Bahá'í Faith in Vietnam
Encyclopedia
The Bahá'í Faith in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam started in a late phase of the First Indochina War
. The history of the development of the Bahá'í Faith
in Vietnam
would begin with its arrival out of India more than a century after its founding in Persia. The first Bahá'í in Vietnam was Shirin Fozdar, who arrived in February 1954, which was followed by periods of large growth for the religion in the 1950s and 1960s. With the arrival of communism the practice of the religion was proscribed, but since 2007 the religion has once again been recognized. As of 2009, it was reported that the Bahá'í community had about 7,000 followers and 73 assemblies.
who visited Vietnam around 1924. The country's next Bahá'í visitor was likely Shirin Fozdar; Shirin Fozdar was born in the Bahá'í community of India during the early 1900s and rose to prominence and served as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India from 1936 to 1951. Her main area of work from 1925 to 1950 was in a large community of Untouchables or Harijans in Ahmedabad
.
In 1950 Fozdar and her husband volunteered, to go to Singapore
(then a part of the Federation of Malaya
) to fulfill the desire of Shoghi Effendi
, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, to expand the religion to South East Asia. The first Local Spiritual Assembly in South East Asia was formed in Singapore in 1952, exactly two years after their arrival. In February 1954, Fozdar went to Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City
, Vietnam, and then to Cambodia
to establish the religion in those two countries; there she received a gold medal from Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia
for her inspiring lectures.
, Malaysia, and the Philippines
. From 1957 to 1963 the Bahá'í community in Vietnam had more than tripled (including among the Koho
, Thổ
, Annamese
, and Cham peoples) and several schools were established. In 1957 the Bahá'í marriage
certificate was recognized in Vietnam. In 1962 16 Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies formed, and by 1963 there were more than 40 (and perhaps over 100) Spiritual Assemblies in South Vietnam. By 1963 there were also 6 local Bahá'í Centers or Haziratu'l-Quds
, including in Saigon and Da Nang
, and more lands had been bought for future centers.
In 1958 African Americans Dempsey and Adrienne Morgan came to Vietnam after becoming Bahá'ís in September 1955 and over succeeding years helped establish administrative procedures among the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Vietnam. During their stay in Vietnam, the Morgans also identified Bahá'u'lláh
, the founder of the Bahá'ís Faith, with the Maitreya Buddha, who in the Buddhist tradition is the successor to Gautama Buddha
and who is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma
. During this period of growth a number of Buddhist monks also become Baha'is. After this time there was a divergence in the fortunes of Bahá'í communities in South East Asia. In some countries, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, the Bahá'ís came under persecution, while in other countries expansion continued. For example in 1959 the South Vietnam
government arrested the entire Saigon Local Spiritual Assembly and forced the Morgan family to leave. They were able to visit Saigon when Rúhíyyih Khanum
visited in 1961 and were able to move back to Saigon before the end of the year. There was also a local newsletter the Baha'i News in publication by then.
continued in Vietnam, there were a number of American
Bahá'ís who were stationed in Vietnam, but following the Bahá'í teaching of the sacredness of all life and of obedience to one's government, Bahá'ís would request to avoid being placed in a position to take the life of another, and thus American Bahá'ís served as clerks and medics. At the end of the war in 1975, the community continued to grow and there were an estimated 200,000 Bahá'ís in South Vietnam.
the Bahá'ís were unable to obtain approval of an application for registration of official religious activities. The number of believers dropped sharply during this time of proscription until in 2007 there were but 6880 known Bahá'ís. Thousands of Bahá'ís moved as refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to the United States during the 1970s. Other counts by World Christian Encyclopedia
(WCD) estimated 300,000 Bahá'ís in Vietnam in 2000.
While Vietnam had ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) which has provisions for religions freedom (Article 18), and the Vietnamese Constitution
codes this kind of freedom in Article 70:
an analyst notes:
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 Justice
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.
Having just emerged from proscription the Bahá'ís are growing and organizing still. While Bahá'ís make much lower claims, the 2005 World Christian Database continues to estimate the Bahá'í population of Vietnam well above 300,000. The Bahá'í Faith was registered nationally in 2007. There are some signs of large scale growth from the 50s–60s resuming. On March 21, 2008, the National Spiritual Assembly was elected and its charter was adopted at a national congress in Ho Chi Minh City
on the anniversary of the Government’s recognition of the religion’s legal status and a Bahá'í holy day of Bahá'í Naw-Rúz
. The event was attended by over 250 delegates and visitors. The National Spiritual Assembly received its certificate of national recognition in July 2008. Individual local spiritual assemblies must be registered as well. In 2009 it was reported that the Bahá'í community had about 7,000 followers and 73 assemblies.
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War was fought in French Indochina from December 19, 1946, until August 1, 1954, between the French Union's French Far East...
. The history of the development 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....
in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
would begin with its arrival out of India more than a century after its founding in Persia. The first Bahá'í in Vietnam was Shirin Fozdar, who arrived in February 1954, which was followed by periods of large growth for the religion in the 1950s and 1960s. With the arrival of communism the practice of the religion was proscribed, but since 2007 the religion has once again been recognized. As of 2009, it was reported that the Bahá'í community had about 7,000 followers and 73 assemblies.
Early mentions
The first mention of the religion in Vietnam is likely to have come from the Bahá'í teacher Martha RootMartha Root
Martha Louise Root was a prominent traveling teacher of the Bahá'í Faith in the late 19th and early 20th century. Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith called her "the foremost travel teacher in the first Bahá'í Century", and named her a Hand of the Cause posthumously...
who visited Vietnam around 1924. The country's next Bahá'í visitor was likely Shirin Fozdar; Shirin Fozdar was born in the Bahá'í community of India during the early 1900s and rose to prominence and served as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India from 1936 to 1951. Her main area of work from 1925 to 1950 was in a large community of Untouchables or Harijans in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...
.
In 1950 Fozdar and her husband volunteered, to go to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
(then a part of the Federation of Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
) to fulfill the desire of 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...
, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, to expand the religion to South East Asia. The first Local Spiritual Assembly in South East Asia was formed in Singapore in 1952, exactly two years after their arrival. In February 1954, Fozdar went to Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
, Vietnam, and then to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
to establish the religion in those two countries; there she received a gold medal from Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
for her inspiring lectures.
Period of growth
During the 1950s and 1960s the Bahá'í Faith spread rapidly in Vietnam, and the surrounding countries of IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Malaysia, and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. From 1957 to 1963 the Bahá'í community in Vietnam had more than tripled (including among the Koho
Koho
Koho may mean:*Koho language, a member of the Bahnaric family*Kōhō, a Japanese era*Koho , a ice hockey equipment company*KOHO-FM, a radio station*KOHO-AM, a Japanese language radio station in Honolulu, Hawaii active from 1959-2000...
, Thổ
Tho people
The Thổ ethnic group inhabits the mountainous regions of northern Vietnam, mainly Nghệ An province southwest of Hanoi. They speak the Tho language, which is closely related to Vietnamese...
, Annamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
, and Cham peoples) and several schools were established. In 1957 the Bahá'í marriage
Bahá'í marriage
Bahá'í marriage is union of a man and a woman. Its purpose is mainly spiritual and is to foster harmony, fellowship and unity between the two partners...
certificate was recognized in Vietnam. In 1962 16 Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies formed, and by 1963 there were more than 40 (and perhaps over 100) Spiritual Assemblies in South Vietnam. By 1963 there were also 6 local Bahá'í Centers or Haziratu'l-Quds
Haziratu'l-Quds
The term Haziratu'l-Quds or Bahá'í centre refers to national, regional and local Bahá'í administrative centres....
, including in Saigon and Da Nang
Da Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
, and more lands had been bought for future centers.
In 1958 African Americans Dempsey and Adrienne Morgan came to Vietnam after becoming Bahá'ís in September 1955 and over succeeding years helped establish administrative procedures among the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Vietnam. During their stay in Vietnam, the Morgans also identified Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh , born ' , was the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. He claimed to be the prophetic fulfilment of Bábism, a 19th-century outgrowth of Shí‘ism, but in a broader sense claimed to be a messenger from God referring to the fulfilment of the eschatological expectations of Islam, Christianity, and...
, the founder of the Bahá'ís Faith, with the Maitreya Buddha, who in the Buddhist tradition is the successor to Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
and who is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma
Dharma (Buddhism)
Dhamma or Dharma in Buddhism can have the following meanings:* The state of Nature as it is * The Laws of Nature considered collectively....
. During this period of growth a number of Buddhist monks also become Baha'is. After this time there was a divergence in the fortunes of Bahá'í communities in South East Asia. In some countries, such as Indonesia and Vietnam, the Bahá'ís came under persecution, while in other countries expansion continued. For example in 1959 the South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
government arrested the entire Saigon Local Spiritual Assembly and forced the Morgan family to leave. They were able to visit Saigon when 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...
visited in 1961 and were able to move back to Saigon before the end of the year. There was also a local newsletter the Baha'i News in publication by then.
Period of the Vietnam War
As the number of Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies in Vietnam increased, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Vietnam was established in 1964. As the Vietnam warVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
continued in Vietnam, there were a number of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bahá'ís who were stationed in Vietnam, but following the Bahá'í teaching of the sacredness of all life and of obedience to one's government, Bahá'ís would request to avoid being placed in a position to take the life of another, and thus American Bahá'ís served as clerks and medics. At the end of the war in 1975, the community continued to grow and there were an estimated 200,000 Bahá'ís in South Vietnam.
Legal proscription
As communist rule spread in Vietnam after the Vietnam war, open practice of the Bahá'í Faith was banned from 1975 to 1992. As late as 2000 some localities of Bahá'ís have been able to practice their religion quietly with local permission while in Da NangDa Nang
Đà Nẵng , occasionally Danang, is a major port city in the South Central Coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea at the mouth of the Han River. It is the commercial and educational center of Central Vietnam; its well-sheltered, easily accessible port and its location on the path of...
the Bahá'ís were unable to obtain approval of an application for registration of official religious activities. The number of believers dropped sharply during this time of proscription until in 2007 there were but 6880 known Bahá'ís. Thousands of Bahá'ís moved as refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to the United States during the 1970s. Other counts by 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,...
(WCD) estimated 300,000 Bahá'ís in Vietnam in 2000.
While Vietnam had ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
(ICCPR) which has provisions for religions freedom (Article 18), and the Vietnamese Constitution
Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
The Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the current constitution of Vietnam, adopted on April 15, 1992 by the Eighth National Assembly, and amended by the National Assembly in December 2001.-Current constitution:...
codes this kind of freedom in Article 70:
"The citizen shall enjoy freedom of belief or religion; he can follow any religion or none. All religions are equal before the law. The places of worship of all faiths and religions are protected by the law. No one can violate freedom of belief and of religion; nor can anyone misuse belief and religion to contravene the law and State policies."
an analyst notes:
"Only religions that have been officially recognised have legal rights. To be authorised, the group must obtain Government approval of its leadership and overall scope of its activities. Failure to comply leads to persecution. The Government retains supervisory control of authorised religions. All religious organisations have to be affiliated with the Communist Party of VietnamCommunist Party of VietnamThe Communist Party of Vietnam , formally established in 1930, is the governing party of the nation of Vietnam. It is today the only legal political party in that country. Describing itself as Marxist-Leninist, the CPV is the directing component of a broader group of organizations known as the...
and an organisation called the Patriotic FrontPatriotic FrontThe Patriotic Front can mean:* Patriotic Front * Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front* Patriotic Front * Patriotic Front * Patriotic Front * Rwandese Patriotic Front* Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front...
. Government permission is required for many religious practices, including general meetings, charitable activities, operation of schools and ordination and promotion of clergy and travel outside the country. Religious training must be approved by the State and must promote the policy of “socialism”. State approved churches are also required to promote Government policies on a wide range of issues."
End of proscription
The first signs of the end of the legal proscription ending came in November 2006 when the US State Department reported that restrictions were being eased though issues remained. The Bahá'í community of Vietnam held a ceremony in February 2007 to celebrate the awarding of its certificate of operation from the government’s Committee for Religious Affairs in January 2007. The community had six places of worship and more than 6,880 followers in five provinces in the central and southern regions of the country. Ngo Yen Thi, head of the Committee for Religious Affairs, stated: "The State policy on religion respects and ensures freedom of belief and religion for all Vietnamese citizens as stipulated in the country’s first constitution in 1946 and in revised versions," as he was granting certificates of operation simultaneously for the Bahá'ís, and two Buddhist sects.Recent developments
Since its inception the religion has had involvement in socio-economic developmentSocio-economic development (Bahá'í)
Since its inception the Bahá'í Faith 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...
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 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...
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.
Having just emerged from proscription the Bahá'ís are growing and organizing still. While Bahá'ís make much lower claims, the 2005 World Christian Database continues to estimate the Bahá'í population of Vietnam well above 300,000. The Bahá'í Faith was registered nationally in 2007. There are some signs of large scale growth from the 50s–60s resuming. On March 21, 2008, the National Spiritual Assembly was elected and its charter was adopted at a national congress in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
on the anniversary of the Government’s recognition of the religion’s legal status and a Bahá'í holy day of Bahá'í Naw-Rúz
Bahá'í Naw-Rúz
Naw-Rúz in the Bahá'í Faith is one of nine holy days for adherents of the Bahá'í Faith worldwide and the first day of the Bahá'í calendar occurring on the vernal equinox, around March 21...
. The event was attended by over 250 delegates and visitors. The National Spiritual Assembly received its certificate of national recognition in July 2008. Individual local spiritual assemblies must be registered as well. In 2009 it was reported that the Bahá'í community had about 7,000 followers and 73 assemblies.
See also
- Bahá'í Faith by countryBahá'í Faith by countryThe Bahá'í Faith is a diverse and widespread religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in the 19th century in Iran. Bahá'í sources usually estimate the worldwide Bahá'í population to be above 5 million. Most encyclopedias and similar sources estimate between 5 and 6 million Bahá'ís in the world in the early...
- Religion in VietnamReligion in VietnamThe earliest established religions in Vietnam are Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism . Significant minorities of adherents to Roman Catholicism, Cao Dai, and Hoa Hao and smaller minorities of adherents to Hinduism, Islam, Protestantism and Theravada Buddhism exist.The majority of...
- List of ethnic groups in Vietnam