‘Abdu’l-Bahá, "Prophet of God," Is Asked to Come to Spokane

About 26 converts of the Bahá’í movement in Spokane are awaiting definite news whether ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbas, “prophet of God and exponent of the universal religion” will visit this city on his trip to western America, which, the Spokane believers have been informed, will result in his arrival at San Francisco about September 26.

The Persian prophet, looked upon by 3,000,000 people in various parts of the world as the deliever of humanity, has been invited to visit Spokane either on his way to or return from San Francisco, and the Rev. A.C. Crier, pastor of the local Universalist church of Divine Science, has offered his pulpit for use of the prophet should he decide to stop over here.

“It would be one of the greatest events in the history of Spokane if ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would visit us here,” said A.C. Killius of 121 Fifth avenue, at whose home the Spokane Spiritual Bahá assembly, local organization of the Bahá’í movement, meets. Mr. Killius attended the convention of American converts at Chicago this spring, heralding the arrival in this country of the prophet.

Mrs. M.L. O’Kleffe of E304 Twenty-eight avenue, also prominent among the local believers, had information Monday that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had left Buffalo September 13 for Chicago, following a stay in the eastern states, and would leave for the Pacific coast soon after arrival at Chicgoa

“No Paid Ministers.”

“We have given him on urgent invitation to come to Spokane,” said Mrs. O’Kleffe. “Many of us met him in Chicago and we believe that our invitation will be accepted. The Bahá’í movement means the abolition of all paid ministers and priests. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as the prophet of God and exponent of universal peace, receives no pay, and his religion, when established, will need no paid advocates.”

The object of the Bahá’í movement, according to its professors, is the establishment of a universal religion. It offers to mankind, they say, a practical basis of unity, one which is in direct line with the great world needs of this age. The movement dates from 1844, with the rise of the great Persian teacher, “The Báb,” who proclaimed the coming of a gretaer teacher who would establish the universal religion and “the universal peace.” The Báb was a martyr to the cause, a victim of the Moslems in Persia, and the promised great teacher appeared. He was Bahá’u’lláh, father of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the present leader. He was persecuted by enemies of the new religion for 40 years, the period of his mission, and died in prison in 1892.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was constantly with his father during his persecution and imprisonment and for 40 years the son was himself a prisoner, held by the sultan of Turkey. With the coming of the “young Turks” movement of 1898 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was released. His religion is now the predominating one in Persia and the prophet himself, besides America, has visited England and France since his release.

[picture caption: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, exponent of universal religion.]