Birth, early life and education: Shoghi Rabbani (Effendi) was born in Akká on the 1st of March 1897. He was a descendent of the Báb through his father, Mírzá Hádí Shírází, and of Baha’u’llah through his mother, Ziyá’iyyih Khánum, who was the eldest daughter of Abdu’l-Bahá.
He was not particularly known to be close to his grandfather Abdul Baha in terms of character and behaviour. Not being interested in spiritual activities, he hardly, if ever, accompanied Abdul Baha in his religious activities.
For education, Shoghi was sent to The Oxford University in England and during the course of his studies he was known to show lacklustre interest in the curriculum. On the other hand, he gained a particular notoriety for enjoying the high life. Noting his particular disinterest in in his very expensive education left many perplexed. When he was asked for the reason behind his lack of motivation he replied- “People study to earn their bread. Why should one study while he already has his bread ready” (he expected to be anointed as the care taker of Baha’i religion)
Marriage: Shoghi’s marriage was fixed with his cousin Maryam, the daughter of Abdul Baha’s son-in-law Mirza Jalal Shahid. However, developing cold feet Shoghi backed out and married Mary Maxwell.
His wife was the daughter of May Ellis Maxwell nee May Ellis Bolles. Mary never accepted the Last name of Shoghi Effendi till the very end maintained the Maxwell last name. She was later given the title of Ruhiyyih Khanum and Amatul Baha to make her persona more acceptable to the Bahai communities in Asia and Africa.
Conversion of Funds for Private Use
Ruth White: The subject converted funds to his own use. The Bahai religion and its Enemy the Bahai Organization by Ruth White, the Tuttle Company, Rutland, Vermont 1929.
Ruth White writes: “In the Autumn of 1919 I sent to Abdul Baha [i.e. Sir Abbas Effendi] an American Express Company check of Five hundred dollars and asked him to apply it to some of the many charities he was dispensing.
About four months after we arrived in Haifa as the guests of Abdul Baha. On the day before departure I asked Abdul Baha if he had received the check. Without a moment’s hesitation and very emphatically he said that he had not received it. He repeated this a number of times, and seemed indignant that it had not been turned over to him.
I discussed this with various members of the family of Abdul Baha, and one of the brothers-in-law said he would go to town and enquire about the matter. He returned and said there was no record of the check. When I returned to America, I asked the American Express Company to look up the receipt of the check I had sent through their office, and on the back of it was the signature of the person who had received the cash. This person was Shoghi Rabbani [i.e. Shoghi Effendi].
I asked the American Express Company to Photostat this check for me, which they did. Herewith it is a reproduction of the check with the signature of Sh. Rabbani on the back. Here then is proof positive that Shoghi Effendi cashed out the check and also proof that the son-in-law [presumably Mirza Muhsin Afnan] who purported to enquire of the check did not do it at all. Otherwise, he would have ascertained in a few minutes from the office of the American Express Company at Haifa that the check had been cashed by Sh. Rabbani, as I had given the son-in-law the whole information, the date of sending, the name of sender, etc. All of which shows that there was collusion between the son-in-law and Shoghi Effendi. Circumstantial evidence also points to the fact that Shoghi Effendi used the money to go to Oxford University.
For immediately after cashing the check he departed for Oxford, this despite the fact that Abdul Baha did not wish him to go. Some may naturally ask: How could Shoghi Effendi have cashed the check unless he had authority to do so. This he may have had. Yet the fact remain that the proceeds were never turned over to Abdul Baha. My readers may, therefore, draw their own conclusions.”
Shoghi Effendi: A world class philanderer
Subhi’s Payam-i Padar, PP. 143-146: has noted Shoghi Effendi to be a frequenter of men of magnificent physique and virility, a pervert who craved to be consorted with, a hermaphrodite requiring surgical operation to determine his sex.
Subhi had been an eyewitness on several counts to acts challenging common decency and on one particular occasion he states to have been challenged by the Shoghi Effendi to put his manhood to the test.
“Shoghi Effendi was possessed of peculiar nature and habit which cannot be properly described; his manly disposition was inconsiderable; he was continually desirous of cultivating friendship, and associations, with robust men and youth!”
“One night I was with him (meaning Shoghi) and Doctor Zia Baghdadi who was the son of a famous Baha’i who practiced medicine in America and had come to visit Abdu’l-Baha in Haifa. We were hanging around in Acre and were fooling about humorously like teenagers. While we were conversing, I left the room to attend to some matters and and when I returned, I observed that Doctor Zia had committed an unrighteous act… I was outraged and said: Doctor! What is this deed that you are doing?! Shoghi turned to me and said: “If you have manhood too then show it.” I saw many similar acts and heard [similar] words from him many times and perceived that he must be lacking something.”
Shoghi Effendi may be categorized “in the category of “hermaphrodites” in whom opposite qualities are embodied…” requiring surgical operation for adjustment.
Shoghi Effendi has “no feeling, attachment or devotion” for father, brother, sister, mother or friend. He issues orders which no sane man would give.”
The Kashful-Hiyal (the Uncovering of Deceptions) by Abdul Husayn Ayati nicknamed Avarih, one-time chief Bahai missionary says: “it is not possible to categorize him as either male or female! Neither possessing feminine kindness and charm nor having mannish wisdom and sobriety! There are attachments in these kinds of people which is hard to find out. I am not aware if you have heard of that physicians lays down a man and by some medical treatment changes him to a female and vice versa. … I wish Shoghi had visited a physician in his youth and could be purified! That’s why you don’t see him having any attachment to his father or grief of his siblings; neither remembering his mother’s pains to raise him nor recognizing his true friends!
He commands things that are not wise, and excuses that are far from rational. All this because of the same root problem. (Ref-Avarih’s Kashf-al-Hiyal, Vol. II, 2nd impression, PP. 84-85 and P. 166; Vol., III 3rd impression, PP. 212-213)
“The command of Allah shall be executed” (a quote from Quran), forty days after Abdul’ baha died and the customary mourning period ended the days of joy began for Shoghi. Now anointed as the “Guardian” of the faith and with vast sums of money at his disposal happy times had arrived for Shoghi!
Shoghi, oh you don’t know who Shoghi was!
Hundreds of students studying in Beirut with Shoghi were witness to the fact that he had no inclination towards studies and his true passion lied in mollycoddling pretty boys and girls. Shoghi was known to spend time getting cozy with boys in dark corners of the dance floor. Ultimately, he failed in his studies and got infected with scabies which appeared on his hands forcing him to wear Chamois leather gloves and take medical treatment.
Shoghi and with that you knew who Shoghi was!
The guy who failed to get a diploma in Oxford as well as Beirut! The same Shoghi who when questioned by his classmate “why don’t you pay attention to your studies?” replied: “what is studying all about? To find a piece of bread and mine is already prepared”.
And the same Shoghi who during his first and last speech in London, for an audience of 16, Miss Rosenberg stood up and said: beloved Shoghi, sit down! People have no desire to listen to you and they have fallen asleep!” This 70-year-old lady then proceeded to the lectern and spoke”. (Kashful Hiyal Vol 2 page 84-85 second edition)
Once someone saw Shoghi Effendi entering a private shower with the son of Mirza Baqir Shirazi, at the morning call to prayer (Azan) and followed them. There he witnessed what is difficult to describe. Upon confronting Shoghi he said: “The sense (eye) makes errors in sensing (seeing) and (what)you saw was an error”
The making of Shoghi Effendi
It was after the death of Abdul Baha, that his Will was read initially only to few ‘old and recognised Baha’is’. Later it was made public after a few years. In the alleged Will of Abdul Baha, Shoghi Effendi was anointed as the Guardian of the cause. The announcement of Shoghi as the Guardian came as a shock to many Baha’is who doubted the veracity and authenticity of his appointment. This was because Abdul Baha never introduced Shoghi as his successor during his lifetime.
However, nobody dared to question the authenticity of the alleged Will, lest they be excommunicated, except for Lady Ruth White. Ruth White made exhaustive inquiries to ascertain the authenticity of the alleged Will, including getting its handwriting analysed by the foremost expert in forensics Dr. C.A Mitchell, who declared the document to be a forgery.
Pleading an alleged inability to administer the duties of his office and to recover from the shock caused by the death of Abdul Baha, Shoghi Effendi withdrew albeit temporarily from his responsibilities as a guardian and retired into solitude for an expensive swiss vacation for 8 months (using Baha’i funds) leaving the guardianship of Baha’i affairs in the hands of a few elder members of Abdul Baha’s family, notionally naming with Baha’u’llah’s daughter, the supreme leaf, as a titular head.
While Shoghi was away from public glare, grounds were being prepared for all Baha’is to accept him as the Guardian of the faith without question. Upon Shoghis return to Haifa, he was declared publicly as the Guardian of the faith. He then took over the reins of the Baha’i administration, and demanded ready and explicit obedience from the servants of God, in default of which any servant of god was liable to excommunication or to summary expulsion from the faith under the flimsy pretext of disobedience. Shoghi Effendi brooked interference. His decisions were absolute and final and his words authoritative.
As the divinely-ordained guardian all faithful were decreed to obey him. Shoghi began to organise the religion into a controlled administration in order to have a stronger grip over the Baha’is under his command. He decreed the establishment of spiritual assemblies who in turn worked for him. All activities undertaken by these assemblies worldwide were reported to Shoghi Effendi. At the same time, orders were dictated to Bahais by Shoghi via the same channel of assemblies.
His Achievements of excommunicating
After taking the post of guardianship, Shoghi soon began to misuse his power as the guardian of the faith. He began to excommunicate all those from his family who raised any form of objection or dissent against him. Shoghi systematically under various flimsy pretexts managed to excommunicate the entire family of Abdul Baha.
These included his sisters, brothers and cousins. He excommunicated Ruhi Effendi for travelling to America for the purpose of preaching, without seeking his permission. All of this shameless display of oppression was to ensure loyalty by fear. Since the holy family of Abdul Baha knew the fact that Shoghi was far removed from religion of Abdul Baha Shoghi found it imperative to remove them from the faith in order to clear all obstacles to his unchecked power.
The Death of Shoghi Effendi – The end of Guardianship
As Shoghi was known as the mystery of God, even his death remains a mystery till date. Although there is a good amount of circumstantial evidence to show that his sudden death was in fact a murder and he was poisoned.
In the beginning of the year 1957 Shoghi Effendis health was deteriorating and on the advice of his doctors and his wife he agreed to go for medical treatment to England. Upon reaching London on 20th October 1957 they checked into a hotel rather than one of the many welcoming homes of the Bahais there. During this period of their stay in this hotel in London, it was reported that Shoghi effendi was diagnosed with Influenza.
At the time the plan for the “10 years crusade” was being drawn with the consultation of John Ferraby (who was a ‘hand of the cause of God’ and the secretary of the NSA of England) and Hasan Balyuzi Afnan (who was a member of the NSA of England). At that moment the succession plan to Shoghi was not in place and it was unclear as to who will head the faith after him. Mary Maxwell who was present there and was aware of this fact kept tab on the deteriorating health of Shoghi Effendi. She kept asking him if there was any pain in his body to which Shoghi replied in the negative. He kept saying that only his finger pained and he felt tired.
Mary Maxwell then proceeded to administer an unprescribed and undescribed medicine to him without the approval of his physician. That was the same night Shoghi suddenly died. Mary Maxwell then proceeded to cable the bahais worldwide lying to them that the guardian is very sick when infact she was the one who had already bumped him off. He was later buried at a cemetery in London.
Shoghi died childless and none from the Aghsan could ever succeed him. A philanderer with taste in men, who lived a lavish lifestyle at the cost of the money donated by the poor bahais for his “cause”, who disobeyed the teachings of his grandfather finally perished and is now resting in a poorly visited cemetery in London far-far away from the Holy Land.