Hermann Zimmer

Hermann Zimmer was an early pioneer of the Bahá'í Faith in Germany. Zimmer is one of a few Bahá'ís who revived the efforts of Ruth White to oppose Shoghi Effendi, claiming that the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá was forged.

Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá

The Will and Testament was written in three parts and covers a wide range of topics. It reiterates some of the fundamental teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, clearly calls out Mírzá Muhammad `Alí as being a Covenant-breaker, establishes a new institution of the Guardian and clarifies its roles as compared to those of the Universal House of Justice, and also defines the responsibilities of the Hands of the Cause.

Opposition

Zimmer was a Bahá'í in good standing during World War II, and as a German, traveled to Berlin to unsuccessfully lobby the Nazi government to rescind their ban of the Bahá'í Faith. By 1971, however, he wrote a book titled A Fraudulent Testament devalues the Bahá'í Religion into Political Shogism,[1][2] which criticized the Bahá'í administration.

Zimmer based his claims partly on the work of criminologist Charles Ainsworth Mitchell, who Ruth White had hired to review photocopies of the original Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá. Mitchell had compared the photocopies to original samples of `Abdu'l-Bahá's handwriting. Mitchell's provisional report indicated that the Will was a forgery, pending inspection of the originals.[3] White later placed Mitchell's signed report with the U.S. Library of Congress in 1930.[4] Mitchell could not read Persian, however, and the claims of a forgery were not taken up by many other Bahá'ís opposed to Shoghi Effendi at that time, most notably including Ahmad Sohrab.

Hermann Zimmer remained one amongst a small group of Bahá'ís to question the authenticity of `Abdu'l-Bahá's Will.[5][6][7] Zimmer attempted to establish a group called "Free Bahá'ís" or the "World Union of Universal Religion and Universal Peace" along with Charles Seeburger of Philadelphia, but it is not clear that it actually came into being.[1]

Impact

Zimmer's own work was further taken up by Francesco Ficicchia in Der Bahā'ismus-Religion der Zukunft? Geschichte, Lehreund Organisation in kritischer Anfrage,[8] a work which Denis MacEoin notes "did indeed do a lot of damage to the public image of the Bahá'ís" in German-speaking Europe and "damaged the Bahá'ís and distorted their cause in certain quarters, mainly within the Catholic and Protestant churches."[9] Zimmer and Ficicchia's works were funded and distributed by evangelical Christian organizations in Germany. The work had such a negative impact on the Bahá'í community that a lengthy apologetic response came from Schaefer, Towfigh, and Gollmer in Making the Crooked Straight: A Contribution to Bahá'í Apologetics.[10]

Works

Zimmer, Hermann (January 1, 1973). A Fraudulent Testament Devalues the Bahai Religion into Political Shoghism. World Union for Universal Religion and Universal Peace. 

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Momen, Moojan (1995). "Covenant, The, and Covenant-breaker". Bahá'í Library Online. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  2. ↑ Zimmer, Hermann (January 1, 1973). A Fraudulent Testament Devalues the Bahai Religion into Political Shoghism. World Union for Universal Religion and Universal Peace.
  3. ↑ Momen, Moojan. Studies in Honor of the Late Hasan M. Balyuzi. Vol. 5. Kalimát Press, 1988. p273-274
  4. ↑ Bahais. "Dr. C. (Charles) Ainsworth Mitchell, Report on the Writing Shown on the Photographs of the Alleged Will of Abdu'l-Baha, Library of Congress, 1930, Ruth White".
  5. ↑ Taherzadeh, Adib (1972). The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. p. 347. ISBN 0-85398-344-5.
  6. ↑ Taherzadeh, Adib (2000). The Child of the Covenant. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. pp. 299–300. ISBN 0-85398-439-5.
  7. ↑ Rabbani, Ruhiyyih (1948). Twenty-Five Years of the Guardianship. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. p. 21.
  8. ↑ Ficicchia, Francesco (January 1, 1981). Der Bahā'ismus-Religion der Zukunft? Geschichte, Lehreund Organisation in kritischer Anfrage. Quell. ISBN 978-3791860091.
  9. ↑ MacEoin, Denis (June 2001). "Making the Crooked Straight, by Udo Schaefer, Nicola Towfigh, and Ulrich Gollmer: Review". Bahá'í Library Online. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  10. ↑ Schaefer, U.; Towfigh, N.; Gollmer, U. (2000). Making the Crooked Straight: A Contribution to Bahá'í Apologetics. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-443-3.
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