Allahu Abha!
'Abdu'l Baha's comments have been explained repeatedly to Darrick, possibly
for years before your arrival. In a nutshell, his quoations are out of
context.
Adelard and Dave Fiorito put some time in this:
http://groups.google.com./groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=acj8ra%24puu6c%241%40ID-75457.news.dfncis.de
I'd even mentioned this and provided the link this summer:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=3F19D22B.53858607%40ameritel.net&rnum=14
Drawing from those links
xxxxxx Adelard, March 2000 xxxxxxxxxxxx
My purpose ,in this thread is to show you that Abdu'l-baha used the word
"Savage" and "Barbarian",not only to Africans but to Europeans too.
This will help you to understand the Agenda of Derrick, he want to show to
African-Americans that Abdu'l-bha
had some "racist views" to Africans, but instead this was the kind of
language in time of Abdu'l-baha , and he
used it to all races ,in the purpose of showing the importance of EDUCATION.
Today throughout the five continents of the globe it is Europe and most
sections of America that are renowned for law and order, government and
commerce, art and industry, science, philosophy and education. Yet in
ancient times these were the MOST SAVAGE of the world's peoples, the most
ignorant and brutish.
They were even stigmatized as BARBARIANS --that is, utterly RUDE and
UNCIVILIZED . Further, from the fifth century after Christ until the
fifteenth, that period defined as the Middle Ages, such terrible struggles
and fierce upheavals, such ruthless encounters and horrifying acts, were the
rule among the peoples
of Europe, that the Europeans rightly describe those ten centuries as the
Dark Ages. The basis
of Europe's progress and civilization was actually laid in the fifteenth
century of the Christian era, and from that time on, all her present evident
culture has been, under the stimulus of great minds and as a result of the
expansion of the frontiers of knowledge and the exertion of energetic and
ambitious efforts, in the process ofdevelopment. Today by the grace of God
and the spiritual influence of His universal Manifestation, the fair-minded
ruler of Írán has gathered his people into the shelter of justice, and the
sincerity of the imperial purpose has shown itself in kingly acts. "
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Adelard was quoting from page 10 of the "Secret of Divine Civilization".
'Abdu'l Baha is showing that the notion of a race being genetically
inferior, is rubbish, since the most advanced of the day had been the most
savage in previous centuries.
XXX Adelard in March 2000, again XXXXXXX
These Arab tribes were in the lowest depths of savagery and
barbarism, and in comparison with them the savages of Africa
and wild Indians of America were as advanced as a Plato. The
savages of America do not bury their children alive as
these Arabs did their daughters, glorying in it as being
an honorable thing to do.+F1 Thus many of the men would
threaten their wives, saying, "If a daughter is born to
you, I will kill you." Even down to the present time
the Arabs dread having daughters. Further, a man was
permitted to take a thousand women, and most husbands
had more than ten wives in their household. When these
tribes made war, the one which was victorious would take
the women and children of the vanquished tribe captive
and treat them as slaves. When a man who had ten wives
died, the sons of these "
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Again, 'Abdu'l Baha points out savagery where it occurs, regardless of the
race.
Here is a link to "Some Answered Questions":
http://www.bahai-library.org/writings/abdulbaha/saq/
I don't believe that 'Abdu'l Baha authenticated the original, but it seems
to reflect the general gist of His thoughts.
Here is a link to "Secret of Divine Civilization":
http://www.bahai-library.org/writings/abdulbaha/sdc/
Though He wrote it under a pseudonym, I believe it is an authenticated text.
I would encourage you to read the teachings of 'Abdu'l Baha for yourself,
rather than relying on the sentences that Darrick has pulled from context.
Best wishes!
- Pat
kohli at ameritel.net