Baháʼí Faith in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Baháʼí Faith in the Democratic Republic of the Congo begins after ʻAbdu'l-Bahá wrote letters encouraging taking the religion to Africa in 1916.^[1] The first Baháʼí to settle in the country came in 1953 from Uganda.^[2] The first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly of the country was elected in 1957. By 1963 there were 143 local assemblies in Congo.^[3] Even though the religion was temporarily banned,^[4] and the country torn by wars, the religion grew so that in 2003 there were some 541 assemblies.^[2] The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying mostly on the World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 290,900 Baháʼís in 2005.^[5]

Early Phase

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá wrote a series of letters, or tablets, to the followers of the religion in the United States in 1916-1917; these letters were compiled together in the book Tablets of the Divine Plan. The eighth and twelfth of the tablets mentioned Africa and were written on April 19, 1916 and February 15, 1917, respectively. Publication however was delayed in the United States until 1919—after the end of the First World War and the Spanish flu. The tablets were translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab on April 4, 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919.^[6] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá mentions Baháʼís traveling "...especially from America to Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, and travel through Japan and China. Likewise, from Germany teachers and believers may travel to the continents of America, Africa, Japan and China; in brief, they may travel through all the continents and islands of the globe"^[1] and " ...the anthem of the oneness of the world of humanity may confer a new life upon all the children of men, and the tabernacle of universal peace be pitched on the apex of America; thus Europe and Africa may become vivified with the breaths of the Holy Spirit, this world may become another world, the body politic may attain to a new exhilaration...."^[7]

Shoghi Effendi, head of the religion after the death of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, and his wife, Rúhíyyih Khanum may have been the first Baháʼís to visit Congo when they drove across the eastern part of the country in 1940.^[2]

Establishment of the community

In 1953 Shoghi Effendi 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.^[8] Before 1953, colonial authorities of what was then the Belgian Congo did not permit the promotion of religion by Baháʼí pioneers however Ali Nakhjavani and his wife, Violette, driving across Africa from the growing Baháʼí community in Uganda, were able to take a Ugandan Baháʼí Samson Mungongo to the city of Kamina where he settled and began to teach the religion^[2] while suffering hostility, suspiciousness and superstition.^[9] The first converts were Louis Selemani, Remy Kalonji, and Valerien Mukendi - they, with a dozen pioneers from Europe, North America and other parts of Africa, and Congolese who had become Baháʼís in Rwanda and Burundi who moved back to their home provinces - all these formed the basis of the quickly growing community.^[2]

In April 1956 the Baháʼí Faith was present in small numbers across countries of middle Africa. To administer these communities a regional National Spiritual Assembly was elected in Central and East Africa to cover them.^[3] The first Local Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1957.^[2]

Growth and opposition

The Eastern Belgian Congo, as part of the experience across central Africa west to east and to the south began to have qualities of mass conversion. In the areas under the jurisdiction of the regional National Assembly of South and West Africa, south of Congo, there was a gain of over sixty percent in the total number of adherents of the Faith just in 1959, and rates like this continued for a few more years. Pygmies in Congo were among the converts in 1961, one of whom was a delegate to the election of the regional assembly in 1962.^[10] Circa 1961 Baháʼí sources indicate about 1000 members. By the spring of 1962 there was widespread knowledge of many more Baháʼís and about November 1962 the National Spiritual Assembly of Central and West Africa was claiming over 14,000 people had converted to the religion.^[11] By the end of 1963 local assemblies were in 143 localities.^[3] The majority of growth happened in the province of Kivu^[12] Major growth was announced as early as 1962. Later some also occurred in the province of Shaba in the 1970s^[13] when the community grew from about 5 individuals to enough to support 25 local assemblies in 1973.

Following the death of Shoghi Effendi, the elected Universal House of Justice was head of the religion and began to re-organized the Baháʼí communities of Africa by splitting off national communities to form their own National Assemblies from 1967 though the 1990s.^[14] From January to March 1970 Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum crossed Africa from east to west visiting many of these country's communities including the Congo, meeting with individuals and institutions both Baháʼí and civic.^[15] The first National Spiritual Assembly of Zaire (current name of the country) formed in 1970 during this trip.^[2] Rúhíyyih Khanum's second visit was in January 1972 and traveled almost 3,000 miles through central and southern Zaire by river boat and automobile.

Kivu

Members of the Baháʼí Faith first entered the Province of Kivu about November 1959^[16] from Uganda where the religion had grown quickly.^[12] Whole villages turned out to listen to presentations on the religion and growth continued through the 1960s. After visiting Zaire a couple times in the 1970s a third visit by Rúhíyyih Khanum in late 1972 focused on the province of Kivu where the majority of Baháʼís of Zaire were to be found - some 600 assemblies being elected across some 30,000 Baháʼís in 1972^[17] (compared to about 3000 Baháʼís in the rest of the Congo at the same time.)^[18] In fact most of these Baháʼís in Kivu were in the southern half of the province, or modern day South Kivu.^[12] In the Kivu region in a five-year period in the 1970s there were 9 women's conferences under the authority of assemblies or committees of assemblies, institutes were developed to train over 100 teachers for Baháʼí schools that were sanctioned by the government educational bureau.

Restricted and freedom

However, as part of a sweep across several Sub-Saharan countries, the Baháʼí Faith was banned in the 1970s in several countries: Burundi, 1974; Mali 1976; Uganda 1977; Congo, 1978; Niger, 1978.

"This was principally the result of a campaign by a number of Arab countries. Since these countries were also by this time providers of development aid, this overt attack on the Baha'is was supported by covert moves such as linking the aid money to a particular country to the action that it took against the Baha'is. This was partially successful and a number of countries did ban the Baha'is for a time. However, the Baha'is were able to demonstrate to these governments that they were not agents of Zionism nor anti-Islamic and succeeded in having the ban reversed in all of these countries except Niger."^[4] See also Allegations of Baháʼí involvement with other powers

While the national organization of the Baháʼís was disbanded local and regional administration continued. In 1982 the Baháʼí Administrative Committee for Central South Zaire in Lubumbashi published a work commemorating Bahíyyih Khánum.^[19][20] Baháʼí pioneers continued to arrive.^[19][21] In 1983 a local TV program in Kivu featured a presentation on the religion was followed up by a showing of the filmThe Green Light Expedition about Rúhíyyih Khanum's trip up the Amazon River.^[22] After some years of service and growth the Baháʼí community was able to re-elect its National Assembly in 1987.^[23]

Since its inception the religion has had involvement in socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women,^[24] promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern,^[25] and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics.^[24] The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released.^[26] Baháʼís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Baháʼí teachings, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. World-wide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Baháʼí socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. In Zaire in 1983 a tutorial school in Bangwade, Upper Zaire was founded.^[20] A survey of projects in 1985 found: agriculture project and literacy center, Kawayongo under its local assembly, educational centers emphasizing functional literacy training for children and adults, augmented by health education and instruction on improving agricultural productivity, a program providing training in nutrition and preventive medicine in NE Zaire, a literacy training program in Goma, a project among the Pygmies to improve literacy and numeracy, health care and agriculture, a teacher training center in northeastern Zaire for French speaking Baháʼí teachers for children's classes, pre-schools and tutorial schools, a training program for the Baha'is to increase agricultural productivity and a project where three senior students from the University of Zaire trained in rural development would spend four months assessing community needs and teaching modern methods of animal keeping, the use of improved seeds, fish culture, and disease prevention methods.^[27] In 1986 the provincial governor visited a school project among the Baháʼí Pygmies.^[28] By 1987 the Baháʼís organized the Regional Committee for Social and Economic Development under the national assembly for the region of Kivu (using the acronym CREDESE). One hundred and two learning centers were reported in October 1987 operating under CREDESE. There were 2,500 participants across Kivu. Women and girls comprised 73 percent of the students, and 27 percent were not members of the Baháʼí Faith.^[29] CREDESE was based on work from a Baháʼí Kenyan and Tanzanian project.^[30] In 1989 Baháʼís engaged in a study reviewing the effect of the religion in the prospects of fighting the growth of AIDS in Kinshasa.^[31]

Modern community

Having survived legal proscription, and periods of war, the Second Congo War prevented the national institution from meeting from 1998 to 2003.^[2] The Baháʼís have continued to develop internal and external projects. The Congo Baha'i Youth Choir sang at a devotional program at the base of the Terraces on Mount Carmel.^[32] It later evolved into the Celebration! Congo Choir which performed at The Kennedy Center in 2005.^[33] In 2000 some Baháʼís studied the relationship between the Baháʼí teachings and conservation efforts in the Congo.^[34] In 2012 the Universal House of Justice announced plans to build two national Baháʼí Houses of Worship aside from the continental ones.^[35] One of these was for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Demographics

World Christian Encyclopedia estimated in 2000 there were 224,000 Baháʼís in the Congo.^[36] Association of Religion Data Archives estimated in 2001 that there were 0.4%, or about 250,000 Baháʼís.^[37] In 2003 there were some 541 assemblies. For many years the community was mostly male - but more recently about one third of Baháʼís are women.^[2] By 2005 the Association of Religion Data Archives revised their estimated to some 290,899 Baháʼís.^[5]

See also

• Religion in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• History of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Further reading

• Holly Hanson; Janet A. Khan. "Design of Evolutionary Education Systems by Indigenous Peoples: Three Case Studies in the Baha'i Community". In Wojciech W. Gasparski; Marek Krzysztof Mlicki; Bela H. Banathy (eds.). Social Agency: Dilemmas and Education Praxiology. Praxiology Series. Vol. 4. Transaction Publishers. pp. 251–262. ISBN 978-1-4128-3420-9.
• Director, videographer, editing: Susan Sheper, Story editor: Kadima Mpoyi Long'sha (June 2023). A Remarkable Response - The dawn of the Bahá'í Faith in the Democratic Republic of Congo (YouTube). Congo: Susan Sheper.

References

1. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (1991) [1916-17]. Tablets of the Divine Plan (Paperback ed.). Wilmette, IL: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. pp. 47–59. ISBN 0-87743-233-3.
2. Baháʼí International Community (2003-09-06). "Double cause for celebrations". Baháʼí International News Service.
3. "The Baháʼí Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Baháʼí Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963". Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land. pp. 25, 59–60.
4. Smith, Peter; Momen, Moojan (1989). "The Baha'i Faith 1957-1988: A Survey of Contemporary Developments". Religion. 19 (1): 63–91. doi:10.1016/0048-721X(89)90077-8.
5. "Most Baha'i Nations (2005)". QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2005. Archived from the original on 2010-04-14. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
6. ʻAbbas, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (April 1919). Tablets, Instructions and Words of Explanation. Mirza Ahmad Sohrab (trans. and comments).
7. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (1991) [1916-17]. Tablets of the Divine Plan (Paperback ed.). Wilmette, IL: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. pp. 82–89. ISBN 0-87743-233-3.
8. "Overview Of World Religions". General Essay on the Religions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Division of Religion and Philosophy, University of Cumbria. Archived from the original on 2007-12-09. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
9. "Victories Outweigh Hardships as Faith Advances in Central and East Africa". Baháʼí News. No. 371. July 1962. pp. 8–9.
10. Khanum, Rúhíyyih (1992). The Ministry of the Custodians. Haifa, Israel: World Centre Publications. pp. 188, 220, 305, 361, 366. ISBN 0-85398-350-X.
11. "Mass Conversion in the Congo". Baháʼí News. No. 380. November 1962. pp. 8–9.
12. "Report from Zaire". Baháʼí News. No. 512. November 1973. pp. 5–9.
13. "Around the World; Zaire; Pioneers lead active life in Lubumbashi". Baháʼí News. No. 559. October 1977. pp. 10–11.
14. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of South Africa (1997). "Baháʼís in South Africa - Progress of the Baháʼí Faith in South Africa since 1911". Official Website. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of South Africa. Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
15. "Hand of the Cause of God Rúhíyyih Khanum Travels Six Thousand Miles Across Africa". Baháʼí News. No. 209. June 1970. pp. 3–18.
16. "Teacher Promulgates Faith in Belgian Congo". Baháʼí News. No. 512. March 1960. pp. 5–9.
17. "From Nairobi to Kabimba; The Great Safari part twenty-two". Baháʼí News. No. 512. November 1973. pp. 5–9.
18. "News of Zaire by Pioneer". Baháʼí News. No. 498. October 1972. p. 18.
19. "Legacy of Courage - The Life of Ola Pawlowska, Knight of Baháʼu'lláh". Titles. George Ronald Publisher Ltd. Archived from the original on 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
20. Universal House of Justice (1986). Some Works Published to Commemorate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf and Part Three: International Survey of Current Baháʼí Activities. Vol. XVIII. Baháʼí World Centre. pp. Table of Contents, p. 57. ISBN 0-85398-234-1. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
21. "Margo Styan Biography". Beautiful Fabricart Artist Margo Styan. Margo Styan. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
22. "The World; Zaire". Baháʼí News. No. 631. October 1983. p. 17. ISSN 0195-9212.
23. Universal House of Justice and departments of Secretariat and Research. "Ridvan Message 1987". The Six-Year Plan (1986-92). Bahai-Library.com. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
24. Momen, Moojan. "History of the Baha'i Faith in Iran". draft "A Short Encyclopedia of the Baha'i Faith". Bahai-library.com. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
25. Kingdon, Geeta Gandhi (1997). "Education of women and socio-economic development". Baháʼí Studies Review. 7 (1).
26. Momen, Moojan; Smith, Peter (1989). "The Baha'i Faith 1957–1988: A Survey of Contemporary Developments". Religion. 19: 63–91. doi:10.1016/0048-721X(89)90077-8.
27. "Number of projects growing rapidly". Baháʼí News. No. 670. March 1986. pp. 6–7. ISSN 0195-9212.
28. "The World; Zaire". Baháʼí News. No. 670. January 1987. p. 15. ISSN 0195-9212.
29. "Basic Baha'i education activities; CREDESE". Baháʼí News. No. 694. January 1989. pp. 4–12. ISSN 0195-9212.
30. "Review of activities around the world". Baháʼí News. No. 694. March 1989. pp. 8–10. ISSN 0195-9212.
31. Davachi, F.; Davachi, N.; Wingi, M.; Sefu, L.; Mbanga, M. (1989-06-09). "Baha'i concepts toward AIDS patients and society". International Conference on AIDS. 05 (830). Department of Pediatrics, Mama Yemo Hospital, Kinshasa, Zaire. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
32. Baháʼí International Community (2001-05-23). "Thousands of Baha'is climb Mount Carmel as new terraces are inaugurated". Baháʼí International News Service.
33. "About the Artist Celebration! Congo Choir". The Kennedy Center Presents. The Kennedy Center. 2005-04-27. Archived from the original on 2005-11-29. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
34. Grayzel, John Aron (2000-12-14). "Who Speaks for Wolf - Contemplations on Inter-species unity in diversity through enhanced communication in the coming new era". 4th Annual Conference of the International Environment Forum. International Environment Forum and Social and Economic Development Seminar for the Americas. Archived from the original on 2010-12-05. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
35. "Plans to build new Houses of Worship announced". Baháʼí World News Service. Baháʼí International Community. 22 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
36. "Top 20 Largest National Baha'i Populations". Adherents.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-18.
37. "International > Regions > Middle Africa > Democratic Republic of the Congo". QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2005. Retrieved 2009-07-04.

External links

• Democratic Republic of the Congo Baháʼí National Community