In Edinburgh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed the Esperantists

In Edinburgh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed the Esperantists. A serious advocate for the establishment of an international auxiliary language, He cited an anecdote to stress how important proper communication between people is: ‘I recall an incident which occurred in Bagdad. There were two friends who knew not each other’s language.

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One fell ill, the other visited him, but not being able to express his sympathy in words, resorted to gesture, as if to say, “How do you feel?” With another sign the sick [one] replied, “I shall soon be dead”; and his visitor, believing the gesture to indicate that he was getting better, said, “God be praised!”’

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