World War II Project Cover Page

Name: Jimena Madrigal

Title of Project:
Character’s Back Story:

The speaker's name is Majnun (means crazy in Arab) because he is perceived that way by
German society. He has a German last name, Fischer. He is a very religious Baha'i and a well-
educated man born in Stuttgart Germany 1912. His greatest wish is unity in the world and to
escape Nazi oppression. He has been studying philology and theology in Berlin but had to stop
for persecution. Majnun wears glasses and a headdress, he also has a beard and is skinny. He
loves rainbows because the colors represent the Baha'i principle of unity in diversity. His
parents had emigrated in 1878 from Germany to New York, became, Baha'i there, and then
returned to Germany to bring the message of Baha'ullah. He died in 1980.
Baha'i communities of artists, writers, and intellectuals of Jewish background had begun
to form in Germany 1905. At the time the Baha'i faith was under the guardianship of Shoghi
Effendi. He was known for spreading the Bahai faith through pilgrimages. My character was a
participant and supporter of this effort. In 1937, (He was 25) the Bahai faith was banned by
Heinrich Himmler and the community was persecuted. His manifesto is a response to this event.
He expresses how the Baha'is believes go against Nazi principles and how he wishes to live in a
world of unity.

Format: Manifesto
Historical Concept: Historical Perspective
Total Word Count: 606
Rubrics:
Producing text
● produce texts that demonstrate insight, imagination and sensitivity
● make stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices,
demonstrating awareness of impact on an audience
● select relevant details and examples to develop ideas.

Marks Level descriptor

 The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors
0 below.

● produces texts that demonstrate a limited degree of insight,

1 imagination and sensitivity
● makes minimal stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and
visual devices, demonstrating limited awareness of impact on an
audience
● selects few relevant details and examples to develop ideas.
● produces texts that demonstrate some insight, imagination and
2 sensitivity
● makes some stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and
visual devices, demonstrating adequate awareness of impact on an
audience
● selects some relevant details and examples to develop ideas.
● produces texts that demonstrate considerable insight, imagination
3 and sensitivity
● makes thoughtful stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary
and visual devices, demonstrating good awareness of impact on an
audience
● selects sufficient relevant details and examples to develop ideas.
● produces texts that demonstrate a high degree of insight,
4 imagination and sensitivity
● makes perceptive stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary
and visual devices, demonstrating good awareness of impact on an
audience
● selects extensive relevant details and examples to develop ideas
with precision.

Historical Concept Analysis

● Uses the historical concept identified in the project proposal to analyze how war
changes identity.

Marks Level descriptor

The student does not reach a standard described by any of the

0 descriptors below.
 ● Limited analysis and exploration of the topic through the
1 application of the chosen historical concept (cause and
consequence, continuity and change, historical perspectives,
historical significance, ethical dimension).
● Some analysis and exploration of the topic through the application
2 of the chosen historical concept (cause and consequence,
continuity and change, historical perspectives, historical
significance, ethical dimension).
● Sufficiently analyses and explores the topic through the
3 application of the chosen historical concept (cause and
consequence, continuity and change, historical perspectives,
historical significance, ethical dimension).
● Expertly analyses and explores the topic through the application
4 of the chosen historical concept (cause and consequence,
continuity and change, historical perspectives, historical
significance, ethical dimension).

Application of Research
● Uses research from primary and secondary sources to make the setting, details,
and character historically accurate.

Marks Level descriptor

The student does not reach a standard described by any of the

0 descriptors below.

● Little evidence and application of researched details and facts

1 from primary and secondary sources to make the setting, details,
and character (s) historically accurate.
● Some evidence and application of researched details and facts
2 from primary and secondary sources to make the setting, details,
and character (s) historically accurate.
● Sufficient evidence and application of researched details and facts
3 from primary and secondary sources to make the setting, details,
 and character (s) historically accurate.
● Extensive evidence and application of researched details and facts
4 from primary and secondary sources to make the setting, details,
and character (s) historically accurate.

"Come Faith, Come Unity"

I want to live in a world where humanity is one. Bahá'u'lláh, taught us, the Baha'i, the value of unity,
acceptance, and equality. How only by behaving as a single community, will the world know peace.
Never has it been clearer than during this dawning dark times, that our prophet spoke truth. Forces acting
against this values have got our world in shambles. Unspeakable misfortune has befallen our small
community of the faithful. The Nazis, have made it part of their mission to stop us, Baha'is, from
spreading and practicing our faith.
Three years ago, our Guardian explained that "There is nothing more contrary to the spirit of the Cause
than open rebellion against the governmental authorities of a country, especially if they do not interfere in
and do not oppose the inner and sacred beliefs and religious convictions of the individual" (February 11).
I wonder if he would stand by such proclamations, considering our current situation. The toughest of
times are upon us, and yet our faith urges us to restrain from open rebellion. For ours is a spiritual
movement, which stands above the trifling affair that is politics. Mr. Himmler has made it, so we become
part of the persecuted, the exiled, and the exterminated, and I refuse to believe that we should stand by
and let it happen. I am not a violent soul, but I am a strong one, and an educated one. I hope this words I
share will cause, not riot, but awareness. Our community is small, and therefore our suffering is often
disregarded. The world has turned its attention elsewhere. Sadly, I understand, there are others in the
midst of suffering and turmoil.
I wish the world could imagine how we German Baha'is felt that morning of early 1937 when Heinrich
Himmler stood in front of his people, and ours, and delivered a speech that was the start to our
misfortune. He spoke of our "internationalist, pacifist tendencies," and how they were the very negation
of their effort. He deemed the practice of Baha'ism illicit in German territory. From then on, everything
went from bad to worse. Our leaders were persecuted and incarcerated, even our sacred scriptures were
confiscated, and to this day have not been returned. Baha'i leaders worldwide have urged the government
to give a more sympathetic consideration to our cause, but it has made no difference.
I used to wonder what made us deserving of this misfortune that the Nazis have brought upon us. Now
I can clearly see that our principles are in essence contradictory. They are nationalists who believe in
military domination, while for us, Earth is but one country. They believe in the superiority and supremacy
of a master race. We seek unity, and elimination of all prejudice. The Nazis exterminate their enemies.
We learn to love them. The Nazis practice violence, while us Baha’is, strive for peace.
Though it pains me to see evil prevailing, violent souls in power, and the innocent hurt, I am not
frightful, for I believe the will of God is with us, and we will be helped. I know the German Baha'i
Community will eventually overcome such forces of opposition, staying true to their identity, and will
arise, purer and more determined to accomplish its allotted task. I call out to all those who feel
sympathetic to our cause, but especially to those like me in distress. We have bowed to live by this faith,
and we might now have to die by it

Works Cited

"A Baha'i Youth Group of Germany With Their Teachers," 1935, http://communitybaha.blogspot
com /2012/05/1935-bahai-youth-group-of-germany-with.html.

The source is a picture from 1935, that shows a Bahai youth group with their teachers, in
Germany. It was taken 30 years after the first Bahai communities were established in Germany, and
therefore features the first generation of children born in that cultural environment. It also depicts the state
of Bahai communities in Germany right before the outbreak of the war. It is relevant to the project
because it validates the biographical features of the speaker. For example it is proof of the existence of a
denomination of the german population that was of Bahai ethnicity and shared their believes, during the
time period. It also supports the idea that the Bahai were originally intellectuals of jewish precedence and
continued to be an educated group. This data was inferred by looking at the physical features, age range,
and context of the people in the photo. It is limited because it depicts a rather small group of people,
which rises doubt regarding weather it is representative of a community of 400,000 people.

Bahá’u’lláh. "Epistle to the Son of the Wolf." 1891, pp.21-22, http://www.bahai.org/library/

authoritative-texts/bahaullah/epistle-son-wolf/#.

This Bahai Tablet was written by Baha'u'lláh, prophet and founder of the Bahai religion, around
1881, right before his death, and was revealed in the Mansion of Bahjí. It was directed to a muslim cleric
called Shaykh Muhammad-Taqiy-i-Najafi, who used to persecute Bahai's. The purpose of this, and most
of Bahá'u'lláh's writings is to share and inform about what has been revealed to him by a deity and that
way create a belief system for the Bahai religion. A specific quote in pages 21-22 was selected because it
summarizes one of the Bahai's central beliefs, which is unity and equality of humanity. It is relevant to the
project because one must have a good understanding of the religion's principles to write accurately from a
member's perspective. It is also relevant because it explains a central believe of the religion that can
clearly be contrasted to the nazi principles and actions. It shows that throughout history, including during
world war two, this faith was persecuted by those with different principles. Finally it is from a most
reliable source, the founder of the Bahai faith. One of the limitations is the fact that it was written a long
time before the war and when the manifesto of the project takes place, and their is no explicit connection
between the two. Also the fact that it provides no information about the reason behind muslim persecution
and makes it hard to compare it to the Nazi's actions.

Effendi, Shoghi. "Citadel of Faith." Baha'í Publishing Trust, 1980, pp.35-39; 100-107, Bahai
Online Library, https://bahai-library.com/shoghieffendi_citadel_faith.

The piece of Bahai religious writing know as The Citadel of Faith, is a collection of letters and
statements written by Shoghi Effendi, between the years 1947-1957. They were
published by the Baha'i Publishing Trust of the United States on 1980. Shoghi Effendi was the Guardian
of the Bahai faith from 1921 to 1957, during the second world war, a period during which they were
persecuted and their principles were defied. The Citadel of Faith is a message to America. Shoghi lets the
world know his faith's opinion on topics such as the effect of nationalism, racial prejudism, and the
participation of America in the war. He provides his perspective on the events and concerns of the
worldwide Bahai community during this time period. He identifies how certain aspects of politics and
society threaten unity and peace for humanity. It is relevant to the project because it refers specifically to
the war and states a direct disapproval from bahai religious officials regarding some main Nazi principals
and actions, such as nationalism and racism. It is limited because it refers specifically to America and
their war effort, neglecting a direct response to events in Germany, which are more central to the topic of
the project.

Effendi, Shoghi. "Light of Divine Guidance." 11 February 1934, pp. 53, Maneck, Susan. August
2005, https://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu/msg04882.html.

Effendi, Shoghi. "Light of Divine Guidance."10 December 1937, pp. 88, Maneck, Susan. August 2005,
https://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu/msg04882.html.
Secondary Sources

Glenford, Mitchell. "Prospects for Peace." Atlanta Baha'i Unity Center, October 11, 2001, http://
watsongregory.homestead.com/files/glenfordmitchell.htm.

"Himmler Speeches," World Future Fund. http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading

Germany/Himmlerspeeches.htm

Langness, David. "The Baha'is and The Nazis." BahaiTeachings.org, 2014, http:/bahaiteachings.org/.
bahais-and-the-nazis