accusations of ties to the british also arise from the knighting in 1920 of ʻabdu'l-bahá, then head of the religion, by the british mandate of palestine. according to harry charles luke, an official in the british colonial office who served as assistant governor of jerusalem, ʻabdu'l-bahá "on the 4th december, 1919, was created by king george v a k.b.e. for valuable services rendered to the british government in the early days of the occupation." according to a recent phd, however, ʻabdu'l-bahá, received this award in recognition of his "humanitarian work in palestine" during the war, especially his distribution of grain from his personal supply, which averted a famine in northern palestine. he was ceremonially knighted on april 27, 1920, an event which was prominently reported in the "star of the west" as "a most wonderful celebration."