…the history of the Cause, particularly in Persia, is a
clear illustration of the truth that such persecutions invariably serve to
strengthen the believers in their faith, by stimulating the spiritual powers latent
in their hearts, and by awakening in them a new and deeper consciousness of
their duties and responsibilities towards the Faith. Indeed, the mere progress
of the Cause, by provoking the hatreds and jealousies of peoples and nations,
creates for itself such difficulties and obstacles as only its divine spirit
can overcome. 'Abdu'l-Bahá has emphatically stated that the enmity and
opposition of the world will increase in direct proportion to the extension and
progress of the Faith. The greater the zeal of the believers and the more
striking the effect of their achievements, the fiercer will be the opposition
of the enemy. - Shoghi Effendi (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, 20 January
1935 to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma; The Compilation of
Compilations, vol. 1, Crisis and Victory)
