As part of the court action by the NSA of Wilmette (of the sans-Guardian Bahá'ís) against the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith, the NSA's attorney traveled to Perth Australia to take the deposition of Joel B. Marangella, the OBF's Guardian.
The conclusion of the deposition seemed to sum up very nicely the NSA's case against the OBF:
[MR. DOLAN, attorney for the NSA] Q. Earlier you stepped through many of the articles on your web site with Mr Goldberg and you explained what the meaning of those articles were. Do you recall that?
[JOEL B. MARANGELLA] A. Yes. Yes.
Q. All those explanations, were those based on your personal interpretations of the documents and events captured there?
A. Not interpretation. It was mentioning facts, not interpretations. Off-hand I can't remember was it a question of interpretation; it was a question of facts. I mean, if someone does not accept certain conditions of the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha, it's a fact, not an interpretation. They have no longer any Hands of the Cause, that's a fact. They no longer have a head of the Universal House of Justice, that's a fact. , it's not an interpretation.
Q. And are you entitled to conclude that because you're the Guardian and so interpreter?
A. Well, I would tell them to read the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha and there is it. It says that the Guardians are sacred head "sacred head for life of the Universal of Justice". I can show that document or Shoghi Effendi has said it, "It's a sacred immutable document" and it should be endure as long as the Dispensation of Balla'u'llah endures. So what else is it?
Q. So that all has to do with your reading of the Will and Testament of Abdu'l-Baha?
A. Well, it's evidence, it's evidence. Well, not my reading, it's Shoghi Effendi's statement, his clear statement, that this document is sacred - a sacred document, co-equal on status with the Kitab-i-Aqdas which is Baha'u'llah's most sacred book. He says its equal parts. See, so it's there, it's his statement, inviolable.
Q. But those are your articles, correct, on the web site .....
A. Well, they're my articles, yes.
Q. So - - -
A. I constantly quote Shoghi Effendi to support whatever I say.
Q. But you wrote all of those articles on your web site?
A. Yes, yes. Definitely.
Q. I have nothing further.
MR GOLDBERG: I have nothing else.
MR. DOLAN: Thank you very much.
MR MARANGELLA: Okay. Thank you. Do I say it's my pleasure?
MR DOLAN: Maybe a stretch - - -
DEPOSITION CONCLUDED
From Transcript of Deposition of Joel B. Marangella, April 30, 2007 (pp. 201:10 to 203:13). Exhibit A to the OBF's Surreply.
To see the Court documents go to: http://trueseeker.typepad.com/true_seeker/court_case.html
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