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The Censorship of Salmani's Memoirs by the Baha'i Authorities: Historical Documents from 198

From materials in the private collections of Juan R. I. Cole

TH! "#$%!&SA' H("S! () *"ST$C! BAHA'$ +(&'D C!#T&! Department of the Secretariat , September 198 -alimat .ress 1,889 +ilshire Boule/ar01 Suite 2, 'os An3eles1 California 9,, 4 "5S5A5 Dear Baha6i )rien0s1 (n 71 Au3ust 198 the "ni/ersal House of *ustice recei/e0 a letter from Mr5 *uan Cole e8pressin3 concern a/er a number of points connecte0 9ith its 0ecision that certain passa3es1 of the Salmani memoirs shoul0 not be publishe0 at this time5 Shortly after9ar0s it 9as informe0 that Mr5 5 5 5 9as also 9ritin3 on this sub:ect1 an0 it 0eci0e0 to a9ait the arri/al of his letter before replyin35 Ho9e/er1 Mr5 &o3er +hite has no9 share0 9ith the House of *ustice e8tracts from a personal letter he has recei/e0 from Mr5 5 5 5 1 an0 it has instructe0 us to sen0 you the follo9in3 clarification an0 comments 9ithout further 0elay5 As you 9ill recall from the letter 9e 9rote to you on behalf of the "ni/ersal House of *ustice on 19 Au3ust 198,1 the special committee that the #ational Spiritual Assembly of' the "nite0 States ha0 been as;e0 to appoint to re/ie9 .ersian manuscripts 9as also 3i/en the responsibility of a0/isin3 on the timeliness an0 9is0om of publishin3 such te8ts5 The House of *ustice then presume0 that the Salmani memoirs 9ere 3oin3 throu3h this process5 $n *une 198 1 ho9e/er1 one of the frien0s 9rote to the House of *ustice e8pressin3 his 3reat concern at learnin3 that the entire te8t of the Salmani memoirs 9as bein3 copie0 out 9ith the intent of publishin3 them5 (n receipt of this letter an en<uiry 9as imme0iately ma0e by telephone to Mr5 Dara;hshani1 the secretary of the recently appointe0 re/ie9in3 committee for .ersian publications1 an0 he 9as as;e0 to 0ra9 to

your attention the un9is0om of publishin3 the boo; in full at this time5 This 9as confirme0 in a letter to Mr5 Dara;hshani on 7, *une 198 5 =our t9o cables of 1 an0 1> *uly then arri/e0 informin3 the House of *ustice that1 not only ha0 the boo; been passe0 by re/ie9 of both the .ersian ori3inal an0 the !n3lish translation1 but that it 9as actually ?Cont'05555 -alimat .ress , September 198 'os An3eles1 California .a3e t9o at the printers5 &eali@in3 the ur3ency of the matter an0 a9are that1 apparently1 the earlier committee appointe0 by the #ational Spiritual Assembly ha0 not appreciate0 the problems of timeliness presente0 by this publication1 the House of *ustice instructe0 an a0 hoc committee to imme0iately i0entify those fe9 passa3es 9hich 9ere ob:ectionable an0 to sen0 them postAhaste to Mr5 Dara;hshani so that the proofs coul0 be correcte0 an0 the printin3 3o for9ar05 The House of *ustice 3reatly re3rets that it ha0 to inter/ene at the last minute in this 9ay1 an0 since it is clear that -alimat .ress ha0 faithfully follo9e0 all the re<uirements for re/ie91 the House of *ustice 9ill pay the a00itional costs incurre0 as a result of the lastAminute chan3es5 $n a00ition to the 3eneral <uestion1 Mr5 Cole in his letter has <uerie0 the reason for the e8cision of a number of passa3es5 At the moment the House of *ustice has before it only the ori3inal .ersian manuscript1 therefore it 9oul0 appreciate your sen0in3 at your earliest con/enience a copy of the typescript or proofs of the boo;1 sho9in3 both the .ersian an0 the !n3lish an0 9hate/er notes an0 footnotes you ha/e a00e01 so that it can consi0er the passa3es in 0etail an0 reply to the points that Mr5 Cole has raise05 +ith lo/in3 Baha'i 3reetin3s1 'oraine -erfoot )or Department of the Secretariat cc: The #ational Spiritual of the "nite0 States 1 Mr5 *uan Cole TH! "#$%!&SA' H("S! () *"ST$C! BAHA'$ +(&'D C!#T&!

Department of the Secretariat


December 198 Mr5 *uan &icar0o Cole Department of Me0ie/al an0

Mo0ern History 'uc;no9 "ni/ersity 'uc;no9 $n0ia Dear Baha'i )rien01 The "ni/ersal House of *ustice has no9 been able to compare the publishe0 e0ition of the Salmani memoirs 9ith the .ersian manuscript: an0 to consi0er the passa3es 9hich the a0 hoc committee ha0 mar;e0 for 0eletion5 $t is clear that -alimat .ress scrupulously follo9e0 all the pro/isions for re/ie9 of this boo; before publication1 but1 unfortunately the process has been 0o33e0 by a series of' misun0erstan0in3s an0 confusions5 The House of *ustice has instructe0 us to sen0 you the follo9in3 comments on the points raise0 in your letter of 17 Au3ust 198 5 +hen the early correspon0ence too; place bet9een the +orl0 Centre an0 -alimat .ress concernin3 this publication1 the House of *ustice 9as relyin3 on the 0iscretion of the appropriate committee in the "nite0 States to chec; not only the normal re/ie9 aspects1 but also the timeliness an0 9is0om of such a publication5 $t 0i0 not itself chec; the manuscript5 $f it ha0 0one so it no9 conclu0es that it 9oul0 not ha/e 3i/en permission for its publication or translation at this time1 for reasons 9hich 9ill be e8plaine0 belo95 $n *une 198 1 concern 9as e8presse0 to the "ni/ersal House of *ustice about the possible publication in full1 in .ersian1 of these memoirs1 an0 action 9as ta;en in *uly1 in 3reat haste1 to eliminate the most harmful passa3es so that the publication of the boo;1 9hich 9as alrea0y at the press1 coul0 procee05 "nfortunately at that time the a0 hoc committee 9as una9are of the earlier correspon0ence an0 of the fact that certain passa3es ha0 alrea0y been <uote0 in translation in boo;s by Mr5 Hasan Balyu@i an0 Mr5 A0ib Taher@a0eh5 -alimat .ress1 in its turn1 ;no9in3 of the prior publication of these passa3es1 an0 not un0erstan0in3 the reasons for the propose0 0eletions1 has1 in fact1 retaine0 the lar3er part of the ob:ectionable passa3es5 The publication is a fait accompli an0 the House of *ustice has therefore 0eci0e0 to permit it to stan01 but not toC permit the publication of the .ersian te8t 9hich1 in fact1 9oul0 be more 0ama3in3 than the !n3lish /ersion5 Cont'd/.... Mr5 *uan &icar0o Cole .a3e To the points of substance 9hich you ha/e raise0 concernin3 the publication of historical te8ts1 the House of *ustice instructs us to e8plain the follo9in3 $n or0er to preser/e basic information an0 historical materials for the use of future historians1 the belo/e0 Duar0ian instructe0 the communities throu3hout $ran to recor0 the history of the )aith in their localities1 an0 also 3a/e instructions for the memoirs of a number of early belie/ers to be 9ritten 0o9n an0 preser/e05 This 9as not a ne9 a0/ice an0 many frien0s1 eye9itnesses of certain e/ents1 in the li/es of Baha'u'llah an0 'Ab0u'lABaha1 ha0 alrea0y committe0 their reminiscences to 9ritin35 The memoirs of "sta0 Muhamma0AEAliyAiASalmani are amon31 these an0 9ere 9ritten 0o9n from his B,,2

spo;en recollections in his ol0 a3e5 There is no <uestion 9hatsoe/er of suppressin3 such recor0s A on the contrary1 the 9hole purpose of ha/in3 them ma0e 9as to preser/e them1 an0 they ha/e been ma0e a/ailable to Baha'i historians1 such as Mr5 Balyu@i an0 Mr5 Taher@a0eh for use in their 9or;5 +hen e8cerpts are translate0 an0 publishe0 in such 9or;s1 they are place0 in conte8t1 relate0 to other recor0s an01 9here necessary1 annotate0 an0 commente0 on5 =ou 9ill rea0ily a3ree that such a use is not the same as publication in full1 e/en if supplementary footnotes are a00e01 an0 0oes not carry the same implications5 5 $n time entire collections of early 0ocuments of the )aith 9ill be publishe0 in scholarly e0itions for 3eneral use5 An initial step in suclbrl a process is Dr5 Moo:an Momen's a0mirable boo; FThe Babi an0 Baha6i &eli3ions1 15844A1944 A Some Contemporary +estern AccountsF5 A00itional consi0erations1 ho9e/er1 ha/e to be 9ei3he0 in publishin3 te8ts by Baha'i 9riters5 At the present time the 3eneral public1 e/en if it has hear0 of the )aith1 is lar3ely uninforme0 or misinforme05 An increasin3 amount of misinformation is continually bein3 0isseminate0 by opponents of the )aith1 both in the east an0 in the 9est5 The principal tas; of the Baha6is at the present time A an0 especially of Baha6i scholars A is to present a true picture of the )aith to the 3eneral public an0 to relate the Baha6i teachin3s to the concerns an0 problems of man;in05 +hen a Baha'i publishin3 house issues a translation of a 0ocument such as Salmani's memoirs1 the implication to an a/era3e rea0er is that the Baha6is consi0er this particular account 9orthy of publication1 an01 in the absence of a0e<uate footnotes or commentary to the contrary1 the rea0er 9ill assume that Salmani's actions an0 statements are appro/e0 by Baha6is an0 are accurate portrayals of the )aith5 After all1 Salmani 9as a close companion of Baha6u6llah1 comparable in the eyes of a Christian rea0er 9ith one of the early 0isciples of Christ5 %ie9e0 in this li3ht1 certain of Salmani's accounts are mislea0in3 or Cont'd/ Mr5 *uan &icar0o Cole .a3e 7 un9orthy an01 apart from 0istortin3 the )aith for the a/era3e rea0er can pro/i0e material for the enemies of the )aith 9ho at the present time are sei@in3 e/ery opportunity to attac; the Cause an0 blac;en its reputation5 To ta;e a fe9 e8amples from the passa3es <uerie0 by the a0 hoc committee: 15 p5 125 There is a brief account of some belie/ers from Sultanaba0 sayin3 to Baha'u'llah F=ou bein3 Do01 "ncle1 9hy 0o =ou 3i/e us such a har0 ro9 to hoeGF $t is an ol0 accusation a3ainst the Baha6is1 especially from Muslims1 that 9e re3ar0 Baha'u'llah as Do05 To print such a story 9ithout an appropriate commentary 3i/es fuel to our Muslim enemies an0 ma;es the )aith loo; ri0iculous to a 9estern rea0er5 "nfortunately -alimat .ress1 not reali@in3 the reason for the ob:ection1 let the ob:ectionable part stan0 an0 0elete0 a parenthetical comment FThe ShiEis1 ho9e/er1 9ere /ery hostileF1 9hich is entirely innocuous5

5 p57,5 There are some /irtually incomprehensible comments about Mir@a A<a *an6s hea01 9hich are of no historical importance but are unpleasant an0 un9orthy5 75 pp5 71A745 There are three unpleasant stories recounte0 by Salmani to illustrate A@al's 3luttony5 Sho3hi !ffen0i 9as al9ays /ery careful in his accounts of A@al to confine his strictures to his truly infamous con0uct5 He ne/er stoope0 to ma;in3 personal criticisms of such a nature1 9hich are un9orthy 1 .ublication of such stories in the conte8t of an annotate0 e0ition of a historical 0ocument for scholarly stu0y is one thin3H publication in a boo; for the 3eneral rea0er is <uite another5 A3ain1 unfortunately1 -alimat .ress 0i0 not appreciate the reason for the committee's ob:ection an0 publishe0 the 9hole passa3e apart from a couple of brief 0eletions 9hich 9ere of no si3nificance5 p5 745 There is the account5 of a 0isa3reement bet9een Baha'u6llah an0 A@al o/er the sha/in3 of A@al6s son's hea0Aanother un9orthy story1 the point of 9hich is obscure5

75

There are others of a similar character5 The passa3es 9hich ha/e alrea0y been publishe0 in translation1 such as A@al's attempt to persua0e Salmani to mur0er Baha'u'llah1 pro/i0e stri;in3 e8amples of the profoun0 0ifference bet9een publication in the conte8t of a properly balance0 historical e8position1 an0 publication as una0orne0 parts of a narrati/e. $n sum1 to a ;no9le03eable Baha6i rea0er1 Salmani6s memoirs are a 3raphic illustration of the o/er9helmin3 problems 9ith 9hich Baha'u'llah ha0 to 0eal both from His enemies an0 because of the actions of some of His o9n Cont'0? 5555 Mr5 *uan &icar0o Cole .a3e 4 faithful follo9ersH but to an uninforme0 rea0er they 3i/e a mislea0in3 an0 0istorte0 picture of the )aith an0 of Baha'u'llah Himself5 +ith lo/in3 Baha6i 3reetin3s1 'oraine -erfoot )or Department of the Secretariat cc: The $nternational Teachin3 Centre #ational Assembly of the "nite0 States !8cerpts from contemporaneous responses to the "H* letter to *5 Cole from other Baha6i intellectuals 9ho sa9 it: 1C )iru@ -a@em@a0eh1 member of the #ational Spiritual Assembly of the "5S5 an0 =ale historian1 9as e8tremely upset about the tamperin3 9ith a primary source an0 offere0 to 9rite a letter of support for -alimat .ress in the affair5 C .rofessor Amin Banani of "C'A1 9ho ha0 9ritten the intro0uction to the Salmani memoir1 insiste0 that his name be remo/e0 from the intro0uction because he 0ecline0 to be associate0 9ith a censore0 0ocument5

7C Another intellectual obser/e0 the follo9in3: $t is simply untrue to suppose that the a/era3e rea0er is incapable of 0istin3uishin3 bet9een the statements an0 actions of an in0i/i0ual belie/er an0 the official positions of the institutions of the )aith5 This is an elementary 0istinction of the ;in0 9hich is ma0e e/ery 0ay by persons in all 9al;s of life5 This must be particularly true of a manuscript of personal memoirs 9hich is o/er se/enty years ol05 "sin3 the House's e8ample of the early 0isciples of Christ1 many of their failin3s an0 misun0erstan0in3s are clearly recor0e0 in the Dospels an0 in the Acts of the Apostles5 Christians Ior othersC 0o not automatically assume that these shortcomin3s are appro/e0 by mo0ern Churches or are accurate portrayals of Christian stan0ar0s5 +hat sane rea0er of the Dospels 9oul0 propose that since .eter 0enie0 Christ three times or because he use0 his s9or0 to se/er the ear of a &oman sol0ier in the 3ar0en of Dethsemane1 these must be Christian teachin3s or appro/e0 e8amples of Christian con0uctG $f anythin31 the current policies of re/ie9 9hich the House is applyin3 9ill ser/e to blur 9hat 9oul0 other9ise be a perfectly ob/ious 0istinction5 Since the House no9 insists that any publishe0 personal memoirs1 or other statements of personal opinion on the )aith by Baha'is1 must actually reflect official policy an0 contain no statements or reminiscences that run counter to present practice the ar3ument that any in0i/i0ual opinion constitutes official policy I9hich 9oul0 other9ise appear absur0C 3ains some force5 (f course1 it is :ust the opposite impression5 9hich the House 9ants to ma;e5 For instance, the only reason that anyone mi3ht suppose that Salmani's particular account of Baha'u'llah's e8iles mi3ht be consi0ere0 by Baha'isJto be of some special si3nificance is that it is the only one that has been allo9e0 in print5 $f there 9ere se/eral personal accounts of this ;in0 a/ailable1 from 0ifferent points of /ie91 the notion that Salmani's memoir is someho9 special 9oul0 be hel0 by no one5 5 5 The letter to *uan Cole states that Salmani's account 9as publishe0 9ithout footnotes or commentary5 Both 9ere pro/i0e0 in K-alimat6sL e0ition 5 5 5 The intention of the House to protect the reputation of the )aith is certainly to be appreciate01 but it seems clear that this reputation is more li;ely to be blac;ene0 by present policies of strict censorship than by anythin3 in the Salmani memoirsMnot only for nonABaha'is1 but also for loyal belie/ers 9ho fin0 such policies 0ifficult to un0erstan0 Moreo/er1 such policies play ri3ht into the han0s of critics of the )aith Isuch as Denis Mac!oin in !n3lan0C 9ho are har0 at 9or; to portray the )aith as an antiA0emocratic1 totalitarian1 ri3i0ly authoritarian reli3ion1 9hich has falsifie0 an0 0istorte0 its o9n history5 To a00resss the specific ob:ections of the a0 hoc committee: 5 $t is clear that Baha'u'llah ne/er claime0 to be the Do0hea01 an0 this can be conclusi/ely 0emonstrate0 by reference to His o9n +ritin3s5 (n the other han01 it is also clear that there 9ere many Baha'is 9ho belie/e0 that He 9as5 IAn0 there certainly still areNC #umerous references in the publishe0 9or;s of !5 D5 Bro9ne in0icate this clearly5 This coul0 easily be pro/en1 by any scholar 9ho bothere0 to try5 So1 the offen0in3 sentence in Salmani's memoirs a00s nothin3 to 9hat is not alrea0y ;no9n5

)urthermore1 Baha'is ;no9 that in a certain sense 9e belie/e that Baha'u'llah is Do01 as is e8plaine0 in the $<an5 !specially since the inci0ent is not 9ithout humor1 9as inten0e0 as an amusin3 story1 an0 in/ol/es an i3norant /illa3er Ian0 in the conte8t: of the intro0uction of the boo;C1 it seems unli;ely that it 9oul0 fuel our enemies or ma;e us seem ri0iculous5 5 The comments 9hich Salmani ma;es about Mir@a A<a *an's hea0 are a0mitte0ly curious5 Ho9e/er1 $ 9oul0 <uery the statement that they are of nc historical importance5 $f 9e coul0 un0erstan0 9hat the comments meant they may be of 3reat interest5 Salmani 9as1 after all1 a barber1 an0 he may ha/e recor0e0 somethin3 about Mir@a A<a *an's hea0 that others ha/e faile0 to mention5 7 O 45 The truly e8traor0inary stan0ar0 for forbi00in3 the publication of passa3esAAthat they are FunpleasantF or Fun9orthyF AAappears to establish a ne9 stan0ar0 for the re/ie9 of materials 9hich 9as not use0 by the Duar0ian1 or pre/iously use0 by the House of *ustice5 Such a ne9 stan0ar0 raises many <uestions: Salmani can har0ly ha/e been e8pecte0 to conform to stan0ar0s of style an0 choice of material foun0 in the Duar0ian's 9ritin3s1 since he 9as 9ritin3 before the Duar0ian be3an his ministry5 Beyon0 this1 there5mu8t be room in Baha'i literature for 0ifferent ;in0s of boo;s5 #ot all can be similar to the 9or;s of Sho3hi !ffen0i5 $n this case1 9e 9ere publishin3 the personal memories an0 pil3rim's notes of an illiterate barber5 $t is certainly unfair to compare them to the 9ritin3s of the Duar0ian5 The ob:ection that a particular passa3e is FunpleasantF or if un9orthyF is e8tremely /a3ue5 $t is 0ifficult to see ho9 a re/ie9in3 committee coul0 be e8pecte0 to apply such a stan0ar05 $t coul0 pro/i0e license to forbi0 the publication of almost anythin35 The other <uestion1 of course1 is PimpleasantF to 9homG $ 0o not fin0 anythin3 in the memoirs unpleasant or un9orthy of publication5 #either 0i0 the translator1 or the author of the intro0uction to the boo;5 #or 0i0 t9o Separate re/ie9in3 committee of the #ational Spiritual Assembly of the "nite0 States1 one .ersian an0 one American1 fin0 anythin3 of this ;in0 in the manuscript5 Concernin3 A@al's plot to mur0er Baha'u'llahAAthe 0escriptions of 9hich the a0Ahoc committee felt shoul0 not be inclu0e0 in the translation of Salmani's memoirs1 since these 0escriptions ha0 alrea0y been publishe0 in translation in t9o separate boo;s publishe0 by Deor3e &onal01 it 9oul0 ha/e been truly remar;able to omit them from a translation of the memoirs as a 9hole5 $t 9as impossible for me to un0erstan0 ho9 such a re<uest coul0 be :ustifie05 The letter of the House of *ustice states that there is no <uestion of suppressin3 recor0s such as Salmani's memoirs5 The 0ictionary 0efines the 9or0 suppress as: F : to ;eep from public ;no9le03e: as a: to ;eep secret b: to stop or prohibit the publication or re/elation of5F There can be little ar3ument that the House of *ustice inten0s to suppress certain parts of Salmani's memoirs5 That it 0oes not inten0 to 0o so fore/er is

encoura3in31 but it 0oes not chan3e the current con0ition un0er 9hich Baha'i publishers must operate5 #or 9ill the intention to release such information in the future protect us much from the attac;s of scholars or other critics 9ho 9ish to critici@e us on this point5 4C *uan Cole 9rote the "H* on 9 *anuary 1987 in #e9 Delhi: $ remain con/ince0 that the policy outline0 by the "ni/ersal House of *ustice is an unfortunate one an0 that time 9ill pro/e it incorrect5 At that point1 $ am sure that the Supreme $nstitution 9ill1 on the basis of further information an0 consi0erations1 aban0on its current stance5 $ firmly belie/e that it is essentially 0ishonest to 0elete passa3es from manuscripts 9hen they are publishe01 9hether in the ori3inal or in translation1 an0 no matter ho9 temporarily5 $ feel that it is also morally 9ron3 for a public institution to 9ithhol0 0ocuments1 particularly ones o/er thirty years ol01 from scrutiny by the public5 Because $ belie/e that such acts are 9ron3 in principle1 no particular :ustifications for them can stri;e me as 9holly con/incin35 $ further fear that such a policy of secreti/eness an0 bo90leri@ation 9ill ine/itably besmirch the fair name of the )aith of Baha'u'llah5 $ am con/ince0 that the Baha'i )aith has nothin3 to fear from the historical recor0s that ha/e sur/i/e0 the nineteenth century5 $t1 is too sublime1 too true to e/er be sullie0 by anythin3 mere human bein3s ha/e 9ritten or 0one1 +e Baha6is shoul0 face the historical recor01 not 9ith fear1 0issimulation an0 blue pencils1 but 9ith unsha;eable certitu0e of the purity of our Cause5 Final note: The example given by the !J of historical accounts being allo"e# to be publishe# "as $oo%an $omen&s The Babi and Bahai Religions: Some Contemporary Western Accounts '(xfor#: )eorge Ronal#* +,-./. In fact* this boo0 "as also censore# an# important material in the 1ritish 2rchives that the e#itor ha# planne# to inclu#e "as ta0en out at the !J&s insistence.

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