The Young Turks and the Baha'is in Palestine

The Young Turk Revolution of 1908 was a turning point that opened up new prospects for Ottoman society and politics. It created a milieu in which new ideas could be shared in a relatively open manner. The case of the Baha'is in Palestine, even though they were seemingly a quantite negligeable among the religious communities, is a good example of the dissemination of reformist thoughts in that period. Based on unpublished letters of Abdu'l-Baha written in Ottoman Turkish, this chapter deals with the post-Revolutionary relations between the Baha'i leader 'Abdu'l-Baha ('Abbas Effendi, 1844-1921) in Ottoman Palestine and the Young Turk elite. It discusses the significance of Palestine to the development of the Baha'i community, the contributions of 'Abdu'l-Baha to the reform discourse in the Ottoman Empire, the tense relationship between 'Abdu'l-Baha and Sultan Abdulhamid II, 'Abdu'l-Baha's previously unknown connections with some leading Young Turks, and the Baha'i leader's attempt to infuse Baha'i thoughts into the CUP. The chapter rounds with an overview of the declining relationship between the CUP and 'Abdu'l-Baha during World War I