The racism of ʿAbbās Effendī
Baha'i
patriarch ʿAbdu'l-Bahāʾ's view on the Jews of Palestine:
On
occasion, his holiness ʿAbdu'l-Bahāʾ would travel to Tiberias. The qāḍī of Haifa sent a letter to
His holiness inquiring of the state of Tiberias. While responding to this
request, he said, "If you wish to know about Tiberias, know that its
stones are black, its inhabitants are Jews, and their appearance is apish"
(kal-qirdi).
Memoirs
of Khalīl Shahīdī, p. 122-123, http://bahai-library.com/pdf/r/rabbani_reminiscences_khalil_shahidi_persian.pdf.
[Note:
Ahang Rabbani translates the Arabic كَالْقِردِ kal-qirdi as 'basic,'
but that is not what it means. In Arabic, القِرد is 'the ape,' while the prefix
كَـ means
'like/as,' so a literal translation would be 'like the ape.']
On
Africans:
The
inhabitants of a country life Africa are all
as wandering savages and wild animals. They lack intelligence and knowledge;
all are uncivilized; not one civilized and a wise man is not to be found among
them. These are the proofs of the wise men. The prophets also acknowledge this
opinion, towit: That education hath a great effect upon the human race, but
they declare that minds and comprehensions are originally different. And this
matter is self-evident; it cannot be refuted. We see that certain children of
the same age, nativity and race, nay, from the same household, under the
tutorship of one teacher, differ in their minds and comprehensions. One
advanceth rapidly, another is slow in catching the rays of culture, still
another remaineth in the lowest degree of stupidity. No matter how much the
shell is educated (or polished), it can never become a radiant pearl. The black
stone will not become the world-illumined gem." (Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha
p.567 vv.3-4) https://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/TAB/
It
is, therefore, certain that sins such as anger, jealousy, dispute,
coventouness, avarice, ignorance, prejudice, hatred, pride, and tyranny exist
in the physical world. All these brutal qualities exist in the nature of man. A
man who had not had a spirutal education is a brute. Like the savages of Africa, whose actions, habits and morals are purely
sensual, they act according to the demands of nature to such a degree that they
rent and eat one another. (Some Answered Questions 29:5)
As
ignorance is the cause of crimes, the more knowledge and science increases, the
more crimes will diminish. Consider how often murder occurs among the
barbarians of Africa; they even kill one
another to eat each other's flesh and blood!" (Some Answered Questions
77:13)
If
a child is left in its natural state and deprived of education, there is no
doubt that it will grow up in ignorance and illiteracy, its mental faculties
dulled and dimmed; in fact, it will become like an animal. This is evident
among the savages of central Africa, who are scarcely higher than the beast in
mental development. (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.311)
The
black man must ever be grateful to the white man, for he has manifested great
courage and self-sacrifice in behalf of the black race. Four years he fought
their cause, enduring severe hardships, sacrificing life, family, treasure, all
for his black brother until the great war ended in the proclamation of freedom.
By this effort and accomplishment the black race throughout the world was
influenced and benefited. Had this not been accomplished, the black man in Africa would still be bound by the chains of slavery.
Therefore, his race should everywhere be grateful, for no greater evidence of
humanism and courageous devotion could be shown than the white man has
displayed. If the blacks of the United
States forget this sacrifice, zeal and
manhood on the part of the whites, no ingratitude could be greater or more
censurable. If they could see the wretched conditions and surroundings of the
black people of Africa today, the contrast would be apparent and the fact
clearly evident that the black race in America enjoys incomparable
advantages. The comfort and civilization under which they live here are due to
the white man's effort and sacrifice. Had this sacrifice not been made, they
would still be in the bonds and chains of slavery, scarcely lifted out of an
aboriginal condition. Therefore, always show forth your gratitude to the white
man. (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.12)
Thus it is proved
that the world of nature is imperfect and dark. If a child is born and we do
not nurture him and we abandon him in his natural state what will happen?
Without a doubt, he will remain ignorant and without cognition and he will be
an animal. Look at the inhabitants of black Africa
who are like animals and even inferior. Thus we can see how divine nurturing
influences the world of humanity. The world of nature is the world of the
animal.” (Khatabat 2:236-7)
A Baha'i nigger is better than a non-Baha'i nymph! (Khatabat, p.237)
یک کاکاسیاه احباب بهتر از یک حوریه اغیار است
Before the coming of Columbus America itself
was a wild, uncultivated expanse of primeval forest, mountains and rivers—a
very world of nature. Now it has become the world of man. It was dark,
forbidding and savage; now it has become illumined with a great civilization
and prosperity. Instead of forests, we behold productive farms, beautiful
gardens and prolific orchards. Instead of thorns and useless vegetation, we
find flowers, domestic animals and fields awaiting harvest. If the world of
nature were perfect, the condition of this great country would have been left
unchanged. If a child is left in its natural state and deprived of education,
there is no doubt that it will grow up in ignorance and illiteracy, its mental
faculties dulled and dimmed; in fact, it will become like an animal. This is
evident among the savages of central Africa,
who are scarcely higher than the beast in mental development. The conclusion is
irresistible that the splendors of the Sun of Truth, the Word of God, have been
the source and cause of human upbuilding and civilization. The world of nature
is the kingdom of the animal. (Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.
311)
