of the Baha'i Faith
and the Islamic ecclesiastical organizations that oppose it--a movement
that has originated in Egypt and is now spreading steadily throughout the
middle East and will in time communicate its influence to the West--imposes
upon every loyal upholder of the Cause the obligation of refraining from
any word or action that might prejudice the position which our enemies
have in recent years and of their own accord, proclaimed and established.
This historic development, the beginnings of which could neither be
recognized nor even anticipated in the years immediately preceding
'Abdu'l-Baha's passing, may be said to have signalized the Formative
Period of our Faith and to have paved the way for the consolidation of its
administrative order. As this movement gains momentum, as it receives
added impetus from the attitude and future action of the civil authorities
in Persia, it will inevitably manifest its repercussions in the West and
will rouse the leaders of the Church and finally the civil authorities to
challenge the claims and eventually to recognize the independent status of
the Religion of Baha'u'llah. Nothing whatever in the meantime should be
said or done by any of us, whether in the political field or in our
relations with ecclesiastical organizations, that would tend to confuse
the issues with which our struggling Cause will sooner or later be
confronted. We should accept no position, should avoid any affiliations or
commitments that could in any way harm our future position or provide our
potential enemies with weapons with which they can resist that complete
emancipation of our Cause or retard its ultimate recognition and victory.
Though our Cause unreservedly recognizes the Divine origin of all the
religions that preceded it and upholds the spiritual truths which lie at
their very core and are common to them all, its institutions, whether
administrative, religious or humanitarian, must if their distinctive
character is to be maintained and recognized, be increasingly divorced
from the outworn creeds, the meaningless ceremonials and man-made
institutions with which these religions are at present identified. Our
adversaries in the East have initiated the struggle. Our future opponents
in the West will, in their turn, arise and carry it a stage further. Ours
is the duty, in anticipation of this inevitable contest, to uphold
unequivocally and with undivided loyalty the integrity of our Faith and
demonst