ood of this wronged one,--such
letters and documents being now in the possession of the government! What
deviation can be more odious than his iniquity and rebellion! What
deviation can be more shameful than dispersing the gathering of the people
of salvation! What deviation can be more infamous than the vain and feeble
interpretations of the people of doubt! What deviation can be more wicked
than joining hands with strangers and with the enemies of God!

A few months ago, in concert with others, he that hath broken the
Covenant, hath prepared a document teeming with calumny and slander
wherein, the Lord forbid, among many similar slanderous charges,
'Abdu'l-Baha is deemed a deadly enemy, the ill-wisher of the Crown. They
so perturbed the minds of the members of the Imperial Government that at
last a Committee of Investigation was sent from the seat of His Majesty's
Government which, violating every rule of justice and equity that befit
His Imperial Majesty, nay, with the most glaring injustice, proceeded with
its investigations. The ill-wishers of the One True God surrounded them on
every side and explained and excessively enlarged upon the text of the
document whilst they (the members of the Committee) in their turn blindly
acquiesced. One of their many calumnies was that this servant had raised
aloft a banner in this city, had summoned the people together under it,
had established a new sovereignty for himself, had erected upon Mount
Carmel a mighty stronghold, had rallied around him all the peoples of the
land and made them obedient to him, had caused disruption in the Faith of
Islam, had covenanted with the following of Christ and, God forbid, had
purposed to cause the gravest breach in the mighty power of the Crown. May
the Lord protect us from such atrocious falsehoods!

According to the direct and sacred command of God we are forbidden to
utter slander, are commanded to show forth peace and amity, are exhorted
to rectitude of conduct, straightforwardness and harmony with all the
kindreds and peoples of the world. We must obey and be the well-wishers of
the governments of the land, regard disloyalty unto a just king as
disloyalty to God Himself and wishing evil to the government a
transgression of the Cause of God. With these final and decisive words,
how can it be that these imprisoned ones should indulge in such vain
fancies; incarcerated, how could they show forth such disloyalty! But
alas! The Committee of In