Bahá'í Faith in Mozambique
Encyclopedia
The Bahá'í Faith in Mozambique begins after the mention of Africa in Bahá'í literature
when `Abdu'l-Bahá
suggested it as a place to take the religion to in 1916. The first know Bahá'í to enter the region was in 1951-2 at Beira
when a British pioneer came through on the way to what was then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. The Mozambique Bahá'í community participated in successive stages of regional organization across southern Africa from 1956 through the election of its first Mozambique Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly by 1963 and on to its own National Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1987. Since 1984 the Bahá'ís have begun to hold development projects. The Association of Religion Data Archives
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
) estimated just over 2,500 Bahá'ís in 2005.
and Canada
in 1916-1917 by `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, 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
.
, a port of Mozambique, who came from Britain to be the first pioneers to what was then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.
In 1953 Shoghi Effendi
, head of the religion after the death of `Abdu'l-Bahá, planned an international teaching plan termed the Ten Year Crusade
. This was during a period of wide scale growth in the religion across Sub-Saharan Africa
near the end of the period of Colonisation of Africa
.
In April 1956 the Bahá'í Faith
was present in small numbers across 15 countries of southern Africa. To administer these communities a regional National Spiritual Assembly was elected in South West Africa to cover them. Its region included South Africa, Mauritius, Reunion Island, St Helena, Bechuanaland, Basutoland, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Madagascar, Mozambique, South-West Africa, Angola, Zululand and Swaziland.
Another known early pioneer was Charlotte Pinto who attended a national convention of the Bahá'ís of the United States on return from Mozambique in April 1957.
The Area Teaching Committee of Southern Rhodesia and Northern Mozambique held a conference on the progress of the religion chaired by Hastings Hojane in November 1958 and meetings continued through 1960.
By the end of 1963 a summary of the state of the world wide community mentions the state in Mozambique as:
was head of the religion and began to re-organized the Bahá'í communities of Africa, by splitting off national communities to form their own National Assemblies from 1964 though the 1990s. In 1964 the regional assembly of South and West Africa had some 3,600 Bahá'ís and 36 local assemblies. However none of the Bahá'ís from Mozambique were able to get passports to travel to Swaziland where the convention was held. Starting in 1967 the Bahá'í communities of several countries were re-organized away from the South and West Africa. From then Mozambique shared a regional national assembly with Swaziland and Lesotho which by then had about 2500 Bahá'ís and 23 Assemblies. At this inaugural convention Rudolfo Duna from Mozambique was able to attend the convention in Swaziland. A regional conference held at Maputo
in 1969, was conducted by the Goals Committee of Mozambique, with people coming from Boane
, Machava (see Estádio da Machava
), and Matola
. The 1969 members of the local assembly of Lourenço Marques, later namedMaputo
, were: Rafael Mafuana, Jose Rodrigues, Rudoljo Duna, Justino Moreira, Fernanda Moreira, Rosie Mary, Emilia Rodrigues, Angelica Duna and Hagar Langa. This regional national assembly continued into 1970 and in 1971 Lesotho formed its own national assembly.
At the April 1972 inaugural convention of regional assembly of Swaziland and Mozambique the first sizable delegation from Mozambique had been able to attend - six attended - and they announced that translations into Makhuwa language had been accomplished. The 1972 members of the Swaziland and Mozambique national assembly were Jacob Mdiuli, John Allen, Benjamin Dlamini, Charles Ducker, Charles Caprez, Valera Allen, Margaret Shongwe, Ruth Dlamini, Angelica Duna. Also in later 1972 the first Hand of the Cause of the Bahá'í Faith visited Mozambique. Rúhíyyih Khanum
traveled through Mozambique as part of a tour of many African countries. However she was only able to spend one night there where she met with a few of the Portuguese Bahá'ís for an informal social evening in the lobby of the hotel she was staying at as there were restrictions on holding meetings. Following her trip, a Bahá'í in jail in Mozambique made some rings for members of the Universal House of Justice
and Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum which reached her while she was at the dedication for the Bahá'í House of Worship
in Panama
. She offered the ring for sale to raise money for the next temple to be built. In response a Hawaiian was moved to offer a emerald he had acquired and set in a gold setting. That ring was delivered to help raise funds and arrived among the Persian Bahá'í community where it raised many thousands more. From the original ring through the end the rings raised over $100,000 for the Lotus Temple
in India.
In 1973-4 Mozambique was among the national communities that responded to a survey on status of women in the community which was tabulated and summarized for the 1974 Statement to the 25th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
In early 1976 Angola was added to the regional assembly with Mozambique and Swaziland. In 1976 a compilation of prayers in the Yao language, a language spoken in Mozambique and countries to the north, was published through the regional national assembly. From December 1976 refugees from the Mozambican Civil War
who returned to Portugal also had contact with the Bahá'í Faith.
In 1977 Swaziland elected their own national assembly and Angola and Mozambique. From 1978 to 1992 Angola and Mozambique shared a regional national assembly. In 1985 the Bahá'ís of Mozambique elected their first National Spiritual Assembly, witnessed by Continental Counselor
Shidan Fat'he-Aazam.
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 1984 an agricultural project near Matola Rio with youth helping the community to cultivate the land around the Baha'i Center. In 1995 Bahá'ís gathered with others to form a Forum of Religions, an organization for social and disaster relief.
Regional conferences were called for by the Universal House of Justice
20 October 2008 to celebrate recent achievements in grassroots community-building and to plan their next steps in organizing in their home areas. Just two weeks later twin conferences were held - one in South Africa
and the other in Kenya
. One regional conference was hosted by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Kenya in Nakuru in November 2008 and attracted over 1000 Bahá'ís - four of which came from Mozambique.
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
) estimated just over 2,500 Bahá'ís in 2005.
Bahá'í literature
Bahá'í literature, like much religious text, covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia...
when `Abdu'l-Bahá
`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...
suggested it as a place to take the religion to in 1916. The first know Bahá'í to enter the region was in 1951-2 at Beira
Beira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
when a British pioneer came through on the way to what was then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. The Mozambique Bahá'í community participated in successive stages of regional organization across southern Africa from 1956 through the election of its first Mozambique Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assembly by 1963 and on to its own National Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1987. Since 1984 the Bahá'ís have begun to hold development projects. 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...
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia is a reference work published by Oxford University Press, known for providing membership statistics for major and minor world religions in every country of the world, including historical data and projections of future populations.The first edition, by David B. Barrett,...
) estimated just over 2,500 Bahá'ís in 2005.
Early Phase
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, 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...
.
Establishment of the community
Probably the first Bahá'ís to enter the region were Eric and Terry Manton who landed in 1951-2 at BeiraBeira, Mozambique
Beira is the second largest city in Mozambique. It lies in the central region of the country in Sofala Province, where the Pungue River meets the Indian Ocean. Beira had a population of 412,588 in 1997, which grew to an estimated 546,000 in 2006...
, a port of Mozambique, who came from Britain to be the first pioneers to what was then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.
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 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....
. This was during a period of wide scale growth in the religion across Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
near the end of the period of Colonisation of Africa
Colonisation of Africa
The colonisation of Africa has a long history, the most famous phase being the European Scramble for Africa during the late 19th and early 20th century.- Ancient colonialism :...
.
In April 1956 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....
was present in small numbers across 15 countries of southern Africa. To administer these communities a regional National Spiritual Assembly was elected in South West Africa to cover them. Its region included South Africa, Mauritius, Reunion Island, St Helena, Bechuanaland, Basutoland, Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Madagascar, Mozambique, South-West Africa, Angola, Zululand and Swaziland.
Another known early pioneer was Charlotte Pinto who attended a national convention of the Bahá'ís of the United States on return from Mozambique in April 1957.
The Area Teaching Committee of Southern Rhodesia and Northern Mozambique held a conference on the progress of the religion chaired by Hastings Hojane in November 1958 and meetings continued through 1960.
By the end of 1963 a summary of the state of the world wide community mentions the state in Mozambique as:
- Assemblies in Chi Hambanine(?) and Lourenço Marques (now MaputoMaputoMaputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
). - Registered Groups of Bahá'ís in InhambaneInhambaneInhambane, Terra de Boa Gente is a city located in southern Mozambique, lying on Inhambane Bay, 470 km northeast of Maputo. It is the capital of the Inhambane Province and according to the 2008 census has a population of 65,837, growing from the 1997 census of 54,157...
, Malvernia (now ChicualacualaChicualacualaChicualacuala is a town located in the province of Gaza in Mozambique. The town is better known by this unofficial name than by its official toponym Vila Eduardo Mondlane.- History :...
), and MatolaMatolaMatola is a city in southern Mozambique, which lies 12 kilometers to the west of the country's capital, Maputo. Matola is the capital of Maputo Province and has had its own elected municipal government since 1998. It has a port and also the biggest industrial area in Mozambique...
. - Isolated individual Bahá'ís were known in Mocuba, and QuelimaneQuelimaneQuelimane is a seaport in Mozambique. It is the administrative capital of the Zambezia Province and the province's largest city, and stands 25 km from the mouth of the Rio dos Bons Sinais . The river was named when Vasco da Gama, on his way to India, reached it and saw "good signs" that he was on...
.
Growth
Following the death of Shoghi Effendi, the elected 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...
was head of the religion and began to re-organized the Bahá'í communities of Africa, by splitting off national communities to form their own National Assemblies from 1964 though the 1990s. In 1964 the regional assembly of South and West Africa had some 3,600 Bahá'ís and 36 local assemblies. However none of the Bahá'ís from Mozambique were able to get passports to travel to Swaziland where the convention was held. Starting in 1967 the Bahá'í communities of several countries were re-organized away from the South and West Africa. From then Mozambique shared a regional national assembly with Swaziland and Lesotho which by then had about 2500 Bahá'ís and 23 Assemblies. At this inaugural convention Rudolfo Duna from Mozambique was able to attend the convention in Swaziland. A regional conference held at Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
in 1969, was conducted by the Goals Committee of Mozambique, with people coming from Boane
Boane District
Boane District is a district of Maputo Province in southern Mozambique. The principal town is Boane.-Further reading:*...
, Machava (see Estádio da Machava
Estádio da Machava
Estádio da Machava is a multi-purpose stadium in Machava, a mainly residential town in the northwestern outskirts of Maputo, Mozambique. It is used for football matches and can hold 45,000 spectators...
), and Matola
Matola
Matola is a city in southern Mozambique, which lies 12 kilometers to the west of the country's capital, Maputo. Matola is the capital of Maputo Province and has had its own elected municipal government since 1998. It has a port and also the biggest industrial area in Mozambique...
. The 1969 members of the local assembly of Lourenço Marques, later namedMaputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
, were: Rafael Mafuana, Jose Rodrigues, Rudoljo Duna, Justino Moreira, Fernanda Moreira, Rosie Mary, Emilia Rodrigues, Angelica Duna and Hagar Langa. This regional national assembly continued into 1970 and in 1971 Lesotho formed its own national assembly.
At the April 1972 inaugural convention of regional assembly of Swaziland and Mozambique the first sizable delegation from Mozambique had been able to attend - six attended - and they announced that translations into Makhuwa language had been accomplished. The 1972 members of the Swaziland and Mozambique national assembly were Jacob Mdiuli, John Allen, Benjamin Dlamini, Charles Ducker, Charles Caprez, Valera Allen, Margaret Shongwe, Ruth Dlamini, Angelica Duna. Also in later 1972 the first Hand of the Cause of the Bahá'í Faith visited Mozambique. 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...
traveled through Mozambique as part of a tour of many African countries. However she was only able to spend one night there where she met with a few of the Portuguese Bahá'ís for an informal social evening in the lobby of the hotel she was staying at as there were restrictions on holding meetings. Following her trip, a Bahá'í in jail in Mozambique made some rings for members of 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...
and Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum which reached her while she was at the dedication for the Bahá'í House of Worship
Bahá'í House of Worship
A Bahá'í House of Worship, sometimes referred to by its Arabic name of Mashriqu'l-Adhkár ,is the designation of a place of worship, or temple, of the Bahá'í Faith...
in Panama
Bahá'í Faith in Panama
The history of the Bahá'í Faith in Panama begins with a mention by `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the Bahá'í Faith, in the book Tablets of the Divine Plan, published in 1919; the same year, Martha Root made a trip around South America and included Panama on the return leg of the trip up the west coast....
. She offered the ring for sale to raise money for the next temple to be built. In response a Hawaiian was moved to offer a emerald he had acquired and set in a gold setting. That ring was delivered to help raise funds and arrived among the Persian Bahá'í community where it raised many thousands more. From the original ring through the end the rings raised over $100,000 for the Lotus Temple
Lotus Temple
The Bahá'í House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple due to its flowerlike shape, is a Bahá'í House of Worship and also a prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent...
in India.
In 1973-4 Mozambique was among the national communities that responded to a survey on status of women in the community which was tabulated and summarized for the 1974 Statement to the 25th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
In early 1976 Angola was added to the regional assembly with Mozambique and Swaziland. In 1976 a compilation of prayers in the Yao language, a language spoken in Mozambique and countries to the north, was published through the regional national assembly. From December 1976 refugees from the Mozambican Civil War
Mozambican Civil War
The Mozambican Civil War began in 1977, two years after the end of the war of independence. The ruling party, Front for Liberation of Mozambique , was violently opposed from 1977 by the Rhodesian- and South African-funded Mozambique Resistance Movement...
who returned to Portugal also had contact with the Bahá'í Faith.
In 1977 Swaziland elected their own national assembly and Angola and Mozambique. From 1978 to 1992 Angola and Mozambique shared a regional national assembly. In 1985 the Bahá'ís of Mozambique elected their first National Spiritual Assembly, witnessed by Continental Counselor
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....
Shidan Fat'he-Aazam.
Development projects begin
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 1984 an agricultural project near Matola Rio with youth helping the community to cultivate the land around the Baha'i Center. In 1995 Bahá'ís gathered with others to form a Forum of Religions, an organization for social and disaster relief.
Modern community
In 2007 the Bahá'ís cooperated in an anti-malaria project with a broad group of religions.Regional conferences were called for by 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...
20 October 2008 to celebrate recent achievements in grassroots community-building and to plan their next steps in organizing in their home areas. Just two weeks later twin conferences were held - one in South Africa
Bahá'í Faith in South Africa
The Bahá'í Faith in South Africa began with the holding of Bahá'í meetings in the country in 1911. A small population of Bahá'ís remained until 1950 when large numbers of international Bahá'í pioneers settled in South Africa. In 1956, after members of various tribes in South Africa became Bahá'ís,...
and the other in Kenya
Bahá'í Faith in Kenya
The Bahá'í Faith in Kenya begins with three individuals. First Richard St. Barbe Baker took a constructive engagement with the indigenous religion of Kenyans to a United Kingdom conference on religions where in sympathy with his efforts he was presented with the Bahá'í Faith and became a convert...
. One regional conference was hosted by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Kenya in Nakuru in November 2008 and attracted over 1000 Bahá'ís - four of which came from Mozambique.
Demographics
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...
(relying on World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia
World Christian Encyclopedia is a reference work published by Oxford University Press, known for providing membership statistics for major and minor world religions in every country of the world, including historical data and projections of future populations.The first edition, by David B. Barrett,...
) estimated just over 2,500 Bahá'ís in 2005.