Messages of condolences from high officials and tributes in various newspapers concerning the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha
- The
British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Mr. Winston Churchill, telegraphed
immediately to the High Commissioner for Palestine, Sir Herbert Samuel,
instructing him to “convey to the Bahá’í Community, on behalf of His Majesty’s
Government, their sympathy and condolence.”
- Viscount
Allenby, the High Commissioner for Egypt, wired the High Commissioner for Palestine
asking him to “convey to the relatives of the late Sir ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Abbás
Effendi and to the Bahá’í Community” his “sincere sympathy in the loss of their
revered leader.”
- The
Council of Ministers in Baghdád instructed the Prime Minister Siyyid ‘Abdu’r-Rahmán
to extend their “sympathy to the family of His Holiness ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in their
bereavement.”
- The
Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, General Congreve,
addressed to the High Commissioner for Palestine a message requesting him to
“convey his deepest sympathy to the family of the late Sir Abbás Bahá’í.”
- General
Sir Arthur Money, former Chief Administrator of Palestine, wrote expressing his
sadness, his profound respect and his admiration for Him as well as his
sympathy in the loss which His family had sustained.
- One of
the distinguished figures in the academic life of the University of Oxford, a
famous professor and scholar, wrote on behalf of himself and his wife: “The
passing beyond the veil into fuller life must be specially wonderful and
blessed for One Who has always fixed His thoughts on high, and striven to lead
an exalted life here below.”
- Many and
divers newspapers, such as
- the
London “Times,”
- the
“Morning Post,”
- the
“Daily Mail,”
- the “New
York World,”
- “Le
Temps,”
- the
“Times of India” and
others, in different languages and countries, paid their tribute to One Who had
rendered the Cause of human brotherhood and peace such signal and imperishable
services.
- The High
Commissioner, Sir Herbert Samuel, sent immediately a message conveying his
desire to attend the funeral in person, in order as he himself later wrote, to
“express my respect for His creed and my regard for His person.”
- Shoghi
Effendi (‘God Passes By’)