Leader of Bahá’ísm Is Here

Abbas Effendi, known to his millions of followers as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the leader of “Bahá’ísm,” is now on a visit to America.

Never before in recorded history has one of the founders of an Oriental religious movement — since become world-wide — visited America. The personality and the history of one who has spent sixty years of his life in banishment, imprisonment and exile from his native land makes a story of fascinating interest, vividly impressing upon the mind of the investigator the fact that the days of religious persecution are not ended, and that even in this modern age a drama has been enacted which for human interest equals or surpasses Biblical history.

Abbas Effendi, who is known to his millions of followers as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá — the servant of God — was born in Teheran, Persia, May 23, 1844, and is now about sixty-eight. To write the history of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s life one must first give a brief statement of what is known as the “Bábist” cause. Abbas Effendi’s father was born in 1817, and was called by the Báb “Bahá’u’lláh,” a title meaning “The Glory of God.” He gave up his wealth and position to become an associate of this lowly band, and after the death of Báb was looked upon as their leader. In the massacre in 1852 he, with others, was imprisoned, chained in a dungeon as a suspect, and narrowly escaped a death sentence, was banished from Persia with his family and a few of his faithful disciples.