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Social Troubles After the War
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Pages 244-248
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Social Troubles After the War
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Both Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá also foretold a period of
great social upheaval, conflict and calamity as an inevitable
result of the irreligion and prejudices, the ignorance and superstition,
prevalent throughout the world. The great international
military conflict was but one phase of this upheaval. In
a Tablet dated January, 1920, He wrote: --
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O ye lovers of truth! O ye servants of mankind! As the
sweet fragrance of your thoughts and high intentions has
breathed upon me, I feel that my soul is irresistibly
prompted to communicate with you.
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Ponder in your hearts how grievous is the turmoil in
which the world is plunged; how the nations of the earth are
besmeared with human blood, nay their very soil is turned
into clotted gore. The flame of war has caused so wild a
conflagration that the world in its early days, in its middle
ages, or in modern times has never witnessed its like. The
millstones of war have ground and crushed many a human
head, nay, even more severe has been the lot of these
victims. Flourishing countries have been made desolate,
cities have been laid level with the ground, and smiling
villages have been turned into ruin. Fathers have lost
their sons, and sons turned fatherless. Mothers have shed
tears of blood in mourning for their youths, little children
have been made orphans, and women left wanderers and
homeless. In a word, humanity, in all its phases, has been
debased. Loud is the cry and wailing of orphans, and bitter
the lamentations of mothers which are echoed by the
skies.
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The prime cause for all these happenings is racial, national,
religious, and political prejudice, and the root of
all this prejudice lies in outworn and deepseated traditions,
be they religious, racial, national, or political. So
long as these traditions remain, the foundation of human
edifice is insecure, and mankind itself is exposed to continuous
peril.
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Now in this radiant age, when the essence of all beings
has been made manifest, and the hidden secret of all
created thing has been revealed, when the morning light of
truth has broken and turned the darkness of the world
into light, is it meet and seemly that such a frightful carnage
which brings irretrievable ruin upon the world
should be made possible? By God! that cannot be.
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Christ summoned all the people of the world to reconciliation
and peace. He commanded Peter to return
his sword unto its scabbard. Such was His wish and counsel,
and yet they that bear His name have unsheathed the
sword! How great the difference between their deeds and
the explicit text of the Gospel!
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Sixty years ago Bahá'u'lláh, even as the shining sun,
shone in the firmament of Persia, and proclaimed that the
world is wrapt in darkness and this darkness is fraught
with disastrous results, and will lead to fearful strife. In
His prison city of Akká, He apostrophized in unmistakable
terms the Emperor of Germany, declaring that a
terrible war shall take place, and Berlin will break forth
in lamentation and wailing. In like manner, whilst the
wronged prisoner of the Sultán of Turkey in the citadel of
Akká, He clearly and emphatically wrote him that Constantinople
will fall a prey to grave disorder, in such wise
that the women and children will raise their moaning cry.
In brief, He addressed epistles to all the chief rulers and
sovereigns of the world, and all that He foretold has been
fulfilled. From His pen of glory flowed teachings for the
prevention of war, and these have been scattered far and
wide.
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His first teaching is the search after truth. Blind imitation,
He declared, killeth the spirit of man, whereas the
investigation of truth frees the world from the darkness
of prejudice.
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His second teaching is the oneness of mankind. All
men are but one fold, and God the loving Shepherd. He
bestoweth upon them His most great mercy, and considers
them all as one. "Thou shalt find no difference
amongst the creatures of God." They are all His servants,
and all seek His bounty.
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His third teaching is that religion is the most mighty
stronghold. It should be conducive to unity, rather than
be the cause of enmity and hate. Should it lead to enmity
and hate better not have it at all. For religion is even as
medicine, which if it should aggravate the disease, its
abandonment would be preferred.
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Likewise, religious, racial, national, and political prejudice,
all are subversive of the foundation of human society,
all lead to bloodshed, all heap ruin upon mankind.
So long as these remain, the dread of war will continue.
The sole remedy is universal peace. And this is achieved
only by the establishment of a supreme Tribunal, representative
of all governments and peoples. All national
and international problems should be referred to this tribunal,
and whatsoever be its decision that should be enforced.
Were a government or people to dissent, the world
as a whole should rise against it.
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And among His teachings is the equality in right of
men and women, and so on with many other similar
teachings that have been revealed by His pen.
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At present it has been made evident and manifest that
these principles are the very life of the world, and the embodiment
of its true spirit. And now, ye, who are the servants
of mankind, should exert yourselves, heart and soul,
to free the world from the darkness of materialism and
human prejudice, that it may be illumined with the light
of the City of God.
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Praise be to Him, ye are acquainted with the various
schools, institutions and principles of the world; today
nothing short of these divine teachings can assure peace
and tranquillity to mankind. But for these teachings, this
darkness shall never vanish, these chronic diseases shall
never be healed; nay, they shall grow fiercer from day to
day. The Balkans will remain restless, and it condition
will aggravate. The vanquished will not keep still, but
will seize every means to kindle anew the flame of war.
Modern universal movements will do their utmost to
carry out their purpose and intentions. The Movement of
the Left will acquire great importance, and its influence
will spread.
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Wherefore, endeavor that with an illumined heart, a
heavenly spirit, and a divine strength, and aided by His
grace, ye may bestow God's bountiful gift upon the world
... the gift of comfort and tranquillity for all mankind.
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In a talk given in November 1919, He said: --
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Bahá'u'lláh frequently predicted that there would be a
period when irreligion and consequent anarchy would
prevail. The chaos will be due to too great liberty among
people who are not ready for it, and in consequence there
will have to be a temporary reversion to coercive government,
in the interests of the people themselves and in order
to prevent disorder and chaos. It is clear that each nation
now wishes complete self-determination and freedom
of action, but some of them are not ready for it. The prevailing
state of the world is one of irreligion, which is
bound to result in anarchy and confusion. I have always
said that the peace proposals following the great war
were only a glimmer of the dawn, and not the sunrise.
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