An interview with Qasem Tabrizi
Abbas Effendi travels to England. The English appreciated him and bestow him the Sir medal. The medal which is just being bestowed to those who have served the British emperor.
Well, what is his relationship with the English?
The interaction between the Baha’ism cult and Colonialism in Iran has had a long history.
When was the first Baha’i organization ran in Iran?
After Hussein Ali Baha’s death in 1309 A.H. and the succession of Abbas Effendi (Abdul Baha), the activities of the Baha’is expanded and in 1317 A.H., the first organization in Iran was ran in the form of an organization. It is interesting to be noted that the Baha’is made an organization in America, too.
Explain about the extent of the relationships between the American and the British with the leader of the Baha’is in this period of time?
In this period of time, Mirza Ali Qoli Khan Nabiluduleh, one of the political men of the Iranian embassy in America who had an American wife had relationships with American ones and them came back to Akka. After Abbas Effendi’s death, Shoqi Effendi who was Abbas Effendi’s niece and had studied in England took over the responsibility of Baha’ism organization in 1300. Shoqi Effendi tried to change this movement into a party possessing a central committee managed by special people.
When did the Baha’is enter into the governmental structure of Iran?
During Qajar periods of time, the Baha’is had 3 activities. An activity is in Akka and Haifa in which some political and cultural men commuted as travelers and wrote about there in their diary. Another one was inside Iran in which the constitution revolution was active since 1317 A.H.; that is, Mozaffar Al-Din Shah’s period of time, some years before the constitution revolution.
Another part was formed by Abdul Baha’s trips to Europe and America and the advertisements which were done there. During Pahlavi periods of time, the opportunities for the activities of the Baha’is were provided because the government was Colonial and the coup was done by the British and they brought Reza Khan to dominate the western culture and to remove Islam from Iran and also to preserve the benefits and position of England in Iran.
Were the Baha’is influential on the Election of Reza Khan?
In this regard, Muhammad Reza Ashtiyani writes: “One day, Einul Molk, Amir Abbas Hoveyda’s father who was one of Baha’ism activities whose house was a resort for the relationships between the Baha’is and the English and the political men was visiting a strange man in his house. Einul Molk said to his servant to close the door and no tot let anybody else enter the house. Then, he introduce the stranger to me and said: he is my intimate friend, Ardasir Jey known as Ardeshir reporter
We are searching for a military person to do our mission in Iran. He mustn’t be a faithful Shia. In a 35-page document from the court, Ardeshir jey has written: “In 1296 S.H., I found Reza Khan and considered him as suitable for the future of Iran…”
What is the extent of the Baha’is influence during the first Pahlavi period of time?
Fardoust writes in his diary: Reza Khan was optimistic about the Baha’is but he didn’t employ the Baha’is openly. For example; in 1313 S.H., when Asadullah Saniee and Dr. Abdul Karim Ayadi wrote religion in their employment paper as Baha’i and this issue was reported to the Shah he said: “Don’t write Baha’i but remain in the army.”
It is interesting to be noted that Asadullah Saniee was the special adjutant of Muhammad Reza. During this period of time, the Baha’i faith organization was established and their magazines were published but it wasn’t open for the public. There are several copies of such periodicals related to the years 1307 and 1308 S.H. in Ebrat.Museum
