Race-Unity-Justice

‘Abdu’l-Baha on Justice

Source: Honnold, Annamarie, Vignettes from the Life of ‘Abdu’l-Baha

While ‘Abdu’l-Baha was living in a Paris hotel, among those who often came to see Him was a poor, black man. He was not a Baha’i, but he loved ‘Abdu’l-Baha very much. One day when he came to visit, someone told him that the management did not like to have him – a poor black man – come, because it was not consistent with the standards of the hotel. The poor man went away.

When ‘Abdu’l-Baha learned of this, He sent for the man responsible. He told him that he must find His friend – He was not happy that he should have been turned away. ‘Abdu’l-Baha said, ‘I did not come to see expensive hotels or furnishings, but to meet My friends. I did not come to Paris to conform to the customs of Paris, but to establish the standard of Baha’u’llah.’

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On another occasion: ‘Abdu’l-Baha was evicted from His hotel because his visitors were from such diverse backgrounds:

In late May 1912, in New York, ‘Abdu’l-Baha was evicted from His hotel because, as Mahmud noted, of the “coming and going of diverse people” and the “additional labors and troubles” for the staff and the “incessant inquiries” directed to the hotel management.  “But,” Mahmud continued, “when the people of the hotel saw His great kindness and favor at the time of His departure, they were ashamed of their conduct and begged Him to stay longer, but He would not accept.”’