Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 41. (1990)
BEVERIDGE, Kent D.: „Worthy Representative of Europe“. Anton Graf Prokesch von Osten
Rent D. Beveridge As further justification for his inability to intercede for the Bahá’ís, Pro- kesch-Osten mentions the innumerable examples of intolerance toward dissension that Christian history - not only in the Middle Ages, but also in recent years — contains55 56). Compared with these, Prokesch-Osten maintains, this policy measure against the Bahá’ís barely deserves mention. „Das entschuldigt die Intoleranz nicht aber es schwächt unsere Stimme, wenn wir die Türken Toleranz gegen Andersgläubige predigen, die als Sekte im Islam den Glauben der Massen beunruhigen.“ Prokesch-Osten indicates that he is familiar with the teachings of the Bahá’í religion: „Ich kenne die Lehre der Bábís [sic]. Der naive Bericht des Rev. Mr. Rosenberg [which had evidently been included in Camerloher’s dispatch - R. D. B.] beweist, dass er keine Ahnung davon hat und sich in den seltsamsten Täuschungen bewegt. Es gibt in der Lehre der Bábís Ansichten über den Ursprung des Bösen und über die endliche Versöhnung derselben im Gott! zu denen ein englischer Missionär sich ebensowenig je wird aufschwingen können als ein türkischer Mullä, und dieser vielleicht noch früher.“96) Gobineau wrote Prokesch-Osten on 25 August to say that he had read of the „incident“ in Courrier d’Orient, but did not agree with the Ottoman policy toward the Bahá’ís, „qui demandent son appui et qui se font mérne ses sujets.“ If the government persecutes the Bahá’ís, it will lose the special favor with which many Bahá’ís in the pashaliks of Van and Baghdád view it, as well as that of the Bahá’ís in Persia, which could be „une grande force contre les dispositions trés agressives de la dynastie Qájár.“ As the Bahá’ís very definitely need assistance, Gobineau believes 55) It is evident from his other writings that Prokesch-Osten is thinking of the atrocities committed by the Greeks during their war of independence (never reported in the European press, although Turkish atrocities against the Greeks had been given wide coverage), as well as recent atrocities in Rumania; he expressly mentions Bratiano (or Bratianu), the Minister-President of Rumania. 56) Prokesch-Osten to Camerloher, 19 August 1868 Nachlaß Prokesch-Osten, Consular & Diplomat. Correspondenz 1864-1871, HHStA: when one divests the exile of all of the „incorrect alarms (i. e., the surrender of the Bahá’ís to the Persians or their interrogation by the Shaykhu’l-Islám, etc.)“ what remains is a „police measure, more or less severely executed, which is within the authority of every government, and in which, for that very reason, no independent government will brook interference.“ Fu’ád Pasha is „as enlightened as any European Minister“. The Bahá’ís are being banished to ‘Akká,„a less dangerous point“ because of „the devisive force inherent in every sect“. This is particu- lary dangerous in the Balkans as „certain agents, sprinkled over the entire European Turkey, have the crumbling away of the population in all directions as their objective“. „This does not excuse intolerance, but it weakens our voice when we preach tolerance of dissenters, who as a sect of Islám disquiet the faith of the masses.“ „I know the teachings of the Bábís [sic]. The naive report of the Rev. Mr. Rosenberg proves that he knows nothing of them, and that he has the most peculiar illusions [regarding them]. In the teachings of the Bábís there are views concerning the creation of evil and concerning the final reconciliation of the same in God to which an English missionary is as little likely to soar as a Turkish mullá - and the latter is probably more likely.“ 150
