Abbas Brings New Creed to Lincoln

Advocating the teachings originated by his father, tending toward the unification of humanity, and known as the Bahá’u’lláh [The Bahá’í Faith] movement, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] and his retinue of interpreters arrived in Lincoln Sunday evening and spent the major part of Monday in the city. A visit was paid by the elderly apostle of the religious movement to the home of William J. Bryan, but the commoner was out of the city and he was disappointed at not being able to see him.

Bahá’u’lláh [The Bahá’í Faith] is a religious movement founded many years ago by the ‘Abdul’s [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] father, and since his earliest childhood he has been advocating the teachings of which he conversed freely through the medium of an interpreter. Without the least hesitancy ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] carried on a conversation Monday afternoon with his interpreter in Persian and with his Lincoln countrymen he conversed in Arabic, directing one sentence at the interpreter and following this with another to his Lincoln visitors.

Of his teaching he spoke through his interpreter, stating that Mahaollah [Bahá’u’lláh] aims towards the unification of humanity, the oneness of nativity, and declared that all humanity was the servant of one God and was of one species.

“All people belong to one nativity,” declared ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. “For the earth’s sphere is one, and all humanity is the progenity of one. We are all submerged in the sea of the mercy of one God.”

Prejudices Destroyed.

“According to the teaching of Baháoallah [Bahá’u’lláh], racial prejudices, political and patriotic prejudices are destroying the foundations of humanity. So long as the world is not free from these prejudices; construction progress and peace is impossible, and the human world will not be composed and secure. Among the teachings of Baháoallah [Bahá’u’lláh] is the fact that the fundamental principles of everything is one. This foundation of the world is one reality and this reality is neither multipliable or divisable. Where the difference in religions is found is in the dogma, hence the difference causes enmity among religions. The difference in human physiognomy, though having a realistic basis, nevertheless it is the cause of strife which has only an idealistic basis.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] advanced many other ideas regarding the religion which he advocated. For these he was forced to spend forty years of his life in a Turkish prison in Syria, where he was visited by Mr. Bryan on the latter’s trip around the world. He is an aged man, 68 years of age, and when the Young Turks revolutionized the government of Turkey, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] was given his freedom, as it was learned that he had committed no crime, but had only taught a religion contrary to the ideas of the government then in vogue.

He has been in America about six months, and of Lincoln he spoke very highly. He declared himself as being pleased with the Lincoln air, and the cleanliness of the city. The abdul [‘Abdu’l-Bahá] attracts attention wherever he goes. At the Lincoln Hotel Monday he was the center of all eyes because of his Persian dress, his long white hair and beard, and the spotless white turban which he wore.

Article appeared on page 4.

No picture was in the original.

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