The administrative organization of the Baha’is called as the administrative discipline of Amr Allah by Shoghi Effendi is being managed under the supervision of the universal house of justice located at Haifa city, the occupied Palestine).
Abbas Effendi, the second leader of Baha’ism (Abdul Baha) has founded the leadership and administrative organization of Baha’ism on two pillars in will tablets: the guardian of the faith and the universal house of justice and called all Baha’is to obey the guardian of the faith orders in addition to mentioning the authorities of each member of the universal house of justice. He appoints the guardian of the faith as the senior member and the permanent and irrevocable chairman of the universal house of justice and considers extensive authorities such as dismissing or punishing the sinful members of the universal house of Justice.
According to the Baha’is charter compiled by Abbas Effendi in the form of will tablets, the existent guardian of the faith must determine and introduce the guardian of the faith after himself and the administrative organization of the Baha’is must be managed under the supreme supervision of the guardian of the faith. So, in spite of what is said the organization of Bahaism (the UHJ) has omitted the position of guardian of the faith since Shoghi Effendi’s death for nearly 50 years and has taken over the management of the Baha’is community alone and consequently has made the Bahaism organization encounter with legitimacy crisis.
The name the universal house of justice was applied for the first time by Hussein Ali Nouri in the Aghdas book.
According to his view, the establishment of the universal house justice is necessary in each city or locality having at least nine people. Abbas Effendi, Baha’s successor had predicted the organizational span of the universal house of justice travelling to European countries and the American ones. He appointed it as the legislation pillar and center.
After Abbas Effendi; due to inability and character weakness of shogi Effendi, the process of forming the universal house of justice during Shoghi Effendi’s period of time was intensified more in spite of null and weak foundation of Bahaism, people’s unwillingness to turn to this creed (regardless of really extensive proselytizing for this creed), decreasing the number of followers and most importantly experiences of American newly-religionists in organizing so-called religious cults and stressing some rulers of the usurp government of Israel on establishing the universal house of justice quickly. For this reason, the international panel of Bahaism was established and the American Mason Remey was appointed as the head by Shoghi Effendi.
Shoghi died doubtfully in 1957 A.D./1336 S.H. in London. At the same time with his doubtful death and in spite of the continuation of the activity of the international board of Bahaism, Mrs. Rouhieh Maxwell (Shoghi’s widow) took on the management of the Bahaism organization practically. First, she formed a three-member board (including herself, John Farabi and Hassan Mogher Baluzi) and then she announced the Baha’i international panel as canceled. The three-member board invited the members of the faith across the world as the next step. They were 27 people out of which 9 people were elected as Ayadi Amr Allah residing in the holy land. At the same time with this issue, Mason Remey (appointed by Shoghi) was excommunicated.
The board of Ayadi Amr Allah resided in the holy land took over managing Bahaism organization for 6 years (1957-1963 A.D.) and during this period of time, the number of national assemblies increased from 9 to 56 ones. Eventually, in 1963 A.1D. (1342 S.H.) the first elections of the universal house of justice was held and 3 Iranian, 4 American, 1 British, 1 Irish, totally 9 people were elected. According to the UHJ Constitution, the members are elected every 5 years presented by the representatives of national assemblies of countries and their gathering in the form of Bahaism international council association and so far during the years 1963-2003 A.D., nine election periods of the universal house of justice have been held.
The structure of the universal house of justice resembles the extensive structure of parties whose members are obliged to regulate the principles governing the party and each member is busy in one or some organizational unit of the party.
It is worthy to be mentioned that after Shoghi’s death, a group of Baha’is who believed in necessity for the presence and continuation of the guardianship of the faith elected Charles Mason Remey who had been appointed as the head of the international Baha’i board by Shoghi Effendi as the second guardian of the faith. In 1974 A.D., Mason Remey died and after him Joel Maranjela was appointed as the third guardian of the faith and now Nosrat Allah Bahrehmand is the forth one. The main headquarter of the followers of Mason Remey is in Australia now. This group who is called the real Baha’is by itself is entitled the Orthodoxy is Baha’is possessing proselytizing centers and organizational assemblies in various countries such as America, India, Australia and Canada.
