Bahá'í Faith in Madagascar
Encyclopedia
The Bahá'í Faith in Madagascar begins with the mention by `Abdu'l-Bahá
, then head of the religion, who asked the followers of the Bahá'í Faith
to travel to Madagascar. The first Bahá'í to pioneer
to Madagascar arrived in 1953 and following native converts the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly
was elected in 1955. By 1963 in addition to the one assembly there were groups of Bahá'ís living in four other locations. In late July 1967 Rúhíyyih Khanum
became the first Hand of the Cause to visit the country. In 1972 the Malagasy Bahá'ís gathered to elect the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Madagascar. By 2003 there were 33 local assemblies and the Association of Religion Data Archives
in 2005 estimated there were about 17,900 Bahá'ís in the country.
and Canada
in 1916-1917 by `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, who asked the followers of the religion to travel to regions of Africa; these letters were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan
. The publication was delayed until 1919 in Star of the West
magazine on December 12, 1919. after the end of World War I
and the Spanish flu
.
In 1953 Shoghi Effendi
, head of the religion after the death of `Abdu'l-Bahá, planned an international teaching plan to systematically implement the goals outlined termed the Ten Year Crusade
. The first Bahá'í to pioneer
to Madagascar arrived in 1953 when Meherangiz Munsiff, an Asian Indian
arrived from Britain. She was able to stay through the hospitality of a local Muslim family and later with the Robert family, of Tananarive (now Antananarivo), who were among the first to become Bahá'ís in Madagascar and who later played an outstanding role in the history of the religion here. Suffering ill health, Munsiff left in January 1954 a day after Danile Randrianarivo, 29, joined the religion, becoming the first Malagasy Bahá'í. Jalal Nakhjavani, brother of Ali Nakhjavani
, was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Central and East Africa in 1954. It was at this time that he made extensive teaching trips visiting the islands of Zanzibar, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and the Comoro Islands. In 1955 the first Assembly of Madagagar was elected. By May 1955 five introductory pamphlets on the religion were published by the British Baha'i Publishing Trust in the Malagasy language
. In April 1956 the religion was present in small numbers across 15 countries of southern Africa including islands. To administer the Bahá'í communities across southern Africa a regional governing body was elected based in South Africa to cover them all called the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South & West Africa in 1956.
and to hold their meetings, often in the open air. One community in Madagascar held a Nineteen Day Feast
during the cyclone, with only three absentees. In June Madagascar gained independence from France.
By 1963 there was still one Bahá'í assembly in the country - in Antananarivo
- but groups of Bahá'ís lived in Ambohimanga
, Juan de Nova Island
, Mangatany, Nosy Be
Island.
In 1966 Arthur J. Gustave Ruggoo pioneered to the Seychelles for several years but occasionally he would undertake special projects promulgating the religion in Réunion and Madagascar.
In late July 1967 Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum
, the first to visit Madagascar spent several days there as part of a trip through the Islands of the Indian Ocean basin. Counter to most of her trips she spent the whole period in the city - Tananarive, the capital, because of the 10 days she spent in Madagascar she was taking bed rest for five days. Nevertheless of her five active days she spoke at nine gatherings.
In 1969 a youth committee was organized and operating in the country. In July 1970 Hand of the Cause Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir
visited the island consulting with its institutions and participating in events.
In 1972 the first national convention was gathered to elect the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Madagascar and Hand of the Cause Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir represented the Universal House of Justice
at the proceedings.
In March 1977 a regional conference on the progress of the religion on the island was held in Manakara
.
A Bahá'í refugee from the Persecution of Bahá'ís
in Iran, Martha Sobhani, left Iran in 1978. She moved to Madagascar to work with Bahá'í youth and fell in love with her future husband, a native of Mauritius. In November 1979, the Bahá'ís of Tananarive hosted a conference in celebration of Universal Children's Day. The proceedings were chaired by an 11-year-old pre-youth. Long time Bahá'í Seewoosumbur Jeehoba Appa of Mauritius died in 1981 when he accompanied Continental Counsellor
Shídán Fath-i-A'zam to Madagascar. In Sept-Oct 1983 twenty-one Malagasy Bahá'í volunteers took part in trips following three regional institutes on the religion.
dated 20 October 1983 was released. Bahá'ís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Bahá'í teachings
, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Bahá'í socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482.
In September 10–15, 1986 Bahá'í youth participated in a national Youth Fair in Antananarivo and won first prize for their display and second prize for their musical event at this fair, whose theme was "Youth, Peace and Development." From April 1989 Bahá'ís in several communities organized a campaign to engage the awareness of governmental and neighborhood leaders with the religion. At these meetings books were presented and the Bahá'ís described ways they had engaged in socio-economic development projects and asked what more they could do. Displays on the religion were setup and invitations were sent out for neighbors to attend prayer meetings at local Bahá'í centers. These events resulted in some 700 people joining the religion in a year's time.
in 2005 estimated about 17,900 (0.1% of the national population) Bahá'ís in the country.
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
, then head of the religion, who asked the followers of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
to travel to Madagascar. The first Bahá'í to pioneer
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
to Madagascar arrived in 1953 and following native converts the first Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly
Spiritual Assembly
Spiritual Assembly is a term given by `Abdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Bahá'í Faith. Because the Bahá'í Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community...
was elected in 1955. By 1963 in addition to the one assembly there were groups of Bahá'ís living in four other locations. In late July 1967 Rúhíyyih Khanum
Rúhíyyih Khanum
Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum , born Mary Sutherland Maxwell was the wife of Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921–1957. She was appointed by him as a Hand of the Cause, and served an important role in the transfer of authority from 1957–1963...
became the first Hand of the Cause to visit the country. In 1972 the Malagasy Bahá'ís gathered to elect the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Madagascar. By 2003 there were 33 local assemblies and the Association of Religion Data Archives
Association of religion data archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997, and online since 1998, the archive was initially targeted at researchers interested in American religion...
in 2005 estimated there were about 17,900 Bahá'ís in the country.
Early history
Though a Bahá'í was in nearby Mauritius in 1910 the first mention of Madagascar in the literature of the Bahá'í Faith was in a series of letters, or tablets, to the followers of the religion in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1916-1917 by `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, who asked the followers of the religion to travel to regions of Africa; these letters were compiled together in the book titled Tablets of the Divine Plan
Tablets of the Divine Plan
The Tablets of the Divine Plan collectively refers to 14 letters written between September 1916 and March 1917 by `Abdu'l-Bahá to Bahá'ís in the United States and Canada. Included in multiple books, the first five tablets were printed in America in Star of the West - Vol. VII, No. 10, September 8,...
. The publication was delayed until 1919 in Star of the West
Star of the West (Bahá'í magazine)
The Star of the West was a Bahá'í periodical which began publication on March 21, 1910 and ended publication under this title in March of 1935....
magazine on December 12, 1919. after the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
.
O that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and, raising the call of “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá” in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans, promote the divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it.…. Similarly, if possible, they should travel to the continent of Africa, (islands like) Mauritius, etc., and in those countries summon the people to the Kingdom of God and raise the cry of “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!” They must also upraise the flag of the oneness of the world of humanity in the island of Madagascar.
In 1953 Shoghi Effendi
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendí Rabbání , better known as Shoghi Effendi, was the Guardian and appointed head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957...
, head of the religion after the death of `Abdu'l-Bahá, planned an international teaching plan to systematically implement the goals outlined termed the Ten Year Crusade
Ten Year Crusade
The Ten Year World Crusade was launched by Shoghi Effendi in an effort to facilitate an organized expansion of the Bahá'í Faith....
. The first Bahá'í to pioneer
Pioneering (Bahá'í)
A pioneer is a volunteer Bahá'í who leaves his or her home to journey to another place for the purpose of teaching the Bahá'í Faith. The act of so moving is termed pioneering. Bahá'ís refrain from using the term "missionary"...
to Madagascar arrived in 1953 when Meherangiz Munsiff, an Asian Indian
Non-resident Indian and Person of Indian Origin
A Non-Resident Indian is an Indian citizen who has migrated to another country, a person of Indian origin who is born outside India, or a person of Indian origin who resides permanently outside India. Other terms with the same meaning are overseas Indian and expatriate Indian...
arrived from Britain. She was able to stay through the hospitality of a local Muslim family and later with the Robert family, of Tananarive (now Antananarivo), who were among the first to become Bahá'ís in Madagascar and who later played an outstanding role in the history of the religion here. Suffering ill health, Munsiff left in January 1954 a day after Danile Randrianarivo, 29, joined the religion, becoming the first Malagasy Bahá'í. Jalal Nakhjavani, brother of Ali Nakhjavani
Ali Nakhjavani
Alí-Yulláh Nakhjavání served as a member of the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, between 1963 and 2003....
, was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Central and East Africa in 1954. It was at this time that he made extensive teaching trips visiting the islands of Zanzibar, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and the Comoro Islands. In 1955 the first Assembly of Madagagar was elected. By May 1955 five introductory pamphlets on the religion were published by the British Baha'i Publishing Trust in the Malagasy language
Malagasy language
Malagasy is the national language of Madagascar, a member of the Austronesian family of languages. Most people in Madagascar speak it as a first language as do some people of Malagasy descent elsewhere.-History:...
. In April 1956 the religion was present in small numbers across 15 countries of southern Africa including islands. To administer the Bahá'í communities across southern Africa a regional governing body was elected based in South Africa to cover them all called the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of South & West Africa in 1956.
Growth
In March 1960 the islands of Mauritius and Madagascar were swept by cyclone Carol. In both places some of the Bahá'ís lost their homes, but it is reported they still kept the Nineteen Day FastNineteen Day Fast
The Nineteen-Day Fast is a nineteen-day period of the year, during which members of the Bahá'í Faith adhere to a sunrise-to-sunset fast. Along with obligatory prayer, it is one of the greatest obligations of a Bahá'í, and its chief purpose is spiritual; to reinvigorate the soul and bring the...
and to hold their meetings, often in the open air. One community in Madagascar held a Nineteen Day Feast
Nineteen Day Feast
The Nineteen Day Feasts are regular community gatherings, occurring on the first day of each month of the Bahá'í calendar . Each gathering consists of a Devotional, Administrative, and Social part...
during the cyclone, with only three absentees. In June Madagascar gained independence from France.
By 1963 there was still one Bahá'í assembly in the country - in Antananarivo
Antananarivo
Antananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
- but groups of Bahá'ís lived in Ambohimanga
Ambohimanga
The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is a site of cultural and historical significance located approximately 24 kilometers to the east of the capital city of Antananarivo in Madagascar...
, Juan de Nova Island
Juan de Nova Island
Juan de Nova Island is a low, flat, tropical island in the narrowest part of the Mozambique Channel, about one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique at...
, Mangatany, Nosy Be
Nosy Be
Nosy Be is an island located off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Nosy Be is Madagascar's largest and busiest tourist resort. It has an area of 312 km2 and its population was officially estimated at 36,636 in 2001....
Island.
In 1966 Arthur J. Gustave Ruggoo pioneered to the Seychelles for several years but occasionally he would undertake special projects promulgating the religion in Réunion and Madagascar.
In late July 1967 Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum
Rúhíyyih Khanum
Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum , born Mary Sutherland Maxwell was the wife of Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Bahá'í Faith from 1921–1957. She was appointed by him as a Hand of the Cause, and served an important role in the transfer of authority from 1957–1963...
, the first to visit Madagascar spent several days there as part of a trip through the Islands of the Indian Ocean basin. Counter to most of her trips she spent the whole period in the city - Tananarive, the capital, because of the 10 days she spent in Madagascar she was taking bed rest for five days. Nevertheless of her five active days she spoke at nine gatherings.
In 1969 a youth committee was organized and operating in the country. In July 1970 Hand of the Cause Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir
Rahmátu'llah Muhájir
Raḥmatu'lláh Muhájir was a prominent fourth generation Bahá'í, born on 4 April 1923 in the town of 'Abdu'l-'Azím, Iran. In 1954, Dr Muhájir married Írán Furútan, the daughter of `Alí-Akbar Furútan, and together they pioneered to the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia...
visited the island consulting with its institutions and participating in events.
In 1972 the first national convention was gathered to elect the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Madagascar and Hand of the Cause Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir represented the Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
at the proceedings.
In March 1977 a regional conference on the progress of the religion on the island was held in Manakara
Manakara
Manakara is a city in Madagascar.It is the capital of Vatovavy-Fitovinany Region.The city is located at the east coast and has a small port. It is the endpoint of the Fianarantsoa-Côte Est railway , which connects the city of Fianarantsoa with the sea. For those interested in traveling to Manakara...
.
A Bahá'í refugee from the Persecution of Bahá'ís
Persecution of Bahá'ís
The persecution of Bahá'ís is the religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries, especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and the location of one of the largest Bahá'í populations in the world...
in Iran, Martha Sobhani, left Iran in 1978. She moved to Madagascar to work with Bahá'í youth and fell in love with her future husband, a native of Mauritius. In November 1979, the Bahá'ís of Tananarive hosted a conference in celebration of Universal Children's Day. The proceedings were chaired by an 11-year-old pre-youth. Long time Bahá'í Seewoosumbur Jeehoba Appa of Mauritius died in 1981 when he accompanied Continental Counsellor
Institution of the Counsellors
The Counsellors are part of the administrative order of the Bahá'í Faith, and are part of a greater administrative branch called the Institution of the Counsellors, established by the Universal House of Justice in 1968....
Shídán Fath-i-A'zam to Madagascar. In Sept-Oct 1983 twenty-one Malagasy Bahá'í volunteers took part in trips following three regional institutes on the religion.
Multiplication of involvements
Since its inception the religion has had involvement in socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women, promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern, and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics. The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of JusticeUniversal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
dated 20 October 1983 was released. Bahá'ís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Bahá'í teachings
Bahá'í teachings
The Bahá'í teachings represent a considerable number of theological, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Bahá'í Faith by Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, and clarified by successive leaders including `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son, and Shoghi Effendi, `Abdu'l-Bahá's...
, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Bahá'í socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482.
In September 10–15, 1986 Bahá'í youth participated in a national Youth Fair in Antananarivo and won first prize for their display and second prize for their musical event at this fair, whose theme was "Youth, Peace and Development." From April 1989 Bahá'ís in several communities organized a campaign to engage the awareness of governmental and neighborhood leaders with the religion. At these meetings books were presented and the Bahá'ís described ways they had engaged in socio-economic development projects and asked what more they could do. Displays on the religion were setup and invitations were sent out for neighbors to attend prayer meetings at local Bahá'í centers. These events resulted in some 700 people joining the religion in a year's time.
Modern community
At the 2003 50th anniversary of the arrival of the religion on the island celebrations were held and two ministers from the Malagasy government gave speeches praising the religion for its teachings of universal unity and peace. The media covered the events. Several newspapers published articles about the events, and the national television channel covered the closing ceremony.Demographics
By 2003 there were 33 local assemblies. The Association of Religion Data ArchivesAssociation of religion data archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. Founded as the American Religion Data Archive in 1997, and online since 1998, the archive was initially targeted at researchers interested in American religion...
in 2005 estimated about 17,900 (0.1% of the national population) Bahá'ís in the country.
External links
- Madagascar Bahá'í National Community
- On A Baha’i Perspective 12.15.2007 Bahá'í author, Gregory C. Dahl, is interviewed and mentions living in Madagascar.
- On A Baha’i Perspective 12.22.2008 Jack Gordon is interviewed - he joined the religion when he lived in Madagascar.