During one of my longer stays in Haifa, from the end of
March to July 1952, the 'old' and 'new' Covenant-breakers, emboldened by the
end of British administration in Palestine, devised a plan to wrest from the
hands of the Guardian all the possessions of the Faith in the Holy Land, by
challenging the authority conferred upon him in the Will and Testament of
'Abdu'l-Bahá. Their machinations were intended mainly to harass Shoghi Effendi
in the hope of bringing him to Court, where they could inflict on him publicly
all kinds of humiliations through the use of legal cavils and the like. The
affair lasted about three months, and of course ended with full victory for
him, but what he suffered it is impossible to describe. The sacredness of the
Institution of the Guardianship was not only challenged but was attacked for
the purpose of creating confusion and turmoil in the rank and file of the
believers. His great suffering was for the sacrilege being committed against
this Institution of the Faith. It was so abhorrent to him that he felt
physically ill, as if 'a thousand scorpions had bitten him'.
During the most crucial days of this sorrowful experience,
one night after dinner he spoke to me alone for several hours. His indignation
was immense. He reviewed the tragic history of all that had happened since the
days of the Bábí Dispensation, the sufferings inflicted on Bahá'u'lláh by
Subh-i-Azal (Mirza Yahya), the perfidy of Muhammad-Ali against the Master, the
situation that arose in 'Abdu'l-Bahá's immediate family in the years which
followed His passing, and all the acts of treachery and disobedience
perpetrated by infamous followers in whom both the Master and himself had
aforetime placed their trust. Often visibly grieved and filled with anxiety, he
would say to me: 'You must know these things'; 'I want you to know these
things'.
These phrases he repeated several times during the course of the conversation. Many things he said I cannot repeat now, but they gave me a feeling of anguish and, I may say, of fear, because I became conscious that the Divine Covenant was assailed with vehemence by ruthless, satanic people, and that while the mass of the believers throughout the world were unaware of this grave danger, he, Shoghi Effendi, single and alone, was its defender, protected only by the armour and shield of his faith in God and His Covenant. The image passed rapidly through my mind of this new David battling single-handed against a ferocious, deadly monster, with all the terrors of the wilderness around him. He mentioned to me by name, one by one, the unfaithful members of his immediate family, their disobedience and obstinacy.
He spoke also of the intrigues and disobedience of some
followers who later had begged for forgiveness, with 'puny and pitiful
excuses'. 'I am only the Guardian of the Cause of God and I must show justice,'
he said; 'God only can show them mercy, if not in this world, in the next.'
After a pause he looked at me silently for a while and then added: 'But if they
repent the Guardian would know their sincerity and pardon them.'
During this entire conversation shadows of sorrow and
dismay, like heavy storm clouds, passed over his luminous face. I could sense
all the time the inner agony of his soul and the suffering of his body. A surge
of unbounded love filled my heart. What would I have given to restore his
happiness and tranquillity! How much I loved this Defender of the Covenant,
this Sign of God on earth, the inspirer of every noble thought among the
children of men! I had to control myself not to take him in my arms, to shield
him from any further suffering, to assure him that for every Covenant-breaker
there were thousands and thousands of believers who, like me, were ready to
shed their blood if that were demanded!
- Hand of the Cause, Ugo Giachery (‘Shoghi
Effendi – Recollections’)
