By: Mrs. Mahboubeh Ismaeeli
Maneckji who was of the founders of such assemblies in Iran was undoubtedly exploited the sorehead ones and the Baha’is needed to be supported by such person against the government. Due to Manekji’s supports of the Baha’is, they are commemorating this person well and praising him in their books. Touraj Amin, the contemporary Baha’i historian who has gathered a set of existent documents in document organization and compiled in a book entitled the documents of Zoroastrians of Iran has praised Maneckji so much to pay homage to him.[1]
In addition to preach the tendency towards ancient times and Baha’ism, Maneckji participated at forming role in deviating constitution movement. They Baha’is entered into this association supported by him. Although the sources of Qajar era have been silent due to the activities of the members to be secret and omitting this association by Naseruddin Shah[2] because its activities were short-termed, but –as will be mentioned later- it was unlikely for their presence in these assemblies due to the existence of intellectual commonalities between the Baha’is and masonries.
Masonry or secret associations known as “the secret weapon of the English started their activities in Naseruddin Shah’s period of time and people such as Maneckji and Melkom Khan directed it towards British aims. The British researchers and thinkers such as Dennies wright who have been of the British diplomats in Iran have commemorated people such as Melkom Khan well.[3] They have introduced such people to induce addressees that the Iranians themselves have been the preachers of masonry in Iran. He reminisces it as a fiction that the Iranian people consider this association as English secret weapon.[4] and concludes they haven’t found any convincing document indicating that the Iranian people confirm the satanic use of masonry by the British government. He believes that the English government hasn’t tried to attract people to masonry assemblies and to make the Iranian lodges relate with masonry assemblies[5], while many contemporary authors such as Ismaeel Raeen reveals the relationship between the Scottish great lodge and masonry assemblies in Iran during next years (in Pahlavi era) and at least ten Iranian lodges were under the control of the greatest Scottish, asters. Also, masonry documents which have been published by political research and study institute speak about the overt and covert coordination between masonry members and the British policies in Iran.[6]
The published documents prove that forming a masonry assembly was a suitable option for social organizing of the forces in civil organizational framework which could create an appropriate opportunity for strengthening Colonial relations in Iran. The relations which guaranteed the Colonial interests in Iran in sensitive historical periods.[7] Due to the intellectual commonalities between Baha’ism and masonry lodges, the Baha’is welcomed their policies more. The following thought are of the common ones: Having human-natured God (human + God), the freedom of peasants out of the constrains of commandments and morals, claiming for the universal government and cosmopolitan thoughts, opposition against Islam and Christianity.[8] Such policies made scholars such as Sheikh Fadhlullah Nouri confront against the Baha’is as the agents of Colonialism. Basically, one of his reasons for his opposition against Constitution Revolution was the active participation of the Baha’is in policy arena and challenging Islam and insulting the religious holy things in the press[9]. So, Sheikh Fadhlullah Nouri published bills and pointed out its vanishing for protecting Islam and stressed that the Baha’is are busy tempting and deceiving ordinary people like evil.[10] For this reason, one of the conditions for acceptance of the parliament by him was the fulfillment of the legitimate commandments concerning Babis and Baha’is.[11]
By establishing parliament, in the 20th principle of amendment of the Constitution, a solution was thought for preventing of broadcasting anti-religious thoughts. According to this principle, all the press except for the harmful books against Islam are free and auditing them became forbidden. By the expression “the deviant books” it means the books and periodicals which have been written about the religions which aren’t right and by the expression ”harmful”, it means the writings which are directly attacking the religion of Islam or criticize it.[12] Despite of all attempts which were done by Sheikh Fadhlullah Nouri for legitimizing the revolution, eventually the Baha’is were successful helped by the English to deviate the Constitution revolution and to isolate Sheikh Fadhlullah Nouri and his thoughts and to omit him.
The role of Mirza Mahdi Kashi entitled minister Homayoun the offspring of Farakh Khan Aminudduleh (the agent of contracting Paris treaty that made Iran separate from Harat)[13] and one of the known Baha’i characters who supported Muhammad Ali Shah in the minor desposition against liberalists.[14] I played a key role in transformation of Ibrahim Zanjani’s character[15] who was one of the members of board of directors of revolution court and issuing the verdict of Sheikh Fadhlullah Nouri’s execution[16]. In the documents published by the British foreign affairs ministry, Sheikh Fadhlullah Nouri has been mentioned as a tyrannical person who was the enemy of Constitution. It was happy with the execution of Sheikh Fadhlullah Nouri.[17]
The British government expanded its influence in Iran by 1299 A.D. coup when Reza Khan gained power. It paved the way for the influence of Baha’ism in Iran and the Baha’is tried to accompanied by Reza Khan government. Habibullah Einul Molk, Hoveyda’s father was of the Baha’is who supported Reza Khan at that period of time.[18] Einul Molk went to Syria appointed by Reza Khan as the broker of ministry of foreign affairs of the government. He tried to strengthen Baha’ism cult there. He was proselytizing for Baha’ism cult that the people of Damascus thought the formal religion of Iranian is Baha’i.[19] During Reza Khan’s period of time, the Baha’is were commemorating Reza Khan well in their meetings and speech and considering his anti-religion policies and confronting against the scholars due to Reza Khan’s interest in Baha’ism cult. The policy of unveiling by Reza Khan which was the symbol of his opposition against one of the indispensable principles of the religion of Islam, Hijab (veiling) was considered by Baha’is as compatible with their rule and logic[20].
The corresponding relationships between the English and the Baha’is during Pahlavi era
Contrary to the claim by the Baha’is for not being political, the Baha’is tried to stabilize their positions coordinated by regime’s policies by 28th of Mordad coup 1332 S.H. . One of their important aims during this period of time is recognizing Baha’ism creed formally in Iran.
The Universal House of Justice and its assembly tried hard to achieve this aim by increasing people Nia proselytizing and expanding the organization and presenting unreal status[21].
Additionally, supporting Baha’is by the European countries such as England and America is of the effective factors in participating Baha’is in policy arena and penetrating into the economic, cultural, military structures of Pahlavi regime. The presence of the Baha’is in Palestine and their extensive activities in this land with the passage of time provided suitable facilities for them particularly during World War I when they started a friendly relationships with the English against the Ottoman. The resources have reported about the cooperation between Abdul Baha and his relatives with the English army and providing provision for them during the war and expelling the Ottoman troops from Palestine.[22] The Baha’is didn’t like to lose their political center in Haifa. So, after Haifa was captured by the British army in 1918 A.D., Abdul Baha prayed for George V.[23]
This political relationship ended in more familiarities between the Baha’is and the western thoughts and Abdul Baha traveled to Europe and America more[24]. It increased the Baha’is westernization and attachment to humanistic and secularist ideas. The Baha’i teachings found a different resource and followed a different trend. If Babism tried to seek power by resorting the religious insights to gain power, the Baha’is entered into policy arena by irreligious insights and keeping away from national and religious identities having pretty western nature during Pahlavi regime and the British government supported the Baha’is as numismatists.
During Pahlavi era, the English expanded masonry lodges and associations in various cities of Iran to compete with them, because in the Constitution era, the English have gained significant positions through these associations. During Pahlavi era, Britain succeeded to renew its relationships with Iran between the years 1332-1342.
The published documents announces about the establishment of great lodge of Scotland which covers many Iranian lodges including 13 English ones in Iran[25]. Entering into these lodges, the Baha’is provided the dominance on the most sensitive foundations and ministries of the country. In their political movements, they hired the educational centers of the country. They depended on the western management patterns to plan, make decision and plan.
According to masonries and the Baha’is the educational programs must be in such a case which don’t harm the Baha’is, masonries and the west in general. On the other hand, it doesn’t bring on independence and self-sufficiency for Iran.[26] During the Pahlavi regime, the Baha’is who were the members of masonry lodge took over the extensive presence in the head of the educational system of the country and the chairmanship of universities or teaching in classes. Zabihullah Qorban, Shiraz university head and the member of Hafiz lodge[27], Manouchehr Taslimi the member of Ibn Sina lodge who later on became the chairman of Tabriz university and Kambiz Qorban, the master of Shiraz agriculture university and the member of Hafiz lodge[28] were of the Baha’is who played key roles in cultural policy making in the country due to their services of the Baha’i leaders to the English. In such conditions, the educational system of the country couldn’t get out of the imposed framework and serve to develop the Iranian community.
Consequently, it should be said that one of the agents for the development of the Baha’is in Pahlavi era is its bond with masonries and the lodges administered by the English government. As masonry, the Baha’is could penetrate into educational centers via these lodges and be influential in massive decision making centers; a method which is in according with the Colonial policy making trend and its aim is to expand the influence layers in decision making centers, because the English program was renewing spying activity such as various masonry organization.
They were consistently supporting their political and spying agents and according to this principle, they could attract new unknown and new people to manipulate their political aims in various organizations. The establishment of Iran-British bank, contracting cultural-commercial pledges and oil ones between Iran and England were of the hidden policy making outcomes of masonry in Iran.
It is continued…
[۱] Mousa Faqih Haqqani, ibid, p. 19.
[۲] Sadeq Ziba Kalam, tradition and modernity, p. 271.
[۳] Dennis Wright, The Iranians among the British, p. 300.
[۴] Ibid, p. 301.
[۵] Ibid, p. 308.
[۶] The political research and study institute, the documents of masonry in Iran, Vol. 1, p. 24, also refer to the center for the documents of the Islamic Revolution, masonries, Rotarins and Lions of Iran.
[۷] Ibid, p. 35.
[۸] Hussein Mir, Masonry Organi
[۹] Abdul Rahim Zaker Hussein, the political press of Iran in Constitution era, p. 65.
[۱۰] Ahmad Kasrawi, the history of Constitution, p. 420.
[۱۱] Ali Dawani, the movement of clergymen of Iran, p. 121.
[۱۲] Abdul Rahim Zaker Hussein, ibid, p. 67.
[۱۳] Mousa Faqih Haqani, ibid, p. 41.
[۱۴] Nazemul Islam Kermani, ibid, p. 456.
[۱۵] Seyyed Muhammad Madani, the report paper of a Baha’i minister, Ayyam magazine, No. 29, 1382 S.H., p. 41.
[۱۶] Madani Bamdad, the interpretation of the Iranian men, p. 15.
[۱۷] Rahim, Reza Zadeh Malek, the Iranian revolution of constitution (narrated by documents of the ministry of foreign affairs of England-blue book), pp. 282-285.
[۱۸] The center for investigating the historical documents, Amir Abbas Hoveida, narrated by documents, Vol. 2, p. 10.
[۱۹] Ibid, p. 319.
[۲۰] Jawad Mansouri, the history of 15th Khordad movement, narrated by documents, Vol. 1, p. 324.
[۲۱] Ibid, p. 319.
[۲۲] Hussein Mir, ibid, p. 208.
[۲۳] Bahram Afrasyabi, ibid, p. 324.
[۲۴] Mahmoud Sadri, “Baha’ism”, the encyclopedia of the Islamic world, Vol. 4, p. 741.
[۲۵] The institute for the political studies and researches, masonry documents in Iran, p. 45.
[۲۶] Muhammad Hassan Tabatabaee, the influence of masonry in managing the Iranian cultural foundations, pp. 29-37.
[۲۷] Ibid, p. 113.
[۲۸] The institute for the political studies and researches, masonry documents in Iran, p. 6.
