The Baha'i Faith & Religious Freedom of

Conscience
Scholarship worthy of the name cannot be done without confronting the
Bahai history to which Ruth White, ulie Chanler, and !ir"a #hmad
Sohrab testify$

Ruth White, %&cerpts, Bibliography
http'((www$fglaysher$com(bahaicensorship(Ruth)*+White$htm
,r$ C$ -Charles. #insworth !itchell / Certified Copy from the 0ibrary
of Congress
Report on the Writing Shown on the Photographs of the Alleged Will of
Abdul-Baha. 1930.
http'((www$fglaysher$com(bahaicensorship(C#!itchell1Report$htm
Ruth White Collection, 0ibrary of Congress, 234+
http'((www$fglaysher$com(bahaicensorship(RWhite0ibC$htm
,ownload #ll ,ocuments ,eposited by Ruth White at the 0ibrary of Congress in
one 5,F'
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/archives/WhiteLCDocs.pdf

"That is to say, the writing does not agree with the hypothesis that it was all written by
one person."
! min"te comparison of the a"thenticated writing with the writing on every page of the
alleged will . . . has failed to detect in any part of the will the characteristics of the writing
of !bd"#l$%aha, as shown in the a"thenticated specimens.&
Dr. C. 'Charles( !insworth )itchell was the handwriting e*pert at the %ritish )"se"m
who +"dged the p"rported will of !bd"l$%aha to be a fra"d. ,"th White placed Dr.
)itchell-s signed Report on the Writing Shown on the Photographs of the Alleged Will of
Abdul-Baha with the Library of Congress in ./01. Clic2 to view a certified copy.


Li2e other a"thors of dissident boo2s by early %aha-is on 3$45T %ahai, ,"th White is
also slandered to discredit her views, while other 2ey pages are s"ppressed by the 6tate
and 7ederally f"nded website. %ibliography of her boo2s at the bottom of this page.
'White and 6ohrab-s boo2s were entirely deleted from 3$4et %ahai on apparently 8"ne /,
911:.(
%ibliography
White, ,"th. !bd"l %aha and the ;romised !ge. *v, 99<. 4ew =or2: ,"th White '!lso
4ew =or2: 8. 8. Little and >ves(, ./9:.
White, ,"th. The %ahai ,eligion and >ts 5nemy, the %ahai ?rgani@ation. 900. ,"tland,
At.: The T"ttle Co., ./9/.
White, ,"th. >s the %ahai ?rgani@ation the 5nemy of the %ahai ,eligionB: !n !ppendi*
to !bd"l %aha and the ;romised !ge. 99. 4ew =or2: White, ./9/.
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/archives/White?5%,.pdf
White, ,"th. !bd"l %aha-s !lleged Will is 7ra"d"lent: !n !ppendi* to The %ahai
,eligion and >ts 5nemy, the %ahai ?rgani@ation. 9.. ,"tland, At.: The T"ttle Co., ./01.
White, ,"th. Correspondence %etween the 3igh Commissioner of ;alestine and ,"th
White, Concerning the !lleged Will and Testament of 6ir !bd"l %aha !bbas. ... Los
!ngeles, Calif.: White, ./09. '6ee ,"th White Collection, Library of Congress, ./01(
http'((www$fglaysher$com(bahaicensorship(RWhite0ibC$htm ,ownload all 0ibrary of Congress
,ocuments
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/archives/WhiteLCDocs.pdf
White, ,"th. %ahai Leads ?"t of the Labyrinth. 9C/. 4ew =or2: Dniversal ;"blishing
Co., ./<<. 'pages 9C:, 9CE, 9C/ restored(
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/archives/White%L?L.pdf
White, ,"th. !bd"l %aha-s F"estioned Will and Testament. .9/. %everly 3ills: White,
./<G. ';ages .E,91, 09, C1 restored.(
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/archives/White!%FWT.pdf


,"th White. !bd"l %aha-s F"estioned Will and Testament. %everly 3ills: White, ./<G.
Download entire boo2 with the fo"r pages deleted from the 3$%ahai version restored:
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/archives/White91!%FWT.pdf
"The scientific indications are that the will of !bd"l$%aha is not gen"ine. !lso, from the
spirit"al viewpoint, there are overwhelming indications that it is not gen"ine, as it
contradicts the teachings of both %aha-"-llah and of !bd"l$%aha. %"t whether the alleged
will of !bd"l$%aha is a"thentic or sp"rio"s, the res"lts of the administration of 6hoghi
5ffendi and the 4ational 6pirit"al !ssembly of %aha-is stand as an historical indictment
against them. They no more represent the %ahai ,eligion than the bigots of the dar2 ages
of Christianity" '..$.9(.
"?ne of these actions is the trade mar2ing of the name "%aha-i" in ./9E. This is the same
as if one sect within Christianity had tried to trade mar2 the name "Christian." >n their
application for the trade mar2 they described themselves as the" "4ational 6pirit"al
!ssembly of %aha-is of the Dnited 6tates and Canada, a common$law corporation,
organi@ed and operated "nder declaration of tr"st and doing b"siness at . . . " This
trademar2 was later prono"nced invalid by the co"rt when the !ssembly instit"ted two
law$s"its, d"ring ./<., against two well$2nown %ahais, to prevent them, or anyone else,
from spreading the %ahai teachings e*cept thro"gh their organi@ation. ?f co"rse the
!ssembly lost both s"its and they were severely reprimanded by 8"dge Aalente, who
reminded them of the %ill of ,ights, and pointed o"t that each one has a right to practice
his religion "nmolested by others.
"The !ssembly of %aha-is "se the assets that %aha-"-llah and !bd"l$%aha b"ilt "p by
preaching some of their principles from the platform. %"t in private, after a person has
+oined the !ssembly, that person is faced with the alternative of complying with the
narrow, bigoted edicts of 6hoghi 5ffendi and the !ssembly, or of being e*comm"nicated.
"This boo2 is a challenge to them to prove, if they can, not only whether the will of
!bd"l$%aha is gen"ine, and the a"thority which they claim to derive from it is legitimate,
b"t also whether their administration of their ass"med a"thority is in the spirit of the
teachings of %aha-"-llah and !bd"l$%aha" '.9$.0(.
D5L5T5D from 3$%ahai version Hemphasi@es tr"e religion respects the individ"al and
democracyI:
D5L5T5D from 3$%ahai version Hemphasi@es the spirit"al impact of !bd"l$%aha on
White:
"7or in the hands of 6hoghi 5ffendi, and The 4ational 6pirit"al !ssembly of the %aha-is
of the Dnited 6tates and Canada, the great "niversal %ahai Ca"se has been changed into a
narrow bigoted sect and many of the tactics of the dar2 ages have been revived. This is
what has happened to the religion that many leading thin2ers of the day believe is the
remedy for this age" '9G(.
"4either H!bd"l$%ahaI nor %aha-"-llah had given the slightest intimation that they
intended to appoint an hereditary g"ardianship. >n fact everything that they had said or
spo2en indicated the opposite intention.

"> also did a great deal of recollecting of events that had happened d"ring o"r two visits
to the home of !bd"l$%aha, where > had an opport"nity to see him in relation to his
family and his "in$laws." The ded"ctions that > made confirmed what !bd"l$%aha had so
often said$$that the spirit"al relationship was the real 2inship, and not the physical. 7or
his family, with the e*ception of his wife and sister, were the average types with a strong
bent toward organi@ed religion, whereas !bd"l$%aha was "niversal, "s"per$racial and
"ndogmatic." The world was his family. 3is loving care for his "niversal family was
evident thro"gho"t his life, b"t at no time was it more evident than d"ring the first world
war and directly after it. 3e personally s"pervised vast agric"lt"ral pro+ects at Tiberias
and !dassieh, and he rationed and distrib"ted the prod"cts that he c"ltivated, thereby
saving tho"sands from starvation" '9E$9/(.
">t is important for those who are interested in the %ahai ,eligion to free themselves from
the idea that the family of !bd"l$%aha is a "3oly 7amily." >n fact his family, and "in$
laws," with the e*ception of his wife and sister, were somewhat materialistic, and viewed
the religion more or less as a little family affair with a strong bent toward organi@ation.
7or years they have indoctrinated, more or less, the pilgrims who visited the home of
!bd"l$%aha, myself incl"ded, with this conception of religion. This partly n"llified the
great "niversal teachings. The res"lt was that when !bd"l$%aha passed from this world in
4ovember, ./9., some of his family, who had laid the gro"nd$wor2 for organi@ation
thro"gh these pilgrims while he was alive, hastened to establish it more firmly when he
died. !ll this res"lted in ma2ing the %ahai )ovement, "nder the dictatorship of 6hoghi
5ffendi, an organi@ation which for narrowness and bigotry has no parallel in history
e*cept in the dar2 ages" '0.(.
D5L5T5D from 3$%ahai version H !bd"l$%aha emphasi@es that "3ands of the Ca"se" "is
only a verbal e*pression" and that 3e definitely did not intend to "!ppoint" anyone
vers"s a theocracy:
"4ot "ntil three years had elapsed after the alleged will had been read in ./99, were
copies of it finally distrib"ted, and then only to "old and recogni@ed believers." > was
among those who received a copy. %"t my stand contin"ed to be one of "watchf"l
waiting." This stand on my part ca"sed me no embarrassment, inasm"ch as > had never
been a member of the %ahai organi@ation, '6pirit"al !ssemblies of the %ahais(. > 2new
that belonging to them meant conforming to the gro"p repression and being shorn of the
"niversal attit"de which !bd"l$%aha said is the essence of the %ahai Ca"se" '<1(.
">n )ay ./9G the 4ational 6pirit"al !ssembly of %ahais incorporated the %ahai Ca"se,
made the alleged will part of the by$laws, and proclaimed it an article of faith that 6hoghi
5ffendi as the J"ardian of the %ahai Ca"se m"st be obeyed in all things. The alleged will
had never been e*amined by handwriting e*perts. by the powers granted in the alleged
will, the J"ardian collected large s"ms of money, and sent o"t vario"s pleas for this
p"rpose" '<1(.
"!s )r. )o"ntford )ills was one of the "well 2nown %aha-is" who had gone to ;alestine
shortly after the passing of !bd"l$%aha, > wrote to him as2ing him to give me what
information he co"ld concerning the alleged will. )r. )ills, by the way, drew "p the by$
laws of the %ahai Ca"se, than which nothing co"ld be more "n$%ahai. altho"gh he is an
e*ceptionally fine man, that did not interfere with his blindness. 8"st after he had drawn
these by $laws, my h"sband and > had an interview with him, in which he said that the
had recently finished reading -Christianity ;ast and ;resent- by Charles J"ignebert, and
that if he had read it before drafting those by$laws the history of the %ahai Ca"se wo"ld
have been different. >n other words )r. )ills deeply regretted his action" '<C(.
D5L5T5D from 3$%ahai version H?f these fo"r e*cisions from the 3$%ahai copy of
White-s boo2, this one is the most incriminating. >n it she emphasi@es that !bd"l$%aha
always maintained that %ahais sho"ld reK"ire his signat"re for verification of the
a"thenticity of his Tablets and prono"ncements, which wo"ld have applied all the more to
something as important as a p"rported will and testament. 6he also K"otes on the
previo"s page !bd"l$%aha applying this in+"nction even to 6hoghi 5ffendi and his
brother ,"hiI:
"Dr. )itchell not only spent months e*amining the enlarged specimens s"bmitted to him,
b"t he e*amined min"tely every line of the ten photographs of the alleged will, and his
concl"sion is that it is not written thro"gho"t by the same person. This fact, in addition to
others, indicates that the will is sp"rio"s, especially if we bear in mind that 6hoghi
5ffendi, and the 6pirit"al !ssembly of %ahai-s, assert that every word of it is written in
the hand of !bd"l$%aha. !lso if we bear in mind that it is "ndated and "nwitnessed, and
that it contradicts the teachings that both %aha-"-llah and !bd"l$%aha gave d"ring their
lifetimes$$that the %ahai Ca"se is a spirit"al democracy and not a theocracy. The
appointment of an hereditary g"ardianship contradicts this" 'G/(.
"Dr. )itchell-s report also shows that none of the handwriting of the alleged will is the
same as the a"thentic specimens of !bd"l$%aha-s handwriting that were s"bmitted to
him" 'G/(.
")ost persons are "naware of the fact that handwriting e*perts "se modern inventions
that meas"re the slants, the spaces, and the tremors of writing so acc"rately that it ma2es
the difference between two specimens of different writing overwhelmingly apparent,
when these are enlarged, even tho"gh one of the specimens may be so clever a forgery of
the other as to appear identical to the na2ed eye" 'G/$:1(.
"Those %ahais who assert that they are familiar with the handwriting of !bd"l$%aha, and
have compared it with the writing of the will, and have fo"nd them identical, reveal the
fact that they are either totally "naware of the science "sed by the best handwriting
e*perts, or else fear has prompted them to assert their belief in the a"thenticity of the
will$$fear of being e*comm"nicated if they so m"ch as K"estion the doc"ment. This
science that the best handwriting e*perts "se is so mathematically acc"rate that any
n"mber of e*perts "sing these modern inventions will arrive at the same res"lts" ':1(.
"> have already referred to the e*treme care that !bd"l$%aha showed in regard to letters
p"rporting to be from him, sent or bro"ght to this co"ntry. The following instance shows
that he was even more caref"l to ma2e certain that any Tablet or doc"ment of his relating
to important p"blic matters was properly translated and a"thenticated before it was sent
o"t. 3e wrote a Tablet to the 6ecretary of the Co"rt for D"rable ;eace, at the 3ag"e, on
December .:, ././, and he considered it necessary to have fo"r men translate it. These
fo"r men were 6hoghi 5ffendi ',abbani(, Dr. Lia ). %agdadi, )ir@a Lotf"llah 3a2im,
and Dr. 8. 5. 5sselmont. This Tablet was signed !bd"l$%aha !bbas, and was p"blished in
the 6tar of the West '%ahai )aga@ine(, !"g"st ., ./91, with the fo"r names of the
translators and witnesses."
"The K"adr"ple witnessing of this Tablet, written two years before !bd"l$%aha passed
from this world, ma2e it evident that he did not consider 6hoghi 5ffendi caref"l eno"gh,
or efficient eno"gh, to translate the Table to the Co"rt of D"rable ;eace witho"t the help
of three other men. >s it li2ely, then, that at this very time and a"thentic will of !bd"l$
%aha-s, of infinitely greater importance than this Tablet to the 3ag"e, sho"ld lay hidden
in the earth, "ndated and "nwitnessed, in which this same 6hoghi 5ffendi was appointed
sole g"ardian of the %ahai Ca"se, with more potential power and wealth than as2ing and
pope combinedB !nd that later this same will was translated by the one person only, the
beneficiary himself$$6hogi 5ffendi. >s this in accordance with !bd"l$%aha-s s"per$
caref"lnessB" ':1$:.(.
"!bd"l %aha said that if an angel from heaven comes down and tries to change the
teachings of %aha-"-llah, do not believe him. 6hoghi 5ffendi has changed them by
prono"ncements and actions which are in direct contradiction to %ahai teachings$$above
all he has changed the very character and f"ndamental principle of the Ca"se by p"tting a
theocracy, which the fo"nders said it was not Hboldface in originalI, in place of the
spirit"al democracy which they said, over and over again, it is. The following instances
show what acceptance of the alleged will has done to the blind followers of its r"les."
")r. 3orace 3olley, as spo2esman for 6hoghi 5ffendi, made this statement in ./9C: -The
indi6idual conscience must be subordinated to the decisions of the elected Spiritual
#ssembly$-" Hboldface in originalI
"This statement stri2es at the very fo"ndation of the %ahai Ca"se, as one of its cardinal
teachings is that man m"st have freedom of conscience. !mong do@ens of instances that
co"ld be given of !bd"l$%aha-s statements on this s"b+ect is the following: -... the
conscience of man is sacred and to be respected . . . -" ':0$:<(.
"We can see from the foregoing that !bd"l$%aha emphasi@ed the necessity of man-s being
able to e*ercise freedom of conscience, as %aha-"-llah did" ':C(.
"D"ring the lifetime of !bd"-l %aha the attempts of the 4ational 6pirit"al !ssembly of
%aha-is to organi@e the %ahai ,eligion were held in abeyance, b"t after he passed from
this world, "nder the dictates of 6hoghi 5ffendi, they sw"ng it into an organi@ation the
li2e of which has not been seen since the dar2 ages. They tried to e*ercise the power over
the %ahai world that %aha-"-llah said wo"ld be vested in the 6D;,5)5 T,>%D4!L of
the f"t"re world governments. >n order to enforce this power they e*comm"nicated those
who wo"ld not accept their prono"ncements, and twice the members of the 4ational
!ssembly s"ed at law in order to try and prevent other %ahaies from prom"lgating the
religion which they held in commonM b"t, fort"nately, they lost both these s"its. 8"dge
Aalente, reprimanding them, reminded them of the %ill of ,ights, which grants freedom
to every man to practice his religion "nmolested. !ll of this the reader can learn in the
ens"ing pages" ':G(.
H,"th White K"otes !bd"l$%ahaI: "The worst enemies of the Ca"se are in the Ca"se and
mention the 4ame of Jod. We need not fear the enemies on the o"tside for s"ch can be
easily dealt with. %"t the enemies who call themselves 7riends and who persistently
violate every f"ndamental law of Love and Dnity are diffic"lt to deal with in this
Day. . . ."
"This last paragraph applies overwhelmingly to the activities of 6hoghi 5ffendi, and the
4ational 6pirit"al !ssembly of %aha-is. They have violated the principles of brotherhood
and "nity beca"se of their inversions of the %ahai teachings. These inversions are all the
more tragic of this partic"lar time when the world has been made receptive, thro"gh
m"ch s"ffering, to the great "niversal principles of the %ahai ,eligion. Two prophecies of
%aha-"-llah have been so acc"rately f"lfilled$$the discovery of !tomic ;ower, and the
embryonic 6"preme Trib"nal as manifested in the Dnited 4ations ?rgani@ation that we
wo"ld do well to consider the third$$the possible destr"ction of o"r planet "nless we
circ"mvent this threatened fate by a balanced spirit"al civili@ation" 'E<$EC(.
"This matter of freedom of conscience is the most important part of the %ahai Teachings.
Jod has given man free$will, and no earthly priestcraft nor dictatorship m"st interfere
with man-s "sing that free$will in matters of faith and the inner relationship between the
so"l and Jod. This is the meaning of the spirit"al democracy of which !bd"l$%aha so
often spea2s$$religion percolating thro"gh all the affairs of o"r daily life, and an ideal
political government coming into e*istence as the res"lt of the change of man-s nat"re
and belief."
"This is +"st the twist that the present leaders of the %ahai organi@ation have tried to give
to the Dniversal )essage of %aha-"-llah."
"There are many other wholly "n$%ahai edicts that 6hoghi 5ffendi and the 4ational
6pirit"al !ssembly of %ahais have iss"ed beside these two that follow: ". . . the
individ"al conscience m"st be s"bordinated to the decisions of the 6pirit"al !ssembly, ...
and: -. . . individ"al %ahai effort witho"t d"e cons"ltation is foredoomed to fail"re" 'E:$
EE(.
"5veryone of these edicts are inversions of the %ahai Teachings, as given to the world by
the 7o"nders of the Ca"se."
">n saying that recogni@ed %ahais m"st not vote in any election based on a party system
6hoghi 5ffendi and his hierarchy have set "p what might be considered a government
within each government in every co"ntry where there are eno"gh of his followers. ?ver
that government he is s"preme dictator. 3is s"b+ects m"st pay ta*es to him 'tithes( and he
forbids his followers to vote on national and civic affairs. !ll his edicts no matter how
"n$patriotic, or how m"ch in violation of the "niversal principles of the %ahai ,eligion,
m"st be obeyed "nder threat of e*comm"nication."
"This revival of e*comm"nication is a horrible inversion of the %ahai teachings$$the
,evelation for which %aha-"-llah s"ffered imprisonment for twenty$five years, and
!db"-l$%aha for forty years$$the Ca"se for which twenty tho"sand martyrs sacrificed
their lives to establish freedom of conscience and to "nite all man2ind regardless of
religion, race or co"ntry. The idea of e*comm"nication is impossible in the world
envisaged by %aha-"-llah" 'E/$/1(.
7Whether the alleged will of #bdul Baha is authentic or spurious, the results of the
administration of Shoghi %ffendi and the 8ational Spiritual #ssembly of Baha'is
stand as an historical indictment against them$ 9Boldface in original: They no more
represent the %ahai ,eligion than the bigots of the dar2 ages of Christianity.
"We had the dar2 ages beca"se the bigots of that era got control of Christ-s teachings and
tort"red all those who did not comply with their interpretation. 6hoghi 5ffendi, and the
4ational 6pirit"al !ssembly of %aha-is, cannot in this day resort to physical tort"re to
enforce their will, b"t they have resorted to mental tort"re by blac2mailing with
e*comm"nication all those who do not comply with their inverted teachings" '.11(.
D?W4L?!D in one file the images on this page:
http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/archives/White, ?5%,.pdf
'%ibliography at bottom(

Bibliography
Ruth White. Abdul Baha and the Promised Age. xv, 224. New or!" Ruth
White #Also New or!" $. $. %ittle and &ves', ()2*.
Ruth White. +he Bahai Religion and &ts ,nemy, the Bahai -rgani.ation. 2//.
Rutland, 0t." +he +uttle 1o., ()2).
Ruth White. &s the Bahai -rgani.ation the ,nemy o2 the Bahai Religion3" An
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4-WN%-A4 in one 2ile the images on this page"
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and Ruth White, 1on6erning the Alleged Will and +estament o2 ;ir Abdul
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:ABahai"
Ruth White. Abdul Baha7s ?uestioned Will and +estament. Beverly :ills"
Ruth White, ()4@. #Pages (>,29, /2, <9 missing 2rom the :ABahai version.'
Noti6e :ABahai went so 2ar as to 6laim page ?W+<9 was blan! in order to
6on6eal Ruth White7s 6omments.
AAAAAAAAA. Bahai %eads -ut o2 the %abyrinth. New or!" =niversal Publishing
1ompany, ()44. #pages 2<*, 2<>, 2<) missing 2rom :ABaha version.'
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appendix to Abdul Baha and the Promised Age. New or!" $.$. %ittle and
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1-BPAR,"
,x6erpts 2rom Bir.a Ahmad ;ohrab7s Broken Silence: The Story of Today's
Struggle
for Religious Freedom. New or!" =niversal Publishing, ()42.
http"55www.2glaysher.6om5bahai6ensorship5;ohrab,x.htm
#lso see ;S ,istrict Court of 8orthern <llinois rules against =aifan
Baha'is / #pril *4, *++>
#mici curiae, Reform Bahai Faith
http'((www$fglaysher$com(bahaicensorship(;S,istrictCourt+?$htm