At almost every change in leadership of the Bahá'í and Bábí religions, there has been a debate ending with a split among the followers, and mutual excommunications in which each side condemns the other as "Covenant-breakers". Bahá'í divisions deals with the various divisions in the history of these religions, and the major arguments on each side. A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Baháís to refer to heresy. ...

`Abdu'l-Bahá and Mírzá Muhammad `Alí's Schism

Bahá'u'lláh remained in the Akka-Haifa area house arrest until his death in 1892. According to the terms of his will, his eldest son `Abdu'l-Bahá was named the centre of authority; Mírzá Muhammad `Alí, the eldest son from Bahá'u'lláh's second marriage was assigned an inferior position, viz: Abdul Baha `Abdul-Bahá Abbas ( May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) also known as Abbas Effendi, was the son of Baháulláh, the Prophet and Founder of the Baháí Faith. ... Mírzá Muhammad `Alí (~1852 - 1937) was the son of Baháulláh and his second wife, Fatimih Khanum. ... 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Abdul Baha `Abdul-Bahá Abbas ( May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) also known as Abbas Effendi, was the son of Baháulláh, the Prophet and Founder of the Baháí Faith. ... Mírzá Muhammad `Alí (~1852 - 1937) was the son of Baháulláh and his second wife, Fatimih Khanum. ...

The Will of the divine Testator is this: It is incumbent upon the Aghsan, the Afnan and My Kindred to turn, one and all, their faces towards the Most Mighty Branch. Consider that which We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book: 'When the ocean of My presence hath ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is ended, turn your faces toward Him Whom God hath purposed, Who hath branched from this Ancient Root.' The object of this sacred verse is none other except the Most Mighty Branch [Abdu'l-Bahá]. Thus have We graciously revealed unto you Our potent Will, and I am verily the Gracious, the All-Powerful. Verily God hath ordained the station of the Greater Branch [Muhammad Ali] to be beneath that of the Most Great Branch [Abdu'l-Bahá]. He is in truth the Ordainer, the All-Wise. We have chosen 'the Greater' after 'the Most Great', as decreed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 221)

In fulfilment of his role as Centre of the Covenant, Abdu'l-Bahá asserted absolute leadership. Soon Muhammad 'Ali complained that `Abdu'l-Bahá was not sharing authority and started working against his elder brother. Most members of the families of Baha'u'llah's second and third wives supported Muhammad `Alí but there were very few outside of Haifa who followed him. Muhammad 'Ali's supporters called themselves "Unitarian Bahá'ís" but no permanent schism was created. `Abdu'l-Bahá claimed that Muhammad 'Ali was plotting to have `Abdu'l-Bahá hanged for treason against the Ottoman authorities in 1918. According to Shoghi Effendi, `Abdu'l-Bahá was due to be hung on Mount Carmel near Haifa, but upon hearing of his death warrant, Lord Curzon pressured the British Cabinet to quickly capture the Haifa region from the Ottomans, and thereby rescued `Abdu'l-Bahá. 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) The Guardians Resting Place in London Shoghi Effendi Rabbani was the Guardian of the Baháí Faith. ... Mount Carmel is the name of several places in the world: Mount Carmel, Israel Mount Carmel, Newfoundland, Canada Mount Carmel, Illinois, United States of America Mount Carmel, Tennessee, United States of America (See also Carmel. ... For the Lebanese singer, see Haifa Wahbe Haifa (Hebrew חיפה; Arabic حيفا Ḥayfā) is the third-largest city in Israel, with a population close to 300,000. ... George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (January 11, 1859 - March 20, 1925), was a conservative British statesman and sometime Viceroy of India. ...

When `Abdu'l-Bahá died, his will went into great detail about how Muhammad-'Alí had been unfaithful to the Covenant, labelling him a Covenant-breaker, and appointing Shoghi Effendi instead, with the title of Guardian. Much of `Abdu'l-Bahá's argument centred around Muhammad `Alí's apparently jealous nature and inability to remain submissive to `Abdu'l-Bahá, the designated leader of the religion. Here he first used the term Covenant-breaker and excommunicated members of Baha'u'llah's second and third wives' families. Whole books within Bahá'í literature have been printed to refute the claims of Muhammad-'Alí. This represented what is often described as the most testing time for the Bahá'í Faith. A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Baháís to refer to heresy. ... Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) The Guardians Resting Place in London Shoghi Effendi Rabbani was the Guardian of the Baháí Faith. ... A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Baháís to refer to heresy. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Baháí House of Worship attracts an average of four million visitors a year (around 13,000 each day). ...

Shoghi Effendi as Guardian of the Faith

At 24, Shoghi Effendi was particularly young when he assumed leadership of the religion in 1921. He had received a Western education at the American University of Beirut and later at Balliol College, Oxford. Aside from the opposition of Muhammad-'Alí's group, there were no challenges to his authority before 1932 when his great aunt, Bahiyyih Khanum died; she was greatly respected and had instructed all to follow Shoghi Effendi. Moreover, `Abdu'l-Bahá had written in his Will and Testament, "For he is, after 'Abdu'l-Bahá, the Guardian of the Cause of God, the Afnan, the Hands (pillars) of the Cause and the beloved of the Lord must obey him and turn unto him...." Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) The Guardians Resting Place in London Shoghi Effendi Rabbani was the Guardian of the Baháí Faith. ... The American University of Beirut (AUB) is a private, independent, non-sectarian university founded in 1866 in Beirut, Lebanon. ... Full name Balliol College Motto - Named after John de Balliol Previous names - Established 1263 Sister College St Johns College, Cambridge Master Andrew Graham (academic) Location Broad Street Undergraduates 403 Graduates 228 Homepage Boatclub Balliol College, founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ...

However, some family members disapproved of his marriage to a Westerner in 1937, to Mary Maxwell, the daughter of one of the foremost disciples of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and that Shoghi Effendi introduced innovations beyond the Iranian roots of the Faith. This gradually resulted in his siblings and cousins disobeying Shoghi Effendi's instructions and marrying into the families of Covenant-Breakers. Many of were then expelled as Covenant-breakers. See Covenant-breaking in Shoghi Effendi's immediate family for more details. However, there was no attempt to create a schism. Amatul-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum (1910-2000) Born Mary Maxwell in New York City in 1910, Amatul-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum was raised in Montreal, Québec. ... A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Baháís to refer to heresy. ... A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Baháís to refer to heresy. ... Covenant-Breaking See main article: Covenant-breaker Covenant-breakers are those who claim to be Baha’is but who deny the legitimacy of `Abdul-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi (the Guardian) or the Universal House of Justice as Centres of the Baháí Faith or who wilfully oppose their authority. ...

Another division occurred primarily within the American Bahá'í community, which increasingly consisted of non-Persians with an interest in alternative spiritual pursuits. Many had been attracted by the spiritual teachings of the Bahá'í Faith or regarded it as an ecumenical society to which all persons of goodwill--regardless of religion--might join (and indeed were already secretly members). When Shoghi Effendi made clear his position that the Bahá'í Faith was an independent religion with its own distinct administration through local and national spiritual assemblies, some felt that he had overstepped the bounds of his authority. Most prominent among them was a New York Bahá'í group called the "New History Society," which heard lectures by such luminaries as Albert Einstein and Helen Keller. Shoghi Effendi expelled its leaders as Covenant-breakers. Although they argued that his act was meaningless because the Faith could not be institutionalized, Bahá'ís would argue that obediance to the head of the Faith is one of the requirements of the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh. Portrait of Albert Einstein taken by Yousuf Karsh on February 11, 1948 Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879 – April 18, 1955) was a German theoretical physicist who is widely regarded as the greatest scientist of the 20th century. ... Helen Keller, graduation from Radcliffe College, c. ... A Covenant-breaker or the act of Covenant-breaking is a term used by Baháís to refer to heresy. ...

Charles Mason Remey versus the Universal House of Justice

When Shoghi Effendi died in 1957, he left no will. The Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá specified that the succeeding Guardian should be the eldest son of the Guardian, viz: Mason Remey, Hand of the Cause of God and Second Guardian of the Orthodox Bahai Faith Charles Mason Remey (May 15, 1874-1974) was the second Guardian a shism of the Baháís called the Orthodox Baháí Faith. ... Seat of The Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is the name used by Baháulláh for the elected supreme institution of the Baháí Faith, The nine-member institution administers the affairs of the Baháí community. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• ...Thus, should the first-born of the Guardian of the Cause of God not manifest in himself the truth of the words: -- "The child is the secret essence of its sire," that is, should he not inherit of the spiritual within him (the Guardian of the Cause of God) and his glorious lineage not be matched with a goodly character, then must he, (the Guardian of the Cause of God) choose another branch to succeed him.
• The Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God....and these, whether unanimously or by a majority vote, must give their assent to the choice of the one whom the Guardian of the Cause of God hath chosen as his successor.

Concerning the Hands, 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament specified that "The Hands of the Cause of God must be nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Cause of God" and "My object is to show that the Hands of the Cause of God must be ever watchful and so soon as they find anyone beginning to oppose and protest against the Guardian of the Cause of God, cast him out from the congregation of the people of Baha and in no wise accept any excuse from him." The Hands of the Cause in the Bahai Faith are a select group of appointed believers whose main function is to help propagate and protect the Bahai Faith on the international level. ...

Shoghi Effendi was childless and no other eligible successor existed in the holy family since they had either died or Shoghi Effendi had expelled them from the Faith. The Hands of the Cause signed a unanimous statement that the Guardian had not appoined a successor. As they were not in a position to do so, they advised that the Universal House of Justice would consider the matter after it was established. One prominent Hand of the Cause, Charles Mason Remey, claimed to have had misgivings with the situation, but he signed regardless (in two similar statements). Mason Remey, Hand of the Cause of God and Second Guardian of the Orthodox Bahai Faith Charles Mason Remey (May 15, 1874-1974) was the second Guardian a shism of the Baháís called the Orthodox Baháí Faith. ...

In 1960, Mason Remey made a statement claiming that he was the Second Guardian, by virtue of having been appointed in 1951 by Shoghi Effendi to the post of president of the International Bahai Council which was described by Shoghi Effendi as the "embryonic Universal House of Justice". Mason Remey's reasoning was that since, according to Bahá'í scripture, a Guardian leads the Universal House of Justice, Shoghi Effendi was implying that Mason Remey would be the future Guardian. Although this violates the above passages of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Will and Testament, Mason Remey's followers argued that certain changes were necessary to preserve unity. 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... The First International Bahai Council was appointed by Shoghi Effendi in 1951 in the only Proclamation he ever issued, declared by him to be the embryonic Universal House of Justice. ...

From only a dozen or so followers in the 1950's, followers of Mason Remey are now found in at least 72 localities as of 2005. See Orthodox Bahá'í Faith for more details. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The Orthodox Baháí Faith is a movement which started within the Baháí Faith, though now independent of it. ...

The Hands of the Cause expelled Mason Remey and his small group of followers for Covenant-breaking. With the exception of this handful of dissidents, the worldwide Bahá'í community pledged their loyalty to the Hands, who dedicated the next few years to completing Shoghi Effendi's "Ten Year Crusade" expansion plan that ended in 1963. It was to culminate in the establishment of the Universal House of Justice as the supreme body of the Bahá'í community. Members of the Orthodox Baha'i Faith and related groups agree that such a body should one day be formed (or have already formed bodies claiming to be this institution), but stipulate that the institution of the Guardianship must continue as well for the system to be valid. Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) The Guardians Resting Place in London Shoghi Effendi Rabbani was the Guardian of the Baháí Faith. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Seat of The Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is the name used by Baháulláh for the elected supreme institution of the Baháí Faith, The nine-member institution administers the affairs of the Baháí community. ...

Meanwhile, the universally recognised Bahá'í international community accepts that a living Guardian is not necessary to lead the Universal House of Justice since they each have their defined spheres of action and the latter refers first to the Guardian's voluminous writings and directives before making decisions. The Universal House of Justice has announced that it cannot legislate to make possible the appointment of a successor to Shoghi Effendi. The Baha'i International Community led by the Universal House of Justice has, by some estimates, 7.4 million adherents [1] (http://www.britannica.com/eb/table?tocId=9394911) in 208 countries. The Baha'i International Community itself claims a worldwide population of some five million people from more than 2,000 different tribal, racial, and ethnic groups living in 236 countries and dependent territories. [[2] (http://www.bahai.org/faq/facts/bahai_faith)]

Divisions among Remey-ites

Among those who accepted Mason Remey's proclamation, several further divisions have occurred. Some of these are described below:

The Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant operated under the guidance of Leland Jensen, a chiropractor with a criminal record who died in 1996. Jensen's beliefs seem linked to an argument about the succession of the House of David, and prophecies found in the Great Pyramid of Egypt, subjects that never concerned any of the legitimate Bahá'í leaders before him. For the group's homepage see: www.bupc.org.

The House of Mankind and the Universal Palace of Order followed Jamshid Ma'ani and John Carré, but appear now to be defunct. A copy of Carré's book outlining his belief that all the disputes regarding the Guardianship were wrong and that a new prophet would arise in America in 2001 can be found at the following site run by an ex-Baha'i. www.bahai-faith.com (http://www.bahai-faith.com/Carre.html)

The Orthodox Bahá'í Faith Under the Regency was founded by Rex King. King argued that Mason Remey was not a full-fledged Guardian because, according to the traditional interpretation of Bahá'í law, only a hereditary descendant of Baha'u'llah can hold this office. Nevertheless, due to Remey's appointment as President of the International Baha'i Council, King understood Remey's position as that of a "Regent" who should have been obeyed as the legitimate leader of the Baha'is but who should never have gone so far as to claim the Guardianship. Following his death in 1977, King's followers have reorganized as the Tarbiyat Baha'i Community (www.obcnhj.org) (http://www.obcnhj.org/). The Regency Baha'is appear to be restricted to a single community in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

The Charles Mason Remey Society followed Donald Harvey as the third Guardian. After Harvey's death in 1991, leadership devolved to Jacques Soghomonian of France. The group appears to have dissolved.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, (sometimes spelled Gizeh) is the oldest and last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the World and the most famous pyramid in the world. ... Baháulláh (1817–1892) (Persian: Mírzá Husayn-Alí (میرزا حسینعلی)) was the founder and prophet of the Baháí Faith. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... Las Vegas, sometimes called East Las Vegas, is a city located in San Miguel County, New Mexico. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Internet-based activists versus institutional Bahá'í authorities

During the late 1980's and early 1990's, a certain friction developed between liberal Bahá'ís--among them several respected scholars of Middle Eastern Studies--and the more conservative national institutions, especially in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. The "liberals" (if such a political label is appropriate) argued for various reforms including allowing women to serve on the Universal House of Justice; allowing candidates to stand for election (the current system, which forbids campaigning and nomination was seen to favor incumbents); and putting an end to the current requirement in the US and Canada of publication review (under which any Bahá'í who wishes to publish on the faith must first seek permission from a Bahá'í committee). The Universal House of Justice simply maintains that it has no power to change those Bahá'í teachings and practices that are explicitly defined in the writings of `Abd'ul-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, or Bahá'u'lláh. Since the above listed policies are in the scripture, it maintains, advocating for their change is futile, because to alter these would exceed its authority. Seat of The Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is the name used by Baháulláh for the elected supreme institution of the Baháí Faith, The nine-member institution administers the affairs of the Baháí community. ... The Baháí administration refers to the administrative circle of the Baháí Faith. ... Seat of The Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is the name used by Baháulláh for the elected supreme institution of the Baháí Faith, The nine-member institution administers the affairs of the Baháí community. ...

An internet mailing list called "Talisman" gained prominence as a forum for discussion of once taboo issues, whether historical or political. This led to arguments about whether posting on the internet constituted "publication" for purposes of the review requirement. In other internet forums, many of the dissidents chafed under the moderation of Bahá'ís of a more conservative mold. Several members of Bahá'í authorities were personally slandered. A number of Bahá'ís left the faith, or were expelled, as a result of these quarrels.

After campaigning for the formation of a non-moderated Bahá'í forum at Usenet (talk.religion.bahai), and several years posting messages critical of the mainstream Baha'is Frederick Glayser announced that he was forming The Reform Bahá'í Faith[3] (http://www.reformbahai.org) in August 2004. He sent a post to talk.religion.bahai entitled "The 95 Theses of the Reform Bahá'í Faith", modelled on Martin Luther's declaration for reform of the Catholic Church which eventually lead to the formation of Protestant Christian denominations. He now claims members in five countries and in each time zone of the United States, though this has not been independently validated. Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Martin Luther (originally Martin Luder or Martinus Luther) (November 10, 1483–February 18, 1546) was a German theologian and an Augustinian monk whose teachings inspired the Protestant Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Lutheran, Protestant and other Christian traditions (a broad movement composed of many congregations and church bodies). ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

External links

• HeartoftheBahaiFaith (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeartoftheBahaiFaith/) A reconciliation site which discusses several Remeyite groups.
• Bahá'í Library (http://bahai-library.org/uhj/c-breakers.and.remey.html) A paper discussing the development of these groups from the perspective of the Bahá'í International Community.
• Bahá'í Faith & Religious Freedom of Conscience (http://www.fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship) Fred Glaysher's website.
• Issues Related to the Study of the Bahá'í Faith (http://bahai-library.com/?file=compilation_issues_study_bahai.html#s1,). A compilation of letters from Baha'i institutions relating to the study of the Bahá'í Faith