The Faith which this order serves, safeguards and promotes
is ... essentially supernatural, supranational, entirely non-political,
non-partisan, and diametrically opposed to any policy or school of thought that
seeks to exalt any particular race, class or nation. It is free from any form
of ecclesiasticism, has neither priesthood nor rituals, and is supported
exclusively by voluntary contributions made by its avowed adherents. Though
loyal to their respective governments, though imbued with the love of their own
country, and anxious to promote at all times, its best interests, the followers
of the Bahá’í Faith, nevertheless, viewing mankind as one entity, and
profoundly attached to its vital interests, will not hesitate to subordinate
every particular interest, be it personal, regional or national, to the over-riding
interests of the generality of mankind, knowing full well that in a world of
interdependent peoples and nations the advantage of the
part is best to be reached by the advantage of the whole, and that no lasting
result can be achieved by any of the component parts if the general interests
of the entity itself are neglected....
(Shoghi Effendi,Statement to the Special
UN Committee on Palestine, 1947; preface to ‘The Promised Day Is Come’)
