Fragment From the heart of Iran (today 1,99$) The next day, October 3, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá departed for Paris. But in addition to the memories of these solemn events, he carried away many others he would never forget. These were not the only tributes paid to him, or all the gatherings he attended organized in his honor. He was invited to a luncheon at the mayor’s residence. He visited factory workers and made a contribution to a fund for those most in need. He spent a weekend in the city of Bristol, staying at a guest house, where leading personalities of the city came to greet him – all this without detracting from the many meetings in private homes, which were organized in his honor. He departed from London happy because of the success of his mission, having been confirmed the words he uttered upon his arrival: “Heaven has blessed this day.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá remained in Paris for nine weeks, spending most of his time delivering speeches and giving talks to eager listeners of many nationalities. We should bear in mind that those were the years when Paris was the place to be for exiles, revolutionaries, intellectuals and bohemians, including quite a number of Persians. Without doubt, it was the world capital of culture, revolutions, plots and intrigues; moreover, it was the birthplace of the first Bahá’í center in Europe. Therefore, the Faith’s message here should have a different focus. Whereas in London ‘Abdu’l-Bahá focused on religious and social issues, in Paris he emphasized cultural and social matters. During his stay, he resided at Avenue de Camoens in a house that Mr. Dreyfus, placed at his disposal. Lady Blomfield, her two daughters and Miss Beatrice Marion Platt accompanied him on his trip from London. Miss Platt would later collect the conversations of those days in her book, Paris Talks. With a large gathering of people from many nations in Paris, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá made the following statement to a group of such visitors who were meeting had gathered at his home:...
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 10:45:31 +0000
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