Editing Mason Remey (section)

===Expulsion===

His letter to the convention was refused. After a brief attempt at reconciliation and some hesitation among the Hands, he was declared a [[Covenant-breaker]] by all 26 remaining Hands of the Cause on 26 July 1960, along with anyone actively supporting his claims.{{sfn|Johnson|2020|p=26,33}}{{sfn|Rabbani|1992|p=223}} Almost the whole Baháʼí world rejected his claim, which did not even address the requirements that Guardians be descendants of Baha'u'llah — making him ineligible — and that appointments must be clearly confirmed by the nine resident Hands of the Cause in Haifa.{{sfn|Adamson|2009|pp=124–125}}{{sfn|Johnson|2020|p=45}}

Remey gained very little support around the world, and himself noted that "almost the entire Baha'i world" rejected his claim.{{sfn|Smith|2008|p=69}} He sent his proclamation to other National Spiritual Assemblies, and a majority of the one in France accepted him.{{sfn|Stockman|1995}} The 11 other extant National Assemblies rejected him. He gained supporters mostly from the United States,{{sfn|Smith|2000|p=292}} but also in parts of Europe, Pakistan (mostly in [[Faisalabad]] and [[Sialkot]]{{sfn|Fareed|2015|p=130}}), and in [[Lucknow]], India.{{sfn|Johnson|2020|p=40}} Estimates of Remey's initial following range from 15,{{sfn|Adamson|2009|p=404}} to 100,{{sfn|Brachear|2009}} to 150,{{sfn|Gallagher|Ashcraft|2006|p=201}} to several hundred<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Melton |last2=Baumann |date=2010 |title=Religions of the world : a comprehensive encyclopedia of beliefs and practices |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/711782366 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |others=J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann|isbn=978-1-59884-204-3 |edition=2 |location=Santa Barbara, Calif.|pages=262|oclc=711782366}}</ref> individuals.

The Hands sent [[Abu'l-Qásim Faizi]] to France as their representative, with specific instructions to dissolve the National Assembly and call for a new election.<ref>[https://www.bahai-encyclopedia-project.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64:hands-of-the-cause-of-god&catid=36:administrationinstitutions Hands of the Cause of God]</ref>

Although initially disturbed, the mainstream Baháʼís paid little attention to his movement within a few years.{{sfn|Smith|2008|p=71}}{{sfn|Gallagher|Ashcraft|2006|p=201}} The Universal House of Justice was elected in 1963, and the Custodians officially passed their authority as the head of the Faith to the Universal House of Justice,{{sfn|Smith|2000|p=117}} which soon announced that it did not have the power to appoint or legislate to make possible the appointment of a second Guardian to succeed Shoghi Effendi.{{sfn|Warburg|2006|p=206}}{{sfn|Smith|2000|pp=346–350}}