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Dorothy Beecher Baker Toward the Unity of East and West Baha'ls And NEWS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA'(s OF THE UNITED STATES FOR BAHA'tS ONLY 112 Ullden Av., Wilmette, ID. A1t1 5ecOllkllSS .... 111111 It Wiimette, llllaels No. 514 BAHA'I YEAR 130 JANUARY, 1974 Dorothy Beecher Baker By Ugo and Angeline Giachery Toward the unity of East and West by A.Q. Faizf Baha'ls and the UN page one page six page thirteen CONTENTS Toward the unity of East and West .......... ............ page 1 Baha'is and the United Nations . page 6 Dorothy Beecher Baker .page 13 Around the World .... .page 21 COVER PHOTO The Hand of the Cause of God Dorothy Baker. PHOTO AND DRAWING CREDITS Cover: Mrs. Mary Lou Ewing; Inside Cover: Bah(i' i News, United Nations, Bahci' [News; Page I: Bahci' [ News, Mr. Ugo Giachery; Page 2: Bahci' [News; Page 3: Mrs. Rouhieh McComb; Page 6: United Nations; Page 7: World Peace Through law Center, Bahci' [International Community; Page 8: United Nations; Page 9: United Nations; Page IO: Afro-American Newspaper; Page 11 : Bahci' [ International Community; Page 13: Dr. Ugo Giachery; Page I4 , I 5, 16, I 7, 18, 19: Bahci' [News; Page 21: Bahci' [News. Drawings; Page 5, 12, 20: Dr. David Ruhe. CORRECTIONS On page 11, Bahci' [News, November I973, th e name "Mr. Slessinger'' appeared in a story entitled, " You Have Been Chosen: The story of Carrie and Edward Kinney", by O.Z. Whitehead. The name should read, Mr. Edward Schlesinger. POST AL INFORMATION Bah(i' (News is published for circulation among Bahfi' {sonly by the National Spiritual Assembly of the BahQ' fs of the United States, as a news organ repor1ing current activities of the Ba ha' (world community. Bahii' ( News is edited by an annually appointed Editorial Committee. Material must be received by the twenty-fifth of the second month preceding date of issue. Address: Baha' { News Editorial Office, l I2 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Jllinois 60091, U.S.A. Change of address should be reported directly to Membership and Records, National Baha' (Center. 112 linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. U.S.A. 60091. Lua Getsinger Mu?,Z,ajfari' d- D in-~h a h Toward the unity of East and West The meeting between Lua Getsinger and Muzzaffari• 'd-Din Shah by A. Q. Faizf January, 1974/BAHA'i NEWS l Lua remembered the promise given to her by 'Abdu'l-Baha that one day he would send her to the Shah of Persia. Mr. Edward Getsinger, (right), with Persian believers. Lasting ties of fellowship, mighty persecutions. It happened in 1902, that, she sought an audience through the bridges of understanding and indissol­ when Lua Getsinger was in Paris with Persian representative in Paris. Then uble alliances of affection are now her husband, the Shah had come to she met with the Shah's Chief Minister, being established between the East and Europe to learn firsthand of the material Atabak Aazam. During her attempt to the West, once thought hopelessly di­ and political progress of the West, see the Shah, which seemed an impos­ vided. How infinitely precious is the about which he had heard fabulous sible task, Lua constantly remembered luster imparted to the resplendent his­ stories and descriptions. Hedged in by the promise given to her by tory of the Cause of God by these his staff, his servants, and his guards, 'Abdu'l-Baha who assured her that one imperishable bonds of harmony so joy­ he was inaccessible to any but those day he would send her to the Shah of ously forged by the loving and devoted who interested him. His life in Paris Persia. Lua was a gentlewoman of the servants of Baha'u'llah. The darkness was a busy one of extensive visits West with great beauty and excellent of a world of hypocrisy, intrigue, throughout the city; into shops, public manners and breeding. Eventually she hatred and dishonesty is dispelled by places, theaters, gardens and govern­ was confirmed in securing an appoint­ the penetrating force of the di vice light ment institutions. Naturally, the French ment to offer "dramatic and tragic of these miracles of love, shedding press avidly reported the activities of appeal" to His Majesty, the their radiance and warmth upon all this Middle Eastern Potentate who was Shahanshah. mankind. surprisingly enlightened, tender­ Muiaffar Shah was surely intrigued An instance of this love and under­ hearted, and a generous member of an by this handsome woman in an elegant standing resulted from the meeting historically rapacious dynasty. black dress tailored specially for this between Muiaffar Shah, King of Per­ Reading, praying, and meditating on historic occasion. Lua was given full sia, during the early part of this cen­ what she might do on behalf of the scope to express her feelings and de­ tury, and the courageous Lua Get­ Faith, Lua Getsinger spontaneously scribe how pitilessly the Baha'fs were singer. Mrs. Getsinger's services and decided to seek an audience with the being treated in Persia. She said: "Our sacrifices, according to the beloved Shah to make him aware that the Baha'i souls tremble, our minds are agitated, Shoghi Effendi, conferred luster upon Faith had followers in the West and that and our hearts burn and break." Her the American Baha'i community and they longed to see their brothers and "irresistible charm and remarkable the influence upon the King resulting sisters in Persia also enjoying liberty of gifts, with the great and added charm of from that meeting may have changed conscience and freedom of worship, the spirit" so impressed the King, so the course of Baha'i history . relieved from being continuous targets won his respect for her courage that he The loving hearts of all the scattered of inhuman treatment and undeserved gave his promise, seconded by his friends in the West were melting when cruelties. Chief Minister, that he would amelior­ they heard reports of the barbaric at­ ate the suffering of the Baha'fs. "Be at rocities being inflicted upon the Baha'fs Dramatic Appeal ease f' was the Shah's promise as he in the homeland of Baha' u'llah. The It was difficult to obtain an audience dismissed her, " Be at Western friends passionately desired to with the King, but Lua's determination ease ... everything will be taken care do something to end these interminable would not allow her to concede. First of." 2 BAH.A'[ NEWS/ January, 197 4 The King returned to Persia to later lease the Baha' fs and to make such become the monarch to sign the first restitution as would quell any possible The fire of Constitution of his land, earning for retribution from the Court. him the designation "The Just", and The other incident took place in persecution could be bringing hope to all his subjects that Tehran and the account is as follows: , they too might soon have those broad Public Meeting Place ignited in Iran freedoms so hard won throughout the It was considered an act of worship, world. to be observed diligently by good Mus­ by the slightest spark Fire of Persecution lims, to visit the graves of the Imams or of the most The fire of persecution could be those considered to be saints. For this ignited in the capital and provinces of reason cemeteries were centers of at­ insignificant event. Iran by the slightest spark of the most traction in olden days. They provided insignificant event. Mu~affar Shah's welcome, open spaces in the crowded promise to Mrs. Getsinger was fulfil­ and congested cities of the East. The led. people gathered not only to visit the It happened (circa 1905) that a very resting places of the dead, but to meet well-known and learned man from the the Ii ving as well; to receive and ex - Lua Getsinger with young child in Jewish community of Hamadan, Hajf change news, to mourn those passed Chicago. Mihdf Arjumand, embraced the Faith away, and to listen to religious songs of Baha' u'llih. Inspired by the Word of God, he was articulate and full of his convictions, and began to propagate the Cause amongst both Jews and Mus­ lims. This proved to be a terrible blow to the prestige of the ecclesiastical leaders of both religions. This new convert was well versed in the Qur'an as well as the Old and New Testaments, and this seemed incredible to the Mus­ lims . "A Jew proving to us the advent of our own Promised One!' was the lamentable cry of every adherent of the Islamic religion in that region . So, the Jewish and Muslim 'ulamas lodged a grave complaint against the new in­ truder. The governor, venal and corrupt, saw in the vindictiveness of the Jews and Muslims an opportunity to extort large sums of money from the defense­ less Baha'fs. He used the charges as a basis for their arrest. The governor's agents immediately seized Hajf Mihdf Arjumand and several other outstand­ ing believers and carried them to the seat of the governor where they were cast into prison, chained, and detained without recourse to the courts. He then demanded large sums of money for their release. The Baha'fs in Hamadan , encour­ aged by the reports of the King's wil­ lingness to intervene in such cases and by his reputation for justice, cabled the Shah to protest the fa! sity of the charges and the extortion by the governor. To their great joy and satisfaction the King immediately ordered the governor to ~ free the prisoners and to see to their well-being. Alarmed at this royal inter­ vention, the governor hastened to re - January, 1974/BAHA'f NEWS 3 Baha'ls of this particular quarte r called A few women living in one house , The ignorant mob Sar-Qabr'aqa, were renowned for their anticipating the inevitable violence and numbers, successful teaching activities possible death of all the Baha'fs, met accepted and their audacity.
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