One of the features of Edward Browne’s itinerary and maybe the most prominent one is proselytizing Bahaism creed in the form of explaining beliefs and commandments of this cult. Visiting Mirza Muhammad Babi, Browne discusses about some of the beliefs and most of the commandments of this cult. Don’t forget that – according to him – when Browne was 27, he had graduated in medicine in B.S. degree and his knowledge about Islam was the result of a person’s data called Mirza Bawanati whom confessed by Browne nobody figured out his writings and other Browne’s Iranian friends prefer to visit him when Mirza was absent there.[1]
Browne explains about his character so: “Mirza Muhammad Bagher entitled Ibrahim Khan Mo’attar was a seasoned man because he had traveled to Isfahan. At first, this man was Shiite and then he got a dervish. Next, he became Christian and then he denied each kind of god. Then, he got Jewish and eventually he invented a religion called Christian Islam or Islamic Christianity.”[۲]
Next, Browne writes about Muhammad Bagher Bawanati’s thoughts, beliefs, poems and writings:
“… Mirza Muhammad Bagher was right and I didn’t figure out his works and maybe the Iranian scientists don’t understand. When Mirza Muhammad Bagher started speaking, he spoke about herbivorous lions, bears, dragons Ya’jouj and Ma’jouj and ancient Arabic and Hebrew texts and then he spoke about disciples and saints. Suddenly, he entered into the daily political issues. Next, he posed ancient fictions of the Israel tribe and the predictions of ancient era. Then, he investigated Zoroastrian beliefs and the Iranian ancient fables and next spoke about disciples, the religion science and jurisprudence of the religion of Christ. At the middle of the speech, when he had an opportunity, he mentioned a verse from the holy Quran and his composition style was too complicated and full of metaphors, similes and gnostic and philosophical idioms that the Iranian literary men couldn’t understand them.”[3]
Browne continues: “One of the great things that I used Mirza Bagher was the epistle he had written about the interpretation of some of the verses of the holy Quran in his handwriting before leaving England.”[۴]
It is obvious that Mirza Bavanati couldn’t interpret the holy Quran except for some nonsenses based on Browne’s description of his teacher.
Edward Browne has written nothing but humiliating the Iranian people:
“We think that Iranian people are quiet and shy whose lifetimes are being spent with philosophy and thought and are pessimistic with everything in their lives. Undoubtedly, there are such Iranian people and are a lot. However, there are a lot of Iranian people whose tastes resemble us and they love fun, joking and maybe facetiae and their comic spirit resembles the British nation’s.”[۵]
Contrary to Browne’s view against the Muslims, he shows positive sensations confronting Babis and imagines them as honest and intact people who attract him. When he is speaking about Muslims, he writes nothing but hypocrisy and superstition:
“Mullah Bashi said Hajj Mirza Mohsen says everywhere that you [Browne] is one of the greatest geomancers of the west and you and him have matched in you a meeting and every one of you showed your strengths as long as you could, but he made you astonished by his shows. He wrote several lines on a sheet of paper and made it fire at your present. Then, he took the paper out of your pocket. Then, you said he could make your father’s spirit present and his spirit speaks French, you would turn into Islam… Do you really want to be a Muslim? I said no. I am not going to be and Hajj Mohsen whom I now figure out that he is a liar… .”[۶]
As a matter of fact; according to Browne, Hajj Mohsen is the symbol of many Muslims whom he has imagine based on his view or the Baha’i and Zoroastrian friends or even the foreign travelers’ ones. This is a false manifestation and imagination of the Iranian community. The dialogue between Browne and Seyyed Jondaghi who was a Shia was so.[7]
[۱] A year among the Iranian people, p. 34.
[۲] Ibid.
[۳] Ibid, p. 35.
[۴] Ibid.
[۵] Ibid, p. 256.
[۶] Ibid, p.411.
[۷] Ibid, p. 412.
