World+Legislature

//**"Endowments dedicated to Charity revert to God, the Revealer of Signs. None hath the right to dispose of them without leave from Him Who is the Dawning-place of Revelation. After Him this authority shall pass to [|the Aghsan], and after them to the House of Justice—should it be established in the world by then—that they may use these endowments for the benefit of the Places which have been exalted in this Cause, and for whatsoever hath been enjoined upon them by Him Who is the God of might and power. Otherwise, the endowments shall revert to the people of Bahá who speak not except by His leave and judge not save in accordance with what God hath decreed in this Tablet—lo, they are the champions of victory betwixt heaven and earth—that they may use them in the manner that hath been laid down in the Book by God, the Mighty, the Bountiful. " -[|Kitab-i-Aqdas] [|paragraph 42]...**// **//Baha'o'llah Wrote in The fifteenth [|Glad-Tidings] of the Mother Book, "Although [|a republican form of government] profiteth all the peoples of the world, yet [|the magesty of kingship] is one of the signs of God. We do not wish that the countries of the world should remain deprived thereof."//** //**"**// //**According to the fundamental laws which We have formerly revealed in [|the Kitab-i-Aqdas] and other Tablets, all affairs are committed to the care of just kings and [|presidents] and of the Trustees of the House of Justice." -Baha'o'llah-s [|Tablet of the World]...**// //**"First: It is incumbent upon the ministers of the House of Justice to promote [| the Lesser Peace] so that the people of the earth may be relieved from the burden of exorbitant expenditures. This matter is imperative and absolutely essential, inasmuch as hostilities and conflict lie at the root of affliction and calamity." -[|Tablet of the World] of Baha'o'llah**// //**" It is incumbent upon the men of God's House of Justice to fix their gaze by day and night upon that which hath shown forth from the Pen of Glory for the training of peoples, the upbuilding of nations, the protection of man and the safeguarding of his honour."-[|ISHRAQAT/Splendors of Baha'u'llah]...**//

//**[|The eighth I__sh__ráq]**// //** This passage, now written by the Pen of Glory, is accounted as part of the Most Holy Book: The men of God’s House of Justice have been charged with the affairs of the people. They, in truth, are the Trustees of God among His servants and the daysprings of authority in His countries.**// //**[| The ninth I__sh__ráq]**// //**The purpose of religion as revealed from the heaven of God’s holy Will is to establish unity and concord amongst the peoples of the world; make it not the cause of dissension and strife. The religion of God and His divine law are the most potent instruments and the surest of all means for the dawning of the light of unity amongst men. The progress 130 of the world, the development of nations, the tranquillity of peoples, and the peace of all who dwell on earth are among the principles and ordinances of God. Religion bestoweth upon man the most precious of all gifts, offereth the cup of prosperity, imparteth eternal life, and showereth imperishable benefits upon mankind. It behoveth the chiefs and rulers of the world, and in particular the Trustees of God’s House of Justice, to endeavour to the utmost of their power to safeguard its position, promote its interests and exalt its station in the eyes of the world. In like manner it is incumbent upon them to enquire into the conditions of their subjects and to acquaint themselves with the affairs and activities of the divers communities in their dominions. We call upon the manifestations of the power of God—the sovereigns and rulers on earth—to bestir themselves and do all in their power that haply they may banish discord from this world and illumine it with the light of concord.**//

//**"It is incumbent upon the Trustees of the House of Justice to take council together regarding those things which have not outwardly been revealed in the Book, and to enforce that which is agreeable to them. God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is the Provider, the Omniscient..." -eighth leaf of [|Words of Paradise]of Baha'o'llah**// //** Baha'u'llah Wrote in **// //** [|The thirteenth Glad-Tidings], "The men of God's House of Justice have been charged with the affairs of the people. They, in truth, are the Trustees of God among His servants and the daysprings of authority in His countries." **//

**Know thou, O handmaid, that in the sight of Bahá, women are accounted the same as men, and God hath created all humankind in His own image, and after His own likeness. That is, men and women alike are the revealers of His names and attributes, and from the spiritual viewpoint there is no difference between them. Whosoever draweth nearer to God, that one is the most favoured, whether man or woman. How many a handmaid, ardent and devoted, hath, within the sheltering shade of Bahá, proved superior to the men, and surpassed the famous of the earth. The House of Justice, however, according to the explicit text of the Law of God, is confined to men ; [|1] this for a wisdom of the Lord God’s, which will ere long be made manifest as clearly as the sun at high noon.** **-(“[|Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá]” [rev. ed.], (Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 1982), [|sec. 38, pp. 79–80]) [12]** ** [|The Master's Will] declares, ** ** "[|The Hands of the Cause of God] must [|elect from their own number nine persons] that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the guardian of the Cause of God. The election of these nine must be carried either unanimously or by majority from the company of the Hands of the Cause of God and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor. This assent must be given in such wise as the assenting and dissenting voices may not be distinguished (i.e., secret ballot). ** **// 20. 0 friends! must be nominated and appointed by. All must be under his shadow and obey his command. Should any, within or without disobey and seek division, the wrath of God and His vengeance will be upon him, for he will have caused [|a breach] in [|the true Faith] of God." //**   ** [|The Master's Will] also states, "O dearly beloved friends! ... My supreme obligation, however, of necessity, prompteth me to guard and preserve the Cause of God. Thus, with the greatest regret, I counsel you saying:-"Guard ye the Cause of God, protect His law and have the utmost fear of discord. This is the foundation of the belief of the people of Bahá (may my life be offered up for them)... Unto the Most Holy Book every one must turn and all that is not expressly recorded therein must be referred to the Universal House of Justice. That which this body, whether unanimously or by a majority doth carry, that is verily the Truth and the Purpose of God himself. Whoso doth deviate therefrom is verily of them that love discord, hath shown forth malice and turned away from the Lord of the Covenant. By this House is meant that Universal House of Justice which is to be elected...from those parts in the East and West where the loved ones are to be found, after the manner of the customary elections in Western countries such as those of England." **   ** "It is incumbent upon [|these members] ([|of the Universal House of Justice]) to gather in[| a certain place] and deliberate upon all problems which have caused difference, questions that are obscure and matters that are not expressly recorded in the Book. Whatsoever they decide has the same effect as the Text itself. And inasmuch as this House of Justice hath power to enact laws that are not expressly recorded in the Book and bear upon daily transactions, so also it hath power to repeal the same. Thus for example, the House of Justice enacteth today a certain law and enforceth it, and a hundred years hence, circumstances having profoundly changed and the conditions having altered, another House of Justice will then have power, according to the exigencies of the time, to alter that law. This it can do because that law formeth no part of the Divine Explicit Text. The House of Justice is both the Initiator and the Abrogator of its own laws." -[|the Master's Will] ** ** . **  || ** Bahá’u’lláh declares that all mankind should attain knowledge and acquire an education. This is a necessary principle of religious belief and observance, characteristically new in this dispensation. ** - ** Abdu'l-Baha, **[|**The Promulgation of Universal Peace**][|, Pages 453-457: gr13] //** "Divorced from the institution of the Guardianship the World Order of Bahá'u'lláh would be mutilated and permanently deprived of that hereditary principle which, as 'Abdu'l-Bahá has written, has been invariably upheld by the Law of God. "In all the Divine Dispensations," He states, in a Tablet addressed to a follower of the Faith in Persia, "the eldest son hath been given extraordinary distinctions. Even the station of prophethood hath been his birthright." Without such an institution the integrity of the Faith would be imperilled, and the stability of the entire fabric would be gravely endangered. Its prestige would suffer, the means required to enable it to take a long, and uninterrupted view over a series of generations would be completely lacking, and**// //the necessary guidance// **// to define the sphere of the legislative action of its elected representatives would be totally withdrawn" -Shoghi's [|Administrative Order] //**  //"Certain [MOST HOLY] LAWs should be regarded by all believers as universally and vitally applicable at the present time... What has not been formulated in the Aqdas, in addition to matters of detail and of secondary importance arising out of the application of the LAWs already formulated by Baha'u'llah, will have to be enacted by the Universal House of Justice. This body can supplement but never invalidate or modify in the least degree what has already been formulated by Baha''u'llah. Nor has the Guardian any right to lessen the binding effect much less to abrogate the provisions of so fundamental and sacred a book." -Shoghi Effendi's secretary to a National Spiritual Assembly in 1935// // "Baha'u'llah exhorts His followers to...observing all the ordinances revealed by Him...and to champion...the injunction to the members of parlaiments throughout the world, urging the adoption of a universal script and language..." -Shoghi in [|A Description of The Kitab-i-Aqdas] // //** "[|The Administrative Order] of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh must in no wise be regarded as purely democratic in character inasmuch as the basic assumption which requires all democracies to depend fundamentally upon getting their mandate from the people is altogether lacking in this Dispensation. In the conduct of the administrative affairs of the Faith, in the enactment of the legislation necessary to supplement the laws of [| the Kitáb-i-Aqdas], the members of the Universal House of Justice, it should be borne in mind, are not, as Bahá'u'lláh´’s utterances clearly imply, responsible to those whom they represent, nor are they allowed to be governed by the feelings, the general opinion, and even the convictions of the mass of the faithful, or of those who directly elect them. They are to follow, in a prayerful attitude, the dictates and promptings of their conscience. They may, indeed they must, acquaint themselves with the conditions prevailing among the community, must weigh dispassionately in their minds the merits of any case presented for their consideration, but must reserve for themselves the right of an unfettered decision. "God will verily inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, " is Bahá'u'lláh's incontrovertible assurance. They, and not the body of those who either directly or indirectly elect them, have thus been made the recipients of the divine guidance which is at once the life-blood and ultimate safeguard of this Revelation..." **//    //** "From these statements it is made indubitably clear and evident that the Guardian of the Faith has been made the Interpreter of the Word and that the Universal House of Justice has been invested with the function of legislating on matters not expressly revealed in the teachings. The interpretation of the Guardian, functioning within his own sphere, is as authoritative and binding as the enactments of [|the International House of Justice], whose exclusive right and prerogative is to pronounce upon and deliver the final judgment on such laws and ordinances as Bahá'u'lláh has not expressly revealed. Neither can, nor will ever, infringe upon the sacred and prescribed domain of the other. Neither will seek to curtail the specific and undoubted authority with which both have been divinely invested." -[|Shoghi Effendi,] **// **// //** //** of [|the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah]...  **//
 * ** He has set forth the solution and provided the remedy for the economic question. No religious Books of the past Prophets speak of this important human problem. ** ||
 * ** He has ordained and established the House of Justice, which is endowed with a political as well as a religious function, the consummate union and blending of church and state. This institution is under the protecting power of Bahá’u’lláh Himself. A universal, or international, House of Justice shall also be organized. Its rulings shall be in accordance with the commands and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, and that which the Universal House of Justice ordains shall be obeyed by all mankind. This [=en-se|international House of Justice]] shall be appointed and organized from the Houses of Justice of the whole world, and all the world shall come under its administration. ** ||
 * ** He has ordained and established the House of Justice, which is endowed with a political as well as a religious function, the consummate union and blending of church and state. This institution is under the protecting power of Bahá’u’lláh Himself. A universal, or international, House of Justice shall also be organized. Its rulings shall be in accordance with the commands and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, and that which the Universal House of Justice ordains shall be obeyed by all mankind. This [=en-se|international House of Justice]] shall be appointed and organized from the Houses of Justice of the whole world, and all the world shall come under its administration. ** ||

"// As regards the membership of the International House of Justice, Abdu’l-Baha states in a Tablet that it is confined to men, and that the wisdom of it will be revealed as manifest as the sun in the future. In any case the believers should know that, as Abdu’l-Baha Himself has explicitly stated that sexes are equal except in some cases, the exclusion of women from [=en-se|the International House of Justice]] ////, should not be surprising. From the fact that there is no equality of functions between the sexes one should not, however, infer that either sex is inherently superior or inferior to the other, or that they are unequal in their rights. //" -[|Shoghi Effendi], [|Training of Children], [|Dawn of a New Day], //"This commonwealth must, as far as we can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples.// //[|A world executive], backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth." -[|Shoghi Effendi],// //** [|World Unity the Goal] of [|the Unfoldment of World Civilization] **// //...// [|RESOLUTION OF THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD] //Mansion of Baha'u'llah// //Bahji, 'Akka, Israel// //November 25, 1957// //We the undersigned Hands of the Cause hereby record the following action taken in unanimous agreement:// //1. That the body of nine Hands of the Cause already constituted shall exercise these functions, namely, to correspond with the National Spiritual Assemblies on matters related to the prosecution of the Guardian's Ten Year Plan; to assist the National Assemblies in the solution of administrative problems by citing passages in Baha'i literature which clarify the nature of these problems; to act for the protection of the Faith whenever its teachings or institutions or properties are assailed by enemies from within the Baha'i Community or outside its ranks;// //2. That the Council shall represent the Faith in all matters related to the Israeli Government and its courts;// //3. The nine Hands to reinforce the membership of the International Baha'i Council through the addition of the five Hands among the nine Hands not already members of the Council;// //4. That the entire body of the Hands of the Cause, meeting annually or whenever convened by the nine Hands, shall determine when and how the International Baha'i Council shall pass through the successive stages outlined by Shoghi Effendi culminating in the election of the Universal House of Justice;// //5. That the nine Hands serving at the Baha'i World Centre shall maintain correspondence with the Hands stationed in the several continents on all matters related to their work of propagating the Faith and defending it from attack, coordinating and encouraging their efforts;// //6. That the authority to expel violators from the Faith shall be vested in the body of nine Hands, acting on reports and recommendations submitted by Hands from their respective continents.// //7. The Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land may, if necessary, call upon any of the Hands to fill a vacancy temporarily.// //[Signed as follows]// //Ruhiyyih Rabbani Zikrullah Khadem// //Mason Remey A. Q. Faizi;// //Amelia E. Collins Ugo Giachery,// //Leroy C. Ioas, Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel// //Hasan M. Balyuzi Djalal Khazeh// //Horace Holley Hermann Grossmann// //M.B. Musa Banani John Robarts,// //A. Furutan Enoch Olinga,// //Dr. R. Mohajer Ali Mohammad Varqa// //Sh. Alai H. Collis Featherstone// //John Ferraby William Sears// //T. Samandari Paul Haney// //Agnes B. Alexander Clara Dunn// //[Corinne True by affidavit]//

**To All National Spiritual Assemblies**

December 2,1957

Dear Bahá'í Friends: We send to your Assembly our most cordial greetings in this first letter to you from the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land, and assure you of our determination to exert every effort for the protection of the Cause of God and the propagation of the Faith according to the beloved Guardian's Ten Year Plan. The purpose of our letter is to enlist your aid to facilitate the legal recognition of this body. We enclose a photostat of a legal document signed by the 26 Hands of the Cause present at the Conference in the Mansion of Bahji setting this body up to act on behalf of the Hands generally, under the legal title "The Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith".

Our lawyer advises us that we should also obtain from each National Assembly a letter recognizing us as the supreme body in the Cause, and this letter should include the following sentence: "We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause." We therefore ask you please to arrange by whatever means is most suited to the conditions of working of your Assembly for a resolution to this effect to be passed without delay, and incorporated in a letter to be sent immediately to the Holy Land under the Assembly's seal, signed by its Chairman and Secretary, or in their absence, by officers authorized to act for them. The many legal negotiations we have to conduct concerning properties at the World Centre and elsewhere make speed in sending this letter of recognition vitally important, and we are confident that all National Assemblies will cooperate by seeing that the action is taken at once.

The names of the nine Hands residing in the Holy Land are on the photostat enclosed; they have been empowered to call upon any of the other Hands to serve temporarily as a substitute for one who is unable to serve in the Holy Land for the time being. Please keep the photostat in a safe place, but we ask you not to display it or give it general currency, since circulating this in addition to the Proclamation of the Hands might cause confusion.

We send your Assembly and Community every good wish for success in all you do to further the Cause of God.

With Bahá'í love,

//[Signed as follows]//|| Ruhiyyih P.S. All correspondence should be addressed from now on to "The Bahá'í Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land, P. 0. Box 155, Haifa, Israel." Cable address HANDSFAITH HAIFA.
 * A. Furutan || Leroy C. Ioas ||
 * Amelia E. Collins || Jalal Khazeh || John Ferraby ||
 * Mason Remey || Adelbert Muhlschlegel || Ugo Giachery ||

**UNANIMOUS PLEDGE OF LOYALTY**

**FROM 26 NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES OF THE BAHA'I WORLD TO THE HANDS AND CUSTODIANS**

[Excerpts from letters]

ALASKA > IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED that the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska is in full accord with the following statement issued by the 26 Hands. . "to exercise-subject to such directions and decisions as may be given from time to time by us as the Chief Stewards of the Bahá'í World Faith-all such functions, rights and powers in succession to the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, as are necessary to serve the interests of the Bahá'í World Faith, and this until such time as the Universal House of Justice, upon being duly established and elected in conformity with the Sacred Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, may otherwise determine." We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause.



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ARABIAN PENINSULA > We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. ARGENTINA, BOLIVIA, CHILE, PARAGUAY AND URUGUAY > In our capacity of National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, we pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of THE CUSTODIANS OF THE BAHÁ'Í WORLD FAITH, elected by the Hands of the Cause. AUSTRALIA > The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Australia ratifies the action taken by the twenty-six Hands of the Cause in their deliberations at the meeting held at the Mansion of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahji 'Akka, on 25th November 1957, in electing nine members from their own body to act as Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith. Furthermore, we pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. BENELUX COUNTRIES > As a result of our consultation, we wish to assure you of our unanimous and complete loyalty and of our entire recognition of your Bahá'í Institution as the supreme Body in the Cause.... we pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the Body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. With our prayers and all our complete devotion for the accomplishment of your sacred task, we assure you, once again, of our deepest thankfulness and full attachment to your supreme Body of the Cause, necessary to serve the interests of the Bahá'í World Faith. BRAZIL, PERU, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR AND VENEZUELA > We, the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela have carefully read the photostatic copy of the legal document signed by the 26 Hands of the Cause present at the Conference in the Mansion of Bahji setting up the following named Hands of the Cause: Ruhiyyih Rabbani, Charles Mason Remey, Amelia E. Collins, Leroy C. Ioas Hasan Balyuzi, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan; Jalal Khazeh Paul E. Haney and Adelbert Muhlschlegel, as the body to act on behalf of the Hands generally, under the legal title "The Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith".



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> We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. BRITISH ISLES > We, the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles, in session on this day of November 30th; 1957, having heard the Proclamation, dated November 25th 1957, by the Hands of the Cause of God at their meeting at Bahji in the World Centre of the Faith, hereby declare our grateful acceptance of this Proclamation and pledge our loyalty and allegiance to all of its provisions. CANADA > We, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. Be assured of our devotion and dedication to these Chief Stewards of the Bahá'í World Faith. CENTRAL AMERICA, MEXICO AND PANAMA > We remit the following resolution "The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Central America, Mexico and Panama in its fourth meeting held in the City of Panama, Republic of Panama on 25, 26, 27 and 28 of December 1957, in representation of the Bahá'ís of Central America, Mexico and Panama pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith, elected by the Hands of the Cause." CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICA > It was unanimously resolved in our meeting that we pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. Furthermore, we take the greatest pleasure in recognizing you as constituting the supreme body in the Cause which will exercise all the functions, rights and powers in succession to the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, as are necessary to serve the interests of the Bahá'í World Faith. GERMANY AND AUSTRIA > The National Spiritual Assembly as trustee of the Bahá'ís of Germany and Austria recognizes the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith nominated in the document of appointment made out at Bahji



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> Acre/Israel dated 25 November 1957 as the Supreme Body in conformity with the Bahá'í administration.The National Assembly officially declares: "We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the Body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause," to exercise subject to such directions and decisions as may be given from time to time by the Hands of the Cause, the Chief Stewards of the Bahá'í World Faith--all such functions, rights and powers in succession to the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, as are necessary to serve the interests of the Bahá'í World Faith ... GREATER ANTILLES > In our recent meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Greater Antilles, just concluded, the following action was taken: "MOTION NO. 85: "THAT, WHEREAS, We, the members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Greater Antilles now in session at Ciudad Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, have learned, with joy, that as a result of the Conference held at the Mansion of Bahji by twenty-six (26) members of the Hands, the setting up of a body to be known as 'The Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith' was made, "BE IT RESOLVED that we pledge our full support, faith, and allegiance to the body of The Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause; and "BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution, signed by the Chairman and Secretary of this Assembly, be sent to them." IBERIAN PENINSULA > BE IT KNOWN BY ALL MEN PRESENTThat the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the Iberian Peninsula does hereby approve and endorse the election by the Hands of the Cause of nine of their members to constitute the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith, and that We recognize this body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith to be the supreme body in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, and that We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. INDIA AND BURMA > RESOLUTION: The Proclamation issued by the Hands of the Cause of God after ascension to Abha Kingdom of our beloved Guardian was prayerfully studied and it was unanimously decided to approve of the



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> action taken by the Hands of the Cause of God in electing nine persons from amongst themselves to act as Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith and we pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the said Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. We further unanimously resolve to assure the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith of our unreserved obedience and loyal allegiance to all their wishes and directions that they may send us from time to time in the performance of their sacred duties. IRAN > We have great pleasure in informing you that the Proclamation by the Hands of the Cause to the Bahá'ís of East and West, dated 25th November, 1957, issued in the Mansion of Bahji 'Akka, has been passed on to all the Spiritual Assemblies, Bahá'í groups and isolated centres in Iran. On reading this Proclamation, all the members of the Bahá'í community of Iran recalled at once, in the spirit of absolute faith and solidarity, which characterizes the community trained and guided by the beloved Guardian for such a long time, that Shoghi Effendi has in his Message of October, 1957 entrusted the Hands of the Bahá'í Cause with the all-important duty of protecting and propagating the Cause and of guarding the Bahá'í communities throughout the world. The Guardian has called the Hands of the Cause in his Message the Chief Stewards of Bahá'u'lláh's Embryonic World Commonwealth. Those revered souls who, in accordance with the Proclamation of the Hands of the Cause, have been appointed by the latter as the Bahá'í Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land assuming this important duty, will doubtlessly be able under the divine protection and with their wise actions, to safeguard this original unity and solidarity of the Bahá'í community and to take all necessary measures for the development of the Cause in all its various stages and to carry out the work of the Beloved Guardian at all times in accordance with the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. We ... do hereby announce on behalf of this Assembly and of all members of the Bahá'í community in Iran and its institutions, the recognition by us of the Nine Hands of the Cause elected by all Hands of the Cause as "The Bahá'í Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land", and wish to express our unconditional loyalty to that Supreme Body. We feel sure that with the trust we have in you we shall be able under your guidance and supervision to fulfil our duties and obligation to the Holy Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith, elected by the Hands of the



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> Cause and we also hereby undertake to submit to and obey the decisions which the Hands of the Cause will adopt in future for the progress of the Cause. 'IRAQ > We, the elected National Representatives of the Bahá'ís of 'Iraq and the adjacent Countries of Syria, Lebanon and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Territories of Hadhramaut and the Seychelles Islands included in our area of jurisdiction; members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of 'Iraq do hereby unanimously declare that, following the Ascension of our beloved Guardian, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, we recognize you, since you have been elected by the entire members of the Hands of the Cause of God, the Divinely-ordained Institution, whose members were chosen and appointed by the beloved Guardian, His Eminence, the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani and referred to them in his letters as "The Chief Stewards of the World Faith of Bahá'u'lláh" recognize you as the Most Supreme Body in the Bahá'í World Faith. We, also, pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to you. With heartfelt gratitude, loyalty and love. ITALY AND SWITZERLAND > We, as members of the Italo-Swiss National Spiritual Assembly, 46 pledge our full support, faith and allegiance" to the body of Nine Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land, appointed by the entire body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í Faith, to act as Executor of all Bahá'í affairs in the Holy Land and abroad. NEW ZEALAND > The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of New Zealand sends you its love and reaffirms its loyalty and devotion to the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. The following resolution was unanimously passed at a meeting on Sunday, December 29th, 1957: "We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause." NORTH EAST AFRICA > We have great pleasure in informing you that the Proclamation by the Hands of the Cause to the Bahá'ís of East and West, dated 25th November 1957 issued in the Mansion of Bahji has been passed on to



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> all the Spiritual Assemblies, Bahá'í groups and isolated centres in North East Africa.On reading this Proclamation all the members of the Bahá'í community of North East Africa recalled at once, in the spirit of absolute faith and solidarity, which characterizes the community trained and guided by the beloved Guardian for such a long time, that Shoghi Effendi has in his Message of October 1957, entrusted the Bahá'í Cause Hands with the all-important duty of protecting and propagating the Cause and of guarding the Bahá'í communities throughout the world. The Guardian has called the Hands of the Cause in his Message the Chief Stewards of Bahá'u'lláh's embryonic World Commonwealth. Those revered souls who, in accordance with the Proclamation of the Hands of the Cause, have been appointed by the latter as the Bahá'í Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land assuming this important duty, will doubtlessly be able, under the Divine Protection and with their wise actions, to safeguard this original unity and solidarity of the Bahá'í community and to take the necessary measures for the development of the Cause in all its various stages and to carry out the work of the beloved Guardian at all times in accordance with the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. We, the undersigned, Chairman and Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North East Africa, do hereby announce on behalf of this Assembly of all members of the Bahá'í community in North East Africa and its institutions, the recognition by us of the nine Hands of the Cause elected by all Hands of the Cause as "The Bahá'í Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land", and wish to express our unconditional loyalty to that Supreme Body. We feel sure that with the trust we have in you we shall be able under your guidance and supervision to fulfil our duties and obligations to the Holy Cause of Bahá'u'lláh. We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith, elected by the Hands of the Cause and we also hereby undertake to submit to and obey the decisions which the Hands of the Cause will adopt in future for the progress of the Cause. NORTH EAST ASIA > Beloved Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith,We, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of North East Asia, representing the Bahá'ís of this part of the world embracing Japan, Korea, Formosa, Macau and Hong Kong, at an official meeting held on 8 December 1957 adopted the following resolution:



+48

> "Whereas by action of the Bahá'í Hands of the Cause as stated in a letter dated 2 December 1957, a body of nine Hands was elected and now designated by the title 'Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith' as the supreme body of the Faith. "We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause." NORTH WEST AFRICA > The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Northwest Africa, representing the Bahá'ís residing in twenty-five territories, included along the North and the West Coasts of the African continent, hereby declare our recognition of the nine Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land as the supreme body in the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh existing after the ascension of the late Shoghi Effendi-the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Cause. We, further, pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to this body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. This document is issued upon unanimous resolution of the National Spiritual Assembly. PAKISTAN > We, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Pakistan, elected representatives of the Bahá'í community of Pakistan, at this extraordinary meeting held at Bahá'í National Headquarters (Pakistan) Karachi, on 16th December 1957, do hereby unanimously resolve that we pledge our full support and allegiance to and faith in the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. SCANDINAVIA AND FINLAND > Having received the photostat of the legal document signed by the 26 Hands we have circulated the text to the members of our National Assembly and asked to have from each member a signed pledge of support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians. Deeply grateful for the action taken by the Hands of the Cause of God and in full recognition of the Divine Inspiration behind the decision the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Scandinavia and Finland pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause. Respectfully returning to you the hopes and good wishes for the task of protecting and furthering the Faith.



+49

SOUTH AND WEST AFRICA > This Assembly recognizes you as the supreme body in the Cause and has unanimously passed the following resolution: "We pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause." You, who have been elevated to be Hands of the Cause by our beloved Shoghi Effendi and are carrying out his wishes, and are fulfilling the requirements of our dearly loved Master's Will, are our solace and our inspiration. We pray constantly for your well-being and guidance, and offer our grateful and inadequate thanks to Bahá'u'lláh for having created your station. SOUTH-EAST ASIA > WE DO HEREBY pledge our full support, faith and allegiance to the said body, namely, the nine Hands of the Cause, residing in the Holy Land, as the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by all the Hands of the Cause. UNITED STATES > In our capacity of duly elected members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, conscious of and obedient to the principles and institutions of the Bahá'í Administrative Order ordained by Bahá'u'lláh, elaborated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and developed and guided by the late Guardian, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, we certify to the following resolutions unanimously adopted and recorded in the minutes of our meeting held at the National Bahá'í Headquarters, Wilmette, Illinois, on January 3-4-5, 1958: WHEREAS the late Guardian, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, appointed Hands of the Cause, in accordance with the provisions of the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, to the number of twenty-seven; and WHEREAS Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, late Guardian, designated these twenty-seven Hands of the Cause "Chief Stewards of the embryonic World Commonwealth of Bahá'u'lláh and WHEREAS the Guardian nominated no personal successor as second Guardian of the Faith to hold this office after his own death; therefore be it RESOLVED: that the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States fully recognizes and affirms the authority of the twenty-seven Chief Stewards to elect nine of their own number to serve at the Bahá'í World Centre, Israel, as the supreme international body of the Bahá'í community and carry out the plans made for the future activities of the Faith by said Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, late Guardian, as Custodians of the Bahá'í Shrines and Holy Places, co-ordinators



+50

> of the work of the various National Assemblies, and protectors of the security of the Faith; and further be itRESOLVED: that the Custodians have been and are duly empowered to exercise such functions, rights and powers in succession to the late Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith as are necessary to serve the interests of the Bahá'í World Faith, and continue to do so until such time as the Universal House of Justice, upon being duly established and elected in conformity with the Sacred Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, may otherwise determine; and further be it RESOLVED: that this National Spiritual Assembly pledges its full support, faith and allegiance to the body of the Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause as the supreme international body of the Bahá'í Community; and further be it RESOLVED: that any two officers of this Assembly are authorized to execute these resolutions on behalf of the Assembly and transmit them to the nine Custodians of the Bahá'í World Faith.


 * [|To All National Spiritual Assemblies, C/O BAHA'I WILMETTE]**


 * [| JULY 26, 1960]**


 * ENTIRE BODY HANDS OBEDIENT PROVISIONS WILL TESTAMENT CENTRE COVENANT COMMUNICATIONS BELOVED GUARDIAN ENJOINING THEM PROTECT HOLY CAUSE ATTACKS ENEMIES WITHIN WITHOUT ANNOUNCE BAHA'I WORLD MASON REMEY COVENANT BREAKER EXPELLED FAITH STOP ACTION FOLLOWS LONG PERIOD PATIENCE FORBEARANCE OPPORTUNITY GIVEN HIM WITHDRAW SHAMEFUL PRETENSION SACRED STATION GUARDIANSHIP CONSTITUTING HERETICAL CLAIM CONTRARY EXPLICIT PROVISIONS WILL MASTER STOP DESPITE UNIVERSAL REPUDIATION DENUNCIATION BY ALL HANDS INTERNATIONAL BAHA'I COUNCIL ALL NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES REMEY CONTINUING AGITATE UNFOUNDED CLAIM ACTIVELY SEEKING CREATE DIVISION RANKS FAITHFUL SOW SEEDS DOUBT HEARTS BELIEVERS UNDERMINE ACTIVITIES INSTITUTION HANDS CHIEF STEWARDS DEDICATED FULFILMENT BELOVED GUARDIAN'S TEN YEAR PLAN STOP ACCORDANCE INJUNCTION WILL TESTAMENT 'Abdu'l-Bahá, CALL UPON FRIENDS EVERYWHERE SHUN REMEY AND ANYONE ASSOCIATING WITH HIM OR ACTIVELY SUPPORTING HIS CLAIMS STOP CONFIDENT COMMUNITY MOST GREAT NAME UNITED WHOLEHEARTED CONDEMNATION THIS LATEST ILL-FATED ATTEMPT DISRUPT GOD's HOLY CAUSE WILL EMERGE TRIUMPHANT STRENGTHENED GALVANIZED ISSUE FORTH WIN REMAINING GOALS GLORIOUS WORLD ENCIRCLING CRUSADE STOP CABLE MESSAGE ALL NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES.**
 * **[CABLE]** || **HANDSFAITH** ||


 * //First International House of Justice// **


 * //Seat of the International House of Justice// **

[|**//Current International House of Justice//**]

==[|Promise of World Peace]==

[|by Universal House of Justice]
1985-10

page 1

To the Peoples of the World:

The Great Peace towards which people of good will throughout the centuries have inclined their hearts, of which seers and poets for countless generations have expressed their vision, and for which from age to age the sacred scriptures of mankind have constantly held the promise, is now at long last within the reach of the nations. For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective. World peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet--in the words of one great thinker, "the planetization of mankind".

Whether peace is to be reached only after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity's stubborn clinging to old patterns of behaviour, or is to be embraced now by an act of consultative will, is the choice before all who inhabit the earth. At this critical juncture when the intractable problems confronting nations have been fused into one common concern for the whole world, failure to stem the tide of conflict and disorder would be unconscionably irresponsible.

Among the favourable signs are the steadily growing strength of the steps towards world order taken initially near the beginning of this century in the creation of the League of Nations, succeeded by the more broadly based United Nations Organization; the achievement since the Second World War of independence by the majority of all the nations on earth, indicating the completion of the process of nation building, and the involvement of these fledgling nations with older ones in matters of mutual concern; the consequent vast increase in co-operation among hitherto isolated and antagonistic peoples and groups in international undertakings in the scientific, educational, legal, economic and cultural fields; the rise in recent decades of an unprecedented number of inter- national humanitarian organizations; the spread of women's and youth movements calling for an end to war; and the spontaneous spawning of widening networks of ordinary people seeking understanding through personal communication.

The scientific and technological advances occurring in this unusually blessed century portend a great surge forward in the social evolution of the planet, and indicate the means by which the practical problems of humanity may be solved. They provide, indeed, the very means for the administration of the complex life of a united world. Yet barriers persist. Doubts, misconceptions, prejudices, suspicions and narrow self-interest beset nations and peoples in their relations one to another.

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It is out of a deep sense of spiritual and moral duty that we are impelled at this opportune moment to invite your attention to the penetrating insights first communicated to the rulers of mankind more than a century ago by Bahá'u'lláh, Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, of which we are the Trustees.

"The winds of despair", Bahá'u'lláh wrote, "are, alas, blowing from every direction, and the strife that divides and afflicts the human race is daily increasing. The signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing order appears to be lamentably defective." This prophetic judgement has been amply confirmed by the common experience of humanity. Flaws in the prevailing order are conspicuous in the inability of sovereign states organized as United Nations to exorcize the spectre of war, the threatened collapse of the international economic order, the spread of anarchy and terrorism, and the intense suffering which these and other afflictions are causing to increasing millions. Indeed, so much have aggression and conflict come to characterize our social, economic and religious systems, that many have succumbed to the view that such behaviour is intrinsic to human nature and therefore ineradicable.

With the entrenchment of this view, a paralyzing contradiction has developed in human affairs. On the one hand, people of all nations proclaim not only their readiness but their longing for peace and harmony, for an end to the harrowing apprehensions tormenting their daily lives. On the other, uncritical assent is given to the proposition that human beings are incorrigibly selfish and aggressive and thus incapable of erecting a social system at once progressive and peaceful, dynamic and harmonious, a system giving free play to individual creativity and initiative but based on co-operation and reciprocity.

As the need for peace becomes more urgent, this fundamental contradiction, which hinders its realization, demands a reassessment of the assumptions upon which the commonly held view of mankind's historical predicament is based. Dis- passionately examined, the evidence reveals that such conduct, far from expressing man's true self, represents a distortion of the human spirit. Satisfaction on this point will enable all people to set in motion constructive social forces which, because they are consistent with human nature, will encourage harmony and co-operation instead of war and conflict.

To choose such a course is not to deny humanity's past but to understand it. The Bahá'í Faith regards the current world confusion and calamitous condition in human affairs as a natural phase in an organic process leading ultimately and irresistibly to the unification of the human race in a single social order whose boundaries are those of the planet. The human race, as a distinct, organic unit, has passed through evolutionary stages analogous to the stages of infancy and childhood in the lives of its individual members, and is now in the culminating period of its turbulent adolescence approaching its long-awaited coming of age.

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A candid acknowledgement that prejudice, war and exploitation have been the expression of immature stages in a vast historical process and that the human race is today experiencing the unavoidable tumult which marks its collective coming of age is not a reason for despair but a prerequisite to undertaking the stupendous enterprise of building a peaceful world. That such an enterprise is possible, that the necessary constructive forces do exist, that unifying social structures can be erected, is the theme we urge you to examine.

Whatever suffering and turmoil the years immediately ahead may hold, however dark the immediate circumstances, the Bahá'í community believes that humanity can confront this supreme trial with confidence in its ultimate out- come. Far from signalizing the end of civilization, the convulsive changes towards which humanity is being ever more rapidly impelled will serve to release the "potentialities inherent in the station of man" and reveal "the full measure of his destiny on earth, the innate excellence of his reality".

**I**

The endowments which distinguish the human race from all other forms of life are summed up in what is known as the human spirit; the mind is its essential quality. These endowments have enabled humanity to build civilizations and to prosper materially. But such accomplishments alone have never satisfied the human spirit, whose mysterious nature inclines it towards transcendence, a reaching towards an invisible realm, towards the ultimate reality, that unknowable essence of essences called God. The religions brought to mankind by a succession of spiritual luminaries have been the primary link between humanity and that ultimate reality, and have galvanized and refined mankind's capacity to achieve spiritual success together with social progress.

No serious attempt to set human affairs aright, to achieve world peace, can ignore religion. Man's perception and practice of it are largely the stuff of history. An eminent historian described religion as a "faculty of human nature". That the perversion of this faculty has contributed to much of the confusion in society and the conflicts in and between individuals can hardly be denied. But neither can any fair-minded observer discount the preponderating influence exerted by religion on the vital expressions of civilization. Furthermore, its indispens- ability to social order has repeatedly been demonstrated by its direct effect on laws and morality.

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Writing of religion as a social force, Bahá'u'lláh said: "Religion is the greatest of all means for the establishment of order in the world and for the peaceful contentment of all that dwell therein." Referring to the eclipse or cor- ruption of religion, he wrote: "Should the lamp of religion be obscured, chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness, of justice, of tranquillity and peace cease to shine." In an enumeration of such consequences the Bahá'í writings point out that the "perversion of human nature, the degradation of human conduct, the corruption and dissolution of human institutions, reveal themselves, under such circumstances, in their worst and most revolting aspects. Human char- acter is debased, confidence is shaken, the nerves of discipline are relaxed, the voice of human conscience is stilled, the sense of decency and shame is obscured, conceptions of duty, of solidarity, of reciprocity and loyalty are distorted, and the very feeling of peacefulness, of joy and of hope is gradually extinguished."

If, therefore, humanity has come to a point of paralyzing conflict it must look to itself, to its own negligence, to the siren voices to which it has listened, for the source of the misunderstandings and confusion perpetrated in the name of religion. Those who have held blindly and selfishly to their particular orthodoxies, who have imposed on their votaries erroneous and conflicting interpretations of the pronouncements of the Prophets of God, bear heavy responsibility for this confusion--a confusion compounded by the artificial barriers erected between faith and reason, science and religion. For from a fair-minded examination of the actual utterances of the Founders of the great religions, and of the social milieus in which they were obliged to carry out their missions, there is nothing to support the contentions and prejudices deranging the religious communities of mankind and therefore all human affairs.

The teaching that we should treat others as we ourselves would wish to be treated, an ethic variously repeated in all the great religions, lends force to this latter observation in two particular respects: it sums up the moral atti- tude, the peace-inducing aspect, extending through these religions irrespective of their place or time of origin; it also signifies an aspect of unity which is their essential virtue, a virtue mankind in its disjointed view of history has failed to appreciate.

Had humanity seen the Educators of its collective childhood in their true character, as agents of one civilizing process, it would no doubt have reaped incalculably greater benefits from the cumulative effects of their successive missions. This, alas, it failed to do.

page 5

The resurgence of fanatical religious fervour occurring in many lands cannot be regarded as more than a dying convulsion. The very nature of the violent and disruptive phenomena associated with it testifies to the spiritual bankruptcy it represents. Indeed, one of the strangest and saddest features of the current out- break of religious fanaticism is the extent to which, in each case, it is under- mining not only the spiritual values which are conducive to the unity of mankind but also those unique moral victories won by the particular religion it purports to serve.

However vital a force religion has been in the history of mankind, and however dramatic the current resurgence of militant religious fanaticism, religion and religious institutions have, for many decades, been viewed by increasing numbers of people as irrelevant to the major concerns of the modern world. In its place they have turned either to the hedonistic pursuit of material satisfactions or to the following of man-made ideologies designed to rescue society from the evident evils under which it groans. All too many of these ideologies, alas, instead of embracing the concept of the oneness of mankind and promoting the increase of concord among different peoples, have tended to deify the state, to subordinate the rest of mankind to one nation, race or class, to attempt to suppress all discussion and interchange of ideas, or to callously abandon starving millions to the operations of a market system that all too clearly is aggravating the plight of the majority of mankind, while enabling small sections to live in a condition of affluence scarcely dreamed of by our forebears.

How tragic is the record of the substitute faiths that the worldly-wise of our age have created. In the massive disillusionment of entire populations who have been taught to worship at their altars can be read history's irreversible verdict on their value. The fruits these doctrines have produced, after decades of an increasingly unrestrained exercise of power by those who owe their ascen- dancy in human affairs to them, are the social and economic ills that blight every region of our world in the closing years of the twentieth century. Under- lying all these outward afflictions is the spiritual damage reflected in the apathy that has gripped the mass of the peoples of all nations and by the extinc- tion of hope in the hearts of deprived and anguished millions.

The time has come when those who preach the dogmas of materialism, whether of the east or the west, whether of capitalism or socialism, must give account of the moral stewardship they have presumed to exercise. Where is the "new world" promised by these ideologies? Where is the international peace to whose ideals they proclaim their devotion? Where are the breakthroughs into new realms of cul- tural achievement produced by the aggrandizement of this race, of that nation or of a particular class? Why is the vast majority of the world's peoples sinking ever deeper into hunger and wretchedness when wealth on a scale undreamed of by the Pharaohs, the Caesars, or even the imperialist powers of the nineteenth century is at the disposal of the present arbiters of human affairs?

page 6

Most particularly, it is in the glorification of material pursuits, at once the progenitor and common feature of all such ideologies, that we find the roots which nourish the falsehood that human beings are incorrigibly selfish and aggres- sive. It is here that the ground must be cleared for the building of a new world fit for our descendants.

That materialistic ideals have, in the light of experience, failed to satisfy the needs of mankind calls for an honest acknowledgement that a fresh effort must now be made to find the solutions to the agonizing problems of the planet. The intolerable conditions pervading society bespeak a common failure of all, a cir- cumstance which tends to incite rather than relieve the entrenchment on every side. Clearly, a common remedial effort is urgently required. It is primarily a matter of attitude. Will humanity continue in its waywardness, holding to outworn concepts and unworkable assumptions? Or will its leaders, regardless of ideology, step forth and, with a resolute will, consult together in a united search for appropriate solutions?

Those who care for the future of the human race may well ponder this advice. "If long-cherished ideals and time-honoured institutions, if certain social assumptions and religious formulae have ceased to promote the welfare of the generality of mankind, if they no longer minister to the needs of a continually evolving humanity, let them be swept away and relegated to the limbo of obsoles- cent and forgotten doctrines. Why should these, in a world subject to the immu- table law of change and decay, be exempt from the deterioration that must needs overtake every human institution? For legal standards, political and economic theories are solely designed to safeguard the interests of humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be crucified for the preservation of the integrity of any particular law or doctrine."

**II**

Banning nuclear weapons, prohibiting the use of poison gases, or outlawing germ warfare will not remove the root causes of war. However important such practical measures obviously are as elements of the peace process, they are in themselves too superficial to exert enduring influence. Peoples are ingenious enough to invent yet other forms of warfare, and to use food, raw materials, finance, industrial power, ideology, and terrorism to subvert one another in an endless quest for supremacy and dominion. Nor can the present massive dislocation in the affairs of humanity be resolved through the settlement of specific con- flicts or disagreements among nations. A genuine universal framework must be adopted.

page 7

Certainly, there is no lack of recognition by national leaders of the world-wide character of the problem, which is self-evident in the mounting issues that confront them daily. And there are the accumulating studies and solutions proposed by many concerned and enlightened groups as well as by agencies of the United Nations, to remove any possibility of ignorance as to the challenging requirements to be met. There is, however, a paralysis of will; and it is this that must be carefully examined and resolutely dealt with. This paralysis is rooted, as we have stated, in a deep-seated conviction of the inevitable quarrel- someness of mankind, which has led to the reluctance to entertain the possibility of subordinating national self-interest to the requirements of world order, and in an unwillingness to face courageously the far-reaching implications of estab- lishing a united world authority. It is also traceable to the incapacity of largely ignorant and subjugated masses to articulate their desire for a new order in which they can live in peace, harmony and prosperity with all humanity.

The tentative steps towards world order, especially since World War II, give hopeful signs. The increasing tendency of groups of nations to formalize rela- tionships which enable them to co-operate in matters of mutual interest suggests that eventually all nations could overcome this paralysis. The Association of South East Asian Nations, the Caribbean Community and Common Market, the Central American Common Market, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, the European Communities, the League of Arab States, the Organization of African Unity, the Organization of American States, the South Pacific Forum--all the joint endeavours represented by such organizations prepare the path to world order.

The increasing attention being focused on some of the most deep-rooted problems of the planet is yet another hopeful sign. Despite the obvious short- comings of the United Nations, the more than two score declarations and conven- tions adopted by that organization, even where governments have not been enthusiastic in their commitment, have given ordinary people a sense of a new lease on life. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and the similar measures concerned with eliminating all forms of discrimination based on race, sex or religious belief; upholding the rights of the child; protecting all persons against being subjected to torture; eradicating hunger and malnutrition; using scientific and technological progress in the interest of peace and the benefit of mankind--all such measures, if courageously enforced and expanded, will advance the day when the spectre of war will have lost its power to dominate international relations. There is no need to stress the significance of the issues addressed by these declarations and conventions. However, a few such issues, because of their immediate relevance to establishing world peace, deserve additional comment.

page 8

Racism, one of the most baneful and persistent evils, is a major barrier to peace. Its practice perpetrates too outrageous a violation of the dignity of human beings to be countenanced under any pretext. Racism retards the unfoldment of the boundless potentialities of its victims, corrupts its perpetrators, and blights human progress. Recognition of the oneness of mankind, implemented by appropriate legal measures, must be universally upheld if this problem is to be overcome.

The inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering, keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war. Few societies have dealt effectively with this situation. The solution calls for the combined application of spiritual, moral and practical approaches. A fresh look at the problem is required, entailing consultation with experts from a wide spec- trum of disciplines, devoid of economic and ideological polemics, and involving the people directly affected in the decisions that must urgently be made. It is an issue that is bound up not only with the necessity for eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty but also with those spiritual verities the understanding of which can produce a new universal attitude. Fostering such an attitude is itself a major part of the solution.

Unbridled nationalism, as distinguished from a sane and legitimate patriotism, must give way to a wider loyalty, to the love of humanity as a whole. Bahá'u'lláh's statement is: "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citi- zens." The concept of world citizenship is a direct result of the contraction of the world into a single neighbourhood through scientific advances and of the indisputable interdependence of nations. Love of all the world's peoples does not exclude love of one's country. The advantage of the part in a world society is best served by promoting the advantage of the whole. Current international activi- ties in various fields which nurture mutual affection and a sense of solidarity among peoples need greatly to be increased.

Religious strife, throughout history, has been the cause of innumerable wars and conflicts, a major blight to progress, and is increasingly abhorrent to the people of all faiths and no faith. Followers of all religions must be willing to face the basic questions which this strife raises, and to arrive at clear answers. How are the differences between them to be resolved, both in theory and in prac- tice? The challenge facing the religious leaders of mankind is to contemplate, with hearts filled with the spirit of compassion and a desire for truth, the plight of humanity, and to ask themselves whether they cannot, in humility before their Almighty Creator, submerge their theological differences in a great spirit of mutual forbearance that will enable them to work together for the advancement of human understanding and peace.

page 9

The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the sexes, is one of the most important, though less acknowledged prerequisites of peace. The denial of such equality perpetrates an injustice against one half of the world's population and promotes in men harmful attitudes and habits that are carried from the family to the workplace, to political life, and ultimately to international relations. There are no grounds, moral, practical, or biologi- cal, upon which such denial can be justified. Only as women are welcomed into full partnership in all fields of human endeavour will the moral and psychologi- cal climate be created in which international peace can emerge.

The cause of universal education, which has already enlisted in its service an army of dedicated people from every faith and nation, deserves the utmost support that the governments of the world can lend it. For ignorance is indis- putably the principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples and the perpetua- tion of prejudice. No nation can achieve success unless education is accorded all its citizens. Lack of resources limits the ability of many nations to fulfil this necessity, imposing a certain ordering of priorities. The decision-making agen- cies involved would do well to consider giving first priority to the education of women and girls, since it is through educated mothers that the benefits of knowl- edge can be most effectively and rapidly diffused throughout society. In keeping with the requirements of the times, consideration should also be given to teaching the concept of world citizenship as part of the standard education of every child.

A fundamental lack of communication between peoples seriously undermines efforts towards world peace. Adopting an international auxiliary language would go far to resolving this problem and necessitates the most urgent attention.

Two points bear emphasizing in all these issues. One is that the abolition of war is not simply a matter of signing treaties and protocols; it is a complex task requiring a new level of commitment to resolving issues not customarily associated with the pursuit of peace. Based on political agreements alone, the idea of collective security is a chimera. The other point is that the primary challenge in dealing with issues of peace is to raise the context to the level of principle, as distinct from pure pragmatism. For, in essence, peace stems from an inner state supported by a spiritual or moral attitude, and it is chiefly in evoking this attitude that the possibility of enduring solutions can be found.

There are spiritual principles, or what some call human values, by which solutions can be found for every social problem. Any well-intentioned group can in a general sense devise practical solutions to its problems, but good intentions and practical knowledge are usually not enough. The essential merit of spiritual principle is that it not only presents a perspective which harmonizes with that which is immanent in human nature, it also induces an attitude, a dynamic, a will, an aspiration, which facilitate the discovery and implementation of practical measures. Leaders of governments and all in authority would be well served in their efforts to solve problems if they would first seek to identify the princi- ples involved and then be guided by them.

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**III**

The primary question to be resolved is how the present world, with its entrenched pattern of conflict, can change to a world in which harmony and co-operation will prevail.

World order can be founded only on an unshakeable consciousness of the oneness of mankind, a spiritual truth which all the human sciences confirm. Anthropology, physiology, psychology, recognize only one human species, albeit infinitely varied in the secondary aspects of life. Recognition of this truth requires abandonment of prejudice--prejudice of every kind--race, class, colour, creed, nation, sex, degree of material civilization, everything which enables people to consider themselves superior to others.

Acceptance of the oneness of mankind is the first fundamental prerequisite for reorganization and administration of the world as one country, the home of humankind. Universal acceptance of this spiritual principle is essential to any successful attempt to establish world peace. It should therefore be universally proclaimed, taught in schools, and constantly asserted in every nation as prepa- ration for the organic change in the structure of society which it implies.

In the Bahá'í view, recognition of the oneness of mankind "calls for no less than the reconstruction and the demilitarization of the whole civilized world--a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life, its political machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade and finance, its script and lan- guage, and yet infinite in the diversity of the national characteristics of its federated units."

Elaborating the implications of this pivotal principle, Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, commented in 1931 that: "Far from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to broaden its basis, to remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an ever- changing world. It can conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor can it under- mine essential loyalties. Its purpose is neither to stifle the flame of a sane and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor to abolish the system of national autonomy so essential if the evils of excessive centralization are to be avoided. It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human race. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and interests to the impera- tive claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity".

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The achievement of such ends requires several stages in the adjustment of national political attitudes, which now verge on anarchy in the absence of clearly defined laws or universally accepted and enforceable principles regulating the relationships between nations. The League of Nations, the United Nations, and the many organizations and agreements produced by them have unquestionably been helpful in attenuating some of the negative effects of international conflicts, but they have shown themselves incapable of preventing war. Indeed, there have been scores of wars since the end of the Second World War; many are yet raging.

The predominant aspects of this problem had already emerged in the nineteenth century when Bahá'u'lláh first advanced his proposals for the establishment of world peace. The principle of collective security was propounded by him in state- ments addressed to the rulers of the world. Shoghi Effendi commented on his meaning: "What else could these weighty words signify," he wrote, "if they did not point to the inevitable curtailment of unfettered national sovereignty as an indispensable preliminary to the formation of the future Commonwealth of all the nations of the world? Some form of a world super-state must needs be evolved, in whose favour all the nations of the world will have willingly ceded every claim to make war, certain rights to impose taxation and all rights to maintain arma- ments, except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective dominions. Such a state will have to include within its orbit [|an International Executive] adequate to enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every recalcitrant member of the commonwealth; [|a World Parliament] whose members shall be elected by the people in their respective countries and whose election shall be confirmed by their respective governments; and [=en-b&idxname[]=en-ab&idxname[]=en-se|a Supreme Tribunal]] whose judgement will have a binding effect even in such cases where the parties concerned did not voluntarily agree to submit their case to its consideration.

"A world community in which all economic barriers will have been permanently demolished and the interdependence of capital and labour definitely recognized; in which the clamour of religious fanaticism and strife will have been forever stilled; in which the flame of racial animosity will have been finally extin- guished; in which a single code of international law--the product of the considered judgement of the world's federated representatives--shall have as its sanction the instant and coercive intervention of the combined forces of the federated units; and finally a world community in which the fury of a capricious and militant nationalism will have been transmuted into an abiding consciousness of world citizenship--such indeed, appears, in its broadest outline, the Order anticipated by Bahá'u'lláh, an Order that shall come to be regarded as the fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age."

The implementation of these far-reaching measures was indicated by Bahá'u'lláh: "The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized. The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, participating in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means as will lay the foundations of the world's Great Peace amongst men."

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The courage, the resolution, the pure motive, the selfless love of one people for another--all the spiritual and moral qualities required for effecting this momentous step towards peace are focused on the will to act. And it is towards arousing the necessary volition that earnest consideration must be given to the reality of man, namely, his thought. To understand the relevance of this potent reality is also to appreciate the social necessity of actualizing its unique value through candid, dispassionate and cordial consultation, and of acting upon the results of this process. Bahá'u'lláh insistently drew attention to the virtues and indispensability of consultation for ordering human affairs. He said: "Consultation bestows greater awareness and transmutes conjecture into certitude. It is a shining light which, in a dark world, leads the way and guides. For everything there is and will continue to be a station of perfection and maturity. The maturity of the gift of understanding is made manifest through consultation." The very attempt to achieve peace through the consultative action he proposed can release such a salutary spirit among the peoples of the earth that no power could resist the final, triumphal outcome.

Concerning the proceedings for this world gathering, Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of Bahá'u'lláh and authorized interpreter of his teachings, offered these insights: "They must make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world. They must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race. This supreme and noble undertaking--the real source of the peace and well-being of all the world--should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth. All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant. In this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down, and all international agreements and obligations ascertained. In like manner, the size of the armaments of every government should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure."

The holding of this mighty convocation is long overdue.

With all the ardour of our hearts, we appeal to the leaders of all nations to seize this opportune moment and take irreversible steps to convoke this world meeting. All the forces of history impel the human race towards this act which will mark for all time the dawn of its long-awaited maturity.

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Will not the United Nations, with the full support of its membership, rise to the high purposes of such a crowning event?

Let men and women, youth and children everywhere recognize the eternal merit of this imperative action for all peoples and lift up their voices in willing assent. Indeed, let it be this generation that inaugurates this glorious stage in the evolution of social life on the planet.

**IV**

The source of the optimism we feel is a vision transcending the cessation of war and the creation of agencies of international co-operation. Permanent peace among nations is an essential stage, but not, Bahá'u'lláh asserts, the ultimate goal of the social development of humanity. Beyond the initial armistice forced upon the world by the fear of nuclear holocaust, beyond the political peace reluc- tantly entered into by suspicious rival nations, beyond pragmatic arrangements for security and coexistence, beyond even the many experiments in co-operation which these steps will make possible lies the crowning goal: the unification of all the peoples of the world in one universal family.

Disunity is a danger that the nations and peoples of the earth can no longer endure; the consequences are too terrible to contemplate, too obvious to require any demonstration. "The well-being of mankind," Bahá'u'lláh wrote more than a century ago, "its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established." In observing that "mankind is groaning, is dying to be led to unity, and to terminate its age-long martyrdom", Shoghi Effendi further commented that: "Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city- state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life."

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All contemporary forces of change validate this view. The proofs can be discerned in the many examples already cited of the favourable signs towards world peace in current international movements and developments. The army of men and women, drawn from virtually every culture, race and nation on earth, who serve the multifarious agencies of the United Nations, represent a planetary "civil service" whose impressive accomplishments are indicative of the degree of co-operation that can be attained even under discouraging conditions. An urge towards unity, like a spiritual springtime, struggles to express itself through countless international congresses that bring together people from a vast array of disciplines. It moti- vates appeals for international projects involving children and youth. Indeed, it is the real source of the remarkable movement towards ecumenism by which members of historically antagonistic religions and sects seem irresistibly drawn towards one another. Together with the opposing tendency to warfare and self-aggrandize- ment against which it ceaselessly struggles, the drive towards world unity is one of the dominant, pervasive features of life on the planet during the closing years of the twentieth century.

The experience of the Bahá'í community may be seen as an example of this enlarging unity. It is a community of some three to four million people drawn from many nations, cultures, classes and creeds, engaged in a wide range of activ- ities serving the spiritual, social and economic needs of the peoples of many lands. It is a single social organism, representative of the diversity of the human family, conducting its affairs through a system of commonly accepted consul- tative principles, and cherishing equally all the great outpourings of divine guidance in human history. Its existence is yet another convincing proof of the practicality of its Founder's vision of a united world, another evidence that humanity can live as one global society, equal to whatever challenges its coming of age may entail. If the Bahá'í experience can contribute in whatever measure to reinforcing hope in the unity of the human race, we are happy to offer it as a model for study.

In contemplating the supreme importance of the task now challenging the entire world, we bow our heads in humility before the awesome majesty of the divine Creator, Who out of His infinite love has created all humanity from the same stock; exalted the gem-like reality of man; honoured it with intellect and wisdom, nobility and immortality; and conferred upon man the "unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him", a capacity that "must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation."

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We hold firmly the conviction that all human beings have been created "to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization"; that "to act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man"; that the virtues that befit human dignity are trustworthiness, forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all peoples. We reaffirm the belief that the "potentialities inherent in the station of man, the full measure of his destiny on earth, the innate excellence of his reality, must all be manifested in this promised Day of God." These are the motivations for our unshakeable faith that unity and peace are the attainable goal towards which humanity is striving.

At this writing, the expectant voices of Bahá'ís can be heard despite the persecution they still endure in the land in which their Faith was born. By their example of steadfast hope, they bear witness to the belief that the imminent realization of this age-old dream of peace is now, by virtue of the transforming effects of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation, invested with the force of divine authority. Thus we convey to you not only a vision in words: we summon the power of deeds of faith and sacrifice; we convey the anxious plea of our co-religionists every- where for peace and unity. We join with all who are the victims of aggression, all who yearn for an end to conflict and contention, all whose devotion to prin- ciples of peace and world order promotes the ennobling purposes for which humanity was called into being by an all-loving Creator.

In the earnestness of our desire to impart to you the fervour of our hope and the depth of our confidence, we cite the emphatic promise of Bahá'u'lláh: "These fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the `Most Great Peace' shall come."


 * [|//Monogamy, Sexual Equality, Marital Equality, and the Supreme Tribunal//]**

** //by [|Universal House of Justice]// **

 * //4. The Supreme Tribunal// **** //Miss xxxx enquires whether women will be allowed to serve as members of the future Supreme Tribunal . Her question derives from her reading of a statement by Abdu'l-Bahá which indicates that its membership will consist of men,9 and of a letter dated 17 June 1933 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi which states:// **

> ** //The Universal Court of Arbitration and the International Tribunal are the same. When the Bahá'í State will be established they will be merged in the Universal House of Justice.// ** > ** //...the national assemblies of each country and nation -- that is to say parliaments -- should elect two or three persons who are the choicest of that nation, and are well informed concerning international laws and the relations between governments and aware of the essential needs of the world of humanity in this day. The number of these representatives// ** > ** //should be in proportion to the number of inhabitants of that country. The election of these souls who are chosen by the national assembly, that is, the parliament, must be confirmed by the upper house, the congress and the cabinet and also by the president or monarch so these persons may be the elected ones of all the nation and the government. The Supreme Tribunal will be composed of these people, and all mankind will thus have a share therein, for every one of these delegates is fully representative of his nation....// **
 * //By way of introduction, we wish to call attention to the fact that the translation of the statement from the Tablet of Abdu'l-Bahá was revised in 1985. This revised translation will appear in subsequent editions of "[|Selections from][|the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá]". The amended translation was published in the compilation on "Peace" and is cited below for ease of reference:// //See "[|The Compilation of Compilations" (Maryborough, Victoria, Australia: Bahá'í Publications Australia, 1991), vol. II], [|pp. 159-160].// **

> ** // With regard to the status of women, the important point for Bahá'ís to remember is that in face of the categorical pronouncements in Bahá'í Scripture establishing the equality of men and women, the ineligibility of women for membership of the Universal House of Justice does not constitute evidence of the superiority of men over women. It must also be borne in mind that women are not excluded from any other international institution of the Faith. They are found among the ranks of [|the Hands of the Cause]. They serve as members of the International Teaching Centre and as Continental Counsellors. And, there is nothing in the Text to preclude the participation of women in such future international bodies as [|the Supreme Tribunal]. // **
 * //While the Research Department has not been able to find any statements in the Bahá'í Writings which explicate how [|the Supreme Tribunal] will "merge" with the Universal House of Justice // //or which specify how these institutions will relate to each other, the following extract from a letter dated 31 May 1988 from the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly pertains to the membership of these bodies:// **