Freemasonry

Freemasonry is one of the largest secret societies in the world, i.e. an organization which hides at least some of its activities from the general public. Freemasonry is most popular in the United Kingdom and the former British Empire, where it developed from medieval guilds of stonemasons. It is an organization with a variety of rituals and customs—some kept hidden from non-members—and in which members are oath-bound to secrecy and to supporting one another. Although it is not a Christian organization, some of its teachings and principles do refer to stories and personalities from the Bible.

Shoghi Effendi disapproved of membership in Freemasonry and required Bahá’ís to resign membership they may have held, stating that Bahá’ís who were determined to retain membership in Freemasonry would lose their administrative rights. The rationale given was based on the principle of non-affiliation with organizations "any of whose purposes and methods contradict fundamental principles of the Bahá’í teachings", or which are wont to become "corrupted and tainted by political thought and influences", similar to the prohibition on involvement with partisan politics. More generally, the Guardian advised that Bahá’ís should not enter secret societies of any kind, and that they should dissociate themselves from such organizations. Before the Guardian's advice became known, there had been British and American Bahá’ís who were Freemasons, such as George Simpson and George Buchanan; the latter, a lifelong minister, was buried in 1920 according to Masonic rites under unknown circumstances, without the knowledge of the Bahá’í community. Osborn (2016) suggests that some Bahá’ís who had been Freemasons, such as Charles Cole, may have resigned their memberships in 1936 "when Baha’is were required to sever links with such organisations"; Shoghi Effendi praised Ernest Gregory when he resigned from the organization after becoming a Bahá’í, noting that he was setting a good example by doing so.

Despite the clarity of the guidance from the Guardian, a widespread belief continues in Iran that the success of Bahá’ís, rather than being attributable to natural ability and hard work, must be "at least partly due to their membership in an elitist and semisecret society". Bahá’ís, like Freemasons, were seen in Iran as not publicizing their affiliation, or keeping it secret. Rumors thus abounded that many high-ranking individuals during the reign of Sháh Pahlaví were either Bahá’ís or Freemasons, including the Sháh himself. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, newspaper articles publicized these beliefs and incorrectly alleged that Freemasons were supported by Bahá’ís:

“ In the past one hundred and fifty years any treason to the people of Iran was done with the help of Freemasonry. [...] The biggest criterion for getting a job or position was to have connection with Masons. [...] They had occupied the highest level in trade, economics, industry, politics, legislation, judiciary, and also had the unsparing support of the perverse Baha’i sect. ” — Shahab, Issue No. 27, 26 Tir 1358 [17 July 1979].