ried the handwriting of
Shoghi Effendi where he "Approved" what had been written.

2. It outlined the principle for the election of the National Spiritual
Assembly by delegates which the British N.S.A. had not then appreciated
from the earlier letters of the Guardian (of 1923, 1294, 1925, later
published in "Baha'i Administration").

3. It insisted upon Convention being held in London during Ridvan.

4. It clarified the need to have a recognised voting area for London but
left the final decision to the local Spiritual Assembly of London.

As a result of this letter 13 delegates attended Convention and 4 voted by
post; ten members were elected to the National Assembly (Guardian's letter
of May, 13th, 1927 refers), and the London area was defined as having a
radius of 36 miles.

Letter of 12 February 1927

12 February 1927(16)

To the beloved of the Lord and the handmaids of the Merciful throughout
the West.

Dearly-beloved brothers and sisters in 'Abdu'l-Baha:

The trend of various events, affecting directly and indirectly the
interests of the Baha'i Cause, have of late served to bring into further
prominence the character as well as the significance of a Faith destined
to regenerate the world.

Of all the diverse issues which today are gradually tending to consolidate
and extend the bounds of the Revelation of Baha'u'llah, the decision of
Egypt's religious Tribunal regarding the Baha'is under its jurisdiction
appears at the present moment to be the most powerful in its challenge,
the most startling in its character, and the most perplexing in the
consequences it may entail. I have already alluded in my letter of January
10, 1926, addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
the United States and Canada, to a particular feature of this momentous
verdict, which after mature deliberation has obtained the sanction of
Egypt's highest ecclesiastical authorities, has been communicated and
printed, and is regarded as final and binding. I have stressed in my last
reference to this far-reaching pronouncement the negative aspect of this
document which condemns in most unequivocal and emphatic language the
followers of Baha'u'llah as the believers in heresy, offensive and
injurious to Islam, and wholly incompatible with the accepted doctrines
and practice of its orthodox adherents.

A closer study of the text of the decision will, however, reveal the fact
that coupled with this strong denuncia