On 21 March 1844, the Sublime Porte of the Ottoman Empire submitted a note to the British and French embassies promising to cease the executions of apostates from Islam. In the Baháʼí Faith, this is known as the Edict of Toleration and has a prophetic significance. Background The edict took place during the process referred to as the Eastern Question in relations between European powers, Britain in particular, and the Ottoman Empire in its development at a time referred to as Tanzimat internally which included other initiatives like ending the Ottoman slave trade. It was largely a result of pressure from the British government to stop to the persecutions of the Christians. Tanzimat was an Ottoman reform process that sought equal protections under the law in Ottoman lands for all people; however, it did not address matters of religious freedom. A particular incident in 1843 with an Armenian Ottoman subject sparked an incident in August which gained international entanglements and then a Greek national in November, both of whom were put to death - the process of which became the Edict in March 1844. Reverend Edward Bickersteth referred to these developments in 1844 when he summarized diplomatic notes presented to the British Parliament noting "The correspondence occupied a considerable part of the year—from Aug. 27, 1843, to April 19, 1844." Note (edict) In February 1844 there is a question on the status of Jew apostates from Islam (who, it was claimed, must pass through being Christian on the way to Islam in the first place) and on March 21, 1844, appears (in translation): It is the special and constant intention of His Highness the Sultan that his cordial relations with the High Powers be preserved, and that a perfect reciprocal friendship be maintained and increased. The Sublime Porte engage to take effectual measures to prevent henceforward the execution and putting to death of the Christian who is an apostate. According to Muslim Islamic scholar Cyril Glassé, death for apostasy in Islam was "not in practice enforced" in later times in the Muslim world, and was "completely abolished" by "a decree of the Ottoman government in 1260AH/1844AD." This short edict was advanced in the wider Ottoman Reform Edict of 1856. Prophetic interpretations The Edict was seen by some especially among the religious as a specific sign leading towards the fulfillment of prophecy. Research conducted by Michael Sours into this subject and