Leader of the Bahá’í Religious Movement, With His Retinue, Visits Followers Here
“Prophet of Glory” Visits Minneapolis
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, White of Beard and Gentle of Mien, Greets Followers.
His Speech Is Arabic, His Walk Like That of Kim’s Llama.
He Preaches the Gospel of Universal Peace and Language.
Groups of curious people watched the progress through Loring park this morning of an aged man with a white turban and a flowing white beard, who walked with his hands behind his back, and was followed by a group of fez-crowned men, who spoke in low voices and paid the aged man great deference.
Passersby who were attracted by the strange group followed through the park at some little distance.
The aged man was Adbul Bahá, from the Far East, “Prophet of the Glory,” and head of the new religion whose followers seek universal peace. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arrived in Minneapolis late last night and is stopping with his four disciples at the Plaza hotel. Two of his disciples are from Persia, one from Russia and one from Japan.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá is one of the most picturesque religious figures in the Orient. He is 68 years old and was imprisoned for 50 years, for his beliefs. The Bahá has several hundred followers in the Twin Cities and thousands in the United States. Albert H. Hall of Minneapolis is one of the principal followers, and Mrs. H. McCutcheon and Dr H.S. Harper of Minneapolis are also numbered in his following.
The Bahá Takes a Walk.
The Bahá and his disciples, including some Twin City followers, took a half-hour’s constitutional in Loring park. Under a loose coat of flannel the Bahá wore loose-fitting trousers and white rough woolen socks that had rolled down over low shoes, which were like the bedroom slippers of the Western world.
The Bahá walked slowly, contemplating the beauties of the park and watching the swans float on the mirror-like lake in Loring park. He seemed to be absorbing the sunshine. The knot of followers were a few paces to the rear. They spoke in low voices and approached the Bahá with deference. To his interpreter the Bahá spoke in Arabic. His only words in English are “Very nice” and “Very good.”
“Newspapers,” said the Bahá, must be the first means of amity and understanding amongst men. All men must be the servants of one God, all must be united. Newspapers must be the heralds of the oneness of humanity. Morality must be reinstated in the world.
“The time has come for the world of humanity to hoist the standard of the oneness of the human world, so that unity may connect all the nations of the world, so that dogmatic formulas and superstition may end, so that essential reality underlying all the religions founded by all the prophets may be revealed.”
Recognizes All Religions.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá recognizes all the different saviors and prophets. Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Confucius, Bahá’u’lláh — all were necessary to their time and place. He believes in monogamic marriages and woman suffrage and in a universal language.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke at noon today at the Commercial club and will speak tomorrow night at the Shaari Tov temple, Fifth avenue south and Tenth street. He will leave Minneapolis tomorrow night. He has visited all the larger cities of the East, and a temple is soon to be built in Chicago.
[picture caption: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá]
