‘Abdu’l-Bahá Sails Away

Persian Prophet Bids Followers Here a Farewell for Life.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Bahá’í prophet and peace advocate, sailed yesterday for Liverpool on the Celtic, after spending seven months in this country preaching to his followers and bidding them farewell on this earth. The prophet, who wore his white turban, was accompanied by his secretary, interpreter, and body servant.

About 100 members of the New York Bahá’í Society, 80 per cent. of whom are women, went to the pier to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá off and were deeply moved as he delivered his final address to them in the lounge. He said that during his tour of the United States he had converted thousands of men and women and that they would work among their churches after he had gone for the furtherance of the movement for universal peace.

A large bunch of American Beauty roses was handed to him and the prophet then distributed the flowers with a parting benediction among his followers.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was born in Shiraz, Persia, on May 23, 1844, the very day that Bahá’ísm was established. He is the third of its prophets. The first was Mirza Ali Mohammed the Báb, who purged the Koran of its impurities and gave his compatriots new religious ideals.

Head of New Religious Cult Has Thousands of Followers

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the venerable Persian who has been touring the United States expounding his new doctrine of world peace and unity of religion, has departed for London, where he will continue his work. During his stay in this country he won over to his beliefs thousands of converts, including many women prominent in social circles. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was imprisoned for twenty years in a Turkish dungeon because of the unpopularity of his doctrines in that country, but his faith in the universal religion is unshaken, and it is said that his following now numbers over 10,000,000.