`Abdu’l-Bahā says:

The question of diversity of tongues is a very difficult one. There are more than eight hundred languages in the world, and no person could acquire them all. The races of mankind are not isolated as in former days. Now, in order to be in close relationship with all countries it is necessary to be able to speak their tongues. A universal language would make intercourse possible with every nation. Thus it would be needful to know two languages only, the mother tongue and the universal speech. The latter would enable a man to communicate with any and every man in the world![1]

1) Is a Universal Auxiliary Language a new principle?

The need for a universal auxiliary language has always existed and depending on the conditions, one of the existing languages in the world has played this role either nationally or internationally. Before Bahā’u’llāh had spoken about this principle, Communicationssprache, was created by Joseph Schipfer and published in 1839 to serve this purpose. Subsequently many other auxiliary languages were introduced the most important ones being Universalglot in 1868, Volapuk in 1879, and Esperanto in 1887.

2) Did the leaders of Baha’ism act upon this principle?

This principle was ignored by Baha’i leaders to such an extent that they produced their teachings in three different languages: Arabic, Farsi, and English, and ordered their followers to learn five languages other than their mother tongues.

3) Is this principle rational and logical?

The nations of the world, for many different reasons, will not accept a Universal Auxiliary Language chosen for them by another group or party. Furthermore, `Abdu’l-Bahā believes this principle is a cause of unity and friendship which in most cases is incorrect.

[1] `Abdu’l-Bahā, Paris Talks, pp. 155–156.