When
the ship came abreast of the Statue of Liberty, ‘Abdu'l-Baha stood erect facing
the Statue and held up His arms in salutation.
“There
is the new world's symbol of liberty and freedom,” He said. “After being forty
years a prisoner I can tell you that freedom is not a matter of place. It is a
condition . . . When one is released from the
prison of self, that is indeed a release.”
‘Abdu'l-Baha
waved farewell to the Statue as the ship turned towards Manhattan. To the
reporters He said, “In former ages it has been said, "To love one's native
land is faith." But the tongue in this day says, "Glory is not his
who loves his native land, but glory is his who loves his kind -
humanity."
(Quoted in ‘The Flame, the Story of Lua’, by William Sears & Robert Quigley)
(Quoted in ‘The Flame, the Story of Lua’, by William Sears & Robert Quigley)
