ence for the habitation occupied by Bahá’u’lláh during the period of His exile in Baghdád, our deep spiritual devotion for this scene of His loving sacrifice in behalf of universal truth, our whole-hearted resolution to assert the rights of the Bahá’ís in every legitimate way at our command, an attitude fully shared by our fellow believers in all lands. The case cannot be considered as merely local in significance, nor as a merely temporary and unimportant issue between Muslim leaders on the one hand and Bahá’í heretics on the other, nor as a dispute which can be measured in terms of the value of the property as real estate. The Cause of Bahá’u’lláh transcends the limits of ‘Iráq or Persia. It is no movement of heresy or reform contained within the boundaries of the Muslim Faith. The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, and the glorious influence of His son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, have penetrated to the West as to the East, and the Cause stands ever more visibly as an independent Religion whose object is to promote the unity of mankind.
“If any of those opposing the Bahá’ís in ‘Iráq should protest that, as between Muslim leaders and the Bahá’ís the former deserve the support of the civil authorities because of their loyalty to the Religion of Muḥammad, it can be asked by the Bahá’ís what Muslim leader ever inspired thousands of Christians with true reverence for Muḥammad as a Messenger of God? Yet this superhuman task has been accomplished by Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, whose writings on this subject have been published and broadcast throughout Europe and America, as we can make evident if required ...
“But perhaps there are those who will admit these facts, yet insist that the rights of the Bahá’ís to these shrines need not be observed for the reason that the religion founded by Bahá’u’lláh is feeble and unimportant, lacking accumulated treasures, impressive edifices, public influence and famous names. If this view should be advanced, the answer of the Bahá’ís is no less sufficient and clear. We need but point out how, while a prisoner and an exile, Bahá’u’lláh revealed certain spiritual messages to many rulers and kings—to the Sháh of Persia, the Sulṭán of Turkey, to Queen Victoria, Napoleon III, the Czar of Russia, the King of Prussia and to the Emperor of Austria-Hungary. A similar message was sent also to the President of the United States. In these letters Bahá’u’lláh established the ideal of universal peace, invoking the powerful rulers to observe this ideal, and prophesying the utter ruin of those who continued injustice toward their subjects and neglect of the religion of God. Has this not all come to pass? Have not the tyrannical thrones been overturned, while the ideal of universal peace now rules the hearts of men? By this and similar events too numerous to mention, the power which spoke through Bahá’u’lláh has been made manifest and the degradation of injustice been upheld for the whole world to behold. As between spiritual power and material force, surely they are blinded who weigh the importance and success of a religion in the scales of wealth, property and even numbers of adherents alone.”
The determination of the Bahá’ís to spare no efforts until these shrines have been restored, can be measured by the following reference to them in the words of Bahá’u’lláh:
“Remember that which hath been revealed unto Our servant Mihdí in the first year of Our exile in the Land of Mystery (Adrianople) . Therein We have predicted that which will befall the house in the days to come, lest he be grieved over that which hath been wrought by the robber and aggressor in days past. Verily, the Lord thy God knoweth all that is in heaven and earth. We thus dec1ared: Know thou in truth, this is not the first humiliation suffered by My house, for in days gone by the hand of the oppressor abased and dishonored it. In truth I declare it shall be so abased in the days to come as to cause tears to flow from every discerning eye. Thus have We unfolded to thine eyes that which lieth hidden beyond the veil, inscrutable to all
