha'u'llah to inspire its members
in all their deliberations.
With his warmest and most loving appreciation and greetings
to them and to all the friends in Adelaide.
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I fully approve of the decisions arrived at by your assembly
regarding the various issues referred to in your letter, and feel
gratified to learn of the zeal, the constancy, the loyalty and the
determination with which the national representatives of the
believers in Australia and New-Zealand are prosecuting the noble
work entrusted to them by the Almighty. I would urge you to
take the necessary steps for the incorporation of your national
assembly as soon as you adopt your Declaration of Trust and
By-Laws, and I pray that the almighty hand of &Baha'u'llah may
guide and sustain you in your high and historic endeavours.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
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June 19th, 1935
Dear &Baha'i Sister,
The Guardian has received your letter dated May 8th, and
has carefully read and considered its contents. He wishes me to
thank you for it, and specially to convey to you, as well as to the
other members of your N.S.A., his hearty congratulations over
the success that has attended your national elections this year.
He hopes and prays that as years go by your Assembly will increasingly
grow in unity and strength, and will demonstrate its
capacity to cope with the manifold problems and difficulties with
which it will be inevitably confronted as it forges ahead in its slow
though steady progress towards the firmer establishment of &Baha'u'llah's
World Order throughout Australia and New-Zealand.
With regard to your question as to the advisability of disclosing
to an individual believer the contents of the N.S.A.'s
correspondence. The Guardian thinks that although this cannot
be considered as constituting an obligation which a believer can
impose upon the national body, yet, it would seem highly advisable
that the N.S.A. should give a sympathetic consideration to
any such request made to it by a believer. This, he feels, would
avoid giving the impression that the assembly is working in an
atmosphere of complete secrecy, and that it is motivated by
dictatorial motives. The final decision in such matters; however,
is entirely left to the discretion of the N.S.A. The basic principle
that should always be remembered is that the N.S.A. cannot be
required to reveal to any outsider all the details concerning its
work. It may choose to do so if it wishes, but nobody has the
right to enforce upon it any such action: This is, of course the
purely legal side of the question. But a purely legalistic attitude
in matters affecting the Cause, particularly now that the Faith is
still in a state of infancy, is not only inadequate but fraught with
unforeseen dangers and difficulties. The individuals and assemblies
must learn to cooperate and to cooperate intelligently, if
they desire to adequately discharge their duties and obligations
towards the Faith. And no such cooperation is possible without
mutual confidence and trust.
With loving greetings from the Guardian to you and to the
members of the N.S.A. and with the assurance of his prayers on
behalf of you all,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
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[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I cannot refrain from expressing in person my deep sense
of gratitude and indebtedness to the beloved co-workers in that
land for their splendid achievements in both the teaching and
administrative spheres of &Baha'i activity. I feel truly proud of
your accomplishments. I will continue to supplicate for every
one of you the Beloved's imperishable blessings.
Rest assured and persevere.
Shoghi.
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September 26th, 1935.
Beloved &Baha'i co-worker,
On behalf of the Guardian I wish to acknowledge the receipt
of your letter of the 8th of July last, with the enclosed copy of
the minutes of the N.S.A. of the &Baha'is of Australia and New-Zealand.
I wish, in particular, to express his gratification at the
news of the success of the last meeting of your N.S.A. held in
Sydney. It gives him, indeed, much pleasure and encouragement
to realize that your Assembly meetings are conducted with such
a good deal of order and efficiency, and above all, in such a
perfect spirit of unity and fellowship--the few other obstacles and
difficulties left, he feels confident, will in due time disappear. The
foundation has been now firmly laid down, and the work is
bound to develop and expand. The friends should, therefore, be
confident, and should exert their utmost that the institutions
they have so painstakingly and laboriously established should
flourish and yield their fruit.
In connection with the N.S.A.'s decision regarding the appointment
of Mrs. Axford and Mr. Inman to keep records of
Australian and New-Zealand activities for the "&Baha'i World";
the Guardian wishes you to assure your fellow-members in the
assembly that he fully endorses their choice. He also wishes you
to impress the newly-appointed correspondents with the vital
importance of their task, and to urge them to acquit themselves
of it with thoroughness, efficiency and vigour.
Regarding dear Mr. Hyde Dunn's health; Shoghi Effendi is
grieved beyond words to learn that he is growing so weak physically.
Will you kindly assure him, as well as Mrs. Dunn, of his
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supplications for the amelioration of his health and for the complete
restoration of his forces.
In closing will you also convey his love and greetings to the
members of the N.S.A. and assure them once more of his continued
prayers for their welfare, protection and guidance,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
The detailed report of the activities of the national assembly
--the furthermost pillar of the Universal House of Justice which
the high endeavours of the believers of Australia and New-Zealand
have reared--has filled my heart and soul with immense
joy and gratitude. The Beloved is surely watching over and continually
blessing your splendid accomplishments, the plans you
have conceived, the methods you have devised, the efforts you
are exerting, the services which you have rendered. I will continue
to pray for the consolidation and uninterrupted expansion
of your laudable activities in the service of so glorious and
mighty a Cause. Never relax nor despair. The tender plant which
your hands have raised and nurtured shall grow and will ultimately
gather beneath its shadow the whole of that far-off and
promising continent.
Persevere and be happy.
Shoghi.
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January 3rd, 1936.
The N.S.A. of the &Baha'is
of Australia and New-Zealand
Dear &Baha'i Friends,
Miss Effie Baker is leaving for Australia with the consent
and full approval of the Guardian.
As you know for over ten years she has been devotedly working
for the Cause in Haifa, as keeper of the Western Pilgrim
House and also as the custodian of the International &Baha'i
Archives. During this long period of service she has accomplished
much for our beloved Cause, and she is now in need of some
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rest after so many years of strenuous labours. She is going to join
her mother, and will, it is hoped, prove of great help to the
friends throughout Australia and New-Zealand in both their
teaching and administrative activities.
The Guardian hopes, therefore, that the friends will give her
all the opportunity she needs to help in the extension and consolidation
of the Cause throughout Australia and New-Zealand.
He is entrusting Miss Baker with a beautiful and most
precious present for the friends; it is one of the finest photographs
of the Master which, he wishes your N.S.A. to place in
your National &Baha'i Archives. He is, in addition, sending
through her for the believers a bottle of attar of rose extracted
by the friends in Persia.
With loving greetings and all good wishes for a most happy
and prosperous New Year.
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
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April 15th, 1936
Dear Miss Brooks,
On behalf of the Guardian I acknowledge with thanks and
appreciation the receipt of your letter of March 12th with enclosure.
He is grateful for the warm assistance extended by your
N.S.A. to Miss Effie Baker, and hopes that she will be of valuable
assistance to you all, specially to the friends in Melbourne. The
task of organizing the believers in that center is no doubt a very
responsible one, and the Guardian trusts that she will be able to
fully acquit herself of it.
Regarding the "Herald of the South" magazine, Shoghi Effendi
very much appreciates the fact that in spite of the many difficulties
that your Assembly had to overcome this review is being
regularly published, and that its standard is gradually improving.
He would call upon all the English-speaking friends to contribute,
as often as they can, such articles for publication in that
magazine as would serve to make it a more direct and effective
teaching medium for the spread of the Cause throughout Australia
and New-Zealand. He is advising the American N.S.A. to
specially ask the cooperation of the American believers for that
purpose, and hopes that the response they will make to this call
will be such as to further encourage you in your splendid efforts
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for the publication of this national organ of the Faith in
Australia.
The Guardian would appreciate receiving detailed reports
of the activities of the local assemblies, and would be very thankful
if you send these to him as regularly as you can.
In closing may I ask you to convey his loving greetings to
your distinguished fellow-members in the N.S.A. and to assure
each and all of them of his supplications for their welfare and
guidance. He also wishes you to express his best wishes to dear
Father and Mrs. Dunn, and tell them how happy he is to learn
that they are keeping in good health.
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I am so glad to have received your letter and to have realised
the progress of your activities. I trust and pray that the work in
which the National Assembly is so energetically and devotedly
engaged may steadily expand and be further consolidated. The
teaching work is the corner-stone of its activities, the sole basis
on which the administrative structure can flourish. A strenuous,
systematic and continuous effort should, both individually and
collectively, be now exerted to attain this supreme objective.
With a heart full of gratitude I will pray for the success of your
endeavours.
Shoghi.
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April 26th, 1936
Beloved &Baha'i Sister,
I am directed by the Guardian to thank you for your letter
of the 30th March informing him of the date of Miss Kitty
Carpenter's arrival in Port-Said. You can be sure that the friends
will be most delighted to meet her, and to render her journey to
Haifa as safe and comfortable as possible.
The Guardian himself is eagerly looking forward to the
pleasure of meeting her, and cherishes the hope that through this
pilgrimage she may receive a renewed stimulus to better work for
the promotion of the Faith upon her return home.
The Guardian has also noted with deep satisfaction the
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preparations made by your N.S.A. for this year's meeting in Melbourne.
He is praying that in spite of the difficulties you have
encountered in carrying out your plans this important gathering
of the Australian and New-Zealand believers may prove another
landmark in the history of the Cause throughout that Continent.
With loving greetings to you and your dear fellow-members,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[Appended by the Guadian]
May the Almighty bless you and your dearly-loved co-workers and
fellow-members, and enable you all to proclaim far and wide the
essential truths of this glorious Revelation and to lay unassailable
foundations for its institutions.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
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June 10th, 1936
Dear Miss Brooks,
I am instructed by our beloved Guardian to acknowledge
with deepest thanks the receipt of your letter of March 30th
written on behalf of the N.S.A. of Australia and New-Zealand.
He is rejoiced to learn of the projected formation of a
Spiritual Assembly in Perth, and hopes that by the time this
letter reaches you the assembly will have been duly constituted and
will be functioning with the utmost unity, efficiency and vigour.
In this connection he wishes me to bring to your Assembly's
attention the necessity of their taking the necessary steps for the
incorporation of the N.S.A.. This step, he feels, is of a vital
importance to the further development of your Assembly, and
will no doubt give it more stability and an added influence,
specially in the eyes of the general public.
The Guardian would also advise that the local assemblies
take a similar step, and obtain official recognition from the
authorities. In case the Auckland assembly has been registered
in the government, will you be so kind as to send him photostatic
reproductions of any registration papers or documents that the
Auckland friends may have obtained from the authorities, as he
wishes to have them published in the next "&Baha'i World".
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As regards the photograph of your N.S.A; the Guardian
wishes me to inform you that in going over the manuscript of the
"&Baha'i World", which was sent to him from the States, he found
your Assembly's picture already incorporated in it. The manuscript
has now been sent back to America and is awaiting publication.
With loving &Baha'i greetings,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
The incessant efforts so devotedly exerted by the members of
your distinguished assembly are assets that I greatly value and of
which I am truly proud. I will fervently pray for the extension
of your activities and the fulfilment of your dearest hopes. Rest
assured and persevere.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
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September 23rd, 1936
Dear Miss Brooks,
Your detailed communication of July 14th written on behalf
of the N.S.A. of Australia and New-Zealand, together with its
enclosures have all duly arrived, and their contents read with
deepest interest and appreciation by our beloved Guardian. Also
the photographs and blocks have duly reached him, as well as
the local Assembly reports sent under separate cover. Please
accept his most sincere and grateful thanks for them all.
Regarding the proposed News Letter to be issued every three
months by your N.S.A; this, the Guardian feels, is a splendid idea
and can render a unique and much-needed help to your Assembly
in its efforts for the establishment of the Administration, and the
more effective functioning of its institutions throughout Australia
and New-Zealand. Not only it has the great advantage of keeping
the friends well-informed about the events and developments in
the Cause, but in addition can help in consolidating the organic
unity of the believers by bringing them within the full orbit of
the N.S.A.'s jurisdiction. It is hoped that this body will do its
utmost to maintain the publication of this bulletin, and will
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make full use of this splendid medium for the further widening
and consolidation of the foundations of the local as well as
national assemblies.
As regards Mrs. ...'s request that you assist her in her
project of uniting the believers through correspondence; this is
of course a task which is quite secondary compared to the duties
and responsibilities you are called upon to discharge as secretary
of the N.S.A. Your secretarial work in that body imposes upon
you a paramount obligation which no other service can equal in
importance. All your other &Baha'i activities should be subordinated
to your work in the N.S.A. which is, undoubtedly, the most
vital and urgent among them all.
Concerning the Greatest Name; this term refers both to
"&Allah-u-Abha" and to "&Ya &Baha'u'l-Abha". The first is a form
of &Baha'i greeting and should be used, while the other is an
invocation, meaning "O Thou Glory of Glories!" These two
words are both referred to as the Greatest Name.
The Guardian, while fully aware of the difficulties, both
financial and otherwise which your N.S.A. is facing in connection
with the publication of the "Herald of the South", feels nevertheless
the urge to advise you to continue with this magazine
and not to feel in the least discouraged if your efforts for meeting
the expenses incurred for its printing and circulation, and for
raising its literary standard, do not bring the expected results. He
very deeply values the self-sacrificing and sustained efforts exerted
by your Assembly in this connection. May &Baha'u'llah richly reward
you for all your meritorious endeavours.
With warmest &Baha'i Greetings,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
The work in which your National Assembly is engaged, and
which it is prosecuting with such fidelity, diligence and perseverance
is near and dear to my heart. You are laying an unassailable
foundation for the erection of mighty &Baha'i institutions which
future generations are destined to extend and perfect. Your
pioneer work is arduous and highly meritorious. I feel proud of
your achievements, realizing as I do the circumstances in which
+P17
you labour. &Abdu'l-Baha is watching over you and is well-pleased
with your services. Persevere and rest assured.
Affectionately,
Shoghi.
--------------
September 25th, 1936
Dear Miss Brooks,
Our able and indefatigable co-worker Mr. Siegfried Schopflocher
is on a tour to Australia, India and the Near East, and by
the time this letter reaches you he may be already in your midst.
The Guardian wishes your N.S.A. to arrange for him to visit
all the centers in Australia and if possible in New-Zealand too,
and to make every effort to render his stay amongst you as abundant
in its results as possible.
Mr. Schopflocher is surely known to you and to many friends
in Australia. He is truly one of the most distinguished believers
in the West. He has a deep knowledge of the Cause, and specially
of the Administration, and has contributed a unique share
towards its establishment and consolidation in the States. For
many years a member of the American N.S.A., he revealed such
great qualities of heart and mind as very few of his fellow-members
were able to manifest. He supported valiantly and
generously, and through both moral and financial means, the
various institutions of the Cause, and in particular the institution
of the &Baha'i Fund which, as you can well realize, is the
foundation stone of every phase of &Baha'i activity.
In this connection it should be remembered that it was
mainly due to his unfailing and most generous assistance that the
Temple in Wilmette was built. The friends owe him indeed a great
debt, and can never be too grateful for what he has accomplished,
and is still so splendidly accomplishing, for the Faith in the West.
The Guardian hopes, nay he feels confident, your Assembly,
as well as all the friends will extend a most cordial welcome to
this dear and distinguished Servant of the Cause, and will fully
avail yourselves of this splendid opportunity that has been offered
you to further enrich the field of your experiences in the Faith.
With warmest greetings,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
+P18
November 17th, 1936
Dear Miss Brooks,
On behalf of the Guardian I acknowledge with deepest
thanks the receipt of your letter of the 17th October, and wish
also to thank your Assembly for forwarding to him the photostatic
reproduction of the registration certificate of the Assembly
of Auckland. He fervently hopes that the formation of the
Declaration of Trust of the N.S.A. will also be completed very
soon, and that the difficulty you have encountered in this connection
will be satisfactorily met and settled. He also trusts that
the delay caused in registering the Sydney local assembly will be
overcome, and that you will immediately proceed with the formation
of your National Declaration of Trust. It is splendid, and a
matter of deep satisfaction to our Beloved Guardian that in all
these steps that you are taking for the administrative development
and consolidation of the Faith in Australia and New-Zealand
you are closely and faithfully following the example of
America which, it should be admitted, occupies a pre-eminent
rank among its sister communities in both the East and the
West.
As regards the problem facing the N.S.A. in connection with
the representation of Perth at the next Annual Convention; the
Guardian believes that the fact that a certain assembly or community
is not in a financial position to defray the expenses of its
delegate or delegates does not constitute sufficient justification for
depriving it from its sacred right of participation in the national
elections and other activities of the Convention. Every assembly,
no matter how poor, is entitled to take part in the Convention
proceedings by sending one or more delegates to that meeting.
It is absolutely essential that this principle be clearly understood
and faithfully applied by the friends. Financial considerations
can under no circumstances invalidate it, or allow the least compromise
in its application. It is the duty of every N.S.A. to ensure
that it will be carried out whenever the Convention elections are
held.
With loving greetings,
Yours in the Guardian's Service,
H. Rabbani.
+P19
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I would be very pleased to receive two more copies of the
registration form of the Auckland Assembly and three copies of
the form of the Adelaide Assembly some of which I shall place in
the Mansion of &Baha'u'llah at &Bahji. Will you also send me three
copies of the registration form of every Assembly which will be
incorporated in the future. The foundations which your National
Assembly is now laying with such assiduous care and exemplary
loyalty constitute a service that is truly historic and is highly
meritorious in the sight of God. I feel deeply indebted to you
for such splendid achievements. Persevere and never lose heart.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
December 1st, 1936
Dear Miss Brooks,
The Guardian has just received the first issue of the newsletter
published by the N.S.A. of the &Baha'i's of Australia and
New-Zealand, and has read it all through with deepest pleasure
and satisfaction. He wishes me to ask you to transmit to your
fellow-members in that body his warmest thanks for this new
step they have taken for the further consolidation of the Administration
in their country, as well as his most hearty congratulations
upon the ever-increasing success that is attending their
labours in this field.
It is his fervent hope that this organ your Assembly has
initiated will fully serve its purpose by intensifying the spirit of
cooperation between the N.S.A. and all local assemblies, groups
and isolated believers throughout Australia and New-Zealand.
Such a medium, if properly utilized, can be of inestimable value
to the believers, by further enriching their knowledge and understanding
of the principles and actual functioning of the Administrative
order of the Faith, and by maintaining alive, nay intensifying
in them the desire to promote and safeguard its interests.
He would, therefore, earnestly appeal to every believer in
Australia and New-Zealand to make full and continued use of
this bulletin, and consider it as a most effective means to closer
fellowship and to a deeper understanding of his duties and
+P20
responsibilities as builder of the New World Order of &Baha'u'llah.
He is ardently praying to the Almighty to ever bless and
guide your Assembly's endeavours in this connection,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
--------------
February 4th, 1937
Dear Miss Brooks,
I am instructed by the Guardian to inform you of the receipt
of your letter of the 2nd January, and of the enclosed reports of
the Adelaide and Auckland spiritual assemblies, and to renew to
you, and through you to your fellow-members in the N.S.A., his
grateful appreciation of the warm welcome you have so lovingly
extended to that dear and distinguished servant of the Cause
Mr. Siegfried Schopflocher during his visit to Australia and New-Zealand.
It is his fervent hope that the spirit his visit has released
will long serve to sustain the friends in their heavy task of expanding
the foundations of the Administrative Order throughout
that continent.
Regarding Mr. Bolton's question as to whether the Guardian
has given any instructions to the friends as to the best way to
make their investments secure during the coming world crisis; I
am instructed to inform you that no such directions have been
given either to any individual believer or to any assembly. The
only advice which the Guardian wishes to give is that whatever
investment the friends make they should do it with the utmost
caution, as economic and financial conditions are at present most
unstable and even precarious.
Shoghi Effendi has been very deeply grieved to learn of Mr.
...'s resignation from both the N.S.A. and the Sydney local
Assembly, and of his request to leave altogether the Cause. He
wishes me, however, to assure your Assembly not to feel discouraged
at this truly sad happening, but to confidently strive to
bring him back into the community. Should he persistently refuse
to return, the best thing would be to leave him to himself, and
to pray for him that &Baha'u'llah may, in His infinite mercy and
love, open again his eyes, and lead him out of the state of spiritual
lethargy into which he has so sadly fallen.
+P21
With the assurance of the Guardian's best wishes, and of his
continual prayers for you, and for your distinguished fellow-members
in the N.S.A.,
Yours Sincerely in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and prized co-worker:
I am delighted with the progress of your activities and with
your splendid achievements in both the teaching and administrative
spheres of &Baha'i service. The National Spiritual Assembly
is laying a firm and unassailable foundation for the administrative
Order of the Faith, and I wish to congratulate all its members
and committees on the marvellous progress thus far achieved.
I will continue to pray for them from all my heart. I will specially
supplicate for the success of this coming Convention. May your
hopes be fulfilled in every respect.
Gratefully and affectionately,
Shoghi.
--------------
March 18th, 1937
Dear Miss Brooks,
On behalf of the Guardian I acknowledge with thanks the
receipt of your letter of the 17th February with the enclosed
report of the Sydney local assembly, and wish to express his
gratification at the news of the progress which that community
is making in the teaching work. He has noted with deep satisfaction
that two new names have been added to their membership
roll, and hopes that this step will mark the beginning of a new
era of teaching expansion throughout that center. He wishes you
to kindly congratulate the Sydney Assembly for this splendid
success which their teaching efforts have won, and to urge them
to continue in their endeavours for the attraction and confirmation
of New Souls. May the Beloved aid, sustain and ever bless
them in His service.
The Guardian is delighted to learn that the necessary
arrangements for the holding of your next Annual Convention
have been completed, and while he deplores the fact that owing
to the long distances that separate the centers full attendance at
+P22
this national gathering would not be feasible, he nevertheless
hopes that it will be a most successful meeting, and will be
marked all through by a perfect spirit of unity and fellowship.
He wishes you to assure the delegates of his prayers for the
success of their deliberations, and to convey to them his warmest
greetings and best wishes for a happy &Ridvan.
Yours ever in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
P.S. Shoghi Effendi wishes me to express his thanks for the
four reproductions of the Adelaide Assembly registration form
and trust which you had enclosed in your letter, one of which
he has ordered to be placed in &Baha'u'llah's Mansion at &Bahji,
and another one he wishes to incorporate in the manuscript of
the next "&Baha'i World" (vol. VII).
H.R.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I am truly gratified and delighted to receive so many evidences
of the zeal, the loyalty and the devotion with which the
believers in Australia and New-Zealand are extending the range
of their historic activities. I feel deeply grateful to them. I will
most assuredly pray for them that the Beloved may bless their
high endeavours and aid them to establish His Cause and proclaim
far and wide its verities and teachings.
Shoghi.
--------------
August 29th, 1937
Beloved &Baha'i Sister,
Your welcome communication of June 30 written on behalf
of the N.S.A., as well as the accompanying papers and reports
have all been received, and their contents read with keenest
interest and appreciation by our beloved Guardian.
How rejoiced he feels to witness the increasing evidences of
the growing progress of the community of the Australian and
New-Zealand believers. The considerable work that they have
accomplished during the last few years, in both the teaching and
the administrative fields, could not indeed have been carried out
+P23
without the wise and effective leadership of your N.S.A. who,
ever since its inception, has been functioning with a loyalty and
efficiency that are truly remarkable.
The success of this year's Convention, as evidenced by the
report of the proceedings you had sent, marks a further step in
the process of steady consolidation through which the N.S.A. is
passing, and indicates how strong are the loyalty and attachment
which it has awakened among the body of the believers throughout
Australia and New-Zealand.
It is the Guardian's fervent hope that this confidence which
your Assembly has inspired will be further strengthened during
the course of this year, and that this in turn will deepen in the
members the sense of the heavy responsibility they have to
shoulder for the extension and consolidation of &Baha'i work
throughout that continent.
Now as regards your Assembly's question concerning a tie
vote; as the point raised is a secondary matter it is left to the
discretion of your N.S.A.
In the case of voting for less than nine individuals; it is not
compulsory that a ballot paper should contain necessarily nine
votes. The individual voter may record less than nine names, if
he chooses to do so.
With renewed greetings and thanks from the Guardian to
you and your fellow-members in the N.S.A.,
Yours ever in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I am delighted with the manifold evidences of the progress
achieved through the concerted efforts of the Australian and the
New-Zealand believers under the able direction of their elected
national representatives. I feel proud of their accomplishments,
highly approve of their plans and projected enterprises, feel grateful
for the spirit that animates them, and cherish bright hopes
for the extension of their activities. May the Beloved guide their
steps, cheer their hearts and enable them to diffuse far and wide
the teachings and spirit of His Cause.
Gratefully and affectionately,
Shoghi.
+P24
August 30th, 1937
Dear Miss Brooks,
Your letter of the 17th July enclosing Miss Ethel Dawe's
communication requesting permission to visit the Holy Land has
been duly received by our beloved Guardian, and he has directed
me to inform you that, at your suggestion, he has cabled Miss
Dawe directly to London, extending to her a hearty welcome to
visit the Holy Shrines in the next fall.
He hopes that in the meantime nothing will happen to alter
or upset her plans, and that she will be given the privilege and
joy of undertaking this much-desired pilgrimage to Haifa.
Hoping this will find you and all the Adelaide friends in the
best of health, and with loving greetings to you and to them,
Yours ever in the Cause,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Wishing you success from all my heart, and assuring you of my
continued prayers for the realisation of your highest hopes,
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
January 31st, 1938
Dear Miss Brooks,
The Guardian wishes me to express his loving thanks for your
letter of the third instant, enclosing the half-yearly reports of the
Perth and Auckland Spiritual Assemblies, all of which he has
been delighted to read.
He wishes you to write the Auckland Assembly assuring
them of his approval of the request they have made on behalf
of Miss Kitty Carpenter for permission to visit Haifa. He has
every hope that through this pilgrimage she will be greatly
refreshed and strengthened spiritually, and will upon her return
home impart to the friends in New-Zealand some measure of the
inspiration she will gain through close contact with the Holy
Shrines.
Before closing the Guardian also wishes me to express the
hope that your N.S.A.'s plan of holding a meeting in Melbourne
+P25
during the course of this year may be realized, and that the
occasion may serve to lend a fresh impetus to the growth of the
Cause in that city. He is fervently praying for the success of your
Assembly's efforts in this connection.
Reciprocating your greetings and with renewed and warmest
thanks,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear co-worker:
The work in which you and your dear fellow-members are
so devotedly, so loyally and diligently engaged, is progressing in
a manner that is highly gratifying and merits the highest praise.
I feel increasingly proud of, and thankful for the achievements
that signalize the rise of the administrative Order of the Faith of
&Baha'u'llah in Australia and New-Zealand. Generations yet unborn
will extol those qualities and virtues that have enabled you
all to render such great services to our beloved Cause. Persevere,
be happy and confident.
Shoghi.
--------------
March 30th, 1938
Dear Miss Brooks,
The Guardian was indeed pleased to receive your letter of
the 16th ins. informing him of Miss Dawe's safe arrival in Australia,
and of the receipt of the precious relic which he had
asked her to present to your N.S.A. for preservation in your
National Archives.
He wishes you to assure your fellow-members of his full approval
of their suggestion to place this sacred relic in a little
miniature frame case, and in such manner as to keep the paper
containing it from becoming soiled and frayed with constant
handling.
In connection with the article published in the October
number of the "Herald of the South" entitled "Above the Mists";
the Guardian wishes the believers to disregard such subjects as
psychic practices and phenomena, for these besides not being
+P26
authenticated by the Writings of the Founders of the Faith, pertain
mostly to the domain of conjectures. The magazine of the
"Herald of the South" should be devoted to the study and presentation
of those subjects that reflect the spirit of the Teachings,
and which as such are worthy of consideration by the believers.
As the national organ of the Australian and New-Zealand friends
its main function is to assist in disseminating the knowledge of
the Cause, and thus develop into an effective teaching medium.
This is the goal which the editors should have constantly in
mind, and which they should endeavour to attain through the
best possible means they can devise at present.
The Guardian wishes me in closing to express his thanks for
sending him the reproductions of the Declaration of Trust certificate
of your N.S.A., and for the reports of the Adelaide and
Sydney assemblies, as well as the photograph and report of the
Yerrinbool Summer-School.
With his loving greetings to you and to your fellow-members
in the N.S.A.,
Yours ever in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I am so touched by the repeated and compelling evidences
of the magnificent spirit that animates my dearly-beloved co-workers
in Australia and New-Zealand. The record of their manifold
accomplishments warms my heart and cheers my spirit. The
Beloved is truly pleased with them and the Almighty will surely
bless and reinforce their high endeavours. May their highest and
dearest hopes be fulfilled in His Service.
Shoghi.
--------------
June 22nd, 1938.
Dear &Baha'i Sister,
I am instructed by our beloved Guardian to express his
thanks for your communication of May 14th, with the enclosed
copy of the resolutions passed by the Australian and New-Zealand
N.S.A. in its April meeting held in Melbourne. He has also noted
with deep satisfaction the program of the public meeting you
+P27
had arranged on that occasion, and is very much heartened to
know that the response from the public has been most genuine
and quite beyond your expectations.
The general situation of the Cause in Melbourne, however,
has caused immense grief to his heart, specially as the believers
themselves are losing interest and seem to be drifting away. The
decision taken by your Assembly to hold the next Annual Convention
there, with the view of encouraging and guiding the
friends to re-organise their activities, and also in order to stimulate
the progress of the teaching work in that center is most
splendid. The Guardian would strongly advise that in the meantime
every effort be exerted, through such means as the N.S.A.
may find feasible and effective, to bring back into the Community
those members who have already left, and to take immediate
measures to discourage those who contemplate doing so.
With reference to Miss Martha Root's projected teaching
trip to your shores; the Guardian highly appreciates the cordial
invitation extended to her by your Assembly, and has every hope
that through her splendid zeal, mature and wide experience in
the teaching field, she will be able to lend an unprecedented
impetus to the expansion and consolidation of the teaching
work throughout Australia and New-Zealand during this coming
winter.
In closing I wish to convey through you to the newly-elected
N.S.A. the Guardian's heartfelt congratulations and sincere greetings,
and to assure them of his prayers, that throughout their
new term of office, they may be assisted in acquitting themselves
befittingly of their task.
Also kindly extend to them his loving thanks for the expression
of deep sympathy which they have conveyed to him on
their behalf, and in the name of the believers in New-Zealand
and Australia, in the passing away of the Holy Mother, &Munirih
&Khanum.
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
I truly admire the manner in which the national representatives
of the believers of Australia and New Zealand are discharging
their responsibilities and fulfilling their vital and manifold
+P28
functions. I, moreover, feel eternally thankful for the spirit which
the believers themselves manifest, the support they extend to
them, the vigilance, steadfastness and self-sacrifice that distinguish
the record of their services. The foundations they are laying will
endure and broaden as the days go by, and the institutions they
are erecting will multiply a thousandfold if they persevere in the
path they are now treading. The blessing of the &Abha Beauty
will enable them to achieve still greater victories if they refuse
to hesitate and falter.
Gratefully,
Shoghi.
--------------
November 2nd, 1938
Dear Miss Brooks,
I am directed by the Guardian to acknowledge with thanks
your Assembly's communication of October 6th.
Regarding the need you have expressed for a small, inexpensive
prayer book for use by the friends in Australia and New
Zealand; he views with favour this idea, but does not advise the
use of the translations given in the &Baha'i Prayer Book, as these
are mostly incorrect and inadequate renderings. He wishes you
to preferably select from the book "Prayers and Meditations",
recently published in America, suitable prayers for a small
edition.
The Guardian wishes me to express his gratification at the
news of the enrolment of three new members in the Sydney
&Baha'i group, and of two others in the Auckland community. He
will pray that these new believers may continue deepening in
their faith, and in their understanding of the Teachings, and
that each of them may arise and lend every assistance in his
power to the further expansion and firmer consolidation of the
Faith in that far-off continent.
The three reproductions of the Sydney Registration Certificate
which you have mailed under separate cover have been duly
received, and one of them will shortly be placed in the Mansion
at &Bahji.
+P29
The projected visit of Miss Martha Root to your shores next
winter, the Guardian hopes, will as on her previous journeys
serve to impart a fresh stimulus to the friends in Australia and
New-Zealand and inspire them with a renewed determination to
re-consecrate themselves to the service of the Cause. Your Assembly
should extend to her a warm welcome and every support she
requires for the success of her mission. May her noble endeavours,
seconded by the energetic and diligent efforts of the believers,
result in inaugurating a new era of teaching expansion throughout
the Australian continent.
With warmest greetings from the Guardian,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The visit of our dear and cherished sister and exemplary co-worker,
Martha, to your shores is approaching and I feel confident
that her collaboration with you will lend an unprecedented
impetus to the advancement of the Faith. Laden with laurels,
animated by an unquenchable spirit, armed with a faith that
none can surpass, she will, I feel sure, contribute magnificently
to the magnificent work her co-workers in Australia and New
Zealand have so valiantly achieved and are so energetically and
methodically extending. My prayers for you and for her will
continue to be offered with a heart filled with pride, joy and
gratitude.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
February 15th, 1939.
Dear Miss Brooks:
Your letter of January 17th, enclosing one addressed to the
Guardian by the Sydney Spiritual Assembly, have both duly
arrived, and their contents read by him with deepest satisfaction
and with feelings of unbounded gratitude.
He is writing the Sydney Assembly separately, assuring them
+P30
that Miss Davis who is on a world tour, would be most welcome
to visit the Holy Shrines in Haifa and &Bahji, but he himself is
exceedingly sorry not to be able to meet her, as he is at present
away from the Holy Land, and may not be back to Haifa before
some time. He hopes, nevertheless, Miss Davis will benefit from
her close contact with the Sacred Places of the Faith, and will
gain such experiences as will stimulate still further her interest
in the Cause, and lead her gradually to fully and unreservedly
embrace its truth.
Regarding the extensive preparations made by the N.S.A. in
connection with the teaching travels of our indefatigable and
highly-esteemed &Baha'i sister Miss Martha Root throughout Australia
and New-Zealand; the Guardian feels truly delighted and
profoundly grateful to your Assembly for the befitting welcome
you have extended to her, and for the arrangements you have
made for her to broadcast her speeches, and to contact as many
individuals and organisations as her time and health permit. You
are certainly fully availing yourself of the opportunity of her
presence in your midst to further intensify the campaign of
teaching throughout Australia, and you can rest assured that
&Baha'u'llah will reinforce and bless your endeavours for the
accomplishment of so vital and so sacred a task.
The draft for thirty pounds which you had enclosed in your
letter, representing the contribution of the believers of Australia
and New-Zealand toward the International Fund of the Cause,
has been received with grateful appreciation by our beloved
Guardian, and he wishes your Assembly to kindly convey to all
the friends his deep sense of gratitude, as well as his profound
admiration, for the exemplary devotion and loyal attachment
to the Cause that has prompted them to make such generous
donations.
With renewed and heartfelt thanks for your very kind letter,
and reciprocating your greetings,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dearly-beloved co-workers:
I am so glad and grateful for the plans you have conceived
for the reception, and organisation of the work, of Martha during
+P31
her visit to your shores. The community of the believers in Australia
and New Zealand is making remarkable progress in every
phase of its activities, and deserves the highest praise in its
magnificent and incessant labours. I am proud of the quality of
its faith and the range of its achievements. May the Beloved
infuse into each one of its members a greater measure of His
power and of His spirit that will enable them to seek nobler
heights in their historic service to His Cause!
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Dear Miss Brooks, March 17th, 1939.
Your communication of February the 12th addressed to our
beloved Guardian, informing him of Martha's safe arrival in
Australia, has been received, and he was made truly happy to
know how cordially and befittingly she had been welcomed by
the friends. The wide acclamation with which you have greeted
her upon her arrival, and the kind solicitude and warm affection
you have displayed towards her by arranging for dear Dr. Bolton
to give her the necessary treatment soon after her landing in
Adelaide--such spontaneous expressions of your deep set admiration
and love for this valiant and indefatigable star-servant of the
Cause must have surely greatly warmed and touched her heart.
Your N.S.A., no less than the local assemblies of Perth and
Adelaide, has undoubtedly spared no effort to use her presence
as an opportunity for giving the Faith every publicity possible
through both the radio and the press. It is to be hoped that
before long the results of this campaign of publicity will be
made apparent, and a good number of sincere and intelligent
inquirers will be led to investigate and seriously study the Teachings,
and enrol later on in the Community.
While the Guardian wishes the friends to take full advantage
of Martha's presence and invite her to speak and teach as
frequently as her energies permit, yet he would advise that they
should also take great care lest her health be seriously impaired
through overwork, specially as she is already so frail, having
extensively travelled and tirelessly laboured for a whole year
throughout India. He would further entreat the believers to join
+P32
him in ardently supplicating &Baha'u'llah to continue bestowing
upon our well-beloved and distinguished sister all the strength
and energy that she requires for the continuation and successful
termination of her teaching tour throughout Australia and New-Zealand.
With reference to Mr. and Mrs. Bolton's request for permission
to visit Haifa during next October or November, the Guardian
wishes you to assure them that they would be most welcome
to undertake this pilgrimage through which, he hopes, they will
get refreshed spiritually and filled with renewed vigour and added
determination to labour for the further promotion of the Faith
upon their return home.
With the season's best greetings to you and all the friends,
Yours ever in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-worker:
How deeply I appreciate what you and your dear collaborators
are achieving for the success of Martha's work amidst you.
My heart brims over with gratitude for the manner in which you
approach your task, discharge your duties and extend the range
of your local and national activities. With your deeds you are
demonstrating in that far-off continent what the power of the
Greatest Name can achieve when it operates through channels
that are pure, and receptive to its outpouring grace. My prayers
are being continually offered for you all. Rest assured and be
happy.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
July 12th, 1939.
Dear Miss Brooks,
On behalf of our beloved Guardian I acknowledge with
thanks the receipt of your deeply-appreciated message written on
behalf of our Australian N.S.A., and of various materials, including
Assembly reports and photographs of the Yerrinbool Summer-School,
mailed under separate cover, all of which reached him
+P33
safely, and for which kindly convey his heart's deepest gratitude
to your Assembly.
He has read with great pleasure the account of Miss Root's
last few weeks in Australia, and feels exceedingly gratified and
thankful at this renewed evidence of the loving hospitality so
spontaneously and generously extended to her by all the friends
in each center she visited, and wishes me, in particular, to convey
to you and to dear Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne his special thanks
for having kindly offered to accompany our precious and well-beloved
sister throughout the last stages of her journey to Melbourne
and Tasmania. May &Baha'u'llah richly reward you with
His choicest blessings for all the tender care and affection you
lavished upon her all through her teaching itinerary, and may
He sustain, strengthen and guide you in your endeavours to
further enrich and consolidate the notable teaching results she
was able to accomplish in your midst during all these months.
The Guardian was highly encouraged to hear of the news of
the confirmation of Miss Lamprill's friend, and earnestly hopes
and prays that through the combined, sustained, and loving exertions
of these two dear believers the Cause will gradually make
a headway in Hobart, and a group of well-confirmed souls will
soon be established in that center. Kindly convey to these friends
the expression of his warmest good wishes for the extension and
success of their labours in service to our beloved Faith, and do
urge them whole-heartedly, joyously and confidently persevere in
their task of promulgating the message in Hobart.
With regard to Mrs. Routh's request for permission to visit
Haifa; much as the Guardian desires her to undertake such
longed for visit to the Holy Shrines, he feels that owing to the
continued disturbances agitating the Holy Land, and which give
no sign of abating, it would be inadvisable for her to come at
such a dangerous time. He hopes some day when the situation
will have returned to normal in Palestine, she will have an
opportunity of undertaking this pilgrimage.
Assuring you, and your newly-elected fellow-members in the
N.S.A. of his continued prayers and best wishes, and with affectionate
greetings to all the friends,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
+P34
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The recent evidences of your marvellous activities in the
service of our beloved Faith have brought infinite joy to my
heart. The institutions you are so devotedly and laboriously erecting,
multiplying and perfecting, notwithstanding your limited
numbers, the scarcity of &Baha'i teachers and proper facilities, and
despite your limited resources and the varied obstacles in your
way, attest the splendid progress you have achieved and augur
well for the future of your historic work in His service. The
summer-school is but one of those institutions which you have
established with such a rare spirit of devotion, such magnificent
loyalty and such assiduous care. The foundation you have laid is
broad, solid and unassailable. The rising generation who will
build upon it will extol your virtues, ennoble your task, preserve
the record of your acts, and transmit to posterity the great tradition
which you are now so happily and nobly establishing. My
heart brims over with gratitude for all that you are achieving,
and is filled with hopes for all that you will achieve in the near
and distant future. Perseverance, fidelity, redoubled effort, will
enable you to reap a rich harvest and to attain your shining
goal.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
November 4th, 1940
Dear Miss Brooks,
Your communications dated April 22nd and August 23rd
written on behalf of the N.S.A. of Australia and New-Zealand
with the enclosed reports have all been safely received, and their
contents noted with feelings of deepest satisfaction and gratitude
by our beloved Guardian.
Also he has received the copy of the Mittagong Star, the reproduction
of registration certificate, the three snaps and the
three photographs which you had mailed under separate cover,
for all of which he wishes you to heartily thank the N.S.A. on his
behalf.
He wishes you, in particular, to convey his warmest greetings
and congratulations to the members of the newly-elected N.S.A.,
whose names he has been very pleased to note, and to assure
+P35
them of his prayers for their guidance and confirmation in the
discharge of their heavy and sacred duties and responsibilites
throughout this year. Despite the sorrow and distress created by
the war, and the heavy sacrifices it is increasingly imposing upon
the community of the faithful throughout Australia and New-Zealand,
he confidently hopes that your Assembly, with the help
and support of all the believers in that land, will continue
prosecuting, with the same devoted zeal, resourcefulness and determination
as before, its twofold task of extending the scope of
the teaching work, and of further consolidating the foundations
of the Administration. The unity and efficiency with which it has
been functioning in the past year, as attested by the rich record
of its accomplishments, indeed augur well for the future of its
activities, and it is the Guardian's fervent hope that, notwithstanding
the delay and dislocation which the prosecution of the
war has inevitably occasioned, it will continue to advance and
prosper, and receive unforseen opportunities of spreading and
of strengthening the foundations of the Cause throughout that
far-off Continent.
In this time of world calamity his thoughts and prayers are
often with our dearly-beloved friends in Australia and New
Zealand, and he is ardently supplicating &Baha'u'llah, on their
behalf, that He may bestow upon them such measure of His
guidance, protection and strength as would enable them to
courageously and successfully meet the tests and trials of the days
ahead.
Assuring you, in closing, of his special prayers on your own
behalf, and reciprocating your greetings,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear co-worker:
The report of your activities and of those of your fellow-workers,
undertaken at such a time, and despite such difficulties
and with such a courage, devotion, determination, thoroughness
and fidelity, deserves indeed the highest praise and constitutes a
powerful evidence of the unconquerable Spirit and the ever-extending
range, and the ever-deepening influence of the Cause
of &Baha'u'llah. Your work is surely blessed by Him, and your
+P36
fellow-labourers in distant lands derive great encouragement and
inspiration from the incessant and remarkable efforts you are so
devotedly exerting. Persevere and rest assured that I will, with
increasing fervour, pray on your behalf at the Holy Shrines,
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
January 3rd, 1941
Dear Miss Brooks,
At the Guardian's direction I beg to acknowledge the receipt
of your communication of December 17th just arrived, together
with the copy of the resolutions passed by the N.S.A. of Australia
and New-Zealand in its August meeting, as well as the copy of
the statement on the "&Baha'i Attitude to War" recently issued by
your Assembly. He found that statement most satisfactory both
in its form and in its clear and comprehensive presentation of
the underlying principles governing the collective attitude of the
believers in this vital issue of the hour.
The friends should indeed make a careful study of this statement,
so as to be able to intelligently and correctly answer any
questions put to them either by the authorities or individual
inquirers.
The Guardian has been particularly pleased to note that the
response of the Prime Minister, and of the premier of Victoria
and other ministers to whom you had submitted a copy of the
above statement has been so cordial, and he feels relieved to
know that through this action of your Assembly any doubts or
misapprehensions regading the attitude of the &Baha'is to war
have been dispelled, and that the authorities feel, as a result,
much more favourable towards the Cause, now that they know
for themselves that it is entirely non-political in character and
that it enjoins absolute loyalty and obedience to the Government.
This opportunity your Assembly has had of establishing
direct contact with the authorities is indeed a step of vital significance
to the Cause in Australia and New-Zealand, and is
bound to pave the way for its ultimate recognition as an independent
religious Faith, entitled to the same rights and privileges
which other religious bodies and institutions enjoy in that land.
The Guardian wishes me in closing to express his deepfelt
+P37
appreciation of your teaching services in Melbourne and Hobart,
in which cities you seem to have accomplished such splendid
work, both in introducing the Cause to the general public and
by assisting the friends in better conducting their teaching and
administrative activities.
May the Beloved ever bless and guide your efforts, and may
He also strengthen and confirm your fellow-members in the
N.S.A. in the discharge of their arduous duties and responsibilities.
To you and to them all he sends his warmest greetings,
Yours in His Service,
H. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear co-workers:
The manner and spirit in which the dearly-beloved friends
in Australia and New Zealand are discharging their multifarious
and sacred responsibilities, in these days of strife and peril, augur
well for the future of their mission in that far-off continent. The
sound lines along which the administration of the Faith is evolving,
the courage and fidelity with which they defend the integrity
and assert the claims, and proclaim the verities of their beloved
Cause are evidences of their onward march and the potentialities
with which they are endowed. I rejoice and am thankful. I will
continue to pray and seek for them still greater blessings.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, April 19th, 1941
Dear &Baha'i friends:
Shoghi Effendi has instructed me to answer your letter of
March 16th, 1941.
He was very pleased to learn that Mother Dunn has accepted
in such a noble and exemplary &Baha'i spirit the loss of dear
Father Dunn, and that the friends of Sydney are preparing a full
description of his death and the funeral. The Guardian would
like very much to receive all such histories and reports for the
next Vol. of "&Baha'i World". He would also like you to send him
three good photographs of Father Dunn and some of his grave
and tombstone--whenever the latter are available.
+P38
The truly remarkable services of Hyde Dunn will never be
forgotten. They have added a golden page to the history of the
Formative Period of our Faith. The whole-hearted response to
&Abdu'l-Baha's call, raised more than twenty years ago, which he
and Mother Dunn made; their quiet and unassuming sacrifices
for the Cause; the wisdom and permanence with which he laid
the foundations of the work in Australia and New-Zealand; and
the faithful love with which both of these noble souls tended the
growing institutions of the Faith--all constitute a landmark in
the victorious progress of the Faith. He is indeed the spiritual
conqueror of that continent!
The Guardian was very impressed by your Assembly's recent
statement published in the January issue of "&Baha'i Quarterly".
So much so that he felt impelled to have the American N.S.A.
publish it in "&Baha'i News" and also have it read at the annual
Convention. He feels that in excellent form you have presented
the very essence of the &Baha'i attitude on these matters. This has
further strengthened his conviction that the &Baha'is of Australia
and New-Zealand display a remarkable soundness in their views
on all matters concerning the Faith, a characteristic which greatly
pleases him.
Concerning your question whether a &Baha'i Burial Service
can be conducted for &non-Baha'is if requested by them: if &non-Baha'is
desire that the believers should conduct such a service
there is no objection at all.
The contemplated teaching trip of Miss Brooks, Mrs Hawthorne
and Mrs Moffit to Queensland, meets with the Guardian's
whole-hearted approval. He will pray in the Holy Shrines that
its outcome will be richly blessed and fruitful.
He was very sorry to learn that Miss Stevenson has passed
on. He will pray for her joy and advancement in the Worlds
beyond. She had the great honour and blessing of being the
first New-Zealand believer and her reward must be great.
With the assurance of Shoghi Effendi's most loving prayers
for you all and with &Baha'i greetings,
Yours in His Service,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. He wishes me also to thank you for the &Naw-Ruz and &Ridvan
greetings from all the dear friends in Australia and New Zealand.
+P39
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The community of the Most Great Name in these far-off
islands have lost a great leader, a stalwart upholder of the new
World Order of &Baha'u'llah. The influence he has exercised will
however continue to live, and the example he has set will inspire
the rising generation to perform deeds as great and brilliant as
those which will ever remain associated with his name. Our dear
friend, Mr. Hyde Dunn, will, from his exalted station intercede
on your behalf, and you should, on your part strive to emulate
one whom &Baha'i historians will recognise and acclaim as Australia's
spiritual conqueror. I will pray for his dear spiritual
children from the depths of my heart.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
The passing of yet another staunch and indefatigible worker,
Miss Stevenson, constitutes yet another loss to the believers in
that continent. The work which that exemplary pioneer has
achieved however is imperishable. Kindly assure her relatives of
my deepfelt sympathy.
Sh.
--------------
July 30th, 1941
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
The Guardian has instructed me to answer your welcome
letter to him of June 20th, with all its good news.
The response your teaching work met with in Brisbane is
truly most encouraging and shows a remarkable receptivity on
the part of the people of Australia to the Divine Message. Shoghi
Effendi hopes that you will be able to undertake many such trips
in furtherance of the teaching work and that an increasing number
of the friends will do likewise.
Indeed all the news that comes from the &Baha'is of Australia
and New Zealand bears witness to the soundness of their understanding
of the teachings, their loyalty and devotion to the Cause
and its laws, and the excellence of their faith itself.
The Guardian has recently written a long general letter to
the &Baha'is of the West. Owing to its length and the difficulty of
+P40
sending a large number of manuscripts abroad at such a time, he
has requested the N.S.A. of America to forward it to the other
National Spiritual Assemblies. He trusts it will soon reach you.
The news received of the Winter session of the Yerrinbool
school was very encouraging. Shoghi Effendi hopes that many of
these points of community contact, such as school sessions, teaching
conferences--whatever form of activity is most feasible--will
be increasingly inaugurated, as they are of vital importance in
fostering the work of the Cause.
He most deeply appreciates your own untiring services in
promotion of the Faith in all its branches. You may rest assured
that he will often pray for you, and he will also pray for the
confirmation of those souls whom you and Mrs. Hawthorne
attracted during your recent trip.
With &Baha'i love,
Yours in His service,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. The Guardian has not yet received the record of Martha's
voice nor photographs of Father Dunn. Will you kindly send one
copy of each to him as soon as convenient.
R. R.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
It is indeed thrilling to note the rapidity and soundness with
which the flourishing &Baha'i community in that far-off land is
establishing the Faith of &Baha'u'llah, is fearlessly proclaiming its
truths, upholding its verities and standards, multiplying its institutions,
defending its interests, disseminating its literature, and
exemplifying its invincible power and spirit. I rejoice, feel proud,
and am eternally grateful. I cannot but pray, with redoubled
fervour, to Him Who so manifestly guides and sustains you, to
increase your numbers, to remove every barrier that obstructs
your path, to safeguard your unity, to bless your undertakings
and to enable you to demonstrate, afresh and with still greater
force, the reality of the faith that animates you in the discharge
of your sacred duties. Be assured and persevere.
Shoghi.
+P41
Haifa, December 26th, 1941.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
The Guardian has instructed me to answer your letters dated
Sep. 23rd. and Oct. 1st, and to acknowledge the receipt of the
manuscript you sent for "&Baha'i World" vol. IX, also the photographs
of Father Dunn's home and his own picture.
Regarding the questions you asked in your letter:
No. 1. Confucius was not a Prophet. It is quite correct to say
he is the founder of a moral system and a great reformer.
No. 2. The Buddha was a Manifestation of God, like Christ,
but his followers do not possess his authentic writings.
No. 3. Zoroaster was not Abraham; the Muslims, some of them,
contend that they were the same, but we believe they were two
distinct Prophets. There is a misunderstanding in the reference
in "&Baha'i Proofs" to this matter.
No. 4. There are no Prophets, so far, in the same category as
&Baha'u'llah, as He culminates a great cycle begun with Adam.
No. 5. The Greatest Name is the Name of &Baha'u'llah. "&Ya
&Baha'u'l-Abha" is an invocation meaning: "O Thou Glory of
Glories"! "&Allah-u-Abha" is a greeting which means: "God the
All-Glorious". Both refer to &Baha'u'llah. By Greatest Name is
meant that &Baha'u'llah has appeared in God's Greatest Name,
in other words, that He is the Supreme Manifestation of God.
No. 6. Revelations 3.12, refers to the Revelation of &Baha'u'llah.
No. 7. References in the Bible to "Mt. Paran" and "Paraclete"
refer to Muhammad's Revelation. Deuteronomy 33.2; Genesis
21.21.; Numbers 12.16; Numbers 13.3.; Genesis 17.20 refers to the
twelve Imams and in the Revelation of St. John, Chap. 11.; where
it mentions two witnesses, it refers to Muhammad and &Ali.
No. 8. The statement in the "Gleanings", p. 64-65, "who out of
utter nothingness.." etc., should be taken in a symbolic and
not literal sense. It is only to demonstrate the power and greatness
of God.
No. 9. The Guardian considers that the gist of what Mrs. Hanford
Ford reported can be considered quite correct.
No. 10. The figures 1290 date from the declaration of Muhammad,
ten years before His flight to Medina.
+P42
No. 11. The intercalary days are specially set aside for hospitality,
the giving of gifts, etc. &Baha'u'llah Himself specified that
they be used this way, but gave no explanation for it.
No. 12. The &Baha'i Summer-Schools were originated in America
to meet the requirements of the friends. They have been adopted
by other &Baha'i communities the world-over, but there is no
reason why they should be called "Summer Schools". There is
nothing rigid about the term, it is purely descriptive. The Guardian
feels that although you can have the immediate affairs of
your Summer-Schools managed by a convenient local assembly,
they should remain under the direct supervision of the National
Spiritual Assembly as they are national in character and not
purely local.
A few days ago Mr. Jim Heggie came to see the Guardian.
He was able to visit all the shrines and archives as well. Shoghi
Effendi was delighted with him, he found him devoted, full of
faith and zeal, and very well read in the teachings. He feels that
if this is a sample of the &Baha'i youth of Australia, there is, indeed,
a wonderful future ahead of that country!
He will be very pleased to receive the picture of Father
Dunn's grave as soon as it is available.
The Guardian assures you and the members of the National
Spiritual Assembly that his prayers are constantly being offered
on your behalf. He is so very pleased with the good news he
receives of your activities and the spread of the Cause in those
distant lands.
Only yesterday he was reading a most heartening and enthusiastic
report of the work in Tasmania, which greatly cheered
him.
Dark as these days are he feels confident that the Australian
and New-Zealand &Baha'is will continue with unabated devotion
to carry on their excellent and exemplary services to the Faith.
His prayers are with them all, and his loving gratitude goes
out to you who lead and co-ordinate their activities.
With warm &Baha'i greetings
Yours in the service of the
beloved Faith,
R. Rabbani.
+P43
[From the Guardian:]
Dearly-beloved co-workers:
In these days when perils are increasingly threatening that
far-off continent, the most distant outpost of our beloved Faith,
my thoughts turn with deepening anxiety, solicitude, and love
to those who are so valiantly holding aloft the banner of the
Cause of &Baha'u'llah. I appeal to every one of them, and particularly
to the members of the assemblies who safeguard their
interests, not to allow any disturbance, suffering, or anxiety to
dim the splendour of their faith, to deflect them from their high
purpose, to cause any division in their ranks, to interfere with
the steady consolidation and expansion of their activities and
institutions. I will specially pray that the work they have magnificently
initiated, and so marvellously and soundly developed
may suffer no setback, but rather continue to develop and yield
its destined fruit. Persevere and rest assured.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Feb. 23rd, 1942.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter, with enclosures, of Nov. 8th reached the Guardian
safely, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
His thoughts and prayers are very often with the Australian
&Baha'is in these difficult and dangerous times. They are now
facing a much more acute situation than hitherto. But whatever
of trial and affliction the immediate future may hold for them,
we know that the destiny of mankind is in the firm grasp of
&Baha'u'llah, and that He will guide it to its ultimate and highest
goal. This assurance is more precious than life itself, it is our
anchor in every difficulty and trial.
The Guardian was very happy to know that the work in
Brisbane is progressing, and that the Cause is more and more
coming before the public and reaching the attention of prominent
people.
He feels the believers must continue to do their utmost to
acquaint their fellow-citizens with the teachings, that they may
at least hear of the &Baha'i ideals, whether they are ready to accept
them yet or not.
+P44
The recent meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly must
have been of great benefit to all the members and to the work
of the Cause in general. Their responsibility in these days is
greater than ever, but Shoghi Effendi feels sure they will be
guided and protected and continue to spread and safe-guard the
Faith in those distant lands.
He assures you, and all the N.S.A. members, of his deep
appreciation for your untiring services, and his loving and ardent
prayers. He will beseech for you all blessings and protection in
the Holy Shrines.
With loving &Baha'i greetings,
Yours in His service,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
As the diffulties and problems facing the valiant and high-minded
supporters and upholders of the Faith in Australia and
New Zealand multiply, my thoughts and prayers turn increasingly
towards them, in loving admiration for the work they have
performed and will continue to perform in the future. Adversity,
in whatever form, will, I feel confident, now that they have laid
an unassailable basis for the Faith, in their hearts and through
their institutions, serve to heighten the ardour of their devotion,
and reinforce the foundation of their spiritual community life.
They should persevere, redouble their efforts, close their ranks,
intensify their individual as well as collective teaching activities,
and defend even more tenaciously and courageously the tenets,
claims and institutions of their Faith. Measureless blessings will
crown their exertions if they persevere, and face heroically the
challenge, the problems, and the perplexities of the present hour.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, April 18th, 1942.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
The Guardian has instructed me to answer your two letters
of Jan. 15th and 24th, and to acknowledge the receipt of the
enclosed letter of Mrs. Dunn.
+P45
He was delighted to learn that the New Zealand members
were able to make the trip to Australia, and that such a highly
satisfactory N.S.A. meeting was held, in such a spirit of love and
harmony. No doubt this experience will prove of great value,
not only to the National Assembly, but also to the work of the
Cause in the days to come.
Regarding the various matters you refer to in your letters:
The Guardian highly approves of the very kind and helpful
arrangements made by Dr. Bolton, by which his property at
Yerrinbool will pass to the Faith at his death and be used, according
to the requirements of a future date, as dictated by the discretion
of the N.S.A. It is better that the believers, subject to
the judgements of the N.S.A., be left free to select any spot that
will prove most convenient for the majority for their summer-schools.
Regarding the Summer-Schools in general; although there is
no objection to their being under the direct management of a
special Committee elected for that purpose, they must be generally
supervised by the N.S.A. in respect to policy, etc. In other
words they must be considered as a national and not a purely
local institution.
For purposes of convenience the N.S.A. may appoint as
members of such Committees, those who are situated near the
Summer-Schools and are able to pay direct attention to their
affairs.
Concerning individual &Baha'is' letters to the Guardian and
his replies; the friends are free to write to the Guardian when
they feel the urge to do so. However, for the believers to suppose
that the Guardian's letters to them, however full of loving encouragement
they may be, give them any special powers or
authority to go against or ignore the wishes of their local or
national assembly, is to grossly misinterpret his true meaning.
The Guardian has been at great pains to build up the administrative
order and teach the friends how to use it. How could he
possibly himself act in such a way as to ignore or belittle the functions
of these bodies? He often encourages believers to work, to
teach, to pursue some plan they propose in their letters to him
but this does not mean a veto of the assembly's rights, or that
the individual thus becomes free to ignore its authority. He trusts
this will make the matter quite plain to the friends.
+P46
Regarding the matter of Mother Dunn's letter; the N.S.A.,
will, he feels sure, do all in their power to allay the fears of
Mother Dunn and smooth out any misunderstandings that may
arise. He feels, however, that you should point out to Mother
Dunn that if, at any future date, the believers of Australia and
New Zealand should wish to remove the remains of Father Dunn
and herself to a beautiful site in a &Baha'i cemetery, or any other
chosen spot, they cannot do it without some legal authorization.
Just at present, after an infinite amount of red tape being gotten
through, the Egyptian N.S.A. has at last succeeded in getting
arrangements made for the transfer of Lua Getsinger's and &Mirza
&Abu'l-Fadl's bodies to the new &Baha'i Cemetery. It is to ensure
success and save trouble in the future, that your assembly is
asking her to delegate certain powers to it in this matter. He
feels sure she will cooperate fully when she understands the
matter.
In view of the criticalness of the times, the great issues facing
the entire human race, and the uncertainty of what perils and
trials may yet remain ahead of us to be endured, the Guardian
feels, that the sooner Father Dunn's memorial is erected the
better. Mother Dunn may rest assured in her heart that future
believers of Australia will know how to honour and cherish dear
Father Dunn's grave; for the time being, though, it seems to him,
it would be wise to complete whatever arrangements are under
way as speedily as possible, subject, of course, to her acceptance,
as he does not want her to be distressed or unhappy over this
matter.
The Guardian would be very glad to receive as soon as
possible photographs of Father Dunn's grave upon its completion,
to be placed in the Mansion of &Baha'u'llah at &Bahji.
He assures you all that he feels the greatest confidence in
your ability to aid the believers of Australia and New Zealand
to weather all storms during the dark days we are passing
through. The friends of those two countries have amply displayed
their deep loyalty to the Faith, their profound dedication
to its Divine Mission, their adherence to its laws and institutions.
He always thinks of them with a heart at rest and feelings of
deep affection.
Rest assured that his loving prayers will continue to be
offered on their behalf, and for you and your fellow members
+P47
of the N.S.A., who are serving with such devotion and self-sacrifice
the Holy Faith.
With warm &Baha'i Greetings and love,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dearly-beloved friends:
The spirit manifested by the valiant supporters of the Faith
in Australia and New Zealand is most encouraging, highly meritorious,
and truly exemplary. The work they have achieved, the
plans they are devising, the hopes they cherish for the future,
fill me with admiration and evoke my deepest gratitude. The
Beloved will assuredly continue to illumine their path, to sustain
their efforts, and to bless their accomplishments in these days of
unprecedented stress, anxiety, and peril. I will continue to supplicate
for them all His abundant and imperishable blessings.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, March 19th, 1943.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letters, written on behalf of the National Spiritual
Assembly, and dated April 21st, 1942 and Nov. 18th, 1942,
reached the Guardian, together with their enclosures, and he has
instructed me to answer them on his behalf.
He regrets the delay in replying to them, but he has been,
and still is, engaged on a work which requires a tremendous
amount of his time, and his correspondence has, of necessity,
suffered from it.
The Guardian would prefer sending all cables and moneys
etc., to you direct, but the war regulations, as enforced in this
country, prohibit the use of a postal address in cables or telegrams,
and as he does not have your street address, he has had to
do it this way. Please forward your own address, or the one you
care to have used, and it will simplify matters in the future.
He is delighted to hear that the friends will be able to hold
a Convention in April, and he hopes that, through its deliberations,
and the meetings of the N.S.A. members, far reaching
+P48
teaching plans will be set afoot and the Cause in New Zealand
and Australia obtain a new impetus. You already have the nuclei
of a number of Spiritual Assemblies in places where there are
a group of believers, and he hopes that through following the
methods, so successful in such countries as India and the United
States, of having both travelling teachers and pioneers or settlers
go out you will have a number of new Spiritual Assemblies by
1944.
He was very pleased to see the increased interest among the
friends in their various &Baha'i Summer and Winter Schools, and
hopes that these will increasingly attract students of the Faith,
anxious to deepen their knowledge of its wonderful teachings.
The Australian and New Zealand friends, now feeling the
full weight of the war, its dangers and sorrows, are very often
in his prayers. He feels confident that they will emerge from
these dark years stronger in spirit, more united and consecrated
than ever before. They have a great and precious mission before
them of rearing, albeit in miniature the pattern of a New World
Order, divine in origin, in the midst of their countrymen, who
someday are sure to turn to that pattern as the solution to their
problems and the harbinger of their happiness.
He assures you and all the members of the N.S.A. of his
continued, loving prayers, that you may be guided and aided in
all your services to our beloved Faith.
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. The Guardian replied to Mr. Heggie's letter, and he is very
pleased to hear of the fine work he is doing. He is also pleased
to hear that the work will now go on in connection with Father
Dunn's Memorial.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The constancy, the zeal, the unity and devotion which
characterize the activities of the dearly-beloved community of
Australia and New Zealand &Baha'is evoke my heartfelt admiration,
and demonstrate the power of &Baha'u'llah and His unfailing
guidance. I will pray for them all, will supplicate for
them His richest blessings, and feel confident that if they persevere
+P49
in their noble task their mission will be crowned with
glorious success.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, March 14th, 1944
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letters dated June 8th, Sep. 12th, Nov. 12th, Jan. 10th
and 17th, 1944, together with their enclosures, have all been
received, and the Guardian has instructed me to answer them on
his behalf. He has also received the envelope of photographs you
sent of N.S.A. Members, Father Dunn's grave and other pictures
of &Baha'i friends, for which he thanks you.
He also wishes to thank you for your manuscript for the
&Baha'i World which was also received safely.
In regard to the recently purchased National Headquaters
in Sydney: He was delighted that you were able to take possession
of a house suitable to the present requirements of the Faith,
and he trusts that by the time this reaches you all the legal steps
will have been completed and the building registered in the
name of the National Spiritual Assembly. It should be called by
its proper title of "&Haziratu'l-Quds".
The ideal to be followed, of course, is for the Secretariat,
the office of the treasurer, etc., to be in the National Headquarters.
However, this can be brought about gradually, and he
leaves decisions in this matter to the N.S.A.
He trusts that the combined Centenary Celebrations and
annual Convention will not only draw a large group of believers
to Sydney to meet in their new &Haziratu'l-Quds, but will also be
a means of attracting the attention of the public to the Faith
on a wider scale than ever before. The Australian and New
Zealand friends are standing not only on the threshold of the
second &Baha'i Century but also on the threshold of a new phase
of the Cause in that part of the world. Their responsibilities are
therefore greatly increased, and he believes they will meet them
unitedly, with clear vision, and their characteristic devotion to
our beloved Faith.
He assures you and the other members of the N.S.A. of his
+P50
loving prayers for the success of your labours and the fulfilment
of your dearest hopes.
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. He found the newspaper clippings you forwarded of great
interest, and is pleased to see that the press is being so friendly
and helpful. He has already through a cable stated that the convention
should be held in conjunction with the Centenary Celebrations
which embrace the 23rd of May. The Commemoration
gathering should be held on the 22nd of May exactly at two
hours and eleven minutes after sunset, which is the time at which
the &Bab declared His Mission.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The activities of the beloved friends in Australia and New
Zealand during recent troubles have been truly remarkable. Now
that the &Haziratu'l-Quds is to be established in Sydney I trust
and pray that this central administrative headquarters in the
oldest and leading &Baha'i centre in that far-off continent will act
as a powerful magnet and attract the manifold blessings of the
Almighty and lend a tremendous impetus to the organized activities
of the believers in Australia and New Zealand. I will continue
to pray for them from the depths of my heart.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Oct. 17th, 1944.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
The Guardian has instructed me to acknowledge your letter
dated June 27th and also two previous ones from the former
secretary of the N.S.A. dated Feb. 6th and Aug. 27th, and to
answer them on his behalf.
He deeply appreciates all the work done by dear Miss Brooks
in the past as Secretary of the National Assembly, and hopes that
now that she is relieved of this arduous post she will devote much
of her time to teaching and writing for the Faith.
The sacrifice you and your husband are making by moving
to Sydney in order to attend to the work of the N.S.A. is truly
+P51
praiseworthy, and he hopes the way will open for you to do so at
an early date.
In connection with the incorporation of the N.S.A.: the
Guardian feels that whatever form the incorporation takes the
name and seal of the Nat. assembly must not be changed in any
way, i.e. the title "National Spiritual Assembly of the &Baha'is of
Australia and New Zealand" should be preserved.
The various enclosures you forwarded in your letter were all
received safely by him.
He hopes that now that the National Headquarters has been
established and you are going to take up residence there as Secretary--
thus giving a new permanence and prestige to the functions
of the N.S.A.--the work of the Faith will go ahead by leaps and
bounds. The many groups now functioning should be aided and
strengthened with a view to forming new Spiritual Assemblies as
soon as possible, and the Cause should be given publicity as much
as possible, through the Press, Radio and public meetings.
You may be sure his most loving prayers will be offered
for the success of your labours as N.S.A. secretary, and for your
health and guidance. Also for the confirmation of your dear
husband in the Faith.
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The work accomplished by the Australian and New Zealand
believers in recent years, in both the teaching and administrative
spheres of &Baha'i activity, culminating in the splendid celebrations
at the newly established national headquarters in the
capital city of the Australian Commonwealth, is highly praiseworthy
and augurs well for the future. The opening years of the
new century must witness a stupendous effort on the part of the
newly established community in the teaching field--an effort at
once nation-wide, systematic, strenuous and persistent. The
multiplication of &Baha'i centres in towns and villages, a greater
measure of publicity, a higher degree of unity and consecration
to the Faith, a fuller measure of self-sacrifice should distinguish
the labours of the members of this community. I will pray from
the depths of my heart for the removal of every obstacle from
+P52
your path and the speedy realization of every hope you cherish
for the promotion of His Faith and the consolidation of its institutions.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Dec. 12th, 1944.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
The beloved Guardian has instructed me to write your
National Spiritual Assembly and inform you of his views and
wishes in connection with the Summer School in Australia:
He does not consider it either wise or necessary at the
present time to have more than one &Baha'i Summer School in
Australia, and as Yerrinbool is equipped to accommodate the
friends on &Baha'i property, so to speak, he would suggest that
Yerrinbool continue to be used as the Australian &Baha'i Summer
School.
He pointed out this same principle of not multiplying the
number of Summer Schools some time ago in connection with
the Adelaide Assembly's purchase of a building and property.
He has also done the same thing in America--limited the
number of Summer Schools--as the friends in their enthusiasm
to inaugurate new institutions wanted to have very many summer
schools which would have not only weakened, instead of strengthening,
the older schools, but also would have dissipated the
energy of the friends.
Assuring you and all the members of your Assembly of his
loving prayers on your behalf and for the success of your work,
Yours in His Service,
R. Rabbani.
--------------
Haifa, March 13th, 1945.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter of Feb. 9th has been received (written on behalf
of the N.S.A.), and the beloved Guardian has instructed me to
answer it on his behalf and to also acknowledge receipt of the
copy of the resolutions which you forwarded in it.
+P53
The news you conveyed was all very encouraging and pleased
him greatly.
He was particularly happy to hear of the formation of a
new Spiritual Assembly at Caringbah as this marks an important
step forward in the growth of the Cause and its administrative
institutions in Australia. He hopes that the N.S.A. will, through
travelling and visiting teachers, and &Baha'i settlers and pioneers,
be able to speedily ensure the establishment of further assemblies;
wherever the conditions for their development seem most
promising, the efforts should be concentrated.
He was also very glad to hear that the &Haziratu'l-Quds has
been successfully transferred to the name of the National Assembly.
He is looking forward to receiving the photographs of its
opening, and of the Centenary dinner, which you are sending
him. Likewise he was pleased to see it is being put to such
active use and teaching classes, public meetings, etc. being held
in it.
He cannot stress too much the vital importance of the teaching
work, and he hopes that all the believers, however circumscribed
their means, however unqualified they may feel themselves
to be, will arise and contribute their share to this all-important
work. The Cause has, all things considered, made
remarkable progress in Australia and New Zealand of late; but
the united efforts of all the friends are required to spread the
Divine Message during these moving and dark times the world is
passing through. They must fix their eyes on the abject misery
of humanity and, forgetful of their own limitations, deliver the
Teachings to their fellow countrymen.
He assures you and your co-workers that he deeply appreciates
your devoted services, and will constantly pray for the
progress of the Faith in those distant and important lands.
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. He hopes that the N.S.A. watches over dear Mother Dunn.
She is now advancing in years and deserves the greatest love and
consideration in view of the imperishable services she and Father
Dunn rendered the Cause there.
P.P.S. Your previous letter, dated Aug. 18th as well as the photostat
copies connected with the incorporation of the N.S.A. reached
+P54
him. He was delighted at this further evidence of the efficiency
of that body and the manner in which it is consolidating its
foundation.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The teaching responsibilities confronting the Australian and
New Zealand believers are of supreme importance and of extreme
urgency. Now that the basis of the Administrative Order
has been firmly laid, and fully understood, and the national
&Haziratu'l-Quds established in the leading city of the Australian
Commonwealth, the attention of the members of the entire community
must be focussed on the teaching work--the promotion
of which is the ultimate object of the entire machinery of the
Administrative Order and its subsidiary institutions and agencies.
The multiplication of &Baha'i groups, the steady increase in the
number of local assemblies, the dissemination of literature, the
dispersal of the believers, no matter how small their number, to
important centers throughout the continent constitute the vital
task of the infant community which has, despite its limited
resources and isolated situation, demonstrated its capacity to
establish on a sound basis the primary institutions of its Faith,
to safeguard its unity and promote its vital interests. That it may
forge ahead and overcome every obstacle in its path and fulfil its
high destiny is my fondest hope and constant prayer.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, May 13th, 1945.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
The beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer your
letters dated April 12th, 13th (two) and 14th, and to acknowledge
receipt of the enclosures forwarded with them.
Regarding the matter of Mrs. ... and the inharmony that
seems to exist among certain of the friends in ...: when
&Baha'is permit the dark forces of the world to enter into their
own relationships within the Faith they gravely jeopardise its
progress; it is the paramount duty of the believers, the local
assemblies, and particularly the N.S.A. to foster harmony, understanding
+P55
and love amongst the friends. All should be ready and
willing to set aside every personal sense of grievance--justified
or unjustified--for the good of the Cause, because the people will
never embrace it until they see in its community life mirrored
what is so conspicuously lacking in the world: love and unity.
The &Baha'is are fully entitled to address criticisms to their
assemblies; they can freely air their views about policies or individual
members of elected bodies to the assembly, local or
national, but then they must whole-heartedly accept the advice
or decision of the assembly, according to the principles already
laid down for such matters in &Baha'i administration.
Shoghi Effendi has repeatedly stated, to believers in every
part of the world, that the individual &Baha'is are entirely free to
write to him on any matter they please; naturally he is equally
free to answer in any manner he pleases. At the present time,
when the institutions of the Cause are just beginning to function,
he considers it essential to keep up this large correspondence,
much as it adds to his many other burdens. It is sometimes
the case that the very first intimation he receives of some
important step influencing the interests of the Faith, one way or
another, comes from an individual's letter instead of from an
assembly; it would naturally be preferable for the information
to come from an administrative body, but whatever the source,
the Guardian is solely concerned with the welfare of the Faith,
and when he deems a certain step detrimental he states his views
in his reply. This he is at entire liberty to do.
Just as the National Assembly has full jurisdiction over all
its local Assemblies, the Guardian has full jurisdiction over all
National Assemblies; he is not required to consult them, if he
believes a certain decision is advisable in the interests of the
Cause. He is the judge of the wisdom and advisability of the
decisions made by these bodies, and not they of the wisdom and
advisability of his decisions. A perusal of the Will and Testament
makes this principle quite clear.
He is the Guardian of the Cause in the very fullness of that
term, and the appointed interpreter of its teachings, and is guided
in his decisions to do that which protects it and fosters its growth
and highest interests.
He always has the right to step in and countermand the
decisions of a national assembly; if he did not possess this right
+P56
he would be absolutely impotent to protect the Faith, just as the
N.S.A., if it were divested of the right to countermand the decisions
of a local assembly, would be incapable of watching over
and guiding the national welfare of the &Baha'i Community.
It very seldom happens--but it nevertheless does happen--
that he feels impelled to change a major (as you put it) decision
of an N.S.A.; but he always unhesitatingly does so when necessary,
and the N.S.A. in question should gladly and unhesitatingly
accept this as a measure designed for the good of the
Faith which its elected representatives are so devotedly seeking
to serve.
Regarding the position of Summer Schools in Australia:
much of what you are at present going through has already been
experienced by the American &Baha'i Community, and he sympathises
with your views and problems; however he wishes to state
the following:
Whatever the history of the Yerrinbool School may be, the
fact remains it is now in existence, is owned by believers ready
to have it used as such, and is known as a &Baha'i Summer School
all over the world. The Guardian is not the least concerned with
personalities in this matter, but with principles. He feels at the
present time that one &Baha'i Summer School is enough for the
believers of Australia to maintain. In the future, as assemblies
and groups multiply, the question will naturally have to be reconsidered.
&Baha'i Summer Schools in the United States originated in
the same informal manner as Yerrinbool; they were (and some
still are) the property of individual believers who resided on
them, but they are administered by Committees appointed by the
N.S.A. and which usually include, out of courtesy and consideration,
the owners. The American friends also desired to have
many more Summer Schools, but the Guardian has so far not
permitted them to add to the number, as it dissipates the energy
and funds of the believers and would at present weaken those
already existing.
He feels that the duty of your Assembly is to not give up
Yerrinbool because of any inharmony over it, but to administer
and support it properly and remove the inharmony. You should
appoint a Committee for the School, purchase any extra equipment
needed for the comfort and accommodation of the attendants,
+P57
and he feels sure the Boltons will cooperate with you in
this matter, as they are eager to have the property be used by
the believers.
Generally speaking he does not encourage the erection of
buildings in memory to individual believers at the present time.
But as those at Yerrinbool serve a useful purpose and that the
memory of dear Father Dunn commemorates the life of the man
who brought the Faith to the Continent of Australia, we may
welcome it in the spirit it was given.
As to what uses should be made of the building purchased
by the S.A. of Adelaide, he leaves the decision to your body and
that Assembly. He hopes that at a future date it can be used as
a Summer School.
It is the duty of the N.S.A. to exercise the greatest wisdom,
forbearance and tact in handling the affairs of the Cause. Many
of the differences which arise between the believers are due to
their immaturity, their extreme zeal and sincerity.
He will pray for you all in the Holy Shrines, that the Beloved
may assist and strengthen you in the discharge of your sacred
duties to the Faith and its adherents in Australia and New
Zealand.
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Read and approved,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Aug. 8th, 1945.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
The beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer your
letters dated June 12th, 15th and 25th, and to acknowledge
receipt of the numerous enclosures you forwarded with them.
As he has already expressed to you in his recent messages he
greatly regretted the tone of certain recent communications from
the N.S.A.
He cannot too strongly point out to you all that any condition
of inharmony places in jeopardy the wonderful achievements
recently made in the spread and consolidation of the
Cause in Australia and New Zealand. The beloved Master
+P58
pointed out over and over again that unity and love among the
friends promotes harmony and the rapid spread of the Faith,
and that when these are sacrificed and disputes, anger and violent
criticism take their place, the Cause cannot move forward.
The N.S.A.s the world over, owing to the spiritual immaturity
of the believers, must at the present time exert the greatest
patience in dealing with the friends; otherwise, as seems to be
rapidly becoming the case in Australia, the friends will take sides,
bitterness will increase and what started out as a small thing,
(however unjustified and regrettable a departure from the &Baha'i
spirit) will become a menace to the progress of the Faith and
definitely retard its progress.
He feels that Mrs. ... and Miss ... , both of whom love
their religion and are devoted to its promotion, should be called
upon to forget and forgive the past, and concentrate on serving
the Faith. These are the ways in which the &Baha'is can demonstrate
true spiritual nobility and detachment. In such delicate
and complicated cases, the N.S.A. should appeal to the believers
to put the interests of the Cause first, regardless of any personal
sacrifice of feelings this may require.
He assures you he will pray ardently for the speedy and
satisfactory solution of this entire matter.
With warm &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
It is my fervent hope and prayer that the members of the
&Baha'i communities of Australia and New Zealand, will, now
that the machinery of the Administrative Order of their Faith
has been erected, redouble their efforts to proclaim, with one
voice and in a most effective manner, those vital and healing
principles for which the great mass of their war-weary and much
tested countrymen are hungering. This supreme issue must have
precedence over all other considerations, must be given immediate
and anxious attention, must be faced courageously and
continually, and be regarded by individual believers as well as
their elected representatives as the supreme objective of the
manifold administrative institutions they have reared and are
still labouring to establish. Complete harmony, mutual understanding,
+P59
unity of purpose, coordination of efforts, prayerful consideration
of, and mature deliberation on, all the aspects and
requirements of this great and sacred objective can alone ensure
its triumphant consummation during these years of stress and
peril through which mankind is passing. May the national elected
representatives of both communities set a superb example to their
fellow-workers throughout that far-off continent, and enable
them to win memorable victories in the service of their glorious
Faith and its God-given institutions.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, March 25th, 1946.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letters, written on behalf of the N.S.A. and dated June
15th, and 16th, July 26th and Sep. 15th, 1945, and Jan. 7th,
1946, together with their enclosures, have been received, and the
beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer them on his
behalf.
He is very pleased to see the progress the Cause is making
in Australia and New Zealand and hopes that the N.S.A. will not
only inspire and encourage the believers in their teaching activities,
but will also constantly impress on them the need for the
greatest love and unity to prevail in their midst; the masses will
only really turn to the Faith when they see that in it true religion
is practiced as well as preached!
The recent articles attacking the Cause are a sign that its
influence is sufficiently felt to be feared--a great compliment to
the progress you are making in spreading the message!
Concerning the various points raised in your letters:
He noticed, from your letter of Jan. 7th, that you were
planning to hold the annual Convention in May, and cabled you
that it must be held in the &Ridvan period--as are all the other
National &Baha'i Conventions the world over,--even though some
other date might be more convenient locally.
He feels that the Yerrinbool Summer School should hold
longer sessions; in this respect the friends cannot do better than
to pattern themselves on the American Summer Schools, some of
+P60
which now hold two or three Summer sessions, and even a
"Winter Session". Although such a large number of sessions may
be premature for Australia at present, the goal should be kept in
mind as you seek to expand your school.
There can be no schism in the &Baha'i Faith because the
Guardianship is established on an unassailable foundation, supported
by a signed, sealed document--the Will. Schism can only
flourish where there is ambiguity or no specific proof. The New
History Society is like a branch that has no roots, and will soon
dry up and wither. It has not caused, nor can it cause, a breach
among the believers.
He was very happy to see you are now establishing Regional
Teaching Com.'s, and hopes you will concentrate all your resources,
and the energy of the friends, on establishing new Assemblies
and groups.
He assures you, one and all, that his loving prayers will be
offered for your guidance and for the success of your important
work.
With warm &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. He was very pleased to see the article on the Faith in
"Truth". The Cause is certainly getting very good publicity out
there!
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The activities initiated by the dearly beloved friends in Australia
and New Zealand, and so diligently promoted by them all
are highly meritorious; and will, no doubt, bear abundant fruit
in the days to come. The utmost effort should be exerted by
individuals as well as local assemblies to increase the number of
the active supporters of the Faith and to enable them to disperse
as widely as possible, to multiply the groups that must sooner or
later evolve into assemblies, to achieve greater publicity for the
Faith through the radio and the press, to extend the range of the
activities of the &Baha'i Faith, to foster the institution of the
summer-school, and to consolidate and enlarge the scope of the
&Haziratu'l-Quds. These are the main objectives that demand the
concentrated attention of the Australian and New Zealand believers
during the months that lie immediately ahead. No sacrifice
+P61
is too great to ensure the realisation of these noble aims.
All must arise and unitedly endeavour to carry to a successful
conclusion these vital tasks, with which the immediate destinies
of the Faith are so closely linked. That the Beloved may guide
and sustain you in all your undertakings, that He may crown
your assiduous labours with magnificent success is my dearest
wish and ardent prayer.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, May 25th, 1946.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter dated April 27th has been received and the beloved
Guardian has instructed me to answer it on his behalf. He
also acknowledges receipt of the enclosures forwarded with it.
He trusts that by the time this letter reaches you the complications
which arose at Convention, about the election, will
have been satisfactorily straightened out; as he already cabled
you, this was a question for the out-going N.S.A. to decide.
He feels that the National Spiritual Assembly during the
coming year should focus both its and the believers' attention
on the all-important teaching work, and the necessity of increasing
the number of groups and assemblies throughout Australia
and New Zealand. The friends should be urged and encouraged
to arise both as pioneers and travelling teachers, and they should
receive, in cases where they cannot afford it themselves, financial
aid from the National Fund. Such measures are at the present
time absolutely necessary, as the believers are few, the hour very
pressing, and most of them not sufficiently well-off to do such
work without assistance.
The &Baha'is in the United States have just embarked on
their second Seven Year Plan; India is working hard on a Four
and a half Year Plan; England is straining every nerve to
achieve, during the Six Year Plan the friends have chosen for
themselves, 19 assemblies. It is only right and proper that such
a vast and promising territory as Australia, New Zealand and
Tasmania represent, should likewise win for itself new laurels in
the &Baha'i teaching field during the next few years! He therefore
+P62
suggests you choose, after surveying your own possibilities and
soliciting suggestions from the friends, certain immediate objectives,
and then work unitedly towards achieving them.
He assures you that he will offer special prayers on your
behalf, that the N.S.A. members and the &Baha'is they represent,
may speedily forge ahead, and enter into a new era of development
of the Faith in that distant but promising land.
With warm &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The activities in which you are engaged, are the object of
my fervent and constant prayers. To teach the Faith, to stimulate
the dispersal and settlement of pioneers, to enable the existing
groups to attain assembly status, and to multiply, steadily
and speedily, the number of groups in Australia and New Zealand
are the paramount tasks which demand the constant attention,
the prayerful consideration and the united and vigorous
collaboration of the believers, and particularly of their national
elected representatives. No sacrifice is too great to further these
manifold and noble aims and purposes. Effective measures, unprecedented
in scope, should be carefully and immediately
devised, proclaimed to the believers, and, through sustained and
organised effort, carried into effect. There is no time to lose. The
masses, greatly tried by the calamities of the age, restless, disappointed,
and eager to obtain real and complete relief in their
hour of trial, hunger for the Message of the new Day, and will,
if properly approached and appealed to, embrace the great verities
it enshrines. Firm and unassailable unity among those who
profess to be its bearers, unshakeable fidelity to the principles on
which it is founded, generous and unfailing support of the institutions
designed to propagate it, are the vital prerequisites of
their urgent and sacred task. Every consideration, however profitable
and laudable, must for the present be subordinated to the
vital needs of the strenuous task now confronting the Australian
and New Zealand &Baha'i communities. The administrative
machinery designed to provide the necessary agency for the
diffusion of the Message has been sufficiently consolidated to
enable it to perform the glorious task for which it was originally
+P63
erected. It should be utilised to the fullest possible extent. Its
scope should simultaneously be enlarged to provide a still wider
basis for the future extension of teaching activities. May the
coming year witness a notable advance in the organized activities
of the community for the furtherance of so glorious and meritorious
a purpose.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, July 16th, 1946.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter of June 20th has been received, and our beloved
Guardian has instructed me to answer it on his behalf, also to
acknowledge receipt of its enclosures.
He was very glad to see that amongst the actions taken by
the N.S.A. at its recent meeting was to allot sums to the Regional
Teaching Committees for them to carry on active teaching campaigns
and finance travelling teachers and settlers--if possible.
He considers this all very important, and he urges you to appeal
to the &Baha'is to arise and do pioneer work as their fellow-believers
are doing in England, India, Egypt and America.
He also feels that, if the N.S.A. considers such a course of
action feasible, definite plans should be made for carrying the
Cause to certain goal towns; in other words, a real plan with
fixed objectives and a time limit is now possible for Australia,
and should be speedily set in motion.
Likewise, he feels that the N.S.A. should meet more often,
even if all members cannot always be present. Decisions by correspondence
lack the vitality of those that arise out of active
consultation, and now the Faith is progressing so well there, and
has a sound administrative foundation, more vigorous and systematic
action is required.
You may be sure all the members of the assembly are remembered
in his prayers, and he is supplicating for their guidance
and success in the discharge of their sacred duties.
With loving greetings,
R. Rabbani.
+P64
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The ever-expanding activities of the &Baha'i communities of
Australia and New Zealand, so clearly reflected in the reports and
minutes forwarded recently by your Assembly, demonstrate the
character of the Faith which so powerfully animates you, testify
to the loyalty, the vigour and the devotion with which you conduct
the affairs of a continually growing Faith, proclaim the
soundness of the foundation upon which you are rearing its
institutions, and augur well for their future evolution and
triumph. The attention of the believers throughout all centres in
both communities should now be focussed on the steady multiplication
and consolidation of these institutions which constitute
the bedrock of the Administrative Order of which your Assembly
is the appointed trustee and chief promoter. No sacrifice is
too great for the promotion of such an urgent and vital task. A
supreme effort, on the part of all, young and old alike, individuals,
assemblies and communities, is absolutely essential in
the course of the present year, and as a prelude to the initiation
of future plans aiming at a still greater development and further
enrichment of the life of both communities. All secondary matters
should be subordinated to the primary requirements of the
present day. The futherance of this noble objective should be
made the object of the anxious and sustained deliberations of
your Assembly. The resources of both communities should be
devoted to such a purpose. Nothing should be allowed to deflect
them from this course. If they persevere the blessings of the
Almighty will enable them to achieve exploits far exceeding their
fondest expectations. That they may be graciously aided, in their
labours, by &Baha'u'llah is my fervent hope and prayer. I feel
confident that they will respond to my plea, and arise unitedly
to achieve their immediate goal.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, July 31st, 1946
Dear &Baha'i Brother:
Your letter--with check enclosed--dated 15th of July was received
and our beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer it
on his behalf.
+P65
He is very sorry that from here he is unable owing to existing
regulations, to forward this loving contribution made by
both the believers and the N.S.A. to Persia for the Relief Fund.
He suggests you try to send it direct to Tehran to the treasurer
of this Fund, Mr. Varga. If you are able to do so, and will
arrange to send the money to Mr. Daoud Toeq, he will see it
reaches Mr. Varga in Tehran.
Please assure the members of the N.S.A., and all the friends,
of his deep appreciation of this gift to their sorely tried brethren
in other lands.
You may be sure he often prays for the success of your work
and that of all the N.S.A. members.
With loving greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Assuring you of my loving prayers for the success of your efforts
in the service of our beloved Faith and of its divinely appointed
insitutions,
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
March 14th, 1947.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Our beloved Guardian has instructed me to answer your
letters dated Sep. 2nd and 16th, and Oct. 22nd and 25th, 1946,
and to acknowledge receipt of enclosures sent in some of them,
and also material forwarded under separate cover. He regrets
very much the delay in replying to these N.S.A. communications,
but he has been very preoccupied with various pressing matters
the last few months, and his mail has consequently had to wait.
In regard to the various points you raised in your letters:
There is no objection to individual &Baha'is sending &Naw-Ruz
cards if they want to; also the N.S.A. can send them out
occassionally, but it should not become a fixed custom.
He has already cabled you that he approves of increasing the
delegates to the Annual Convention to 19.
He feels that Committees should be left free to elect their
own officers.
+P66
Prayers translated by other people may be used and memorized
by the friends; they need not be confined to his translations.
He considers that the N.S.A. has every right to examine the
ballots if there is some doubt as to the election having been
properly conducted. By "preservation" of the ballots is meant
that they are preserved in the National files.
A Convention delegate should certainly be given an opportunity
to report to the community his or her experiences at
Convention and impressions.
As to the whole matter of the incorporation of assemblies:
he cannot go into the details of such things, as this is the work
of the N.S.A. What he wants is that the spiritual assemblies in
New Zealand and Australia should be legally empowered to hold
property in their own names; how this can be done, the best way
of doing it, are matters for your Assembly and its legal advisers
to decide.
He feels very strongly that the main thing for your Assembly
and all the believers of both Australia and New Zealand to
concentrate on are teaching plans. The United States, India,
Persia and England are all embarked on ambitious and bold
teaching campaigns, and it is a great pity that Australasia, where
the Cause is now firmly established and boasts an active National
Assembly, should not have a definite plan, with fixed goals, of
its own.
When the believers are embarked on a definite teaching
schedule there will be less time for them to constantly occupy
themselves with purely secondary administrative points of procedure.
Teaching is their need, and the solution to any problems
they may feel they have.
He was delighted over the report of the work in Brisbane;
this is a step in the right direction, and should be followed
through vigorously. Please convey to those who have devotedly
served there and brought this group into being his warm thanks
and his admiration for their services.
You may be sure he deeply values the loyal and persevering
efforts of your Assembly to promote the Faith in all its aspects in
Australia and New Zealand. His loving prayers are offered on
your behalf and for the success of your labours.
With &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
+P67
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
I wish to appeal, through you, to the members of the entire
community in both Australia and New Zealand, to arise, in these
opening years of the Second &Baha'i century, and lend, through
their concerted, their sustained, and determined efforts, an unprecedented
impetus to the growth of the Faith, the multiplication
of its administrative centers, and the consolidation of its
nascent institutions. The initiation of a Plan, carefully devised,
universally supported, and designed to promote effectively the
vital interests of the Faith, and attain a definite objective within
a specified number of years, would seem, at the present hour,
highly desirable and opportune, and will, as a magnet, attract, to
an unprecedented degree, the blessings of &Baha'u'llah on the
members of both communities, both individually and collectively.
Now that the structural basis of the &Baha'i Administrative
Order has been firmly and definitely laid in those far-away lands,
and the National Headquarters of that Order established, a
systematic effort must be exerted to widen the basis of that
Order, by multiplying the Administrative institutions and forming
the necessary nucleii, which, as they develop and are consolidated,
will have to be utilized as the divinely ordained and
most effectual instruments for the proclamation of the Faith to
the masses.
I fully realize how small are your numbers, how circumscribed
are your means, how vast the distances that separate the
centres already established. But I firmly believe that the initiation
of a Plan to remedy the very deficiencies from which the
infant Administrative Order is now suffering, and a firm resolve
to carry out its provisions, as well as a sustained effort to make
the necessary sacrifices for its consummation, will set in motion
forces of such magnitude, and draw upon both communities
blessings of such potency, as shall excite the wonder of the believers
themselves, and cause their Faith to enter an era of unprecedented
expansion and marvellous and fruitful development.
The concluding years of the first &Baha'i century have witnessed
a notable progress in the development and consolidation
of both communities. The first decade of the succeeding century
must synchronize with a no less remarkable extension of that
essential administrative foundation on which the future institutions
+P68
of a flourishing Faith must repose, and on which its
destinies and security must ultimately depend.
May the Spirit of &Baha'u'llah guide, sustain and inspire you
in the discharge of the noble and formidable tasks which will
face you in the years to come.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, April 7th, 1947.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Our beloved Guardian has instructed me to write and ask
you to please forward to him copies of the letters of acknowledgement
written by the Bishops who received copies of "God Passes
By".
He read in the British News Letter that such letters had
been received by your Assembly, and he feels that such material
should always be forwarded (in copy) to Haifa, as it is of more
than mere local importance.
He hopes the N.S.A. is progressing with its teaching plans,
and assures you all of his loving prayers.
With &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
--------------
Haifa, July 22nd, 1947.
Dear &Baha'i Brother:
The letters from the N.S.A. (some written by the former
Secretary) dated Sep. 2nd, 1946, Feb. 10th, March 9th, April 27th
(two of this date), June 13th and July 10th have been received,
as well as their enclosures, and the beloved Guardian has instructed
me to answer them on his behalf.
He is very anxious that your Assembly should devote its
energies and resources to prosecuting the teaching work and
stimulating and encouraging the believers to devote their
thoughts and time to it. This is really the solution to all the
small problems and differences of opinion that arise in Australia.
It is the sacred duty of the believers to teach, and one of the
+P69
reasons for so painstakingly building up Assemblies is for them
to promulgate the Cause of God, and not to lose their time in
discussing details, settling disputes which should not have arisen
between &Baha'is, and generally losing themselves in personalities.
He urges your Assembly to try and create as many local assemblies
as possible; large suburbs, if outside the city limits and
possessing their own administration should--if 9 &Baha'is reside
in them, form separate assemblies. This may at first seem to
weaken the larger communities; but it will also challenge all
concerned to renew their labours to expand the local communities
and increase their numbers.
Enclosed is a letter to Mr. Featherstone in connection with
his letter sent to the Guardian by your Assembly.
Regarding Mr. ...'s appeal: the Guardian feels the best
course of action in this matter is to ask both of the believers
concerned to forgive and forget the entire matter.
He does not want the friends to form the habit of taking up
a kind of &Baha'i litigation against each other. Their duties to
humanity are too sacred and urgent in these days, when the
Cause is struggling to spread and assert its independence, for
them to spend their precious time, and his precious time, in this
way. Ask them, therefore, to unite, forget the past, and serve as
never before.
His loving prayers are offered for you and the other members
of the Assembly, for your guidance and success.
With warm greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The Plan, on which the National elected representatives of
the &Baha'i communities of Australia and New Zealand have
spontaneously embarked marks a turning-point, of great spiritual
significance, in the evolution of the Faith in those far-off lands,
and is an evidence of the truly remarkable spirit that animates
them as well as the communities they represent. I welcome this
mighty step they have taken with joy, pride and gratitude, and
have hastened to transmit to them my contribution as a token of
my keen appreciation of their high endeavours, of my confidence
in their ability, and of my admiration for their zeal and noble
+P70
determination in the service of the Faith. The attention of the
members of both communities must henceforth be focused on
the Plan, its progress, its requirements, its significance and immediate
objectives. All must participate without exception without
reserve, without delay. The Administrative Order which they
have laboured to establish must henceforth, through its organs
and agencies be utilized for the promotion of this vital purpose,
this supreme end. For no other purpose was it created. That it
may serve this end, that the Plan may speedily develop and yield
its destined fruit and demonstrate through its consummation the
worthiness, the capacity and high-mindedness of the organized
body of the followers of &Baha'u'llah in those distant lands are
the objects of my fervent and constant prayers at the Holy
Shrines.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
The National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand,
Mr. James Heggie, sec.
Haifa, May 11th, 1948.
Dear &Baha'i Brother:
Your letter to our beloved Guardian, dated Dec. 11th, 1947,
has been received, and he has instructed me to answer you on his
behalf.
The devotion and perseverance of the believers in seeking to
meet the requirements of their Plan pleases and touches him immensely,
and although he fully realizes that the fewness of their
numbers and the great distances involved in such a vast country
as Australia, form serious handicaps in the progress of their
teaching work, he, nevertheless, feels confidant that they can
achieve their goals in time, and raise their heads proudly in the
galaxy of their fellow-pioneers the world over.
We can truly say that this Cause is a cause that enables
people to achieve the impossible! For the &Baha'is, everywhere,
for the most part, are people with no great distinguishments of
either wealth or fame, and yet once they make the effort and go
forth in the name of &Baha'u'llah to spread His Faith, they become,
+P71
each one, as efficacious as a host! Witness what Mustafa
Raumie accomplished in Burma, and a handful of pioneers
achieved, in a decade, in Latin America! It is the quality of
devotion and self-sacrifice that brings rewards in the service of
this Faith rather than means, ability or financial backing.
This has again, during the last few years, been demonstrated
even more remarkably by the British &Baha'is, who have not only
had to contend with very limited means and a small community
to draw from, but have also had infinite restrictions and privations
to put up with--and, in spite of this, they are steadily gaining
on the requirements of the Plan they have set for themselves,
and, indeed, are startling and inspiring their &fellow-Baha'is everywhere
by their spirit and achievements!
He hopes that now, from "down under", news will begin to
flow out to the &Baha'i World of the remarkable accomplishments
of the Australians and New Zealanders!
Regarding the question you asked him about the &Baha'i
sacred writings: these should be regarded as the writings of the
&Bab, &Baha'u'llah and &Abdu'l-Baha and only these should be
read during the purely devotional part of the Feast.
He wishes to assure you, and all the other members of the
N.S.A., of his most loving and ardent prayers for the success of
your various undertakings and above all, for the success of your
teaching Plan.
With warmest greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The Plan launched by the small yet highly promising community
of devoted believers in Australia and New Zealand constitutes
a landmark of unusual significance in the history of the
evolution of the Faith in that far-off continent. It opens a new
chapter, rich in promise, momentous in the events which it must
record, and destined to be regarded as a prelude to still more
glorious chapters in the annals of the Faith in the Antipodes.
The limited resources at the disposal of the prosecutors of
the Plan, the vastness of the territory in which it must operate,
the fewness of the numbers of those participating in its execution,
offer a mighty challenge which no loyal follower of the
+P72
Faith of &Baha'u'llah can either ignore or minimize. Indeed the
greater the challenge, the more bountiful the blessings which
will be vouchsafed from on high, and the richer the reward to
be won by its triumphant executors.
The successful termination of this Plan, the first fruit of the
newly established and properly functioning Administrative Order
in those distant lands, will pave the way for the launching
of still greater enterprises, destined to carry the message of
&Baha'u'llah to the Islands of the Pacific in the vicinity of that
continent. For the mission entrusted to the care of the adherents
of the Faith in Australia and New Zealand is by no means confined
to the mainland of Australia and the islands of New Zealand,
but should embrace, as it unfolds, in the years to come, the
islands of the Antipodes, where the banner of the Faith still remains
to be unfurled and its Message is as yet undelivered.
It is not for them, however, at the present stage of their
evolution, to probe into the future, and seek to evaluate the
range of their future achievements. They must concentrate every
ounce of their energy, and focus their entire attention, on the
tasks immediately ahead, resolved to work unremittingly and unflinchingly
until the goals of the present Plan are achieved.
Whatever the situation that may develop in the years to
come, however great the obstacles by which a nascent community
may yet be faced, no matter how arduous the task now confronting
its members, it must persevere until the historic work is
accomplished.
I will, from the depths of my heart, supplicate the Beloved
to reinforce the noble exertions of this community, guide its
steps, clarify its vision, deepen its understanding of the requirements
of the present hour, and aid it to extend continually the
scope of its meritorious achievements.
My heart longs to receive the news of the progress of this first
collective enterprise on which the community has embarked, and
I feel confident that its stalwart members will not allow the hopes
that animate me to be frustrated.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
+P73
N.S.A. of Australia and New Zealand,
Secretary, Mrs. Mariette G. Bolton.
Haifa, Dec. 30th, 1948.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
The letter written by our dear &Baha'i brother, Mr. Jim
Heggie, as secretary at that time, and dated May 5th, as well as
those written by you, and dated July 17th, Dec. 4th, 6th (two of
this date), and 9th, together with their various enclosures, have
been received, and our beloved Guardian has instructed me to
answer your assembly on his behalf.
He was very happy to hear of your meeting held in Melbourne,
as he feels sure this was a great stimulus to the local
community, and he hopes that circumstances will permit the
N.S.A. to meet in other communities and inspire and encourage
the friends in different parts of the country by this personal contact
with them and their work.
In regard to the various matters raised in your letters:
He would be pleased to receive reports of the Teaching
Work, the Annual Convention and Annual Reports, and, of
course, the minutes of your N.S.A. meetings.
He does not feel it advisable to combine more than one
town area in an Assembly, as you have suggested might be done.
It is better for the friends to move, if possible, into one town's
limits, and form their Assembly that way, or concentrate on their
teaching work and wait until they have the requisite 9 members.
Unfortunately it is not feasible for the believers to elect or
constitute an Assembly and also elect and send delegates to the
Annual Convention of the same year, as both events take place
in the &Ridvan period.
The Guardian is striving to build up uniformity in essentials
all over the &Baha'i World, and this frequently involves a small
measure of delay in achieving our various goals set locally. But
he considers it sufficiently important to warrant the sacrifices it
sometimes involves:
In this connection he would like to mention your Local By-Laws:
He feels that they should conform much more closely to
the original one of the New York Assembly. What is absolutely
essential was incorporated in those, and all other local assemblies
being incorporated should follow this pattern as closely as
local legal technicalities permit. This again is in order to maintain
+P74
international uniformity in essentials. It is not a question
here of whether the By-Laws drawn up by your Legal Committee
are not more up to date and do not represent the last word, undoubtedly
they are and do, but if every country, when drawing up
its Local By-Laws, continue this process of elaboration, in the
end uniformity will be lost. The Eastern Assemblies have adhered
to the original By-Laws so carefully that they have practically
translated them word for word and adopted them. He feels sure
Mr. Dive will understand this, and he would like you to please
express to him his deep appreciation of the excellent work he has
done in this connection, truly a labour of love to the Faith.
There is also another, perhaps even more pertinent reason,
why he does not want anything more added to these New York
By-Laws, and that is that he is everywhere urging the believers--
the Americans included--to not add procedures and rulings to
the Cause. He considers that what he has laid down in &Baha'i
Administration is essential, but that practically everything else is
secondary and he wishes the Assemblies, your own included, to
deal with things with elasticity, as they come up, case by case, and
not by continually passing new rulings to cover all similar cases.
The efforts being made by your Assembly to carry out the
Teaching Plan for Australia and New Zealand, and the ever-increasing
response of the believers in both places to this all-important
work, greatly encourage and cheer him. He feels sure
a very great future lies in store for our beloved Faith in those
distant regions, but much more still remains to be done by the
friends in order to complete this first, historic and vital, organized
Plan of theirs. He feels sure they will see it through to victory;
just as their brothers and sisters in other lands, working also
on Plans of their own, are determined to achieve all their goals
at the appointed time, so must they persevere and ensure a resounding
victory for the Faith there in the Antipodes.
His loving prayers are offered in the Holy Shrines very often
for the success of your work, and that God may bless you and all
the members of the National Assembly in the discharge of your
important duties.
With &Baha'i love,
Yours in His Service,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. I wish to also acknowledge receipt of the letter of your
+P75
Assembly's Treasurer, dated Dec. 23rd, and to thank you, on
behalf of the Guardian, for your loving contribution to the International
Fund here in Haifa. He regrets the delay in getting this
off to you, but has been too busy to attend to it owing to work
in connection with the Shrine here. Kindly give the enclosed
receipt to Mr. Tunks.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
Recent communications and reports from your Assembly
have revealed, in a very striking manner, the magnificent progress
achieved by the alert, the faithful, and truly distinguished
communities of the followers of the Faith of &Baha'u'llah in Australia,
New Zealand and Tasmania. The range of their labours,
the rapid consolidation of their swiftly multiplying institutions,
the soundness and solidity of the foundations, on which they are
erecting these institutions, the exemplary loyalty they demonstrate,
the solidarity and self-sacrifice, the courage and confidence
they display in their incessant and manifold activities, prove,
beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Faith they love and serve
so nobly and efficiently has at last been firmly and unassailably
established in the Antipodes, and that its upholders and defenders
in those far-away yet highly promising islands are contributing
a notable and never-to-be-forgotten share to the onward
march and unfoldment of its world Administrative Order.
I desire to offer the members of this high-minded, this resolute
and dearly-beloved community, and particularly its elected
representatives, my heartfelt congratulations on their splendid
achievements which posterity will recognize as deeds that have
truly enriched and adorned the annals of the Faith in the opening
years of the second &Baha'i century.
As the processes impelling a rapidly evolving Order on the
highroad of its destiny multiply and gather momentum, attention
should be increasingly directed to the vital need of ensuring,
by every means possible, the deepening of the Faith, the
understanding and the spiritual life of the individuals who, as
the privileged members of this community, are called upon to
participate in this glorious unfoldment, and are lending their
assistance to this historic evolution. A profound study of the
Faith which they have espoused, its history, its spiritual as well
+P76
as administrative principles; a thorough understanding of the
Covenant of &Baha'u'llah and of the Will of &Abdu'l-Baha, a
deeper realization of the implications of the claims advanced by
the Founders of the Faith; strict adherence to the laws and principles
which they have established; a greater dedication to the
fundamentals and verities enshrined in their teachings--these
constitute, I feel convinced, the urgent need of the members of
this rapidly expanding community. For upon this spiritual foundation
must depend the solidity of the institutions which they
are now so painstakingly erecting. Every outward thrust into
new fields, every multiplication of &Baha'i institutions, must be
paralleled by a deeper thrust of the roots which sustain the
spiritual life of the community and ensure its sound development.
From this vital, this ever-present need, attention must at
no time be diverted; nor must it be, under any circumstances,
neglected, or subordinated to the no less vital and urgent task
of ensuring the outer expansion of &Baha'i administrative institutions.
That this community, so alive, so devoted, so strikingly
and rapidly developing, may maintain a proper balance between
these two essential aspects of its development, and march forward
with rapid strides and along sound lines toward the goal of the
Plan it has adopted, is the ardent hope of my heart and my constant
prayer.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
The National Spiritual Assembly of the &Baha'is
of Australia and New Zealand.
August 22, 1949
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
Your letters dated February 23; March 14, 16; April 4, 5, 11;
May 2, 13, 27; June 1, 7, 21 (3 of this date), 24; have all been
received, as well as their enclosures, and the material sent under
separate cover, and our beloved Guardian has instructed me to
answer you on his behalf.
He has gone over the copy of the By-Laws of a local assembly
which you sent him, and he approves of the slight changes you
have made in the wording, as well as the additions at the very
+P77
beginning, providing you consider the addition essential in order
to secure the government recognition you are going to seek in
the future. However, he feels that Article VI is not correct in
the form you have given it, because you state "all persons resident
... who have attained the age of 15 years". The original
New York By-Laws are more correct, because they differentiate
clearly between all members of the Community and voting members
who are 21 years of age or more. In other words children
under 15 are &Baha'is according to the New York version, which
is correct, but according to your version only people over 15
years are &Baha'is which is not correct. He thinks you should go
back to the New York version. The declaration of faith by children
when they reach the age of 15 in the United States is in
order to enable the American Youth to apply for exemption,
under the American laws, from active military service. It has no
other purpose, but in that country is expedient. It is not necessary
to add such a clause to your By-Laws.
Other points which he feels are not necessary and should be
deleted are those heavily underlined portions in Section 5 of
Article XII and Article XIII. In both these cases the New York
By-Laws should be followed and not added to. Likewise he feels
that in Article XIV, under the heading "These By-Laws (on page
11) B and C should be deleted as they are not in the New York
original and not necessary. Naturally, all Assemblies are under
N.S.A. jurisdiction, but this need not be included.
He wishes the essentials to be maintained as per the New
York By-Laws, but not amplified and added to, as this will gradually
lead, all over the &Baha'i world, to a steady addition of unessential
rules and restrict the freedom and plasticity of the
Cause. As he has repeatedly told the American and other
National assemblies, it is much better to deal with situations and
new requirements as they arise, and not to have it all down in
black and white and rigid before hand.
He is very happy to see you are steadily working towards
the goal of having local assemblies empowered to hold property
legally and to perform &Baha'i marriages. No doubt the act of the
Canadian Parliament recently passed, and giving the Canadian
N.S.A. legal status will act as an important precedent when the
time is ripe for you to present your own petitions to your
Government.
+P78
The news that there is now a spiritual assembly in every
capital city of the various states in Australia pleased him immensely.
This is an historic land-mark in your progress out there,
and must act as a keen incentive to further exploits on the part
of the Australian &Baha'is.
He was also delighted to see that certain of the &Baha'is have
received official permission not to work on &Baha'i Holy Days. He
admires the initiative these believers have shown, and hopes
many others will follow their example.
Likewise, he was very pleased to see you are holding your
N.S.A. meetings in various centers, as this will greatly stimulate
the local work, draw the friends closer to your body, and promote
unity and enthusiasm amongst them.
The Act of your Assembly in depriving Mr. ... of his
voting rights was wise and correct. Unless he demonstrates an
entire change of character he certainly cannot claim to be a
member of any &Baha'i Community.
He appreciated the Secretary's forwarding to him copies of
the Bishop's letters acknowledging receipt of "God Passes By"--
though their answers in no way imply any spiritual wakefulness
on their parts, alas!
He was very happy to see that New Zealand friends were
present at the Convention. In general the work in New Zealand
is certainly progressing, and beginning to show really promising
signs for the immediate future.
The generous donation of land to Yerrinbool School by Mr.
Styles will certainly re-inforce that valuable &Baha'i property,
and the Guardian very much appreciated this act of his.
His confidence in, and admiration for, the &Baha'is of Australia
and New Zealand is steadily increasing, as he witnesses the
enthusiasm and self-confidence of the believers out there, and
the increased capacity of their National Body to handle wisely
and capably the affairs of the Cause.
He assures you all, and through you the believers, of his
loving prayers for your success and the attainment of all the goals
of your historic Plan.
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
+P79
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The notable progress achieved in recent months, in so many
fields and in spite of adverse circumstances, demonstrates afresh
the vitality of the faith and the soundness of the outlook, of the
members of the fast-advancing and steadily consolidating community
of the followers of the Cause of &Baha'u'llah in Australia,
New Zealand and Tasmania. This remarkable process of expansion
and consolidation augurs well for the ultimate success of the
Plan to which the combined resources of this community are
committed. The various reports, both local and national which
I have perused with sustained interest and quickened admiration,
attest the rapid and sound development, of the institutions of a
Faith that is so rich in promise, and whose interests are being
promoted with such devotion, energy, loyalty and consecration
by the members of this community.
What has been achieved, in both the teaching field and in
the administrative sphere of &Baha'i service, however is but a
stepping stone to the still greater victories which the gradual
unfoldment of the Plan must inevitably produce. The multiplication
of the groups and assemblies that constitute the bedrock
of the Faith, must accompany the consolidating process
which must bring in its wake, on the one hand, the incorporation
of these assemblies and their recognition by the civil authorities,
and the establishment, on the other, of &Baha'i local endowments
and the right of these assemblies to execute, officially, the
fundamental laws of the Most Holy Book regarding both marriage
and divorce that constitute the distinguishing feature of
this most holy and august Dispensation.
The task undertaken is immense, fraught with momentous
possibilities, highly delicate in nature, and bound to have far-reaching
repercussions, not only in the West, and particularly in
the continent of Europe, where the institutions of &Baha'u'llah's
Administrative Order are emerging with such rapidity and showing
such promise, but on the continent of Asia, where the overwhelming
majority of the followers of the Most Great Name,
have endured such grievous afflictions, and are faced with grave
peril, and are battling so heroically against the forces of darkness
with which they are encompassed.
The nature of the work in which this wide-awake, untrammelled
unprejudiced, freedom-loving community, is so energetically
+P80
engaged, cannot, therefore, be regarded as a purely local
and isolated enterprise, but is vitally linked with the fortunes of
a world-encircling Order, functioning mysteriously in both the
Eastern and Western Hemispheres, highly organized in its administrative
machinery, sensitive in its mechanism, far-flung in its
ramifications, challenging in its features, revolutionizing in its
implications, and destined to seek increasingly, as it expands and
develops, the good-will and assistance of the civil authorities in
every continent of the globe.
The number of pioneers, both from among the veterans of
the Faith who have participated in the early establishment of
this infant Order in the Antipodes, and the new believers who
have embraced its Cause, must, if this task is to be successfully
carried out, be substantially increased. The flow of funds to both
the local and national treasuries must correspondingly be augmented
and systematically sustained. The heroism and self-sacrifice
of those who prosecute the Plan, both as administrators
and pioneers, must attain greater heights and engender still more
powerful forces in the spiritual life of this community.
The relationship binding it to the civil authorities of the
Australian Commonwealth, the Dominion of New Zealand and
the Island of Tasmania, must be assiduously fostered. The ties
linking it with the members of the world-wide community of
the adherents of the Faith of &Baha'u'llah, must be rapidly
strengthened and multiplied. The unity and solidarity of its constituent
members must be simultaneously reinforced, its roots
permanently planted in the soil of the Covenants of both
&Baha'u'llah and &Abdu'l-Baha, its branches spread out irresistibly
to the furthest ends of that far-off continent, its vision clarified,
its determination reaffirmed and its consecration deepened.
Obstacles, varied and numerous, will no doubt arise to impede
the onward march of this community. Reverses may temporarily
dim the radiance of its mission. The forces of religious
orthodoxy may well, at a future date, be leagued against it. The
exponents of theories and doctrines fundamentally opposed to
its religious tenets and social principles may challenge its infant
strength with persistence and severity. The Administrative Order
--the Ark destined to preserve its integrity and carry it to safety
--must without delay, without exception, claim the attention of
the members of this community, its ideals must be continually
+P81
cherished in their hearts, its purposes studied and kept constantly
before their eyes, its requirements wholeheartedly met, its laws
scrupulously upheld, its institutions unstintingly supported, its
glorious mission noised abroad, and its spirit made the sole
motivating purpose of their lives.
Then and only then, will this community, so young, so
vibrant with life, so rich in promise, so dedicated to its task, be
in a position to discharge adequately its weighty responsibilities,
to reap the full harvest it has sown, acquire still greater potentialities
for the conduct of subsequent stages in the crusade on
which it has embarked, and contribute, to a degree unsuspected
as yet by its members, its full share to the World-wide establishment
of the Faith of &Baha'u'llah, the emancipation of its Oriental
followers, the recognition of its independence, the birth of
its World Order and the emergence of that world civilization
which that Order is destined to create.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
N.S.A. of Australia and New Zealand,
Mrs. Mariette Bolton, Secretary.
4 September, 1949.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
This is just a little note to ask you, on behalf of our beloved
Guardian, to please make the following corrections in a quotation
of his words, published in the August number of your &Baha'i
News Bulletin, on page 5: "As the processes impelling" (not "in
filling"); in the sentence lower down, reading: "the deepening
of the faith, understanding and spiritual life..." both "faith"
and "spiritual" should not be capitalized, but be printed as I
have written them above; after the words "this historic evolution"
there should be a period, as it is the end of the sentence.
Hoping you received the long letter recently mailed you,
and with loving &Baha'i greetings,
Yours,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. He wishes to thank you and dear Mr. Bolton for the loving
gift of Bolton Place to the &Baha'i Community of Australia. This
+P82
is an excellent example, and befitting gesture, for it has many
associations with the spread and development of the Faith in
Australia, and has further enriched the record of your historic
services to the Faith.
--------------
The National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.
June 28, 1950.
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
Your letters of August 9, 19; September 14, 22; November 7,
10, 21; of 1949; January 19; February 28; March 8, 31; April 11;
May 2 (two), 1950, have been received by our beloved Guardian
and he has instructed me to answer them on his behalf. The
many enclosures and material forwarded have, likewise, been
safely received.
It has been impossible for our Guardian to keep abreast of
his correspondence and other work this Winter and Spring. It is
only during the last week that he has been able to turn to the
mountain of mail, representing the correspondence of the various
National Assemblies, and commence replying. The reason
for this regrettable delay is that in order to get the arcade of
the Shrine of the &Bab finished in time for the centenary of His
Martyrdom he had to undertake extensive excavations into the
solid rock of the mountain behind the Shrine--the new edifice
being much larger than the precious original building it is
designed to enshrine and protect. This work he personally supervised
in order to ensure the Shrine was in no way damaged, and
to see the cost was kept within bounds. You can imagine this was
a very exacting and tiring ordeal for him.
Then, just as he had hoped to take up his overburdening
correspondence, Mr. Maxwell, the architect of the Shrine, at the
beginning of April became desperately ill, and for ten weeks
absorbed the anxious care and attention of us all, as his condition
was seemingly hopeless. Thanks to the Mercy of &Baha'u'llah
and the determination of the Guardian, he is recovering, and our
lives are getting back to normal routine.
The Guardian regrets very much the conduct of Mr. ...;
it seems now fairly clear that he is a former &Baha'i from India
who misconducted himself there over a period of years and then
+P83
showed up, under a different name, in Australia. No one who
conducts himself as he has can remain a voting member of the
&Baha'i Community for--in spite of his wide knowledge of the
Faith and his belief in it--his acts are contrary to its teachings
and bring not only confusion into the Community and create
inharmony, but disgrace the Cause in the eyes of &non-Baha'is.
The Guardian fully realizes that the process of splitting up
large communities into smaller ones, each existing within its own
civil units, has been difficult for the Australian friends. What
they do not seem to fully appreciate is that this has been done
in Canada and the United States as well, and is only in order to
organize the assemblies on a logical basis, and one with a firmer
legal foundation. The fact that this may create more assemblies
in the end, and that it sometimes breaks up existing ones, is
only incidental; the important point is to consolidate the communities
on a sound basis, i.e. every assembly within the limits
of the Municipality its members reside in.
As Mrs Axford requested Mrs Thomas to write about her
&Baha'i life there is every reason to respect her wishes. This in no
way precludes the New Zealand Community from writing about
her services and life and keeping this record in the National
archives. The Guardian feels the Auckland Assembly should be
consulted, as her, (Mrs Axford's), home community, by Mrs
Thomas. He hopes this In Memoriam article, about so dear and
tireless a servant of the Faith, will produce a spirit of love and
co-operation amongst all concerned.
The gift by Miss Perks of an additional piece of land to the
Yerrinbool School is deeply appreciated. It enriches the endowments
already held by your Assembly. Please thank Miss Perks,
on behalf of the Guardian, for this generous contribution, to
the institutions of the Faith in Australia, and tell her he does
not feel any name should be given the property other that of
Yerrinbool School, of which it will form a part, and that she will
always be remembered as the donor of it.
The acquisition of the site for the New Zealand Summer
School was a great step forward in the progress of the Faith there,
and he was very pleased about it. He was also delighted to hear
of the formation of the Devonport Assembly, and he hopes next
year there will be still more.
I would also like to answer here a question raised in Mrs
+P84
Bolton's letter of March 8: the Guardian feels that no annual
fixed pilgrimage should be made to the grave of Father Dunn.
The friends will naturally always want to go there, when and
how they like, but it must not become a ceremony, otherwise it
will contitute a precedent for similar things in the future.
It is premature, and will weaken the national and local
work, for delegates to be elected by State elections rather than
by assemblies. There is no question involved about believers
losing their voting rights: all the time believers are gaining and
losing their voting rights by becoming members of communities
with assemblies or moving out into places where they are isolated
believers. The friends should not dwell on these minor details,
but concentrate on teaching the Cause and exemplifying the
&Baha'i life. Voting is a purely administrative detail, but teaching
and serving are vital spiritual obligations. Regarding the change
of the By-Laws: the Guardian considers the letter he wrote you
about this subject is final. He is considerably surprised by the
fact that of all the National Bodies in the &Baha'i World, operating
under these By-Laws, it is only the Assembly of Australia
and New Zealand, evidently acting under pressure from their
legal committee, that constantly raises the question of changing
them. This he considers is going too far, and is not necessary.
He holds very bright hopes for the future of your work, and
urges you, and through you all the believers, to concentrate on
your glorious teaching tasks and forge ahead to win new victories
for the beloved Faith.
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. Your letter of June 9 has been received, and the Guardian
deeply appreciates the contribution you sent. Please find receipt
enclosed. The map you forwarded will be published in the next
volume of "&Baha'i World" as the progress it shows will be of
great interest to all readers.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The remarkable progress achieved by the &Baha'i communities
in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania in promoting the
Plan, designed to further the interests of the Faith in the Antipodes,
is most encouraging, and will, when consummated, mark
+P85
the opening of a new and glorious chapter in the history of the
Faith in that continent. The varied and welcome evidences of
the steady extension in the range of the manifold activities of
these communities, the multiplication of &Baha'i institutions and
their rapid consolidation, are particularly gratifying and merit
the highest praise.
The territories in which these communities conduct their
meritorious, strenuous and highly promising activities with such
diligence, resolution, fidelity and devotion, are admittedly vast
and constitute a direct challenge to those who are called upon to
diffuse the light of the Faith, and lay an unassailable foundation
for its rising administrative Order, throughout the length and
breadth of these territories.
The Plan, now operating with increasing momentum in that
far-off continent, is designed to enable its prosecutors to lay the
first foundations of the structure which the members of these
communities must rear in the years to come. As these primary
pillars of a divinely ordained steadily evolving, spiritually propelled
order are successively erected and sufficiently consolidated,
and the agencies designed for the launching of a systematic
campaign aiming at the future proclamation of the Faith to the
masses inhabiting these far-flung territories multiply, a simultaneous
effort should be exerted, and measures should be carefully
devised, by the national elected representatives of these
same communities, for the launching of the initial enterprises
destined to carry the Message of the Faith, beyond the confines
of these territories, to the Islands of the Pacific, lying in their
immediate neighbourhood.
For whatever may be the nature of the future successive
crusades which the American and Canadian &Baha'i communities,
may, under the Divine Plan of &Abdu'l-Baha, launch in the
course of the opening decades of the second &Baha'i century, and
however extensive the range of their operations, and no matter
how far-reaching the future campaigns which the &Baha'i community,
centered in the heart of the British Isles, may undertake
throughout the widely-scattered dependencies of the British
Crown, the responsibility devolving upon the National elected
representatives of the &Baha'is of the Australasian continent for
the introduction of the Faith and its initial establishment in the
Islands of the Pacific, linking them, on the one hand, with their
+P86
sister communities in the American continents and on the other
hand, with the communities in South-Eastern Asia, remains clear
and inescapable.
As the various &Baha'i national communities, labouring directly
as well as indirectly, under the impulse of a Divine Plan,
broaden and consolidate the base of their operations in their
respective homelands, and acquire the potentialities that will
empower them to lend, in an ever-increasing measure, their share,
and participate in the world-wide propagation of the Faith, the
Australian and New Zealand believers must, for their part, contribute
worthily to the overseas teaching activities and accomplishments
of these communities. Already the &Baha'i community
in the Great Republic of the West, the vanguard of the irresistibly
marching army of &Baha'u'llah, has launched its twin
crusades in Latin America and the continent of Europe. Its collaborator
in the execution of &Abdu'l-Baha's Divine Plan, the
Canadian &Baha'i community is busily engaged in establishing the
Faith beyond the Canadian mainland and further north in the
vast territory of Greenland. The Persian and Iraqi &Baha'i communities
are, moreover, assiduously labouring in the adjacent
territories of the Arabian Peninsula and the Kingdom of Afghanistan,
while their sister-communities in the sub-continent of India
are pushing the frontiers of the Faith as far as Ceylon in the
South and Siam and Indonesia to the North and Southeast of
that subcontinent. More recently the members of the British
&Baha'i community, having brought to a successful conclusion
their first historic Plan, are devising the necessary measures for
the launching of a teaching enterprise in the heart of Africa,
supplementing the work already accomplished by the Egyptian
&Baha'i community in that continent. Shortly, and at its appointed
time, yet another national community, already established
in the heart of the European continent, will, as soon as
the present obstacles are removed, and its internal activities are
sufficiently consolidated, embark on a campaign, beyond the
borders of its homeland, that will carry the light of the Faith to
the adjoining Balkan territories, the Baltic states and, across the
eastern frontiers of Europe, into Asia.
In this stupendous and laudable collective enterprise, world-wide
in its range, divinely propelled, world-redemptive in its
purpose, in which National &Baha'i communities, already sufficiently
+P87
consolidated from within, are participating, each in accordance
with the provisions of its own specific plan and constituting,
in its proportions and potentialities, the mightiest spiritual
crusade launched since the inception of the Formative Age of the
Faith,--in such an enterprise the &Baha'i communities of Australia
and New Zealand can neither afford to remain inactive or
play a negligible part. The situation they occupy, the unnumbered
virgin territories lying in their neighbourhood, the vitality
and adventurous spirit the members of these communities have
so strikingly manifested--all demand that they arise, as soon as
the process of internal consolidation is sufficiently advanced, to
play their part in this world-encompassing crusade now unfolding
itself in, and constituting the brightest feature of, the opening
years of the second &Baha'i century.
With this glorious vision before them, assured that a full
measure of Divine guidance and sustenance will be vouchsafed
to them when they embark on the second stage of their collective
activities, let them concentrate, in the years immediately ahead,
on the tasks that require their earnest and undivided attention.
The prosecution of the Plan, in all its aspects, is their primary
obligation. Whatever contributes to the broadening and reinforcement
of the Administrative Base, designed to guide, coordinate
and extend the ramifications of their future enterprises
overseas, should be unhesitatingly welcomed and carried out at
the present hour and during the opening phase of their collective
unified endeavour in the service of the Faith of &Baha'u'llah.
May they seize every opportunity that presents itself, surmount
every obstacle that may confront them in the future, and
pave the way for a befitting inauguration of the subsequent phase
of their historic and rapidly unfolding mission.
Shoghi.
--------------
11 September, 1950
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Under separate cover the Guardian is mailing to you two
enlargements of the finished Arcade of the &Bab's Shrine. These
are a gift from him to the N.S.A. and believers, and he would
like you to have them circulated as widely as possible, for the
+P88
friends to see them, and them hang them in the National Headquarters.
Please cable receipt of these photos, so he will know they
reached you safely.
Also please inform the friends in the News Letter that copies
of one of these views may be purchased through the American
N.S.A., to whom he has sent the original film.
With loving greetings,
R. Rabbani.
--------------
Nov. 14, 1950
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
I am replying to your letter of September 21 apart from
other N.S.A. correspondence, as the beloved Guardian wishes to
assure the Assembly that the contribution for the Shrine of the
&Bab has been received. (A receipt is herewith enclosed.)
He was very touched by the exemplary sense of duty and
devotion to the interests of the Faith which this sum represents.
Please, on his behalf, thank all the donors to the Yerrinbool
Dormitory Fund for their prompt response to his appeal regarding
the Holy Shrine.
Already the contract for the stone-work of the Octagon has
been placed in Italy, and he hopes soon the preliminary arrangements
locally can be made for continuing the work.
With loving &Baha'i greetings to all the Assembly members
from the Guardian,
Yours in His Service,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Assuring you of my deepfelt and abiding appreciation of the contribution
of the Australian and New Zealand believers for so
great and historic an enterprise, and of my loving and ardent
prayers for their spiritual advancement and the steady expansion
and consolidation of the great and historic work in which
they are so devotedly engaged.
Your true and grateful brother,
Shoghi.
+P89
Haifa, Israel,
Jan. 21, -51
National Spiritual Assembly of the &Baha'is
of Australia and New Zealand;
The beloved Guardian has instructed me to acknowledge on
his behalf the Nov. issue of your &Baha'i News. He is well pleased
with it and commends you.
He would like to call your attention to the statement on
page 3, paragraph 3, under "Anniversaries and Festivals", and
clarify it.
The Day of the Covenant Nov. 26th, and the Day of the
Ascension, Nov. 28th, anniversaries of the birth and the Ascension
of &Abdu'l-Baha must be observed by the friends coming together,
but work is not prohibited. In other words the friends must
regard observance of these two anniversaries as obligatory--but
suspension of work not to be regarded as obligatory.
He assures you of his deep interest in all your efforts and
offers prayers on your behalf at the Holy Shrines.
With warmest love,
Sincerely yours,
Amelia Collins.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
March 1, 1951
National Spiritual Assembly of
the &Baha'is of Australia
and New Zealand
C/- Mrs. Mariette G. Bolton, Secretary
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
Your letters addressed to our beloved Guardian, and dated
June 22, August 4 and 22, November 10 and December 5 and 11,
of 1950 and January 30 and Feb. 20, 22, 26, of 1951, together with
their enclosures, have been received; and he has instructed me to
answer you on his behalf.
In regard to the various matters raised in your letters:
It is indeed a great tragedy that ... should have such
an utterly despicable character, and the ability to be a teacher.
He has undoubtedly dealt with the greatest injustice with the
friends in Fiji who wrote to Mr. Blum; and the Guardian was
+P90
extremely sorry to hear that this man, attracted to the Faith of
&Baha'u'llah, and evidently a sincere and decent person, should
have been duped by the very man who gave him this glorious
Message. It was very wise to send Mr. Blum out there; and he
hopes that your Assembly will keep in close contact with the
friends who were attracted, it would seem almost miraculously
under the circumstances, to the Cause of &Baha'u'llah in those
distant islands.
It might interest your Assembly to know that since leaving
Fiji, ... went to the United States, and himself admitted in
a letter to the Guardian that he had seen Ahmad Sohrab.
The Guardian assures your Assembly, and, through you, all
the believers throughout Australasia, that he has been deeply
touched by the spirit of loyalty which you have all shown at this
difficult time for him, and also the devotion to every work which
is undertaken here at the International Center of the Faith.
The support you have given to the construction of the
Shrine of the &Bab has been deeply appreciated; and he hopes
that in the not distant future it will be possible for the doors
of pilgrimage to be opened once more; and then the believers
can see with their own eyes what their sacrificial contributions
have helped to erect, on Mount Carmel. It will interest the
friends to hear that we are at present busy with the preliminary
work required prior to the erection of the second story of the
Holy Tomb, in other words, the octagonal portion, which will
be built on top of the roof of the original Shrine building erected
by &Abdu'l-Baha Himself. The stones have been ordered from
Italy for this next stage in our undertaking, and soon will be
coming to Haifa another 300 tons of granite, some of it with
beautiful carved ornamentation.
The Guardian would like you to please convey to the Adelaide
Spiritual Assembly his deep appreciation of the contribution
they made through your Body to the Shrine Fund here in
Haifa, a contribution which represents the sum of their Property
Fund. They showed in this matter an exemplary spirit, and
placed the major issue in its true perspective, forgetting their
local hopes and aspirations in order that the work on the glorious
Shrine of the &Bab might be carried forward more speedily.
In regard to your question concerning the Centenary of the
birth of &Baha'u'llah's mission: The Guardian, at a later date,
+P91
will give instructions concerning this commemoration to the
entire &Baha'i world.
He has been particularly pleased to note, during the past
year, the increase in pioneer activity going on under your jurisdiction.
As you know, he attaches the greatest importance to
this type of &Baha'i service; and he hopes that more of the believers
will arise and go forth into the field, establishing new
centers and groups, and broadcasting the Message of &Baha'u'llah
over the face of that vast continent.
This is at once their greatest duty and privilege, and one
which will attract the blessings of &Baha'u'llah, and enrich, not
only each individual who arises to serve, but the entire Community
of which he forms a part.
Whenever the friends feel that they are small in number,
and the effort required, truly colossal, they should remember
what the British &Baha'is accomplished during the Six Year Plan;
and how, after the long and exhaustive years of the war and all
its restrictions, they succeeded, at the point of utter exhaustion,
one might say, in achieving every single goal gloriously. The
Australian and New Zealand friends, who have not been subjected
to such rigors during the last decade, who are a young
and fresh nation, so to speak, can surely accomplish as much,
and one would imagine more, than their British brethren, who
labored under such great handicaps.
He assures you all that he will remember you in his prayers
at the Holy Threshold, and supplicate that your Assembly, and
the Community of believers whom you represent, may achieve
great things during the coming &Baha'i year and arise to new
heights of self-sacrifice and service.
With warm &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. I would like to add that the Guardian does not consider
that it is advisable for New Zealand to be separated in the near
future from Australia, and come under the jurisdiction of an
independent National Assembly. He considers that the present
arrangement is the best one until such time as there are more
assemblies flourishing in New Zealand, and he would consider
the basis for a National Assembly strong enough there to support
such an institution.
+P92
Regarding the question of Mr. ..., the Guardian was
considerably surprised at his temerity in getting in touch with
the &Baha'is. He belongs to an old family of Covenant-breakers
from the days of &Abdu'l-Baha, was later pardoned by the
Guardian, and a number of years ago, flagrantly disobeyed the
Guardian, and was put out of our local Community here. We all
know that he has been in constant association with the Covenant-breakers
ever since, and he even admits it in his own letter!
Needless to say, the &Baha'is should consider him a Covenant-breaker,
and shun him entirely. The harm that he could do a
Community if treated otherwise, would be very great indeed.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The manifold and ever multiplying activities in which the
Australian, New Zealand and Tasmanian &Baha'i communities
are so devotedly and unitedly engaged are the object of my
constant solicitude, and evoke, as they steadily expand, feelings
of gratitude and admiration in my heart. Though unavoidably
prevented from communicating more frequently with their elected
national representatives, who are directing with exemplary loyalty,
unrelaxing vigilance, inflexible resolve, unsparing devotion and
commendable foresight, the course of these highly meritorious
and promising activities, I follow, through the perusal of the
various reports and news letters I receive from them, every development
in the unfoldment of their work, and surround them
as they labour so assiduously for their Cause, with my fervent
prayers, offered on their behalf in the holy Shrines.
The assistance they have so spontaneously and enthusiastically
extended to the newly established centre in the Fiji Islands,
constituting the opening phase of the crusade destined to be
systematically launched by them in the Pacific Islands--a territory
with which their spiritual destiny is irrevocably linked--has been
particularly gratifying and merits unstinted praise. To have
undertaken this additional task, with such determination and
fervour, while immersed in the labours associated with the prosecution
of their Plan, is surely an evidence of their youthful
vitality, their unbounded devotion to the interests of the Faith,
and their eager desire to emulate the example of their sister-communities
which have initiated, over and above their prescribed
+P93
tasks, enterprises beyond the confines of their respective
homelands.
While this historic undertaking is being carried forward by
their elected national representatives, these communities must
concentrate their attention on the pressing and inescapable requirements
of the Plan to which they stand committed. The process
of extending the range of their administrative activities
through the formation of groups and the multiplication of assemblies
must continue unabated until this particular objective of
the Plan is fully achieved. The proper incorporation of the
national and local assemblies, so vital and urgent at the present
stage of their evolution, must be hastened by every means in their
power. The measures required to ensure the recognition of the
Faith, of its laws regarding matters of personal status, as well as
its Holy Days, by the civil authorities, in both Australia and New
Zealand, must be carefully considered, and promptly adopted.
The institutions of summer and winter schools, so vital and
beneficial at the present stage in the development of the Faith
must be continually expanded enriched and consolidated. The
national and local Funds, on which the prosperity and unfoldment
of a rising Administrative System must ultimately depend,
should be assured of an ever-increasing measure of support,
whilst the contributions of the believers for the raising of the
superstructure of the &Bab's Holy Sepulchre, constituting a sacred
and added responsibility at this present critical hour, should be
constantly borne in mind and steadily maintained. The deepening
and enrichment of the spiritual life of the individual believer,
his increasing comprehension of the essential verities
underlying this Faith, his training in its administrative processes,
his understanding of the fundamentals of the Covenants established
by its Author and the authorised Interpreter of its teachings
should be made the supreme objectives of the national representatives
responsible for the edification, the progress and consolidation
of these communities.
This two fold task, both at home and abroad, confronting
the members of these communities, labouring so valiantly, and
holding aloft so courageously the banner of the Most Great
Name in the Antipodes, at so crucial a stage in the evolution of
the human race on this planet, can neither be shirked nor be
treated lightly for one moment. The hour is too critical, time is
+P94
too short, the requirements of an infant Faith are too pressing,
the resources at the disposal of the few into whose hands its care
has been entrusted are too circumscribed to suffer any time to be
lost in procrastination or through complacency or neglect. The
prizes destined for the heroic warriors, battling for the Cause of
&Baha'u'llah throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and particularly
Australasia, are glorious beyond compare. The assistance to
be vouchsafed to them from on high in their struggle for its
establishment to recognition and triumph is ready to be poured
forth in astonishing abundance. Action immediate and whole-hearted,
coupled with unswerving fidelity and dogged perseverance,
will no doubt enable those who participate in this double
crusade, to attract the full measure of these blessings and to
attain these glorious goals.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
March 8th, 1951
Beloved Friends:
In answer to your letter of Feb. 22nd, the beloved Guardian
has instructed me to assure you that the statement made in my
letter to you Jan. 21st was quite correct.
You quote from page 537 "&Baha'i World" words written by
&Abdu'l-Baha,--further down on the same page you will find the
following "As a corollary of this Tablet (above) it follows the
anniversaries of the birth and the ascension of &Abdu'l-Baha are
not to be regarded as days on which work is prohibited. The
celebration of these two days is however obligatory".--These are
the words of the Guardian. We really have eleven Holy Days but
as stated, work is only prohibited on the first nine mentioned in
the Tablet.
He follows your work with deep interest and assures you of
his loving prayers.
With warmest love,
Faithfully Yours,
Amelia Collins.
+P95
Sept. 7, 1951
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter of July 19 has been received, as well as the contribution
of the believers to the Shrine, and the beloved Guardian
sends you herewith his receipt.
He wishes to thank all the friends, communities, and assemblies
who have contributed so lovingly to this Holy undertaking.
Surely such gifts, representing both sincere love and often real
sacrifice, will add to the preciousness of a Shrine already so dear
to all &Baha'i hearts.
He wishes you every success in your own devoted services to
the Cause.
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Assuring you of my loving prayers for your success in the service
of our beloved Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Sept. 29, 1951
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter of August 12 has been received, and I am enclosing
a receipt from the beloved Guardian for the sum you
forwarded.
He was deeply touched by this further evidence of the interest
shown by the believers in Australia and New Zealand in
the Holy task now going ahead at the World Center. Please
thank all the contributors on his behalf.
He sends you and all the members of the N.S.A. his loving
greetings,
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless and reward all those who have so devotedly
and spontaneously contributed for the promotion of so
holy an enterprise, and aid them to win great and memorable
victories in the service of His glorious Faith.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
+P96
Dear &Baha'i Friends: Nov. 20, 1951
Your letters to the beloved Guardian, dated April 3rd (two)
4th and 26th; May 4th and 25th; July 13th; and Oct. 16, with various
enclosures, have been received, and he has instructed me to
answer you on his behalf.
Regarding various matters raised in your letters:
The Guardian feels that as Mr. Audenwood clearly signified
his belief in &Baha'u'llah before his passing, his name should by all
means be registered in your records as a believer. Please assure his
wife of the Guardian's prayers for the progress and happiness of
his soul, and for her own services to the Faith to be richly blessed.
Shoghi Effendi feels it is better not to put the Greatest Name
on &Baha'i graves. It is not forbidden to do so, but inappropriate.
Regarding Mr. ... and Mr. ... we all regret exceedingly
the loss he afflicted this believer with. Your Assembly, if
you have not already done so, should write both the Persian and
Indian Assemblies exposing him, and asking if there is no way
he can be reached and made to pay his debt. The last news the
Guardian had of him he was in Cyprus and planned (?) to go
on to Iran or India. It is most extaordinary to see the way this
man, who breaks all the laws of his Faith and disobeys both the
Guardian and the Assemblies, has been able to plant a firm faith
in the hearts of sincere souls in Fiji, who are now devoted
believers! Your Assembly should give this small community every
aid and encouragement you can, for its members were born with
a terrific test, enough to shake the belief of old and tried &Baha'is.
The Guardian was very pleased to see the Racing Conference
courteously changed the name of that horse which had been
called &Baha'u'llah.
He is also very glad you are in touch with dear, faithful Mr.
Auskauli. You should keep up this contact and when you write
please assure him of the Guardian's appreciation of his steadfastness
and of his loving prayers. He advises you to keep for
your library the books sent you.
The Guardian has noted a new spirit of love and unity
amongst the Australian and New Zealand &Baha'is, which pleases
him very much, as the atmosphere of harmony amongst the
friends will attract the Divine Blessings and enable them to
achieve a great deal more for the Faith.
+P97
He strongly feels that the time has come for the believers of
Australia and New Zealand to arise as a conquering army and
ensure the attainment of their goals under their Six Year Plan.
They now constitute one of the strongest bodies of believers in
the world, ranking with such active and well established communities
as those of Canada, Great Britain and India. Their
period of adolescence in the Faith has passed; they are now
adults, and they must face the problems involved in fulfilling
their Plan squarely and with maturity. The pleasant period of
youthful irresponsibility, when they could look on the work
of the American and Persian Communities as the feats of the
strong, which they were not called upon to emulate, being too
young, is now passed forever. They must sacrifice, concentrate on
their tasks, plan their actions and carry on their pioneer work
with determination, realizing they will have no one to blame for
any failures, except themselves! The Guardian feels they are entirely
capable of fulfilling their Plan. He is proud of the progress
they have made and confident they can succeed if they really try.
He assures you all of his loving prayers for your guidance
and for the success of your work, the progress of which he follows
with the keenest interest.
With &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. I am enclosing a receipt herein. I do not think this sum has
been previously acknowledged, but if there is any duplication,
please destroy it.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The Six-Year Plan, formulated by the elected representatives
of the valiant &Baha'i communities in Australasia, is now entering
its final and most critical stage. If successfully terminated it will
mark the conclusion of a memorable chapter in the evolution of
the Faith of &Baha'u'llah in the Antipodes, and will at the same
time herald the opening of the initial phase in the establishment
of the institutions of that Faith, beyond the borders of that far-off
continent, in the numerous diversified and widely scattered
Islands of the South Pacific Ocean. It will in fact signalize the
third stage in the evolution of the Faith in that newly opened,
highly promising, far-flung continent--an evolution which commenced,
+P98
during the concluding decade of &Abdu'l-Baha's Ministry
and of the Heroic Age of the Faith, with the birth and rise of the
&Baha'i Administrative Order, and which was subsequently accelerated
through the formulation during the opening years of the
Formative Age of the &Baha'i Dispensation, of two successive
Plans, designed to broaden and reinforce the foundations of that
nascent Order in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. The
inauguration of the third and most glorious phase in this historic
and momentous development must now depend on the consummation
of the tasks willingly shouldered by this youthful, this
virile and greatly beloved community, which, despite its physical
remoteness from the heart and world centre of the Faith, the
smallness of its size, its limited resources and the vastness of the
field under the jurisdiction of its elected representatives, has
made such great strides since its inception, has shown such exemplary
devotion and loyalty, and has preserved and reinforced
so nobly the solidity of its foundations.
This Community, which owes its birth to the revelation of
the Tablets of the Divine Plan, must now brace itself, during the
fleeting months that lie ahead, for a supreme, a concerted and
sustained effort to ensure the attainment of the objectives of the
present Plan, and thereby acquire the spiritual potentialities
essential to the launching of a mighty Crusade, in collaboration
with the Trustees of the Plan, conceived by the Center of
&Baha'u'llah's Covenant, and with its neighbouring sister communities
in Latin America and in the Indian Sub-continent,
destined to culminate in the fullness of time in the Spiritual conquest
of the multitudinous islands of the South Pacific Ocean.
So exalted a mission, so strenuous a task, so weighty a responsibility
call for, while the Present Preparatory Plan speeds to its
end, an unprecedented demonstration on the part of young and
old, or both men and women, whether administrators or teachers,
veterans or neophytes, of solidarity, determination, zeal and constancy,
a still greater display of self-sacrifice, a wider dispersion
of forces, a more energetic discharge of duty, a clearer vision, a
firmer grasp, of the requirements of the present hour, and a more
complete dedication to the purposes of the present-day enterprise.
The steady multiplication of &Baha'i Administrative institutions;
the rapid consolidation of these basic agencies on which
the speedy expansion of the community beyond its borders must
+P99
ultimately depend; the early incorporation of all steadily functioning
assemblies as a means of further reinforcing a newly
erected administrative structure; the systematic and vigorous dissemination
of &Baha'i literature, and the gradual proclamation of
the Faith through the Press and Radio; the initiation of measures
designed to forge friendly links between these newly-fledged
assemblies and local civil authorities, and a parallel effort aimed
at the strengthening of the ties binding the &Baha'i Supreme
Administrative Body with both the Federal and State authorities
--above all the constant deepening of the spiritual life of the
individual believers, the enrichment of community life, the promotion
of greater unity, harmony and cooperation among the
rank and file of the followers of the Faith--these are the essential
prerequisites to which special attention should be directed in
preparation for the great campaign destined to be launched in
that remote corner of the globe, by one of the most youthful
and promising &Baha'i national communities, on the morrow of
the world-wide celebrations of the centenary of the birth of
&Baha'u'llah's prophetic Mission.
Afire with the vision that now opens before their eyes; conscious
of the substantial share of responsibility they must assume,
in conjunction with the Indian, the Pakistani, the North American,
and the Latin American followers of the Faith of &Baha'u'llah,
in uplifting the banner of the Most Great Name amidst the
dwellers of these scattered, distant and in some cases isolated,
Islands of the South, and in drawing them into the orbit of His
constantly evolving Administrative Order; fortified by the magnificent
progress they themselves have achieved in their own
homelands; and confident of the irresistible and mysterious power
instilled by the Hand of Providence in every agency associated
with His Most Holy Name, let the members of these rapidly
maturing, fast evolving, soundly established, &Baha'i communities
throughout Australasia arise, as they have never heretofore
done, and during the concluding phase of their present fate-laden
Plan, to seal their high endeavours with total and complete victory,
and thereby open a chapter of undreamt-of glory that will
add an imperishable lustre to the annals of an immortal Faith.
Just as their first collective enterprise, through its resounding
success, contributed its particular share of tribute to the
memory of the Herald of their Faith, on the occasion of the
+P100
centenary of the birth of His Revelation, may their present collective
enterprise, through its consummation, qualify and empower
them to play a distinctive role in the celebration of the
Great Jubilee that will mark the hundredth anniversary of the
birth of &Baha'u'llah's Prophetic Mission.
A great opportunity lies before them. Much of their present
mighty task still remains to be achieved. Immense virgin fields
stretch before them, flanked, on the one side, by a sister community
in the South American continent, and on the other by
another sister community in the vast Indian sub-continent, both
ready and eager to extend their help in prosecuting a memorable,
a gigantic and supremely arduous task. May they, when the hour
strikes, be found ready and well equipped to assume the onerous
responsibilities that will fall to their share.
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
December 2, 1951.
Mrs. Dulcie E. Dive, Treasurer.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter of October 17th has been received by the beloved
Guardian, as well as the contribution you forwarded, a receipt
for which I am enclosing.
Will you kindly assure the individuals, groups and assemblies
who contributed, of the Guardian's very deep appreciation
of this assistance they are giving to the work of the Shrine here.
The building is going ahead rapidly; and he hopes that, within
a couple of months, the octagon will be finished, and the drum
section which will support the dome, can be commenced without
any interruption.
With loving &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
May the Beloved abundantly reward and bless all who have contributed
for the construction of the Shrine, sustain them in their
efforts, and aid them to win great victories in the service of our
beloved Faith,
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
+P101
Haifa, Israel,
February 24, 1952.
Mrs. D. E. Dive, Treasurer,
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter of January 29th has been received; and the beloved
Guardian has instructed me to forward to you the enclosed
receipt for the loving contribution made by the Australia and
New Zealand believers for the Shrine of the &Bab, as well as for
the contribution made directly by your National Body.
Please thank all the friends concerned in this contribution
on his behalf; and assure them the Shrine is growing more
beautiful daily as work on it progresses.
With warm &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty abundantly reward, bless and sustain all those
who have contributed towards this holy Enterprise, aid and protect
them, and enable them to promote, at all times, the vital
interests of His Faith.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
April 12, 1952
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
Your loving letter of March 11th, addressed to the beloved
Guardian has come to hand, and he has asked me to answer it
in his behalf.
The kind contribution which you made to the Shrine of the
&Bab fund has been received, and receipt therefor is enclosed herewith.
After checking with our bank here, I find they feel it would
be simpler if you made future remittances on the basis of a bank
transfer instead of a draft.
+P102
Answering the specific questions which you propound, the
information is as follows:
1. The full name and address of the bank is:
Bank Leumi le Israel,
Haifa, Israel.
2. The exact name of our account is:
Shoghi Rabbani.
The beloved Guardian values very deeply the admirable
manner in which the friends in Australia and New Zealand are
carrying on their teaching work. He will pray that they will meet
with every possible success, and gain new victories for the Faith
as their plan progresses.
The Guardian likewise wishes you to express to each one
who joined in the contribution you sent, his loving appreciation.
The work of the Shrine is progressing. The octagon and the
pinnacles are now completed, so far as the marble work is concerned.
The Guardian is hopeful the entire project may continue
uninterruptedly so that it might be completed by &Naw-Ruz period
next year.
With warm &Baha'i greetings, I am
Leroy Ioas,
Assistant Secretary.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
April 30, 1952
Mrs. D. E. Dive, Treasurer,
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
Your gracious letter of April 3rd has come to hand, and the
Guardian has asked me to acknowledge it on his behalf. Enclosed
is receipt for the contribution which has been made to the
Shrine of the &Bab.
The unity of the friends in Australia and New Zealand is
greatly valued by the Guardian; and he appreciates the sacrifices
which have been made in sending these contributions to
this Holy Undertaking on Mt. Carmel.
The Shrine is increasing in beauty from day to day. The
marble work on the octagon has been completed; the exquisite
+P103
pinnacles have been put in place; and work is under way on the
extension of some of the Gardens. The Guardian is hopeful the
work may continue uninterruptedly, so as to be completed next
year.
With loving &Baha'i greetings, I am
Leroy Ioas,
Assistant Secretary.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
June 3, 1952
Miss Grette S. Lamprill, Secretary,
National Spiritual Assembly of the &Baha'is
of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
The beloved Guardian has received your letters of December
20 and 21, 1951, February 12 and 26, March 11 and May 2,
1952, with enclosures, and has instructed me to answer you on
his behalf.
As regards various matters raised in your letters, Mr. ...
is now in Khartoum, Sudan at the following address: Mr. ...,
Khartoum. The reason the Guardian knows this is that he has
received a contribution from him for the Shrine, which he has
asked the Bank to trace back to the sender, so that he can return
it to him.
The Guardian suggests that you contact Mr. ..., and press
him to discharge his debt to the believer in Fiji whom he has so
grievously wronged, pointing out to him that surely, if he expects
any forgiveness from God, the first pre-requisite is to conduct
himself honestly.
The Guardian was very happy to hear that as a result of
Mrs. Bolton's trip to New Caledonia, there is now a believer in
that far-off island. He was also very happy to hear of the close
contact you maintain with the friends in Suva, and considers that
this is extremely important, as of course at the New Delhi Conference,
plans will have to be made for the unfoldment of the
Faith throughout all the Pacific Islands, and the more strong
centers we have to begin with, the better.
As regards World Religion Day, the Guardian does not
attach any importance to what date the meeting is held on.
+P104
World Religion Day has nothing to do with our Faith as such,
but is merely a useful means of getting the public together and
bringing the Cause to them.
He sees no reason why Mother Dunn should not have a
companion in the &Hazira, and hopes that she will settle down
there comfortably and happily.
The sympathy you have expressed on the occasion of the
passing of dear Mr. Maxwell was much appreciated by the
Guardian. Although Mr. Maxwell is naturally missed very much
here, the services God in His bounty enabled him to accomplish
for the Faith preclude any feelings of sadness, when we think of
the blessings showered upon him.
He urges your Assembly to constantly stimulate the believers
to achieve their goals. It would be a great pity if, after
the success of their First Plan, their Second historic Plan did not
likewise culminate in victory, more particularly in view of the
fact that the New Delhi Conference will involve the formation
of work to be undertaken by eight National Bodies during a ten
year period.
Consequently all Assemblies, not only yours, but all National
Assemblies all over the world, should, so to speak, clear the decks
for action, and wind up their present business, so that they will
be free to carry out the much more important work that lies
ahead of them.
The Guardian feels sure that the Australian and New Zealand
&Baha'is can make and will make sufficient effort to consummate
their Plan with success. He is certainly sustaining them
with his ardent prayers.
He assures you all that your labours are most deeply appreciated.
With warm &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
Though extremely preoccupied, during recent months, with
the constantly expanding activities and manifold problems
arising at the World Centre of the Faith, necessitating, to my
extreme regret, a considerable delay in acknowledging your
assembly's communications, I have been watching, with close
interest and ever deepening admiration, the progressive unfoldment
+P105
of the task which the community of the believers in Australia,
New Zealand and Tasmania are so valiantly shouldering.
I have noted, with particular gratification, the simultaneous
advance made in the extension of the teaching activities of the
steadfast and self-sacrificing members of this forward-looking
highly promising community, as well as in the consolidation of
the institutions which they are laboriously establishing throughout
that far-away continent and its neighbouring islands. I rejoice
at the remarkable vitality, courage and determination which they
are increasingly demonstrating in enlarging the limits of the
Faith and in implanting its banner beyond the confines of that
continent, over and above the task assigned to them in accordance
with the provisions of their Plan, and in territories where
they are destined to exert a notable influence through their collective
efforts and achievements in the years immediately ahead.
As the Plan, to which they stand committed, enters upon
the last stage in its unfoldment the members of this community,
however remarkable their accomplishments have been in the past,
must steel themselves and through a supreme effort, endeavour
to rise to still greater heights of dedication, display in the pioneering
field a still more compelling degree of consecration, evince
a still nobler spirit of self-abnegation, and a greater awareness of
the gravity of the issues at stake and of the inestimable value of
the prizes within their reach. That they may be qualified to
undertake a still greater mission, assume weightier responsibilities
and embark upon mightier enterprises, the adequate discharge
of their present duties and the fulfilment of their sacred
obligations is no doubt essential.
The multiplication and consolidaion of the administrative
institutions of the Faith of &Baha'u'llah throughout Australia,
New Zealand and Tasmania, as its followers in those regions,
must undoubtedly be well aware, constitutes the primary foundation
for, and the necessary prelude to, the firm establishment
of the institutions of His Administrative Order, beyond the confines
and in the neighbourhood of these territories, and amidst
the highly diversified tribes and races inhabiting the numerous
and widely scattered islands and archipelagos of the South Pacific
Ocean.
The approaching Holy Year, a period of such unique significance
in the history of the Faith; the prospect of the active participation
+P106
of some of the elected representatives and members of
the community holding aloft the torch of the Faith in the Antipodes;
in one of the most important Conferences to be held
during that year; their formal association with no less than seven
other National Spiritual Assemblies in the prosecution of the
colossal tasks that are to be initiated in South East Asia, in the
course of the coming decade; the manifold blessings which must
assuredly flow from the assumption of such a sacred function and
in the course of the development of so gigantic, so challenging
and so meritorious an undertaking, can surely not fail to galvanize
the privileged members of this community, constituting a
vital outpost of the Faith, and occupying such a spiritually strategic
position in the world crusade soon to be launched by itself
and its sister communities in both the East and the West, into
action, at once so swift and decisive, as to add fresh lustre to the
annals of the Faith.
This community, now standing on the threshold of an era
of unprecedented expansion, and gazing towards the glorious
future that awaits it, must seize the priceless opportunities which
these fast-fleeting months offer it, and must not allow for a
moment its vision to be dimmed, its resolution to flag, its attention
to be distracted or its faith in its ultimate destiny to waver.
With a heart full of hope, and with an affection and fervour
which every forward step in the progress of its strenous labours
serves to intensify, I will supplicate at the threshold of the Shrine
of &Baha'u'llah to enable His stalward followers championing His
Cause in those far-away lands to achieve a resounding success in
the task they have pledged themselves to fulfil.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
June 15, 1952
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
The beloved Guardian has directed me to write you in his
behalf, to request that the information relating to Australia and
+P107
New Zealand and their activities, contained in the booklet
"The &Baha'i Faith", `Information Statistical and Comparative'
be brought up to date as of May 1, 1952, and sent to him here by
first possible air mail post.
One of the features of the Holy Year will be the re-issuance
of this imnportant book; inasmuch as the Holy Year is fast approaching,
the Guardian wishes the information as quickly as
possible.
Briefly, the information which your NSA is to provide,
brought up to date of May 1, 1952, is as follows:
Incorporated Local Spiritual Assemblies, in Australia and
New Zealand. &Baha'i Centers in Australia and New Zealand,
showing if possible the division between Local Spiritual
Assemblies, Groups and Isolated Believers.
Any information not immediately available, should be
handled by telegraph, but such information as is available should
not be delayed for any one or two delinquents. You can appreciate
that if the booklet is to be published early in the Holy Year,
the information should reach the Guardian at a very early date.
The Guardian sends his loving greetings to the National
Assembly and its devoted members.
Faithfully yours,
Leroy C. Ioas.
Assistant Secretary.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
November 29, 1952
Mrs. D. E. Dive, Treasurer,
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter of September 30th has been received by the
beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you on
his behalf.
The generous contribution which Mrs. ... made towards
the Shrine of the &Bab has already been acknowledged direct to
her, because she mentioned it in a recent letter.
It was indeed most kind of this dedicated believer to support
+P108
this work of the Shrine here to this extent, and was much appreciated.
The Guardian assures you your devoted labors for the Faith
are much appreciated. He will remember you in his prayers in
the Shrine.
With loving greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Assuring you of my loving prayers for your success and spiritual
advancement,
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
November 30, 1952
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand,
Mrs. D. E. Dive, Treasurer,
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
Your loving letter of September 14th has been received by
the beloved Guardian, and he has asked me to acknowledge it
on his behalf.
The Guardian will greatly appreciate your thanking each
one of the contributors to this fund.
He is very appreciative of the outstanding services and sacrifices
of the friends in Australia and New Zealand. He feels they
are bringing renown to the Faith, and laying a firm foundation
for the great Crusade ahead.
The Guardian will pray for the success of all the activities
of the friends, and for the guidance and confirmation of the
National Assembly.
The funds representing the proceeds of sale of the shares,
given by Mrs. ... have come to hand, amounting to 346.9.10
Sterling. The Guardian has asked that you express his deep appreciation
to Mrs. ... for this loving contribution, which will
be used in the construction of the Shrine of the &Bab.
The construction work on the drum of the Shrine is going
forward quite rapidly. The tall columns between the windows
+P109
are rapidly nearing completion, adding to the beauty of this
glorious structure. The Guardian is hopeful that this work can
continue until the building is completely finished.
With warm &Baha'i greetings,
Leroy C. Ioas
Assistant Secretary.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
May 3, 1953
Mrs. D. E. Dive, Treasurer,
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Friend:
The beloved Guardian has received your letter of April 14th,
and has instructed me to acknowledge it on his behalf.
The contribution which has been made by the friends in
Australia and New Zealand for the construction work on the
Shrine of the &Bab, is very deeply appreciated. Receipt is enclosed
herewith.
Will you please extend to all the Assemblies, Groups and
individual believers who have joined in this contribution, the
Guardian's heartfelt appreciation.
Shoghi Effendi was delighted to learn that the Six Year
Teaching Plan was successfully concluded. Word coming into
Haifa from all over the world indicates the great success of the
teaching plans in every country. He is therefore encouraged to
feel that the heavy tasks of the Ten Year Plan will be easily
accomplished.
You will be happy to know that the work on the dome of
the Shrine is progressing very rapidly. As the Guardian has
cabled, the shutterings and the scaffolding for the dome have
been completed, and some of the golden tiles placed on lower
sections of the dome. The building achieves greater majesty as
each new height is reached.
With loving greetings, I am
Leroy Ioas
Assistant Secretary.
+P110
Dear &Baha'i Friend: May 7, 1953
The Beloved Guardian has instructed me to write to you
and ask you to please send me the name and address of the
&Baha'i in Samoa, also the name and address of the &Baha'i in New
Caledonia. And, will you please advise if a spiritual assembly was
formed in Suva on April 21st. This news has come indirectly and
he very much wants to have it confirmed by the NSA. You may
be sure his eager eyes are on these new places and any news
about them makes his heart very happy. Please send the name
and address of the secretary of Suva.
The news of the 2nd International &Baha'i Conference has
been very thrilling and the Beloved Guardian has been exceedingly
happy about it all.
If you will please send the information asked for by return
AIR MAIL, I will be very deeply grateful to you.
The work on the Shrine is going ahead very wonderfully, a
few tiles have already been placed. We hope someday you will
all make the pilgrimage and see this most beautiful Shrine in the
heart of Mt. Carmel, fulfilment of prophecy.
Devoted love and thanks
Affectionately,
Jessie E. Revell
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
June 14, 1953.
To the National Spiritual Assembly
of the &Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
Our Beloved Guardian has been greatly encouraged by reports
reaching him from all parts of the &Baha'i World of the
victories already gained, and the plans being laid for the prosecution
of the Ten Year Crusade.
They have evoked his awe-inspiring, and soul-stirring cablegram
of May 28th, calling for the immediate settlement of all the
131 virgin areas of the Plan. He is convinced that the Friends
will arise and translate their enthusiasm into Action, because the
Keynote of the Crusade must be Action, Action, Action!
+P111
The Beloved Guardian has directed me to write your Assembly
to amplify some of the aspects of his dynamic message.
The settlement of these virgin areas is of such an emergency
nature, that he feels pioneering in one of them, takes precedence
over every other type of &Baha'i service--whether it be in the
teaching or administrative fields of the Faith.
In the United States some 150 people have volunteered for
pioneer service, and some of them already are preparing to leave
for their posts. The Guardian has informed the United States
National Assembly, that because of their being the Chief Executor
of the Divine Plan of &Abdu'l-Baha for teaching throughout
the World, their pioneers may be sent to any virgin area in the
world, regardless to which NSA it may be assigned. If any of their
pioneers wish to settle in any of the areas assigned to your Assembly,
they will communicate with you.
The Friends in Australia and New Zealand have displayed
such outstanding devotion and consecration to the Faith, that
despite all obstacles they have continuously "scattered" to various
parts to spread the Divine Teachings. The Beloved Guardian
is sure they will do likewise in connection with this great
Crusade and will settle promptly many virgin areas.
There are some general observations which the Guardian
shares with you, and then some specific suggestions which are
enumerated below:
1. Every individual who offers to pioneer, should be encouraged
and assisted in every way possible by the National
Assembly.
2. Every application for pioneering must be expedited,
and not allowed to drag in any way, either in the handling
of the NSA, or any Committee working out the details for the
NSA.
3. The National Assembly must make the settlement of
their virgin areas, the first order of their business. In other words,
nothing is more important at this time, than settlement in the
131 virgin areas.
4. More than two pioneers should not be sent to any one
place; unless, of course, they are members of one family. In
fact, what is wanted is to settle each area with &Baha'is, and therefore,
one &Baha'i will fulfill the initial task.
+P112
The specific suggestions which the Guardian makes, are:
a. Areas close at hand and easy of settlement should be
filled first. Then the areas more difficult, and finally, the difficult
ones.
b. Whenever a pioneer enters a new territory, a cable should
be sent at once to the Beloved Guardian, giving the name, place
and any pertinent information.
c. A report should be sent each month by your Assembly to
the Secretary General of the International &Baha'i Council, giving
the progress of your teaching work in the virgin areas of the Plan,
particularly the development of your plans for settling them.
This does not mean your Assembly should correspond with the
International Council concerning administrative matters; as all
administrative matters should be handled in the usual manner,
directly with the Guardian. It simply means that reports and
data concerning the development of the plan should be sent to
the International Council for consolidation with other reports,
for the Guardian.
d. The Guardian feels the following areas should be easily
settled and he would appreciate your arranging to send pioneers
there at the earliest possible date. Portugese Timor, New Hebrides
Islands, Admiralty Islands; and then the other Islands as
you can place pioneers on them.
As his dramatic cable indicates, the Guardian is preparing
an illuminated "Roll of Honor", on which will be inscribed
the names of the "Knights of &Baha'u'llah" who first enter these
131 virgin areas. This "Roll of Honor" will be placed inside the
entrance door of the Inner Sanctuary of The Tomb of &Baha'u'llah.
From time to time, the Guardian will announce to the
&Baha'i World, the names of those Holy Souls who arise under
the conditions outlined in his message, and settle these areas, and
conquer them for God.
Now is the time for the &Baha'is of the World to demonstrate
the spiritual vitality of the Faith, and to arise as one soul
to spread the Glory of the Lord over the face of the Earth. The
Guardian is sure the spiritual power released with the launching
of this Great Ten Year Global Crusade, will carry the consecrated
and devoted friends to complete victory.
+P113
He will pray for the members of your Assembly, whose
sacrificial services he greatly values.
Faithfully yours,
Leroy Ioas
Assistant Secretary.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
June 23, 1953
Miss Gretta S. Lamprill, Secretary,
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letters of June 18, July 29, October 7, 21 and 24 (2),
November 10 and 18, 1952, and February 19, May 18 and 21,
1953 have been received by the beloved Guardian, and he has
instructed me to answer you on his behalf. The various enclosures
as well as material forwarded under separate cover were
also received.
Owing to extreme pressure of work here, which is getting
worse all the time, he has not been able to answer any N.S.A.
letters from any country for almost a year. He regrets this but
unfortunately it was unavoidable. As you can see, all your communications
reached him, but he was too busy to reply.
He appreciated your Assembly's gift of books gotten out by the
Child Education Committee, and assures you that the four copies
of the bulletin "Herald of the South", "&Baha'i Youth Journal"
and other material which you sent, are quite satisfactory.
The thing that is most difficult for the Guardian is to have
to read through a sheaf of material in order to extract the salient
information on such vital subjects as pioneer activities, important
decisions of the National Assembly or the Teaching Committee
etc. Two words in the text of your letter might convey
important items in a succinct and summarized manner.
He was delighted to hear that as many as thirty of the Australian
believers are planning to attend the New Delhi Conference,
and that a large number of N.S.A. members, if not all, will
be present. In a way, the New Delhi Conference is one of the
most important of all four conferences to be held during the
+P114
Holy Year, because at it, eight National Assemblies must be
represented and their joint teaching endeavor covers vast areas
of the globe, areas practically hitherto untouched by the Message
of &Baha'u'llah.
He was glad to hear that the Convention this year and the
Pacific School held afterward had been such a success.
He was sorry to learn that after all, it was not possible for
Mr. and Mrs. Katzmann to go to New Britain. He hopes that
they or others will follow through this project, as it is an extremely
important one.
The best photographs available of the Shrine of the &Bab at
present are to be obtained from the American N.S.A., as films
are placed at their disposal, and they can fulfill your requirements.
He suggests you get in touch with Mr. Holley.
Shoghi Effendi hopes that at the New Delhi Conference the
contribution which the representatives from Australia and New
Zealand will make will be vital and will carry the work forward
much faster. It will be a truly unique opportunity for the representatives
of so many National Assemblies to consult about the vast
pioneers regions which will be entrusted to their care, and every
advantage should be taken of it, as it may not recur again ever.
With warm &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
P.S. The Guardian has been greatly encouraged by the way the
believers of Australia and New Zealand succeeded in their Plan
carried out the last few years. He hopes for still greater things
from them in the days to come!
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The victorious conclusion of the Plan formulated by your
Assembly, which posterity will recognize as a landmark of the
utmost significance in the development of the Faith of &Baha'u'llah
in the Antipodes, has filled my heart with joy and thanksgiving,
has evoked profound admiration in the hearts of the followers
of the Faith in both Hemispheres, and fully qualified the &Baha'i
Communities in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania to embark
upon their Ten-Year Plan, which constitutes so important
and vital a phase of the global Crusade launched by their sister
Communities in every continent of the globe.
+P115
This new milestone in the history of the Faith in Australasia
signalizes the opening of a new chapter in the progressive
unfoldment of the Mission of these communities--a Mission that
embraces both their homelands as well as the neighbouring
Island of the South Pacific Ocean and where their most brilliant
exploits, testifying to their heroism and devotion, must be
achieved and their greatest victories won.
A twofold task of far-reaching importance, at once thrilling
and arduous, now faces them, involving the steady multiplication
and consolidation of the nascent institutions of the Faith in Australia,
New Zealand and Tasmania and the erection of the Administrative
structure of the Faith in the islands and archipelagos
beyond the shores of the Australian continent.
The despatch of pioneers to the seven virgin islands assigned
to the National Assembly of the &Baha'is of Australia and New
Zealand is the first and most vital objective of the newly launched
Ten-Year Plan, requiring urgent consideration, careful planning,
and energetic action, in the course of the current year. Every
effort should be exerted and the utmost sacrifice should be made,
to ensure, ere the opening year of this great and historic Plan
draws to a close, the settlement of at least one pioneer in each
of these Islands--an achievement which will seal with success the
opening phase of the collective enterprise auspiciously launched
by your Assembly on the occasion of the centenary celebrations
of the birth of &Baha'u'llah's Mission.
Second in importance and far-reaching in its repercussions is
the selection and purchase by your assembly--an undertaking to
which &Baha'i National Assemblies, as well as I myself, will contribute--
of the site of the first &Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in the Antipodes,
to be situated either within or in the immediate outskirts
of, the city of Sydney, the leading and oldest &Baha'i Centre in
the Australian continent, and which already houses the National
Administrative Headquarters of your assembly.
These two essential obligations, as well as the task of consolidating
steadily the prizes already won in the administrative
field in that continent, must take precedence over all other obligations
assumed by the prosecutors of the Plan, and will, if
fulfilled in time, constitute a splendid prelude to its systematic
execution and eventual consummation.
The valiant and youthful &Baha'i communities established in
+P116
Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, which despite their
limited resources, the smallness of their numbers, their relative
inexperience, and the various obstacles which have confronted
them in the past, have proved themselves capable of such memorable
feats, in both the teaching and administrative spheres of
&Baha'i activity, will, surely, refuse to hesitate or falter at this
crucial and challenging hour in the unfoldment of their destiny,
and will never allow themselves to be outdone by their sister-communities
who share with them the high and inescapable
responsibility of contributing to the final triumph of this, the
most gigantic and momentous collective undertaking launched
since the inception of the Formative Age of the &Baha'i Dispensation.
I appeal to their elected national representatives to direct,
with all the means at their disposal, the operations of the Plan,
and encourage constantly the members of the Communities they
represent to lend, each according to his or her resources and
capabilities, every possible assistance to this common task. I entreat,
moreover, all local assemblies, groups and isolated believers
to support, unstintingly, every measure devised for the effective
prosecution of this same task, and to continue in this meritorious
endeavour until every single objective of the Plan is attained.
May the followers of the Faith in that far-off continent, who
can already boast of such a proud record of stewardship to the
Cause of &Baha'u'llah, illuminate its annals, in the course of the
coming decades by deeds of still greater renown, by acts of still
more glorious sacrifice, and prepare themselves to worthily contribute,
at the appointed time, to the world-wide celebrations
which will commemorate the Centenary of His Declaration.
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
January 24, 1954
Mrs. Greta Lake, Secretary,
Yerrinbool &Baha'i School.
Dear &Baha'i Sister:
Your letter of January 3rd has been received by the beloved
Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
+P117
He was very happy that the honored Hand of the Cause,
Mr. Furutan, and Mr. Faizi, could be with you at this session
of your Summer School, and he is sure they were the cause of
great happiness and deep enkindlement to the friends present.
The Guardian has high hopes for the dear Australian and
New Zealand believers, and he urges you, one and all, to persist
in your labours, no matter at what cost, until all the goals set
before you for the Ten Year Crusade, have been attained.
With warm &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
May the Almighty bless you and your dear co-workers in your
highly meritorious endeavours, and enable you to win great victories
in the service of His glorious Faith.
Your true brother,
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
June 16, 1954
Mr. James Heggie, Secretary,
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Brother:
The letters from your Assembly dated July 6, September 14,
November 9 and December 18, 1953, and January 7 (2), February
28, and March 22 and 31, 1954, with enclosures, also the material
sent separately, have all been received by the beloved Guardian,
and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
Regarding the various matters you have raised, he does not
know how the galleys of the Tahitian pamphlet and letters of
Louise Bosch happened to be sent to you. He had nothing to do
with it, and is perfectly satisfied that they should remain in the
hands of your Assembly.
He has been delighted over the marked progress made by
your Assembly in carrying out its own portion of the Ten-Year
Crusade. The number of members of the National Body who
have gone forth as pioneers to virgin territories which you have
+P118
succeeded in opening during the first year of the Plan, the purchase
of the Temple site in Sydney--all attest the vitality of the
faith of the believers in the Antipodes. He is very proud of their
spirit and their achievements, and believes that they will go very
far in their service to the Faith on an international scale. The
initiative shown through the holding of a South Pacific School
pleased him immensely. In view of the work to be done, the
number of languages into which the literature is to be translated,
the tremendous area throughout which the Australian goals are
scattered, schools and institutes of this nature are really essential.
He is also very happy to note the increase in &Baha'i membership,
a sure sign of the virility of the faith of the believers.
He feels sure that the visit of the dear Hand of the Cause,
Mr. Furutan, accompanied by Mr. Faizi, did a tremendous
amount of good. Mr. Furutan has since made the pilgrimage to
Haifa, and spoke very highly to the Guardian of the believers
in that part of the world, whom he grew to love and admire very
much during his visit.
He was very happy to see that Mrs. Dunn was able to attend
the New Zealand &Baha'i Summer School. For a woman of her
age, this was surely a remarkable achievement, and must have
been a great inspiration to the New Zealand friends, coming as
she did so freshly from the last Intercontinental Teaching Conference
held in New Delhi.
Now that so many of the goals abroad have been settled,
and active plans have been laid to settle the remaining ones, he
feels that your Assembly should pay particular attention, during
the coming year, to the work on the home front. The multiplication
of Local Assemblies, the incorporation of Local Assemblies
and the increase in centers throughout Australia and New
Zealand are all-important and pressing, and will require a great
deal of work. The sooner the friends "get on with it" the better!
In connection with the teaching work throughout the Pacific
area, he fully believes that in many cases the white society is
difficult to interest in anything but its own superficial activities.
The &Baha'is must identify themselves on the one hand, as much
as they reasonably can, with the life of the white people, so as
not to become ostracized, criticized and eventually ousted from
their hard-won pioneer posts. On the other hand, they must bear
in mind that the primary object of their living there is to teach
+P119
the native population the Faith. This they must do with tact and
discretion, in order not to forfeit their foot-hold in these islands
which are often so difficult of access.
Sound judgment, a great deal of patience and forbearance,
faith and nobility of conduct, must distinguish the pioneers, and
be their helpers in accomplishing the object of their journey to
these far places.
He attaches great importance to teaching the aboriginal
Australians, and also in converting more Maoris to the Faith,
and hopes that the &Baha'is will devote some attention to contacting
both of these minority groups.
As he has already informed you, he approves of any surplus
moneys in the Temple fund, after having purchased the site,
being diverted for the use of the Pacific teaching work. He feels
that your Assembly has shown remarkably good judgment in
handling this entire matter.
The most important thing of all in connection with the
pioneer work, is to ensure that the believers who, at such cost
of sacrifice and effort, have at last succeeded in gaining entry
to these far-flung and difficult territories, should remain there at
all costs.
As regards the question of how to write some of the Oriental
words, like &Baha'u'llah and &Abdu'l-Baha in the translations
which have Latin script, he feels that at least in parenthesis a
phonetical pronunciation should be included after the name
when the English transliteration is used. There is no use giving
people the Teachings, and not enabling them to pronounce correctly
the names that have the deepest association of all with
our Faith.
He urges your Body and, through you, all of the dear believers
in Australia and New Zealand, and your devoted pioneers
serving so far afield, to be of good heart, to persevere, and to rest
assured that the Beloved will watch over and protect your
labours.
He will pray for all the members of your Assembly in the
holy Shrines, and for the success of your indefatigable labours.
With warm &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
+P120
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The manifold evidences of the remarkable progress, achieved
in almost every field, by the Australian and New-Zealand &Baha'i
Communities since the launching of the Ten-Year Plan, have
truly rejoiced my heart, and served to heighten my feelings of
admiration for the sterling qualities which the members of these
Communities have increasingly displayed in recent years.
There is no doubt whatever--and I truly feel proud to place
it on record--that the community of the followers of &Baha'u'llah
labouring for His Cause in the Antipodes now occupies, by virtue
of the quality of the faith of its members, the soundness of their
judgement, the clearness of their vision, the scope of their accomplishments,
and their exemplary loyalty, courage and self-sacrifice,
a foremost position among its sister communities in all the continents
of the globe.
Far from stagnating or declining in number or in influence
it has in recent years displayed a vitality which can well excite
the admiration and envy of them all, and has demonstrated,
beyond the shadow of a doubt, a fidelity to the principles of our
Faith, whether a spiritual or administrative, and a capacity for
service which all may well emulate.
Though all the goals, in the virgin areas of the globe,
assigned to the elected national representatives of these two
communities have not as yet been attained, owing solely to
circumstances beyond their control, yet the spirit evinced by the
pioneers belonging to these communities, who have so gloriously
initiated this major task, constituting the foremost objective of
the opening phase of this Ten-Year Crusade, has been such as to
amply compensate for the inability of their national elected
representatives to consummate, ere the close of the first year of
the Ten-Year Plan, this initial enterprise marking the inauguration
of their Mission in foreign fields. Particularly gratifying
and indeed inspiring has been the response of the members of
your assembly to the Call for pioneers--a response that has surpassed
that of any other National Body throughout the &Baha'i
World.
The selection and subsequent purchase of the site of the first
&Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in the Antipodes in the outskirts of a city--
the first to receive the light of the Revelation of &Baha'u'llah in
Australasia, and destined to play a predominant role in the
+P121
evolution of the Administrative Order of His Faith in that vast
area--is an achievement which I heartily welcome and for which
I feel deeply grateful. This remarkable accomplishment will, in
conjunction with the establishment a decade ago of the National
&Haziratu'l-Quds in that same city, accelerate the progress, and
immensely reinforce the foundations, of the administrative institutions
inaugurated on the morrow of &Abdu'l-Baha's ascension,
and which are destined to yield their fairest fruit in the Golden
Age of the &Baha'i Dispensation.
The second phase of this spiritual Crusade upon which these
two greatly blessed, fast unfolding, firmly established, intensely
alive communities have now entered must witness the opening,
at whatever cost, of the remaining virgin territories allocated to
their national elected representatives. The preservation of the
prizes already won in the newly opened territories is, moreover,
a task they cannot afford to neglect under any circumstances.
The multiplication of &Baha'i isolated centres, groups and local
assemblies, in both Australia and New-Zealand--a process that
has been steadily and rapidly developing since the inauguration
of the Ten-Year Plan, is likewise of paramount importance in
the years immediately ahead. The development of these institutions,
particularly in New-Zealand, will no doubt hasten the
emergence of an independent National Spiritual Assembly in
that territory, and will lend a tremendous impetus to the onward
march of the Faith in those regions.
The assistance which your Assembly must increasingly extend
to its sister assembly in the Indian sub-continent, in connection
with the translation and publication of &Baha'i Literature in
the languages allocated under the Ten-Year Plan, is yet another
task which, in the coming months, must be boldly tackled and
consistently carried on. The incorporation of local assemblies
moreover, is a matter of great urgency and should in no wise be
postponed or neglected. The consolidation work to be undertaken,
according to the provisions of this same Plan, is, likewise,
urgent and of the utmost importance, and will undoubtedly
serve to enhance the prestige of your assembly and enrich the
record of your far-reaching accomplishments. The purchase of a
building in Auckland destined to serve as the National &Haziratu'l-Quds
of the &Baha'is of New-Zealand, is yet another objective
on which attention should be immediately focused--in anticipation
+P122
of the erection of yet another pillar of the future House of
Justice in that remote part of the world.
Whilst these objectives are being steadily pursued by your
assembly, every effort will be exerted in the Holy Land, as a
tribute to the superb spirit animating the Australian and New
Zealand believers and to their incessant and meritorious labours
in the service of the Cause they have championed, to hasten the
transfer of a part of the &Baha'i international endowments to the
name of the newly constituted Israel Branch of your Assembly--
an act that will at once bestow a great spiritual and material
benefit on your Assembly and reinforce the ties binding it to the
World Centre of the Faith in the Holy Land.
May the members of these valiant communities, whose interests
you so conscientiously serve and whom you so ably represent,
continue to prosper under your wise and loving leadership,
scale loftier heights in their collective enterprise, and win a still
greater measure of fame in the service of a Cause to which they
have so nobly dedicated their resources, and which they have
served, in the past thirty years, with so rare a spirit of consecration
and self-sacrifice.
That they may bring to full and early fruition the manifold
tasks they have undertaken is the constant prayer of one who has
never ceased to love and admire them for their past and present
achievements, and for whose future accomplishments he cherishes
the brightest hopes.
Shoghi.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
July 24, 1955
Mr. James Heggie, Secretary,
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Brother:
Your letters of July 27, August 5, and November 16, 1954,
and January 21, and July 5, 1955, with enclosures, have been
received by the beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to
answer you on his behalf.
He is very happy over the progress which has been made in
the area under your Assembly's jurisdiction during the past year.
+P123
The news of the purchase of the &Haziratu'l-Quds in Auckland
was most welcome. The acquisition of this building is really one
of the pre-requisites for the formation of the National Assembly
of New Zealand; he hopes that the impetus this has given to the
work of the Faith there, combined with the devotion of the
&Baha'is will speed the formation of local Assemblies, which alone
constitute the necessary firm foundation for the National Body,
a Body which will be one of the direct pillars supporting the
International House of Justice. He urges, therefore, your Assembly
to give all the teaching help it can to New Zealand; and to
encourage the believers there to do their utmost to achieve their
goals.
The wonderful spirit the pioneers from Australia and New
Zealand have shown is a source of pride to the Guardian. Aleady
they have garnered many rich prizes for the Faith in the
form of such romantic, remote and inaccessible isles as Tonga,
the Solomons and the Society Islands. Their determination, devotion
and courage are exemplary in every way; and he hopes they
will persevere, and not abandon their posts.
It must be made quite clear to the &Baha'is that opening a
new territory or a new town for that matter, meritorious as it is,
is nevertheless only the first move. The consolidation of the
&Baha'i work undertaken there is the most important thing of all.
Victories are won usually through a great deal of patience, planning
and perseverance, and rarely accomplished at a single stroke.
He was very glad to see that your Assembly had promptly
gone to the aid of Mr. Blum. Without the support you gave him
so generously and quickly, he might well have been forced to
abandon this important post, which would have indeed been a
great defeat to our work.
He was very happy to receive the Samoan and Tongan
pamphlets. However restricted in size, such pamphlets as these
are a great asset to the literature of the Faith, and enable the
teaching work to progress more rapidly. He hopes that the
pioneers will bear this in mind; and if they find any languages
that would be of real use to their teaching work, and can get a
small pamphlet translated into them, they will endeavour to
do so.
As he already cabled you, of the extra 3,000 Dollars which
you had left over in the &Haziratu'l-Quds Fund for New Zealand,
+P124
he wishes you to keep half for the teaching activities carried
out under your jurisdiction, and forward the other half to England
for the work there, as they are in need of assistance in
carrying forward the many important tasks allotted to the British
National Spiritual Assembly.
The purchase of the Temple site--reasonable in sum, reasonable
in area, and excellent in position--brought great joy to his
heart.
He is indeed proud of the achievements of the believers of
Australia and New Zealand, and the well-balanced, intelligent
and persevering manner in which they go about their business.
He hopes that the private bill you are planning to have
passed in the Upper House, and which will give the &Baha'is
legal recognition, will go through successfully. In view of the
precedent of the Canadian Parliament when a special Act was
passed, legalizing the status of the &Baha'is in that country, he
feels that you should not have much difficulty in Australia.
He is hoping that, after the &Ridvan elections, good news will
reach him of the formation of many more new Spiritual Assemblies
in both Australia and New Zealand. The multiplication of
&Baha'i Centers is, at the present stage of the development of the
Cause, of the greatest importance. In the first place, it means that
news of the coming of &Baha'u'llah is being made available to a
greater number of the population; and in the second place, it
broadens the foundation of the national institutions which must
elect the International House of Justice. Believers in centres that
possess a relatively large voting list should bear in mind that at
this time it is highly important and acceptable in the sight of
God to disperse and carry the Message to new Centres, both
outside the country and within it.
Your Assembly should bear in mind the necessity, in the
future at any rate, of having firmly grounded local Assemblies
in all of the States of Australia and New Zealand; and also the
importance of increasing the representation of the minority races,
such as the Aborigines and the Maoris, within the &Baha'i Community.
Special effort should be made to contact these people
and to teach them; and the &Baha'is in Australia and New Zealand
should consider that every one of them that can be won to
the Faith is a precious acquisition.
As he surveys the progress being made throughout the &Baha'i
+P125
world, he is particularly pleased with that achieved in the Antipodes.
The soundness, healthiness and vigour of the &Baha'i Community
"down under" is a source of great joy to him, and he feels
is an example to the &Baha'is in other continents of the globe.
He remembers the members of your Assembly and all the
dear &Baha'i pioneers and those labouring at home in his prayers
in the holy Shrines, and supplicates that you all may be richly
blessed, and render the Faith devoted services.
With warm &Baha'i love.
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The achievements that have distinguished and enobled the
record of services rendered by the valiant, fast expanding, steadily
consolidating, richly endowed, highly promising &Baha'i Communities
in the Antipodes have brought intense joy to my heart,
and have, no doubt, excited the admiration of the members of
their sister communities throughout the &Baha'i world. The contribution
which, severally and collectively, the organized followers
of the Faith of &Baha'u'llah in the Australian continent, in
New Zealand and in Tasmania, are making towards the progress
of the Ten-Year Crusade in so many of its aspects, ever since its
inception, is truly exemplary and augurs well for their future
development and triumph under the provisions of this momentous
Ten-Year Plan.
The steady increase in the number of believers, of isolated
centres, groups and assemblies evokes my deep and heartfelt admiration
and gratitude. The purchase of the site of the first
&Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in the Antipodes is a service that has greatly
enhanced the prestige of the Faith, and consitutes a historic
victory worthy to rank as a distinct milestone in the history of
its progressive unfoldment throughout Australasia. The purchase
of the &Haziratu'l-Quds in Auckland, as the future headquarters
of the New Zealand National Spiritual Assembly, is another
accomplishment that merits the highest praise. The opening of
the virgin territories assigned, under the Ten-Year Plan, to the
elected representatives of these communities has, furthermore,
demonstrated the readiness of the members of these communities
to speedily and worthily achieve the goals of this dynamic Plan
in this particular and vital sphere of collective &Baha'i endeavour.
+P126
The assistance extended by these same representatives to their
brethren in the Indian sub-continent in connection with the
translation of &Baha'i literature into the languages allotted to
them, under this same Plan, affords, moreover, further evidence
of their alacrity, their devotion, their watchfulness in promoting,
in every way possible, the manifold interests of their beloved
Faith at this crucial stage in its development and consolidation.
Laden with such victories, conscious of the future brightness
of their mission, fully relying in the efficacy of that celestial aid
which has at no time failed them in the past, it behoves them
to rededicate themselves, during the opening months of the last
year of the second phase of this world encompassing Crusade,
to the tasks they have so splendidly initiated. The scope of their
activities, now ranging out far into the South Pacific Ocean, must
rapidly widen. Their determination to fulfil their tasks must
never for a moment falter. Their vision of the glorious destiny
bound up with the triumphant accomplishment of their collective
enterprise must remain undimmed. Their willingness to
sacrifice unstintingly until every single objective of the Plan has
been achieved must, under no circumstances, be allowed to
weaken. Their unity and solidarity in the pursuit and attainment
of their immediate as well as distant objectives must, at all times,
continue unimpaired. The prizes they have won, at the expense
of so much sacrifice, in the islands neighbouring the Australian
continent, as well as in those lying further from its shores in both
the Indian and Pacific Oceans, must not, however strenuous the
effort required, be jeopardized. The opening of the one remaining
island as yet unopened among those alloted to them under
the Ten-Year Plan must be speedily undertaken. The translation
of &Baha'i literature into the few remaining languages which still
require the concentrated attention of their elected representatives
must in no wise be neglected. The process of &Baha'i incorporation,
constituting one of the most vital features of their collective
enterprise, must be accelerated--however formidable the
obstacles which stand in their path. The establishment of &Baha'i
endowments in the Dominion of New Zealand is yet another
responsibility devolving upon their elected national representatives,
a responsibility which should be discharged prior to the
emergence of an independent national assembly in that distant
and promising island.
+P127
Whilst these immediate goals are being steadily and resolutely
pursued, attention should, likewise, be particularly directed
to the vital need for the constant multiplication of isolated
centres, groups and local assemblies, as well as to the necessity of
increasing, to an unprecedented degree, the number of the
avowed adherents of the Faith who can directly and effectively
contribute to the broadening of its foundations and the expansion
of its nascent institutions. Particularly in the Dominion of
New Zealand, where a pillar of the future Universal House of
Justice will soon be erected, must a fresh impetus be lent to this
vital process which can alone reinforce the foundations on which
this projected institution must ultimately rest.
The Community of the followers of &Baha'u'llah in the Antipodes
is approaching a milestone of great significance in the
course of its development through the emergence of this major
institution, destined to play a notable part in the evolution of
the administrative Order of the Faith in the Pacific Area.
Fully aware of their high and inescapable responsibilities at
this crucial stage in the expansion and consolidation of their
institutions, challenged and stimulated by the tragic and heartrending
tidings reaching them from &Baha'u'llah's native land,
where a wave of persecution of uncommon severity has swept
over His followers in both the Capital and the provinces; conscious
and appreciative of the blessing of freedom so cruelly
denied their oppressed brethren in the cradle of their Faith; and
determined to offset by their exertions the losses sustained by
the Faith in that land, the members of this privileged, this
valiant and forward marching community must display, in the
months immediately ahead, such a spirit of devotion and of self-sacrifice
as will outshine the brilliance and glory of their past and
present achievements.
Theirs is an opportunity which they can not ignore or
neglect. Theirs is a duty which if worthily performed will no
doubt draw them closer to the throne of &Baha'u'llah, and considerably
enrich their share of inestimable blessings stored for
them in the &Abha Kingdom. May they by their response to the
call of the present hour prove themselves worthy of the high
mission with which they have been entrusted.
Shoghi.
+P128
Oct. 30th, 1955
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
At the instruction of our beloved Guardian, I am writing
you this letter, the contents of which he wishes your assembly
to regard as strictly confidential for the time being, until such
time as he wishes to make it public.
He is seriously considering the possibility of having a &Baha'i
Temple built in the Antipodes during the present 10 Year Plan,
on the Temple site already purchased in Sydney. This would
ensure a House of Worship in every Continent of the globe by
1963. Also, in view of the strong recrudescence of persecution
and hatred of the Faith in Persia he feels that to erect Temples
in Africa and Australasia--where it is possible to do so--would be
a great comfort to the Persian believers and a befitting response
to their enemies who may well make it unfeasible to build the
Tehran Temple during this Plan.
In view of this he wishes you to approach qualified architects
and request sketches--preliminary studies--for this Temple,
which you can submit to him as soon as possible and from which
he can indicate the one he feels would be most suitable. He
makes this suggestion of studies first because the recent drawings
submitted in competition in Germany (and forwarded to him)
were all highly modernistic and undignified and a lot of money
and time was spent for nothing. There was only one he considered
at all possible, and this was not chosen by the judges;
necessary qualifications: a building nine sides, surmounted by a
dome. Note--circular building. Seating capacity 500 with possible
additional seating in a balcony at a future date. Height 40 to 45
meters. Note: no assembly hall is to be included, only auditorium
for worship, with no surrounding rooms, is necessary. Extra
rooms for maintenance, toilets, caretaker, can be in basement.
There is no reason why it should look like the Chicago
Temple; on the other hand, he feels these ultra-modern, often
bizarre structures are not at all in keeping with the dignity of
our Faith. The type of dome on such structures as Mason
Remey's Temple for Haifa, the Shrine of the &Bab and St. Peter's
in Rome he considers beautiful in proportion and suitable. The
style is naturally a question each architect would evolve for himself.
What interests the Guardian is the symmetry of the ensemble
and dignity.
+P129
He would urge your Assembly to get preliminary studies to
him at the earliest possible date, and then he can indicate the
one he feels most suitable and the architect can work up full
details later.
With loving greetings,
R. Rabbani.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
November 29, 1955
National Spiritual Assembly of the &Baha'is
of Australia and New Zealand,
Care of Mr. J. Heggie, Secretary.
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
This is just a note, written at the instruction of our beloved
Guardian, to answer a question raised in your last letter.
As there is no definite and conclusive statement on Vivisection
in the &Baha'i teachings, this is a matter which the International
House of Justice will have to pass upon in the future.
With loving &Baha'i greetings to you all, and the assurance
of the beloved Guardian's prayers for the success of your labours.
R. Rabbani.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
June 13th, 1956.
Mr. James Heggie, Secretary,
National Spiritual Assembly of the &Baha'is
of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Brother:
Your letters of November 17, and December 12 and 31, 1955,
and January 6, February 22, April 24, and May 27, (two), with
enclosures have been received by the beloved Guardian, and he
has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
He was happy to receive the pamphlets which you have had
translated and forwarded to him, and which is certainly a welcome
addition to the teaching work in the Pacific area.
He was also pleased to see that you have found a friendly
architect, who will cooperate in submitting plans for the future
+P130
Temple in Sydney. He is eagerly looking forward to receiving
them. Since writing this, they have been received. He was also
glad to hear that another site had been procured.
Repercussions of the Chicago Temple are felt everywhere,
and the same is becoming increasingly true of the Shrine. One
single edifice, raised to the glory of &Baha'u'llah, shines like a
beacon and attracts the hearts of the people; no doubt many
seeds are sown just through the act of people visiting these
edifices--seeds which in the future will germinate. It is because
of this that he is very eager to have the Australian one commenced
as soon as circumstances permit.
As regards the question the Auckland Assembly has asked
about vivisection, there is nothing on this subject in the &Baha'i
teachings. At a future date such matters will no doubt be taken
up by the International House of Justice.
He is very anxious to have as many local assemblies incorporated
as possible; and was hence very pleased to hear that your
Assembly is energetically prosecuting this part of the Ten Year
Plan in both Australia and New Zealand.
The visits of the Australian friends to different centers in
Australia and New Zealand, as well as Mr. Featherstone's trip to
some of the Pacific Islands, have been much appreciated, and he
feels sure that marked results will be forthcoming. Although you
who labour in that distant continent may often feel that your
work is progressing but slowly, the Guardian, from the prospective
that he has here at the World Center, is well pleased with
the perseverance, the devotion and the achievements of the Australian
and New Zealand friends; and he is proud of their spirit,
and feels sure that they will accomplish their goals.
He was very happy to hear that Mr. Marques has obtained
permission to remain in Timor. His background makes him a
very important pioneer for that area; and he is happy that your
Assembly was able to make it possible for him to remain.
The matter of the areas under the jurisdiction of a local
Spiritual Assembly is one which the National Assembly must
study, and apply the principles laid down by the Guardian;
namely, that within a municipal area, where the people resident
in the area pay taxes and vote, the Assembly can be elected, and
holds jurisdiction. Anyone living outside of that area is not a
member of that Community, and cannot enjoy the administrative
+P131
privileges of that Community. Although this will affect your
Assembly roll, it will place the work of the Faith on a much
sounder basis, and increase the number of Centers where &Baha'is
reside throughout Australia, which is an important phase of the
work in any case. It will challenge the friends to work harder
to create new Assemblies and make up for those dissolved; and
he feels sure that in the near future the &Baha'is will be very
proud of the results they have achieved through this change.
He is delighted to hear that the New Zealand friends are so
eagerly carrying on their work in preparation for their National
Assembly next year. Their coming of age, so to speak, will be a
source of pride to all their fellow National Assemblies, and they
will form a welcome addition to the pillars which must ultimately
sustain the International House of Justice.
Regarding the question of capital punishment, provision is
made for it in the Aqdas, but this is not the time to go into
details. When the Aqdas is promulgated and the House of Justice
comes into being will be the time to go into these matters in
greater detail. For the present they should be given no publicity.
Assuring you all of his loving prayers for the success of the
work you are doing.
With warmest greetings,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
My heart overflows with gratitude, and my admiration is
heightened, as I contemplate the range and quality of the achievements
of the devoted and valiant adherents of the Faith in the
Antipodes, who have in recent years so greatly embellished the
record of their services and contributed so remarkably to the
progress of the institutions of a divinely appointed Administrative
order in that far-away continent.
The entire &Baha'i world beholds with pride and admiration
the great victories won by the Australian and New-Zealand communities,
both in their homelands and in so many islands of the
Pacific Ocean, and shares my confidence that their historic accomplishments,
particularly since the inception of the Ten-Year Plan,
are but a prelude to still nobler exploits and still mightier
victories.
+P132
Their exemplary loyalty to the Faith they have so eagerly
embraced, their keen enthusiasm, their persistent endeavours,
their willingness to sacrifice, their inflexible resolve to surmount
every obstacle, their unity and solidarity, their optimism and
courage, are assets which I greatly value, and for which I cannot
but feel deeply grateful.
Much indeed has been achieved by these stalwart defenders
and promoters of the Faith of &Baha'u'llah! To an extent which
they themselves cannot estimate their individual and collective
achievements, in both the teaching and administrative spheres
of &Baha'i activity, have compensated for the enforced inactivity
and the disabilities suffered by their sorely tried brethren in
Persia. The first and second phases of the Ten-Year Plan owe,
to a very notable degree, their success to the impetus which the
splendid initiative and remarkable resourcefulness displayed by
the members of these communities has lent to the onward march
of the Faith in that continent. In more than one way these communities,
through their consecrated efforts and the tangible results
they have achieved, have set an inspiring example to their sister
communities in both the East and the West. The Author of the
Divine Plan, Himself, who during the closing years of His ministry,
witnessed the awakening of that vast continent, rejoices
over and applauds the rapidity with which the light of His
Father's Faith has spread over and enveloped that continent and
its neighbouring islands.
Much, however still remains to be achieved before the laurels
of total and complete victory are claimed.
The precarious situation in some of the newly opened territories
allotted to your assembly must be given first consideration
and should be speedily remedied. Any, and every nucleus formed
in those islands must be vigilantly safeguarded, and, if possible,
constantly enlarged and consolidated.
Special attention, during the opening year of the third phase
of the Plan, must be prayerfully accorded to the extension and
consolidation of the homefront, with particular emphasis on the
rapid increase in the number of the adherents of the Faith, and
the multiplication of isolated centres, groups and assemblies.
The process of incorporation, so long held in abeyance, must be
accelerated by every means possible.
A supreme effort must be made, in the course of the current
+P133
year, in conjunction with the Indian National Spiritual Assembly,
to bring to an early and successful conclusion the translation
of &Baha'i literature into the languages listed in the Plan, thereby
assuring the attainment of one of its vital objectives.
Particular attention should be devoted to the urgent needs
of the New Zealand &Baha'i community, through the formulation
of a plan which will enable it to swell the number of its administrative
institutions, enlarging and reinforcing thereby the foundations
on which its forthcoming National Assembly must ultimately
rest.
The goals which both communities are called upon, at this
crucial hour in the evolution of the Plan, to achieve have been
clearly defined and repeatedly emphasized. The task, however, is
vast and arduous. The effort that must needs be exerted by the
rank and file of the believers is immense. The challenge that
must needs be met is severe. The promise of eventual victory, if
the army of &Baha'u'llah's Crusaders persevere in their mission, is
clear and unmistakeable.
The need of the present hour, as these communities enter
upon the third, and, what promises to be, the most brilliant
phase of a World Spiritual Crusade, is a still greater consecration
to the Cause of &Baha'u'llah in all its aspects, and a renewed dedication
in all the divers fields of &Baha'i activity.
That the members of the Australian and New Zealand communities
will unanimously rise to the present occasion, that they
will not allow any consideration whatever to deflect them from
their high purpose in the days to come, that they will expend
every ounce of energy for the attainment of these shining goals,
is the deepest longing of my heart and the object of my ardent
prayers.
Shoghi.
--------------
October 27, 1956
The National Spiritual Assembly of the &Baha'is
of Australia and New Zealand.
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
Your Assembly will be receiving five hundred pounds sent by
Mr. Varqa on behalf of the beloved Guardian. This is a contribution
+P134
for your National Fund to help in the work you are
doing.
With loving greetings,
R. Rabbani.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
May 7, 1957
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia.
Dear &Baha'i Friends:
Under separate cover, at the instruction of our beloved
Guardian, I am mailing to you a fragment of the plaster from
the Room the &Bab was confined in, in the Fortress of &Mah-Ku,
in Persia.
He is sending this precious memento to be placed by Mother
Dunn on his behalf in the foundations of the First &Mashriqu'l-Adhkar
which you will shortly commence building in Sydney.
He feels sure that this precious dust, calling to mind the
sacrifices of the beloved &Bab, will be a blessing for the Temple
and an inspiration to the friends.
Please acquaint Mother Dunn with his instructions, and see
that she receives the plaster safely.
With warm &Baha'i greetings,
R. Rabbani.
--------------
Haifa, Israel,
July 19, 1957
Mr. Noel P. L. Walker, Secretary,
National Spiritual Assembly of the
&Baha'is of Australia.
Dear &Baha'i Brother:
Your Assembly's communications with their enclosures and
material sent under separate cover have all been safely received
by the beloved Guardian; and he has instructed me to answer
you on his behalf, and to acknowledge receipt of your letters
dated: August 14, September 6, October 14 and 29, and December
3, 1956, and February 17 and March 24, May 9, June 12 and
19, 1957.
+P135
In connection with various matters raised in your letters:
The photograph of the Shrine on Mt. Carmel was sent to
Dr. Brasch, and we hope that he received it safely.
As regards the "Herald of the South" magazine, in view of
the important work lying ahead of your Assembly, and the fact
that this magazine is a drain on the limited resources of the
Community, he thinks it would be quite all right to suspend
publication until a future date when the financial situation
permits such expenditures to be made with relative ease. He
leaves, however, the final decision to your Assembly.
The Committee responsible for the publication of this magazine
has certainly laboured valiantly throughout the years, and
the publication will be missed by its readers. However, it is some
years since the American &Baha'i Magazine was abandoned for
similar reasons, and the Guardian feels that you can do so in
Australia, and the funds be used to better advantage, at this
time. However, now that you have found a printer in Sydney
and appointed a new committee, he thinks you should continue
it and give the new Plan a try.
The progress your Assembly has been making on the plans
for the Temple, in conjunction with the evidently very able and
cooperative architect whom you have found in Sydney, greatly
pleases and encourages the beloved Guardian. He is particularly
happy to know that Mr. Brogan is pliable in his ideas, and
enthusiastic about getting the Temple constructed, even though
the original design is not his own. Unfortunately, owing to the
age of Mr. Remey and his duties at the International Center, it
is impossible for him to carry out, himself, the execution in
detail of his plans or to supervise the construction; and consequently
both the Kampala Temple and the Sydney Temple have
been entrusted to reliable firms.
The influence that this Mother Temple of the whole Pacific
area will exert when constructed, is incalculable and mysterious.
The beloved Master told the American friends that their Temple
would be the greatest silent teacher, and there is no doubt that
this one building has exerted a profound influence on the spread
of the Faith, not only in the United States and the Western
Hemisphere, but throughout the world. We can therefore expect
that the construction of another "Mother Temple" in the heart
of Australasia, and one in the center of Africa, as well as one in
+P136
the heart of Europe, will exert a tremendous influence, both
locally and internationally.
He is eagerly waiting to receive pictures of the inauguration
of the work on the Temple site, and has recently mailed your
Assembly under separate cover a piece of the plaster from the
Room in the Fortress at &Mah-Ku where the &Bab was confined, as
well as a letter requesting that dear Mother Dunn place this, as
his representative, in the foundations of the Temple. He would
like very much to have a good photograph of this ceremony for
reproduction; and he also urges your Assembly to give as much
publicity to this occasion, and to the Temple work in general, as
possible.
The teaching work carried on by the Australian friends
throughout the region of the Pacific under their jurisdiction, has
been very satisfactory, and he is proud of the truly immense progress
which has been made. The publication of literature in so
many additional languages, the School opened by Mrs. Dobbins
in the New Hebrides, the increase in the number of native believers
throughout the islands, are all indications, not only of the
great power of this Faith to touch the hearts of those who are
spiritually receptive, but also of the consecration and devotion of
the Australian believers.
As regards various questions you asked in your letter of
February 17th:
It is of the utmost importance to keep the pioneers in their
goals. If, for reasons over which you have no control, they are
forced to leave a certain pioneer area, then he would strongly
recommend that, instead of returning all the way to their home
base, they be routed to another base in the Pacific where they can
serve the Faith. This is both economical, and hastens the attainment
of our goals. Matters of detail as to how these plans are
best worked out, are naturally left to the discretion of the
National Body responsible for the area in question.
In your letter of August 14th, you mention a small translation
of a Timorese language has been secured from Dili. The
Guardian would like to know what the specific name of this
language is, and, if it has been printed, he would like to receive
a copy.
He was very sorry to hear that dear Mother Dunn's son had
died. This, no doubt, in spite of her devotion and fortitude,
+P137
must have been a severe blow to her at her age; and he hopes
the friends will do all they can to comfort and take care of this
precious soul--the mother of their Community. Please assure her
that he prays for the progress of the soul of her son in the holy
Shrines.
The successful culmination of the long standing partnership
of the Australian and New Zealand believers thru the emergence
of the New Zealand N.S.A. is a source of great satisfaction to
the Guardian, and no doubt to all the members of both communities.
He feels sure this will mark a turning point in the
work in the Antipodes and the neighbouring islands and give a
new lease of life to the teaching work throughout that area. Both
your Assembly and that of New Zealand have now emerged into
your permanent form as pillars of the future International House
of Justice. The bones of the skeleton of the World Order are
growing strong, but only the teaching work can clothe them
with flesh.
You may be sure that he will ardently pray for the success
of your work, and that you may be strengthened and guided to
discharge your important duties and to fulfil your goals under
the Ten Year Plan.
With warm &Baha'i love,
R. Rabbani.
[From the Guardian:]
Dear and valued co-workers:
The progress achieved in recent years, rapid and extraordinary
as it has been, by the &Baha'i Communities labouring so
patiently, so methodically, and so faithfully, for the consolidation
and expansion of the institutions of the embryonic World Order
of &Baha'u'llah in the Antipodes, has been highly gratifying and
has served to deepen my confidence in their ability to achieve
their high destiny, and to evoke sentiments of ever-increasing
admiration for the manner in which they have acquitted themselves
of their task in the face of varied and almost insurmountable
obstacles.
Particularly commendable, and indeed exemplary, has been
the share of the Australian believers in enabling the New-Zealand
&Baha'i Community to make such rapid strides, in recent years,
strides that have prepared it for the assumption of its sacred and
vital function as an independent community, and which culminated
+P138
in the formation of a body qualified to take its place, and
assume the weighty responsibilities incumbent on it, as a distinct
and separate member of the world-wide family of &Baha'i national
and regional Spiritual Assemblies. The great and signal honour,
conferred upon their homeland through the selection of one of
the most highly advanced, the most populous, and one of the
most progressive of its cities--enjoying already the distinction of
being the first among them to be opened to the Message of
&Baha'u'llah and to be warmed by the rising Sun of His Revelation--
as the site of the Mother Temple of the Antipodes, and
indeed of the whole Pacific area, moreover, proclaims their right
to be considered the vanguard of His hosts, and the defenders of
the stronghold of the Administrative Order of His Faith, in that
vast area of the globe, an area endowed with unimaginable
potentialities, and which, owing to its strategic position, is bound
to feel the impact of world shaking forces, and to shape to a
marked degree through the experience gained by its peoples in
the school of adversity, the destinies of mankind.
The emergence of a new Regional Spiritual Assembly in the
North Pacific Area, with its seat fixed in the capital city of a
country which by reason of its innate capacity and the spiritual
receptivity it has acquired, in consequence of the severe and prolonged
ordeal its entire population has providentially experienced,
is destined to have a preponderating share in awakening
the peoples and races inhabiting the entire Pacific area, to the
Message of &Baha'u'llah, and to act as the Vanguard of His hosts
in their future spiritual conquest of the main body of the yellow
race on the Chinese mainland--the emergence of such an assembly
may be said to have, at long last, established a spiritual axis,
extending from the Antipodes to the northern islands of the
Pacific Ocean--an axis whose northern and southern poles will
act as powerful magnets, endowed with exceptional spiritual
potency, and towards which other younger and less experienced
communities will tend for some time to gravitate.
A responsibility, at once weighty and inescapable, must rest
on the communities which occupy so privileged a position in so
vast and turbulent an area of the globe. However great the distance
that separates them; however much they differ in race,
language, custom, and religion; however active the political forces
which tend to keep them apart and foster racial and political
+P139
antagonisms, the close and continued association of these communities
in their common, their peculiar and paramount task of
raising up and of consolidating the embryonic World Order of
&Baha'u'llah in those regions of the globe, is a matter of vital and
urgent importance, which should receive on the part of the
elected representatives of their communities, a most earnest and
prayerful consideration.
The Plan, which it is the privilege of the Australian &Baha'i
community to energetically prosecute must, simultaneously, be
assured of the unqualified, the systematic and whole-hearted
support of its members.
Theirs indeed is a twofold task which must under no circumstances
be either neglected or underrated. The one aims at the
consolidation, the multiplication and expansion of the institutions
so laboriously erected throughout the length and breadth
of the Australian commonwealth and in the islands beyond its
confines, in strict accordance with the provisions of the Ten-Year
Plan, while the other is designed to forge fresh links with its
sister communities, and particularly those situated in the North,
in anticipation of the Mission which the newly fledged &Baha'i
communities, now rapidly multiplying throughout the length
and breadth of that area, are destined and are collectively called
upon to discharge.
Whilst addressing itself to the meritorious twofold task with
which it is now confronted, this wide-awake, swiftly expanding,
steadily consolidating, highly promising community must lend
whatever assistance is possible to its newly emerged sister community
in the South, and enable her, as her institutions develop
and become firmly grounded, to share in a befitting manner, in
the collective enterprises that must, sooner or later, be launched
and carried to a successful conclusion by the island communities
situated in the Northern and Southern regions as well as in the
heart of the Pacific Ocean.
May this community which, with its sister community in the
North, has had the inestimable privilege of being called into
being in the lifetime of, and through the operation of the
dynamic forces released by the Centre of &Baha'u'llah's Covenant,
continue, with undimmed vision, with redoubled vigour, and
unwavering fidelity and constancy, to discharge its manifold and
ever increasing duties and responsibilities, and lend, as the days
+P140
go by, an impetus such as it has not lent before, in the course of
almost two score years of its existence, to the propagation of the
Faith it has so whole-heartedly espoused and is now so valiantly
serving, and play a memorable and distinctive part in hastening
the establishment, and in ensuring the gradual efflorescence and
ultimate fruition, of its divinely appointed embryonic World
Order.
Shoghi.