1.     Concealment of religious opinions by Baha Himself
Concealment of religious opinions dissemblance of one's faith or dissimulation (کتمان، سّر، تقیه), dictated by prudential motives, was a cause of concealment condoned and promoted by Mirza Husayn Ali commonly called Baha, and Sir Abbas Effendi.
Baha dissembled his faith during his epiphany, if the term may be permitted. His "divinity" was confined within the four walls of his home at Acre, and existed in paper intended for private circulation among his followers. Baha was born of Moslem parents and grew up Moslem. To all appearance Baha was a practicing Moslem. He left the Moslem Kanaden and performed the services of worship of Islam. He died a practicing Moslem. His funeral and burial services were held according to Moslem rites by Moslem officiating ministers of religion. Baha enjoined upon his followers to copy him in the dissemblance of their faith and they do so. The standing joke among the Baha'is is that Mirza Husayn, the Calligraphist, surnamed by Baha Mushkin-Qalam (the musk-scented reed pen) made some witty remarks that he had embraced Bahaism to rid himself of the Moslem Ramadan. However had to keep two Ramadans: one the Moslem Ramadan to dissemble his faith and to propitiate Islam, and on the other, Bahai fast of nineteen days to please his god, Baha. To Palestinians Baha was made honour as Baha Effendi or Baha-al-Din Effendi.

The use of the Bahaullah was scrupulously avoided, as it appears to be a title exclusive to a manifestation of god according to Sunni Moslems. To Palestinians Bahaism was introduced not as an independent religion, but as a sect or an order of Islam.
Having practiced dissemblance throughout his life Baha in his epistle to the Son of the Wolf of 1890, Julie Chamler's translation, P.30, denies this practice and speaks of himself in the following terms:-

"I declare by God, that this servant is not capable of dissimulation. Truly he has made apparent what which God the powerful the independent has desired.". The original runs as follows:

این مظلوم قادر به ستر نبود انّه اظهر ما اراد و هوالمقتدر المختار

Which statement is believed by Baha himself in a passage in his Risala. 1286 (1869), penned in the following of the Musk-Scented Pen (Mushkin Qalam).
Manuscript, P.50:-

قسم به آفتاب عّز حجراتی که اهل امر که در باره مرآت شنیده اند بآن نحو نبوده و هر نفس ادعای علم نماید کذب برّب البها و آنجه نظر بکلمة الله این عبد مذکور داشته بین الناس اشتهار یافته و مقصود آن کلمات نقطة اولی جّل جلاله را احدی ادراک ننموده و این عبد اصل امر را از کّل مستور داشته لحکمة لا یعلم الا نفس العلیم الحکیم

I swear by God that what people have heard is not what it was and that any claim to the knowledge by anyone is a mere lie and whatever this servant has mentioned has been by looking at the words of God.
No one has comprehended the purpose of the words of the Primal Point and this servant has concealed the principal of the cause.

As the passage in the Risala indicates Baha practiced dissimulation as regards his pretensions form the outset. Bahai authorities vie with one another in giving conflicting and contradictory accounts of this practice.

In an apology to justify Baha's practice of concealment of his "divine mission" in the land of Palestine, Bahai apologist Lady Blomfield in her entitled the Chosen Highway, P.136, states that "the people of the land of Palestine knew not the station of Baha and of Abbas Effendi, because the Turkish Government exacted promise from Baha that no teaching should be given to the dwellers in that country.- A promise which Sir Abbas Effendi also continued to respect." This apparently inspired statement is not supported by documentary evidence, and is devoid of historical foundation.

Baha had acquired the Ottoman Nationality at Baghdad to forestall extradition to Iran. Under the terms of the Imperial Ottoman warrant of banishment dated the 5th of Rabi-al Akhir, A.H 1285 (July 26, 1868)

Baha referred to therein as "Shaykh Husayn Ali", was condemned to the interned for life in the fortress of Acre, a penal town in Palestine, for subversive anti-Islamic activities at Edirne. The terms in which the warrant of banishment is couched are crystal-clear.
The apology is an afterthought intended to condone Baha's concealment of his "divine mission" in the land of Palestine. Bahaism is an exportable commodity and not for local consumption. Any attempt at the promulgation of Bahaism in the land of Palestine would most surely have spelt disaster to Baha as well as his followers. This is the truth. But the cloth into truth with falsehood is to be strongly deprecated.

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