Head of Bahais Says Farewell to Americans: Abdul Baha Declares Our Liberty Is Worth Thanksgiving. (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

Baha’i is a monotheistic religious faith that developed in Persia (Iran) in the 19th century. Its adherents have been subject to persecution in some countries, notably in Iran and Egypt. The Iranian government claims the group is a political organization rather than a religious one, so it is not eligible for the protection as a religious minority. Other religious minorities in Iran, including Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, do enjoy legal protections in Iran. In Egypt Baha’i institutions are banned. The international Baha’i headquarters are located in Haifa, Israel, which may help to fuel hostility for the group in countries like Iran that are politically opposed to Israel. The history of the Baha’i movement can be traced back to the mid-19th century, when Siyyid Ali Muhammad declared himself to be “the Bab” (“the Gate”) in Shiraz, Iran. As he gained followers, he came into conflict with the Iranian Shah and religious authorities. The group became known as Babis after their leader. One of Bab’s followers, Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri, was imprisoned for being part of the group in the 1850s. He was subsequently exiled from Iran to the Ottoman Empire. There he was sent from place to place- from Baghdad to Constantinople (Istanbul), and then to Adriano (now Edirne). He eventually took the name Baha’u’llah, and declared himself the heir to the leadership of Bab’s movement. Baha’u’llah won over most of the Babis over time, and they then became known as Baha’is. Baha’u’llah was eventually exiled by the Turks to Akka in what is now Israel (then the Ottoman province of Palestine). He died there in 1892. Baha’u’llah’s successor was his oldest son, Abbas Effendi, who took the title Abdu’l-Baha. Abdu’l-Baha had been exiled and imprisoned along with his father, but was freed after the Young Turk Revolution of 1908. After being released, Abdul Baha traveled widely. He toured Europe in 1911, including London, Bristol, and Paris. In 1912 he traveled to the United States and Canada. He visited New York City, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, New Hampshire, Maine, Montreal, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Stanford, and Los Angeles. He left for Europe in early December 1912. His 1912 visit to North America attracted the attention of the local press, and this article was published in an American newspaper in late November, as Abdul Baha prepared to leave the United States.