In this letter I will tell you about the circumstances pertaining to the execution of the Báb, Herald of Bahaullah.
I will, in falthy English, try to tell you the true story in my own translation from Swedish, using the book De Upplysta Horisonterna by Sverre Holmsen. Its title in English would be The Enlightened Horizons. From page 49 I'll start thus:
"History tells us about ...the efforts to uproot the people of the Báb and His Teachings. In spite of the (Persian) authorities repeatedly using military actions to uproot the believers, and in spite of the spilling of the blood of thousands of people who would not give up their faith (in Báb), the Faith of the Báb was spreading like a run fire all over Persia.
The historian A.L.M. Nicolas says in his story from these days: 'When the much disturbed priests noticed how their herd was trembling with impatience and was ready to escape their controle, they redoubled their false accusations..., the most shameful lies, the bloodiest stories to be fabricated were spread amongst the bewildered population, that was torn between terror and admiration.'
When the prime minister Taqi Khan realised that the Bábs radiating power not could beaverted, whether through many years of incarceration behind prisonwalls or through the launching of systematic accusations of falsity -or percecutions, he decided finally that he would extinguish the new faith through the execution of its Originator.
Therefore the Báb was again taken from Cheriq (place of prison)to Tabriz, whose governor was ordered to let Him be publicly executioned on the military headquarters yard in the centre of the town. The governor refused to comply to this order.
*It would be a disgraceful act, he said feeling ashamed, 'who am I, that I would be ordered to murder an innocent descendant of our own Prophet. (Bábs ancestral line is to be traced back to Beni -Hashims and Muhammads family+ Abrahams and Hagars,..., through Abraham all people of the earth would be blessed) (Genesis 1:12:3; 17:6)
The governor, like most of the population, knew the prophecy of the Holy Script which said 'if a young man from Beni Hashim would be manifested and call the people to a new Book and new laws, all must hurry to Him and swear allegiance to His Cause.'
The prime minister was infuriated at the governor and appointed his brother Hasan Khan to carry out the execution. This person immediately ordered that the Báb was to be transferred to one of the 'death cells... The green turbane and the belt, the two emblems of the noble lineage of the Báb, was torn off of Him. The chief of the firingsquad Sam Khan, ( a Christian) was ordered to place ten special guards outside the cell.
When the Báb was led into the yard of the military block, a young man rushed out of the croud of spectators. He was from Tabriz, a teenager barefooted at the age of eighteen, with hair untidy and thin face; he pressed himself through the mass of people, wholly ignoring the danger he put himself into, as he threw himself down at the feet of the Báb and cried out imploring::
'Don't send me away from you, O Master! Whereever you go, let me follow You.'
B'ab looked at him, smiling and uttered something that reminds us of what Christ said unto the criminal on the cross.
'Muhammad - Ali, get up' the Báb said.'Rest assured that you shal be with Me. Tomorrow you shall witness what God has destined.'
To be continued
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bahaullah+and+the+bahai+faith&search=Search
www.Bahai.org and www.Bahai.us
Bye for now
Laila