Testimonial letter from Sheryl Shahinian
This letter is one of a remarkable series of over 2650 letters amassed in 1983 to support Osho's attempt to get permanent resident status in the US at the time of the Oregon ranch. The image is reproduced here with the kind permission of The Oregon Historical Society. Information about their collection of these letters and other supporting material -- the "Jeffrey Noles Rajneesh Collection", named for Osho's immigration lawyer Jeffrey Noles, who compiled them in 1983 and donated them to the OHS -- can be found at this page. The wiki is grateful to the OHS for making access available for these documents. For more information and links to all the letters, see Testimonial letters.
This letter is from Sheryl Shahinian. It is "Exhibit A-1248" in the Noles collection.
The text version below has been created by optical character recognition (OCR), from the images supplied by OHS. It has not been checked for errors but this process usually results in over 99% correct transcription. Most apparent "errors" are correct transcriptions of typos already in the original. The image on the right in the text box links to a pdf file of the original letter, it has one page.
 Sheryl Shahinian To whom it may concern: I am saddened and shocked to find it necessary to write this letter. It seems inconceivable that a man of such genuine merit as Rajneesh would not be considered an extreme asset to any land in which he dwells. This country has always had open arms for the Einsteins and Stravinskys of the world. It is that very policy that has been a cornerstone in our history and culture and is in fact the reason this nation has been a standout in the past. When a man of such extraordinary insight chooses to make his home here, it is both foolish and self-defeating to attempt to shut the doors on him. This is a man whose knowledge and understanding transcend all bounderies of human endeavor. Anyone as constructive and peaceful as Rajneesh should not be considered a threat. In my own personal experience, although I have never met Rajneesh, I have derived many benefits from his writings and tapes. Also, I have had contact with many sannyasins and have always found them to be positive-minded, happy people. I am a dancer-musician, and I have spent my life studying these arts. I have performed for such notables as Rudolf Nureyev, Beverly Sills, and the New York City Ballet and Opera Companies at Lincoln Center. In 1975 I was a guest at then Gov. Jimmy Carter’s house in Georgia where I performed for a special function honoring the Persian Ambassador. I mention these appearances solely for the purpose of establishing my credibility as someone who is serious and studied at her art. Rajneesh has frequently been a source of illumination and inspiration in my work. I would certainly hope others could benefit by his presence in this country. Sincerely, |
(Please note: We assume that the above letter is still copyrighted, but we regard its historical interest to constitute a Fair Use exception for publication in this wiki.)
