Very recently Baha’is are also interested in giving Fake ‘percentage Baha’i population’ for every country. Thanks to the internet – their lie is getting exposed. The number of countries and localities varies with each web site. There is ‘no consensus’ regarding the actual number of countries, the actual number of localities, and the actual number of Baha’i. This trouble in the Baha’i population is not generated by the Baha’i Administration themselves but it is just the continuation of what Abdul Baha and Shoghi Effendi have done.
As a result Baha’is and Baha’i Administration have gone on defensive. They are quick to blame the Christians for this exaggeration and inconsistency. Where did the Christians get their data? It is only from the National spiritual Assembly of the various countries especially the NSA of USA. It is only the Baha'is and their officials who are to blame for the false-misleading reports on the wildly exaggerated Baha'i census. It is not the fault of the editors of Christian World Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia Britannica who relied on information given to them by the Baha’is.
One may ask, why didn't the NSAs , UHJ-ITC-ABM-CBC ever contact the Christian World Encyclopedia Editors, and request a correction? This is because the Baha’is wants to jack-up their numbers- for "public image".
100 YEARS AGO:
The current estimate of the number of Baha’is in the world is at most 5 - 7.5 million adherents. These numbers have been dismissed by a number of academics and it is believed that the actual worldwide Baha’i population is much lower. As we will show, the exaggeration in the Baha’i population was first initiated by 'Abdu’l-Bahā when presenting wrong statistics to non-Farsi speaking audiences.
In 2012 the Official Website of “the Baha’is of the United States” published the Daily Centenarian (https://centenary.bahai.us/daily-archive), an archive of hundreds of American newspaper articles (and their images which we have provided below) from 1912 that were related to `Abdu’l-Bahā’s journey to America and his speeches therein. Based on the worldwide Baha’i population mentioned in these articles, we have constructed a table in reverse chronological order that shows the name of the newspaper, the date published, and the population statistic cited:
World Baha'i population according to newspapers in 1912
No | Newspaper Name | Date | Mentioned Population | Reference |
1 | Troy NY Press | 16/12/1912 | over 10,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/head-new-religious-cult-has-thousands-followers |
2 | The Christian Commonwealth | 8/12/1912 | 3,000,000 | |
3 | The New York Times | 6/12/1912 | Thousands in America | |
4 | The New York Times (Palo Alto,CA) | 10/11/1912 | Several million | |
5 | San Francisco Call | 12/10/1912 | 7,000,000 Persian followers | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/charitable-woman-may-aid-bahaism |
6 | San Francisco California Chronicle | 8/10/1912 | 3,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-abbas-says-object-mission-unify-all-creeds |
7 | unnamed (Seattle) | 6/10/1912 | No less than 20,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-abbas-will-visit-seattle |
8 | San Francisco California Examiner | 6/10/1912 | No less than 3,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-brings-gospel-peace |
9 | San Francisco California Bulletin | 4/10/1912 | Several million | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-give-lecture-oakland |
10 | The SFO Call (San Francisco, CA) | 4/10/1912 | Several million | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/persian-lecture-universal-peace |
11 | Oakland Tribune (San Francisco, CA) | 4/10/1912 | Several million | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/persian-prophet-lecture-here-0 |
12 | The Sacramento Bee (San Francisco, CA) | 4/10/1912 | Several million | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/women-should-have-rights-men-he-says |
13 | San Jose California Herald | 3/10/1912 | Several million | |
14 | San Francisco Chronicle | 3/10/1912 | Several million | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/apostle-bahaism-speak-stanford |
15 | The Oakland Enquirer (Oakland, CA) | 2/10/1912 | Several million | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/bahai-prophet-will-speak-here |
16 | The Evening Standard (Salt Lake, UT) | 30/9/1912 | 10,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-abbas-comes-lecture-bahai-religion |
17 | Rocky Mountain News (New York, NY) | 22/9/1912 | Millions | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-coming-persian-prophet-teaches-new-faith |
18 | Spokane Washington Daily Chronicle | 17/9/1912 | 3,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-prophet-god-asked-come-spokane |
19 | Harbor Grace Standard (Montreal, QC) | 7/9/1912 | 3,000,000 in Persia Alone | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/persian-peace-prophet-gives-message-canada-through-standard |
20 | Biddeford Maine Weekly Journal | 6/9/1912 | 3,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-greenacre-conferences |
21 | London Ontario paper | 3/9/1912 | 8000 in America | |
22 | Portland Oregon Oregonian | 1/9/1912 | 3,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-coming-tour-interest-his-religion |
23 | The Montreal Gazette (Montreal, QC) | 29/8/1912 | 3,000,000 in Persia alone |
|
24 | The Montreal Daily Star (Montreal, QC) | 24/8/1912 | 0ver 3,000,000 in Persia alone | |
25 | Oakland Cal Enquirer (Berkeley, CA) | 8/8/1912 | Millions | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/local-artist-wins-fame-portrait |
26 | The Evening Post (New York) | 23/7/1912 | 14,000,000 | |
27 | The Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Press | 15/7/1912 | 20,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/aged-head-new-religion-gives-views |
28 | The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (New York) | 13/7/1912 | 14,000,000 | |
29 | New York Sun | 7/7/1912 | Several Hundred Thousand | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-gives-his-impressions-new-york |
30 | The Van Nuys News (Van Nuys,CA) | 5/7/1912 | Millions | |
31 | The Agitator Wellsboro Pennsylvania | 3/7/1912 | 14,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-make-his-home-montclair |
32 | unnamed (New York) | 26/6/1912 | 14,000,000 | |
33 | Grand Rapids Minnesota Press | 24/6/1912 | 3,000,000 | |
34 | Brooklyn Daily Eagle NY | 17/6/1912 | Many millions | |
35 | The Anaconda Standard (Montclair, NJ) | 16/6/1912 | 14,000,000 |
|
36 | The Evening News (San Jose) | 15/6/1912 | 2,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-head-new-religion-brotherhood |
37 | The Evening Bulletin Philadelphia | 10/6/1912 | 250,000 in America | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/old-persian-mystic-stirs-teachings |
38 | Philadelphia Pennsylvania Public Ledger | 10/6/1912 | More than 3,000,000 | |
39 | Middletown Time-Press (Montclair, NJ) | 3/6/1912 | 14,000,000 | |
40 | unnamed paper in New York | 26/5/1912 | 14,000,000 | |
41 | Worcester Telegram 2nd Edition | 24/5/1912 | Millions in near east and hundreds of thousands in the US | |
42 | Worcester Evening Post | 24/5/1912 | Millions in near east and hundreds of thousands in the US | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/head-new-religion-clark-college-speaker |
43 | Worchester Massachusetts Post | 23/5/1912 | Millions in near east and hundreds of thousands in the US | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/head-new-religion-clark-college-speaker-0 |
44 | Worcester Telegram 2nd edition | 22/5/1912 | Millions and 100,000 in the US | |
45 | Worcester Evening Gazette | 21/5/1912 | Millions and several hundred thousand in the US | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abbas-effendi-coming-give-talk-clark |
46 | The Syracuse Herald | 11/5/1912 | 20,000,000 | |
47 | Grand Valley Times (Moab, UT) | 10/5/1912 | Millions | |
48 | The Oelwein Daily Register (Oelwein, IA) | 10/5/1912 | Millions | |
49 | Manitoba Free Press | 9/5/1912 | 3,000,000 in the Orient | |
50 | Marble Rock Journal (Floyd, IA) | 9/5/1912 | Millions | |
51 | The Palo Alto Tribune (Emmetsburg, IA) | 8/5/1912 | Millions | |
52 | Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Post | 6/5/1912 | 15,000,000 | |
53 | New York Tribune | 5/5/1912 | 20,000,000 in the world. 5000 in America | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-talks-kate-carew-things-spiritual-and-mundane |
54 | unnamed (chicago) | 1/5/1912 | 40,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/bahaist-leader-opens-oriental-court-here |
55 | Chicago Illinois News | 29/4/1912 | 40,000,000 | |
56 | The Hutchinson News (Chicago) | 27/4/1912 | 14,000,000 | |
57 | Houston Texas Chronicle | 24/4/1912 | 15,000,000 with several hundred thousand in the US and Canada | |
58 | Cleveland Ohio Leader | 22/4/1912 | 2,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/persian-hailed-new-messiah-comes-teach-unity-world |
59 | The New York Times | 21/4/1912 | Tens of thousands | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/message-abdul-baha-head-bahais-0 |
60 | New York Tribune | 18/4/1912 | Millions | |
61 | Pittsburg PA Times | 17/4/1912 | 20,000,000 | |
62 | Albany New York Press | 15/4/1912 | Many millions | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/persian-explains-plan-unite-all-religions |
63 | Buffalo New York Courier | 15/4/1912 | Many millions | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/western-world-behind-spiritual-civilization |
64 | The Lexington Herald | 14/4/1912 | Hundreds of thousands when Bahā’u’llāh was alive | |
65 | Chicago Illinois Post | 13/4/1912 | 2,000,000 with 5,000 in the US | |
66 | New York Herald | 13/4/1912 | 20,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-dazed-citys-rush-calls-new-york-beehive-0 |
67 | The Chicago Illinois Defender | 13/4/1912 | Millions | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-abbas-coming-lewis-g-gregory |
68 | New York Tribune | 12/4/1912 | 20,000,000 | |
69 | New York Sun | 12/4/1912 | 2,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/disciples-here-hail-abdul-baha |
70 | unnamed (Washington DC) | 27/3/1912 | Thousands in America | |
71 | The New York Times | 4/3/1912 | One third of Persians | |
72 | SFO Daily News (San Francisco, CA) | 28/2/1912 | Millions | |
73 | The Montreal Daily Star (Montreal, QC) | 10/2/1912 | 2,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/eastern-sage-coming-city-new-message-0 |
74 | Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Evening News | 5/2/1912 | Millions | |
75 | Boston Massachusetts Evening Transcript | 27/1/1912 | Thousands | |
76 | unnamed (Chicago) | 7/1/1912 | 2,000,000 | http://centenary.bahai.us/news/dedicate-temple-bahai-chicagos-north-shore |
Upon arriving in the United States, `Abdu’l-Bahā is quoted by the New York Times as saying that he has no way of estimating the number of his followers but that they are overall about two million:
(https://centenary.bahai.us/news/disciples-here-hail-abdul-baha)
Figure 1: Image of newspaper that quotes `Abdu'l-Bahā as saying the world Baha'i population is about 2 million
The same number is repeated in another paper the next day:
He estimates the number of his followers at about 2,000,000, about 5,000 of these being in this country. (Leader of New Cult [rest of title is missing], Chicago Illinois Post, 13 April 1912)(http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-and-chicago)
Figure 2: Image of another newspaper that quotes `Abdu'l-Bahā as saying the world Baha'i population is about 2 million
Matters become even more interesting. Six months into his stay these numbers dramatically change. He is quoted as saying he has ten million followers:
`Abdu’l-Bahā Abbas, leader of the Bahā’ī movement, which he says has 10,000,000 followers in the world, is in Salt Lake City.He is making a tour of the United States and plans to lecture on his religion here. (Comes [sic] to Lecture on Bahal [sic] Religion, The Evening Standard [Salt Lake], 30 September 1912)
(http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-abbas-comes-lecture-bahai-religion )
Figure 3: Image of newspaper that quotes `Abdu'l-Bahā as saying the world Baha'i population is about 10 million
This high number is further strengthened by a quote from another newspaper several days later in which `Abdu’l-Bahā claims he has converted several million people to Baha’ism himself:
The disciple is a martyr to religion and claims to have converted several million people, including Christian,Mohammedans and Jews to the Baha’ism faith. (Women Should Have Rights of Men, The Sacramento Bee [San Francisco] 4 October 1912)
Figure 4: Image of newspaper that quotes `Abdu'l-Bahā as saying he has converted several million people to Baha’ism himself
The number of American Baha’is can also be found in `Abdu’l-Bahā’s words. As we previously quoted, upon arriving in the US, he had mentioned his American followers to be around 5000:
He estimates the number of his followers at about 2,000,000, about 5,000 of these being in this country. (Leader of New Cult [rest of title is missing], Chicago Illinois Post, 13 April 1912)
(http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-and-chicago )
Furthermore, in his farewell speech he had claimed that he had converted thousands of Americans during his eight month stay in America:
About 100 members of the New York Bahā’ī Society, 80 percent. of whom are women, went to the pier to see `Abdu’lBahā off and were deeply moved as he delivered his final address to them in the lounge. He said that during his tour of the United States he had converted thousands of men and women and that they would work among their churches after he had gone for the furtherance of the movement for universal peace. (Abdul Baha Sails Away, The New York Times, 6 December 1912) (http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-sails-away-0 )
Figure 5: Image of newspaper that quotes `Abdu'l-Bahā as saying he has converted thousands of Americans to Baha’ism during his stay in America.
If we conservatively assume that `Abdu’l-Bahā had converted another five thousand people to the Baha’i faith during his stay in America based on the thousands that he had claimed—then we can estimate the total number of American Baha’is to be around ten thousand.
Subsequently, based on what the papers quoted from `Abdu’l-Bahā,there must have been two or ten million Baha’is worldwide (millions of which he had converted) and ten thousand in America at the end of 1912. According to a survey by two prominent Baha’i authors (P. Smith, M. Momen, The Baha'i faith 1957–1988: A survey of contemporary developments,Religion 19 (1989), pp. 63–91: http://bahai-library.com/momen_smith_developments_1957-1988(retrieved 28/2/2014)) the number of Baha’is 42 years later—in 1954—were only 213,000 worldwide and only 10,000 in North America, Europe, and Anglo-Pacific combined!
Even if we assume a large margin of error for all numbers, the estimated population of 1912 is still very large and greatly exaggerated.Ignoring the population growth, `Abdu’l-Bahā’s statistics are respectively about 9.4 times and 46 times the Baha’i population of 42 years later! These are the words of the Mystery of God who possesses superhuman knowledge (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahā’u’llāh, p. 134.) and is the Unerring Pen (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahā’u’llāh, p. 75.)
There is another point in these exaggerations that is worth mentioning. `Abdu’l-Bahā apparently didn’t mind these large numbers being published in these papers although he protested other facts that he deemed needed to be corrected. For instance:
`Abdul-Bahā, “Servant of Ineffable Splendor,” has arrived in Chicago from Persia to establish a world-wide peace betweenreligion and science, but feels a little doubtful of our newspapers because a reporter wrote that he wore a robe and turban of red and white stripes — which he never did;so there! ([title missing], Inter Ocean [Chicago] 2 May 1912) (http://centenary.bahai.us/news/abdul-baha-servant-splendor )
The paper that `Abdu’l-Bahā was referring to was published a day earlier:
`Abdul-Bahā, “Servant of Ineffable Splendor,” Adviser to 40,000,000 Through World . . . The high priest sat in a big plush chair during the brief reception. He wore a long, flowing robe, striped with red and white. His beard reached almost to his waist. A turban of the same material as the robe was wound about his head. (Bahaist Leader Opens Oriental Court Here, unnamed [Chicago] 1 May 1912)
(http://centenary.bahai.us/news/bahaist-leader-opens-oriental-court-here )
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