A World Religion
July 14th, 1947
Mr. Justice Emil Sandstrom, Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine
Sir:
Your kind letter of July 9th reached me and I wish to thank you for
affording me the opportunity of presenting to you and your esteemed
colleagues a statement of the relationship which the Bahá’í Faith has
to Palestine and our attitude towards any future changes in the status
of this sacred and much disputed land.
I am enclosing with this letter, for your information, a brief sketch
of the history, aims and significance of the Bahá’í Faith, as well as a
small pamphlet setting forth its views towards the present state of the
world and the lines on which we hope and believe it must and will
develop.
The position of the Baha’i’s in this country is in a certain measure
unique; whereas Jerusalem is the spiritual center of Christendom it is
not the administrative center of either the Church of Rome or any other
Christian denomination. Likewise although it is regarded by Moslems as
the spot where one of its most sacred shrines is situated, the Holy
Sites of the Mohamedam Faith, and the center of its pilgrimages, are to
be found in Arabia, not in Palestine. The Jews alone offer somewhat of
a parallel to the attachment which the Baha’i’s have for this country
inasmuch as Jerusalem holds the remains of their Holy Temple and was
the seat of both the religious and political institutions associated
with their past history. But even their case differs in one respect
from that of the Baha’i’s , for it is in the soil of Palestine that the
three central figures of our religion are buried, and it is not only
the center of Bahá’í pilgrimages from all over the world but also the
permanent seat of our Administrative Order, of which I have the honor
to be the Head.
The Bahá’í Faith is entirely
non-political and we neither take sides in the present tragic dispute
going on over the future of the Holy Land and its peoples nor have we
any statement to make or advice to give as to what the nature of the
political future of this country should be. Our aim is the
establishment of universal peace in this world and our desire to see
justice prevail in every domain of human society, including the domain
of politics. As many of the adherents of our Faith are of Jewish and
Moslem extraction we have no prejudice towards either of these groups
and are most anxious to reconcile them for their mutual benefit and for
the good of the country.
What does concern us, however, in any decisions made affecting the
future of Palestine, is that the fact be recognized by whoever
exercises sovereignty over Haifa and Acre, that within this area exists
the spiritual and administrative center of a world Faith, and that the
independence of that Faith, its right to manage its international
affairs from their source, the right of Baha’i’s from any and every
country of the globe to visit it as pilgrims (enjoying the same
privilege in this respect as Jews, Moslems and Christians do in regard
to visiting Jerusalem) be acknowledged and permanently safeguarded.
The Sepulchre of the Bab on Mt. Carmel, the Tomb of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ in
that same spot, the Pilgrim Hostel for oriental Baha’i’s in its
vicinity, the large gardens and terraces which surround these places
(all of which are open to visits by the public of all denominations),
the Pilgrim Hostel for western Baha’i’s at the foot of Mt. Carmel, the
residence of the Head of the Community, various houses and gardens in
Acre and its vicinity associated with Baha’u’llah’s incarceration in
that city. His Holy Tomb at Bahji, near Acre, with His Mansion which is
now preserved as a historic site and a museum (both likewise accessible
to the public of all denominations), as well as holdings in the plain
of Acre - all these comprise the bulk of Baha’i properties in the Holy
Land.
It should also be noted that practically all of these properties have
been exempted from both Government and Municipal taxes owing to their
religious nature. Some of these extensive holdings are the property of
the Palestine Branch of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States and Canada, incorporated as a religious society according to the
laws of the country. In future various other Bahá’í National Assemblies
will hold, through their Palestine Branches, parts of the International
Endowments of the Faith in the Holy Land.
In view of the above information I would request you and the members of
your Committee to take into consideration the safeguarding of Bahá’í
rights in any recommendation which you may make to the United Nations
concerning the future of Palestine. May I take this opportunity of
assuring you of my deep appreciation of the spirit in which you and
your colleagues have conducted your investigations into the troubled
conditions of this Sacred Land. I trust and pray that the outcome of
your deliberations will produce an equitable and speedy solution of the
very thorny problems which have arisen in Palestine.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed) Shoghi Rabbani
Haifa, Palestine
From: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2344965652393867?sorting_setting=RECENT_ACTIVITY
Following is a shorter version of the letter from the BIC website:
Letter to the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine
On July 9, 1947, Shoghi Effendi received a letter from the chairman of
the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine requesting a
statement on the relationship, which the Baha'i Faith has to Palestine
and the Baha'i attitude toward any future changes in the status of the
country. From Shoghi Effendi's reply, the following paragraphs are
quoted in The Baha'i World, Volume 11 (1946-1950), pp.43-44.1
Haifa, Israel—15 July 1947
"The position of the Baha'is in this country is in a certain measure
unique: Whereas Jerusalem is the spiritual center of Christendom it is
not the administrative center of either the Church of Rome or any other
Christian denomination. Likewise although it is regarded as the second
most sacred shrine of Islam, the most Holy site of the Muhammadan
Faith, and the center of its pilgrimages, are to be found in Arabia,
not in Palestine. The Jews alone offer somewhat of a parallel to the
attachment which the Baha'is have for this country, inasmuch as
Jerusalem holds the remains of their Holy Temple and was the seat of
both the religious and political institutions associated with their
past history. But even their case differs in one respect from that of
the Baha'is for it is in the soil of Palestine that the three central
Figures of our Religion are buried and it is not only the center of
Baha'i' pilgrimages from all over the world but also the permanent
seat of our Administrative Order, of which I have the honor to be the
Head."
"The Baha'i Faith is entirely
nonpolitical and we neither take sides in the present tragic dispute
going on over the future of the Holy Land and its people nor have we
any statement to make or advice to give as to what the nature of the
political future of this country should be. Our aim is the
establishment of universal peace in this world and our desire to see
justice prevail in every domain of human society, including the domain
of politics. As many of the adherents of our Faith are of both Jewish
and Moslem extraction, we have no prejudice towards either of these
groups and are most anxious to reconcile them for their mutual good and
for the good of the country."
"What does concern us, however, in any decisions made affecting the
future of Palestine, is that the fact be recognized by whoever
exercises sovereignty over Haifa and Acre, that within this area exists
the spiritual and administrative world center of a world Faith, and
that the independence of that Faith, its right to manage its affairs
from this source, the right of Baha'is from any and every country of
the globe to visit it as pilgrims (enjoying the same privilege in this
respect as Jews, Moslems and Christians do in regard to visiting
Jerusalem), be acknowledged and permanently safeguarded."
Notes
1. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States and
Canada (1981). The Baha'i World: A Biennial International Record,
Volume 11: 1946-1950 (Wilmette, IL: Baha'i Publishing Trust).
BIC Document #: 47-0715
From: https://www.bic.org/statements/letter-united-nations-special-committee-palestine
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