UNANIMOUS PROCLAMATION OF THE 27 HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD

Extracted from Ministry of the Custodians, p. 28

Mansion of Baha'u'llah Bahji,

'Akka, Israel November 25, 1957

We the undersigned:





Ruhiyyih Rabbani

Charles Mason Remey (who is President of the International Baha'i Council)

Amelia E. Collins (who is Vice President of the International Baha'i Council)

Leroy C. Ioas (who is Secretary General of the International Baha'i Council)

Dr. Ugo Giachery, (who is member-at-large of the International Baha'i Council and Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Switzerland)

Hasan M. Balyuzi (who is Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the British Isles)

Shoaullah Ala'i (who is Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran)

Ali Akbar Furutan (who is Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran)

Zikrullah Khadem (who is Treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran)

Dr. Ali Mohammad Varqa (who is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran)

Tarazu'llah Samandari (who is a resident of Shiraz, Iran)

Djalal Khazeh (who is a resident of Teheran, Iran)

John Ferraby (who is Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the British Isles)

Paul E. Haney (who is Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States)

Horace Holley (who is Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States)

Abul Qasim F. Teherani

Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel (who is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Germany and Austria)

Dr. Hermann Grossmann (who is a resident of Neckargemind, Germany)

Musa Banani (who is a resident of Kampala, Uganda)

William Sears (who is Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of South and West Africa)

John Robarts, (who is Recording Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of South and West Africa)

Enoch Olinga, (who is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of North West Africa)

Agnes Alexander (who is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of North East Asia)

H. Collis Featherstone (who is Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia)

Clara Dunn (who is a resident of Sydney, Australia)

Dr. Rahmatu'llah Mohajer (who is a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of South-East Asia)





in our capacity as Hands of the Cause of God duly nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, assembled this 25th of November, 1957 at the Baha'i World Centre and constituting the supreme body of the Baha'i World Community

DO HEREBY UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVE AND PROCLAIM AS FOLLOWS:

WHEREAS THE Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, passed away in London (England) on the 4th of November, 1957, without having appointed his successor;

AND WHEREAS it is now fallen upon us as Chief Stewards of the Baha'i World Faith to preserve the unity, the security and the development of the Baha'i World Community and all its institutions;

AND WHEREAS in accordance with the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha) "the Hands of the Cause of God must elect from their own number nine persons that shall at all times be occupied in the important services in the work of the Guardian of the Cause of God";

We nominate and appoint from our own number to act on our behalf as the Custodians of the Baha'i World Faith





Ruhiyyih Rabbani

Charles Mason Remey

Amelia E. Collins

Leroy C. Ioas

Hasan Balyuzi

'Ali-Akbar Furutan

Jalal Khazeh

Paul E. Haney

Adelbert Muhlschlegel





to exercise -- subject to such directions and decisions as may be given from time to time by us as the Chief Stewards of the Baha'i World Faith -- all such functions, rights and powers in succession to the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, as are necessary to serve the interests of the Baha'i World Faith, and this until such time as the Universal House of Justice, upon being duly established and elected in conformity with the Sacred Writings of Baha'u'llah and the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha, may otherwise determine.

[Signed as follows]



Ruhiyyih Rabbani

Zikrullah Khadem

M.B. [Musa Banani]

Charles Mason Remey

Ali Mohammad Varqa

William Sears

Amelia E. Collins

T. Samandari

John Robarts

Leroy C. Ioas

Djalal Khazeh

Enoch Olinga

Ugo Giachery

John Ferraby

Agnes B. Alexander

Hasan M. Balyuzi

Paul E. Haney

H. Collis Featherstone

Shoaullah Alai

Horace Holley

Clara Dunn

Ali Akbar Furutan

Abul Qasim F. Teherani

Dr. R. Mohajer

Hermann Grossmann

Dr. Adelbert Muhlschlegel



AFFIDAVIT

Wilmette, Illinois United States of America, November 30, 1957

The undersigned, Corinne True, being one of the twenty-seven Hands of the Cause of God, duly nominated and appointed by the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, His Eminence the late Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, having been prevented by the state of my health, to attend personally the meeting of the Hands of the Cause of God held in the Mansion of Baha'u'llah at Bahji in 'Akka, on the twenty-fifth of November, 1957, declare to be in full agreement with the above resolution, and I am joining my signature thereto.

[Signed as follows]



Corinne True



Subscribed and sworn to before me this 30th; day of November, 1957.



[Signed as follows]



Sophie Leading

Notary Public

My commission expires September 27, 1959

