‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London
Notes of Conversations :: From an Interview given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Weekly Budget
“It was while the
Sulṭán’s committee of investigation was homeward bound that the first shell was dropped into
‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd’s camp and the first gun of freedom was fired into the home of despotism. That was God’s gun,” said
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, with one of his wonderful smiles.
“When the committee reached the Turkish capital, they had more urgent things to think of. The city was in a state of uproar and rebellion, and the committee, as members of the government staff, were delegated to investigate the insurrection. Meanwhile the people were establishing a constitutional government and ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd was given no chance to act.”
The Release
“With the advent of the Young Turks’ supremacy, realized through the Society of Union and Progress, all the political prisoners of the Ottoman Empire were set free. Events took the chains from my neck and placed them about Ḥamíd’s; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came out of prison and ‘Abdu’l-Ḥamíd went in!”
“What became of the committee?” asked someone, breaking the deep silence that followed the recital of this thrilling page of history. “‘Áríf Bey,” continued ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “was shot with three bullets, the general was exiled, the next in rank died, and the third ran away to Cairo, where he sought and received help from the Bahá’ís.”
“Will you tell us how you felt while in prison
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