Baháʼí Faith in Jamaica

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The

Local Spiritual Assembly of Jamaica, in Kingston, was elected in 1943.[3] By 1957 the Baháʼís of Jamaica were organized under the regional National Spiritual Assembly of the Greater Antilles, and on the eve of national independence in 1962, the Jamaica Baháʼís elected their own National Spiritual Assembly in 1961.[4] By 1981 hundreds of Baháʼís and hundreds more non-Baháʼís turned out for weekend meetings when Rúhíyyih Khánum spent six days in Jamaica.[5] Public recognition of the religion came in the form of the Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Howard Cooke, proclaiming a National Baháʼí Day first on July 25 in 2003 and it has been an annual event since.[6]
While there is evidence of several active communities by 2008 in Jamaica, estimates of the Baháʼís population range from the hundreds to the thousands.

Early phase

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, wrote a series of letters, or

Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919.[1]

His Christ Holiness says: Travel ye to the East and to the West of the world and summon the people to the

Watling Island, have great importance…[7]

Seven Year Plan and succeeding decades

Shoghi Effendi wrote a cable on May 1, 1936 to the Baháʼí Annual Convention of the United States and Canada, and asked for the systematic implementation of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's vision to begin.[8] In his cable he wrote:

Appeal to assembled delegates ponder historic appeal voiced by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in Tablets of the Divine Plan. Urge earnest deliberation with incoming National Assembly to insure its complete fulfillment. First century of Baháʼí Era drawing to a close. Humanity entering outer fringes most perilous stage its existence. Opportunities of present hour unimaginably precious. Would to God every State within American Republic and every Republic in American continent might ere termination of this glorious century embrace the light of the Faith of Baháʼu'lláh and establish structural basis of His World Order.[9]

Following the May 1 cable, another cable from Shoghi Effendi came on May 19 calling for permanent

Local Spiritual Assemblies
began to form in 1938 across the rest of Latin America.

Establishment

After a brief visit in 1939 by John and Rosa Shaw from San Francisco,

pioneered to the area now called Ghana in 1953 and later in Liberia.[11] There was also Eustace Whyte among the early Baháʼís of Jamaica who served as president of UNIA's Harmony Division in Kingston as well as elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Kingston.[11] Garvey scholar Robert Hill gave a eulogy at one of Whyte's funeral services.[11]

Growth

Local Spiritual Assemblies in 6 cities:[12] Annatto Bay, Kingston, May Pen, Port Antonio, Spanish Town, and Yallahs and smaller groups of Baháʼís in Bartons (St. Catherine), Crooked River, Montego Bay, and Porus
.

In 1963 the Baháʼís of the world looked to the election of the Universal House of Justice as the new head of the religion. The electors were the members of the national assemblies then in existence. The members of the Jamaican National Assembly who participated in the election were Miss Doris Maud Buchanan, Mr. Randolph Fitz-Henley, Miss Alice Maude Gallier, Mr. Wm. Arthur Wellesley Mitchell, Mr. Alfred Senior, Miss Emily Taylor, Miss Ruby Taylor, Mr. Clarence Ullrich, Mrs. Margarite Ullrich.[13] Later the Universal House of Justice called for eight Oceanic and Continental Conferences and one was held in Kingston for the Caribbean region in May 1971.[14] In 1981, just before the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Baháʼí community in Jamaica, Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum traveled throughout the Caribbean region and spent six days in Jamaica. She was received by the Governor General and Prime Minister while over two hundred Baháʼís attended a weekend conference and more non-Baháʼís attended a public meeting. A twenty-minute television interview as well as general coverage by radio and television reporters highlighted her visit.[5]

Since its inception the religion has had involvement in

socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women,[15] promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern,[16] and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics.[15] The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released.[17] 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. Worldwide 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 1985 the Baháʼí International Community canvassed the National Assemblies with a questionnaire - 77 of the 143 then existing assemblies responded. Jamaican responses highlighted a sense that women in Jamaica were taking on leadership positions on local assemblies.[18] Former assistant to the dean of the school of engineering and applied science at Washington University in St. Louis, Naomi McCord, and her husband served as caretakers of the National Baháʼí Center in Kingston for a number of years. McCord willed more than 200 volumes from her personal library to the center.[19]

In a first step in relation to the general Jamaican community, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Jamaica was a founding member of the Jamaican Interfaith Council in 1992.[6]

Modern community

The Baháʼís have participated in a number of activities of wider and local relevance to Jamaicans. In 2000 Baháʼís joined in observing the International Day of Peace with prayers called for by the Millennium World Peace Summit of religious leaders which met at the United Nations during August 28–31,[20] and in 2002 Baháʼís participated in a national dialogue on transcending tribalistic boundaries present in politics.[21] Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Howard Cooke, proclaimed a National Baháʼí Day first on July 25 in 2003 and it has been an annual event since.[6] Among the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the first Jamaican local spiritual assembly after two weeks of events was a blood drive organized by the Baháʼís of Kingston.[3] The festivities were also attended by retired Continental Counselor Ruth Pringle just two weeks before her death.[22] In 2006 the Baháʼís of Port Antonio held a 4-day exhibition at the public library on the history of the Faith in Jamaica[23] with the Baháʼí Day observance.[6] The Baháʼí Centre in Kingston has hosted Sir Howard Cooke's Thursday Group[6] which has continued to operate since Sir Cooke's retirement in 2006.[24] In 2008 Baháʼí Dorothy Whyte was named the new executive director at the Women's Resource and Outreach Centre in Kingston.[25] In 2005 the international Baháʼí choir, Voices of Bahá, performed in Jamaica as part of their first tour in the Caribbean and performed at Ward Theatre and the University's Chapel with proceeds earmarked to two Jamaican charities serving families of policemen slain in the line of duty and the Denham Town Golden Age Home.[26]

Demographics

In 2000 local sources reported 4,000 Baháʼís in Jamaica, notably in cities like Montego Bay, Port Antonio, Ocho Rios and May Pen[2] though recent international sources reported anywhere from 279 Baháʼís[27] to more than 8,000.[28] The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 5137 Baháʼís in 2005.[29] In 2006 there were 21 local spiritual assemblies.[6] In 2008, Baháʼí community events are listed especially in Montego Bay, Morant Bay, Port Morant, and the Kingston/St. Andrew Parish area.[30]

Further study

  • Have You Heard the News (film). South Carolina and Jamaica: Kiva Films, Inc for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States. 1972.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b ʻAbbas, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (April 1919). Tablets, Instructions and Words of Explanation. Mirza Ahmad Sohrab (trans. and comments).
  2. ^ a b c Bridge, Abena (2000-07-05). "Divine rites - Uncovering the faiths". Jamaican Gleaner News. Archived from the original on 2012-09-13.
  3. ^ a b c Baháʼí International Community (2003-07-25). "Joyous festivities in Jamaica". Baháʼí World News Service.
  4. ^ a b "National Spiritual Assemblies Statistics". Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  5. ^ a b c Locke, Hugh C. (1983). Baháʼí World, Vol. XVIII: 1979-1983. pp. 500–501, 629.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Baháʼí International Community (2006-08-11). "Jamaicans celebrate 4th National Baha'i Day". Baháʼí World News Service.
  7. ISBN 0877432333
    .
  8. ^ a b c Lamb, Artemus (November 1995). The Beginnings of the Baháʼí Faith in Latin America:Some Remembrances, English Revised and Amplified Edition. West Linn, OR: M L VanOrman Enterprises.
  9. OCLC 5806374
    .
  10. ISBN 978-0-85398-404-7
    .
  11. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8135-3055-0
    .
  12. ^ Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land. "The Baháʼí Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Baháʼí Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963". p. 94.
  13. ISBN 085398350X
    .
  14. ^ House of Justice, Universal (1969). "Ridván Letter, 1969". Ridvan Messages from the Universal House of Justice. Baháʼí Library Online. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  15. ^ a b 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.
  16. ^ Kingdon, Geeta Gandhi (1997). "Education of women and socio-economic development". Baháʼí Studies Review. 7 (1).
  17. doi:10.1016/0048-721X(89)90077-8
    .
  18. ^ Baháʼí International Community (1985). Activities in the Baháʼí World Community to Improve the Status of Women during the United Nations Decade for Women. World Conference to Review and Appraise the Achievements of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace. Nairobi, Kenya: Baháʼí International Community.
  19. ^ Ann Moore, Waveney (2005-01-26). "Naomi McCord, 83, Baha'i teacher". St. Petersburg Times.
  20. ^ "Local Baháʼís celebrate day of prayer". Jamaican Gleaner News. 2000-10-28. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20.
  21. ^ Wright, Andre (2002-10-27). "Baha'is call for unity". Jamaican Gleaner News. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20.
  22. ^ Baháʼí International Community (2003-08-22). "Standing up for the oneness of humanity". Baháʼí World News Service.
  23. ^ "Baha'i celebrate". Jamaican Gleaner News. 2006-07-26. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20.
  24. ^ Sayre, Sally (2008-07-30). "CE - Working with the Thursday Group". Universal Peace Federation; Ambassadors of Peace. UPF/IIFWP. Archived from the original on 2012-12-20. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  25. ^ "Women in the news - WROC's new executive director". Jamaican Gleaner News. 2008-10-06. Archived from the original on 2008-11-09.
  26. ^ "Voices of Baha to Perform in Kingston" (Press release). Jamaica Information Service. 2005-06-29. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  27. ^ U.S. State Department (2005-09-15). "Jamaica International Religious Freedom Report 2004". The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affair. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  28. ^ "Missionary Atlas Project - Central America, Snapshot of Jamaica". www.worldmap.org. 2007. Archived from the original (DOC) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  29. ^ "Most Baha'i Nations (2005)". QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions >. The Association of Religion Data Archives. 2005. Archived from the original on 2016-01-23. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
  30. ^ "Schedule of Events". Official Website of the Baháʼís of Jamaica. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Jamaica. Retrieved 2008-11-27.

External links

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