U. S. SUPPLEMENT Baha'i News No. 33 BAHA'I YEAR 117 NOVEMBER 1960 NSA Gives Facts on Present-Day Covenant-Breaking Dear Friends : no successor, that the body of the Hands had elected During the past several weeks, those who are active- nine of their number (in accordance with the Will and ly supporting the Covenant-breaker Charles Mason Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha-"the Hands of the Cause Remey, have deliberately sought to destroy the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons of Bahi'u'llah by attacking the institutions of His di- that shall at all times be occupied in the important vinely revealed administrative order. Using the tactics services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of of the center of sedition, MirzQ M*ammad-'Ali, that God") to act in their behalf as the Custodians of the prime mover of mischief who endeavored to hurt Baha'i World Faith. The second was a letter dated 'Abdu'l-Baha by falsifying the Holy Text with his own December 2, 1957 and signed by the nine elected as interpolations, these present-day mischief makers Custodians, one of whom was Mason Remey, request- cloaking their true intentions by quoting page after ing on advice of the Guardian's lawyer that our Na- page of the Baha'i Writings have slandered the Hands tional Spiritual Assembly send a letter which would of the Cause of God, individually and collectively, and recognize the nine "as the supreme body in the Cause" are disobeying the admonitions of Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l- and stating "we pledge our full support, faith and al- Baha and Shoghi Effendi. legiance to the body of the Custodians of the Baha'i There is no need for the National Spiritual Assembly World Faith elected by the Hands of the Cause." of the Baha'is of the United States to establish the Recalling these documents, we were shocked to re- validity of Baha'u'llah's mission, 'Abdu'l-BahP's Will ceive Mr. Remey's Proclamation. Moreover, the tenor and Testament, or the institution of the Guardianship of his remarks about 'Amatu'l-Bahh R*iyyih Khanum so ably administered by Shoghi Effendi for thirty- in an accompanying letter seemed to indicate he six years. These are all self-evident. There are not two might be suffering from hallucinations. Obviously we sides to this question-there is the Cause of God and could not accept his preposterous claim. However, those who attack it. However, because the poison of keeping in mind his appointment as a Hand of the Covenant-breaking is virulent and spreads insidiously, Cause by the beloved Guardian, his long years of ap- the National Assembly wishes to help the friends with- parent devotion to the Cause, and his age, we deter- stand the enemies of the Cause by presenting the facts mined this situation was a matter to be resolved by concerning the so-called Mason Remey Proclamation the Chief Stewards, that body of which he was himself and his defection. a member, and we did not wish to place him in an Prior to the 1960 National Baha'i Convention, the Na- embarrassing light with the believers. We cabled Haifa tional Spiritual Assembly received two reports from assuring the Hands of our prayers and sympathy for individuals who had received Mason Remey's Procla- this tragic development. They in turn considered the mation. Not until two days before the Convention, did matter an "extraordinary evidence of emotional per- the National Assembly itself receive from Mason turbation" and requested we await statement from Remey his Proclamation and a covering letter in which Rhhiyyih Khanurn their special representative to the he stipulated the conditions under which the Conven- Convention which would be presented to us upon her tion was to receive him as the second Guardian, that arrival. is, send three representatives to Washington to escort During the pre-convention National Assembly meet- Mr. Remey to Wilmette. ing we were deluged with calls from believers who had In December of 1957, the National Spiritual Assembly received the Proclamation. Acting in acco~dancewith had received two documents from Haifa. One was a the Guardian's instructions to protect the believers we photostat of a document dated November 25, 1957 immediately telegraphed every local Assembly in the signed by all twenty-six Hands present, including United States-"Remey Proclamation unauthorized by Mason Remey, stating that the Guardian had appointed Hands in Haifa and repudiated by NSA stop Sad situa- NOVEMBER 1960 tion will be resolved by Chief Stewards." From that Order of Bahu'u'llah, p. 153.) moment on, the National Assembly considered Mr. To insinuate that the appointment of Mason Remey Remey's condition and station were in the hands of as President of the International Council was a the Chief Stewards. We also believed every well- "veiled" appointment to the Guardianship compar- grounded Baha'i would be undisturbed except for feel- able to 'Abdu'l-Baha's allusion to the Guardianship ings of regret that such a tragic development had over- ". know verily that this is a well-guarded secret . ." come Mr. Remey. (World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 150), is preposterous. Some have criticized the National Assembly saying Though'kept as a "well-guarded secret," the Will and no consultation on the Proclamation was allowed at Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha specifically named Shoghi the National Convention. An unauthorized circular is Effendi as Guardian. No such straight-forward state- not properly the business of the National Convention ment, written or otherwise, was made by Shoghi particularly one which seeks to stop the World Csu- Effendi with refe~enceto Mason Remey. Furthermore, sade, and to instill confusion in the minds of believers. that provision of 'Abdu'l-Bahb's Will which states that The same critics have protested that -the National As- "the Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their sembly has prohibited "independent investigation of own number nine persons . and these . must truth." All of the Baha'i Writings are available to al! give their assent to the choice of the one whom the -which means truth is as available and evident as the Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his suc- noon-day sun. It is presumed that every believer has cessor," serves now to protect us Erom this fraudulent investigated the Teachings of Bah6'u'llah and has claim. found them to be the truth. Upon declaration every To put forth that Mason Remey as the appointed believer pledges to obey and uphold the institutions President of the International Baha'i Council is identi- revealed by Baha'u'llhh and 'Abdu'l-Baha for the es- cal with the executive head of the potential Universal tablishment of world order. Among these obligations House of Justice and is therefore the Guardian, is false are-" . loyal and steadfast adherence to every reasoning. On that premise the International Baha'i clause of 'Abdu'l-Baha's sacred Will and Testament; Council during the first six years of its existence and close association with the spirit as well as the should have had Shoghi Effendi as its President, as he form of Baha'i administration throughout the world." was the Guardian. Mason Remey was its President and Concerning seditious material, let 'Abdu'l-Baha's words Shoghi Effendi was our Guardian, conclusively prov- speak: "What deviation can be more glaring than ing that the office of President of the Council is not spreading broadcast false and foolish reports touching synonymous with Guardianship of the Cause of God. the Temple of God's Testament! . What deviation can be more complete than falsely accusing the loved Purpose of International BahA'i Council ones of God! . 0 ye beloved of the Lord! Strive with all your heart to shield the Cause of God from the on- To understand the true purpose of the International slaught of the insincere, for souls such as these cause BahL'i Council we must recall the words of Shoghi the straight to become crooked and all benevolent Effendi setting forth its functions-(1) to "forge link efforts to produce contrary results . " (From the with authorities of newly emerged State," (2) to assist Will and Testament, pages 6, 7 and 22). the Guardian "to discharge responsibilities involved in erection of mighty superstructure of the Bib's Holy No Guardian Appointed by Shoghi Effendi Shrine," (3) "to conduct negotiations related to mat- ters of personal status with civil authorities." (Mes- The passing of the beloved Guardian and the realiza- sages to the Baha'i World, pp. 7-8.) The appointed tion that he had not and could not name his successor members of the Council, including Mr. Remey, were because there was none, combined to plunge the entire given individual tasks by the Guardian. At no time Baha'i world into grief and despair. Those misguided did they as a body initiate any action or activity. They souls who are now propagandizing the American BahL'i comprised a body of helpers which Shoghi Effendi had community perhaps have never recovered from the been considering since 1926 (see Baha'i Administra- shock. Nevertheless, this should not be used as the tion, p. 108, "International Secretariat"), but "held reason for attempting to perpetuate a fraud. There is in abeyance over two decades pending creation of no validity to the claim of Mason Remey and if such at- divinely-appointed administrative agencies designed tempts were to succeed, the whole future of the Cause by its Author for its effective prosecution." (Messages would be subverted.