Baháʼí Faith in Ethiopia

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The Baháʼí Faith in Ethiopia began after

National Spiritual Assembly.[5] By 1963 there were seven localities with smaller groups of Baháʼís in the country.[6] The Association of Religion Data Archives estimated some 27000 Baháʼís in 2005.[7] The community celebrated its diamond jubilee in January 2009.[8]

Beginnings

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

Star of the West magazine on December 12, 1919.[9] 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…."[10]

Establishment of the community

Early

Second Italo-Abyssinian War.[4][11][13] The members of the community had left and the assembly was next elected in 1945.[11] In 1947 Ugo Giachery rendered some assistance translating materials for the community to use.[14] In early 1951 the Ethiopian community sent its first pioneer beyond Addis Ababa.[15] Followed by Mr. and Mrs. Elias who left for Djibouti in 1954.[11] At the same time across the regional unit of Egypt and Abyssinia women were allowed to be and were elected according to the rules of Baháʼí administration to be members of assemblies[16] including in Addis Ababa - members were: Mr G.M. Bahta Mrs Gila, Dr V. Kies, Sabri Elias, Mrs Sabri, Mr Alfred Shafi, Mr Birch, Sayed Mansour, and David A. Talbot. In 1952 some were elected officers - the members were Gila M. Bahta, David Talbot, Dr. V. Ries, Sabri Elias, Mrs. Gila (treasurer) Mrs. Elias Alfred Shafi, Mr. Birch Sayed Mansour.[17]

Growth

Dire Dawa
Gondar
Jimma
class=notpageimage|
Cities of Ethiopia
with Baháʼís by the end of 1963

The Baháʼí Community in Ethiopia came under the responsibility of the regional National Spiritual Assembly of Egypt and Sudan during the

Debre Zeyit, Dessie, Dire Dawa, Gondar & Jimma and twelve isolated members in other communities.[4][6] And also in 1963 in a step of recognition of the religion the city government of Addis Ababa allocated land for use as a Baháʼí burial ground.[28]

Regional organization

The Sudan/Egypt regional National Assembly existed until 1953 when it became a regional assembly for North East Africa. This included French Somaliland; Egypt, Sudan, Abyssinia, Libya, Eritrea, British Somaliland; Italian Somaliland; and Socotra Is.[29] The regional assembly was again re-organized when the institutions of the religion were made illegal in Egypt in 1960[30] and again when Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia formed their own regional assembly in 1968 with members: Gila Michael Bahta, Dr. Leo Neiderreitter, Gamal Rushdy, Asfaw Tessema, Dr. Heshmat Farhoumand, Dr. Hushang Ahdieh, Ursula Samandari, Assefaw Habte Michael and Rabbi Teele Mariam.[31] From 1968 into 69 there were a number of initiatives undertaken[32] including reaching to outlying areas, international speakers[33] and a winter school.[32]

Visit of Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khanum

From 1969 to 1973

Asfaw Wossen received her then she resumed her tour of Africa by going next to Kenya.[38]

Modern community

Since its inception the religion has had involvement in

socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women,[39] promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern.[40] That involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics even then.[39] In 1970 representatives from seven National Spiritual Assemblies in Africa and from the Baháʼí International Community were the largest delegation to the first African Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Of the 104 Non-Governmental Organization delegates and observers attending - representing seventy-four organizations from twenty countries in Africa- ten were Baha'is; and two Baháʼí representatives were the only participants from Mauritius and Swaziland. With background work in New York, preparatory work in Addis Ababa, and large participation by Baháʼís, they received praise for their efforts and dependability by the NGO liaison representative of the Ethiopian government and by other UN personnel.[41] A senior officer for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa was the speaker at the gathering sponsored by the National Spiritual Assembly of North East Africa in Asmara late in 1973 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He spoke at length about the role of the Baháʼís and like-minded organizations.[42] He repeated his sentiments in 1980.[43] The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released.[44] 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.The modern Baháʼí community of Ethiopia has multiplied its interests internally and externally along these lines.

Growth

In 1969 there was one assembly in the Sidamo Province of south central Ethiopia, 18 in 1972 and 59 in 1974.[45] In 1975 a total of seventy Local Spiritual Assemblies formed. A cultural clash in choosing leadership happened under such quick growth. People of Sidamo were used to an open atmosphere when choosing their leaders and had difficulty adjusting to secret ballot as normal in Baháʼí electoral process. Nevertheless, the elections went forward and materials and classes were held covering the issues though human resources were thin under such rapid growth. Observers concluded that in 1975 things had gone well. In 1978 the Nure community organized and managed a local conference, and believers from other villages chaired the sessions. Succeeding local conferences were to be held in villages of Mudane and Dereba.[46] In northern Ethiopia fighting had broken out. At one meeting Baháʼís were inundated by refugee neighbors in an apartment building from shots fired. When the police arrived the Baháʼís were vindicated from fears of cooperation in the attack when the chief of police discovered Baháʼís were involved. He summoned his aides to help the wounded, apologetically made a purely ceremonial inspection of the house, and let them go, explaining that there was no need to investigate the Baháʼís, that he knew the Baháʼís were not a source of danger and he entertained no doubts about them.[47] There are other stories of activities of small groups of Baháʼís.[48][49] In 1976 the first Baha'i newsletter in the Amharic language began publication.[50] Sabri Elias, founder of the community in Ethiopia, and his wife, returned in 1977 for the national convention before flying on back to Djibouti.[11]

Forty-two Baháʼís from Ethiopia attended a regional conference called for by the

Ethiopian National Museum and the Ethiopian National Theatre.[8][52][53] Members of the choir flew in from U.S., Canada, Australia and Africa.[54] Speakers at the diamond jubilee included Ali Nakhjavani and his wife Violette Nakhjavani.[8]

International peace

In the 1990s a Racism Dance was translated by an Ethiopian Baháʼí Youth Workshop (see Oscar DeGruy) which addressed racial, national/ethnic prejudices and was used to talk about war between Eritrea and Ethiopia.[55][56] There was a 2007 Ethiopian-Eritrean Baháʼí Conference held in the United States.[57]

Education

Among the Baháʼí teachings is the importance of education. In 1980 the National Assembly of Auxiliary Board consulted on a project for the International Year of the Child. They developed the project "Ha Hu in Nine Days," which was designed to help an illiterate person learn the Amharic alphabet in only nine days. It was presented to UNESCO representative in Ethiopia and liaison officer for the UN Economic Commission for Africa followed by the Minister of Education and chairman of the National Commission for IYC. Each meeting had a reporter from the English-language newspaper, The Ethiopian Herald.[58] An experimental garden was set up in Sidamo Province as a demonstration field in the compound of the regional center to train Baháʼí farmers in improved agricultural techniques.[59] In 1989 a Baháʼí expert and businessman in using appropriate technology from Swaziland traveled through six southern and eastern African countries including Ethiopia training local people in the manufacture of several kinds of fence-making machines and other technologies in building, agriculture and water programs. The 10-day training courses were organized by the National Spiritual Assemblies in each of the six countries.[60] Dr. Fisseha Eshetu, the President of Unity University, a Baháʼí inspired school,[61][62] received a "Global Young Entrepreneur" award at the 7th World Summit of Young Entrepreneurs in 2000[63] after founding the institution in 1991.[64] In 2001 Eshetu has taken positions on the development of the internet in Ethiopia.[65] Unity University was the first private institution of higher education to open in Ethiopia, and as of 2001 the journalism program was the only university-level independent journalism program in the country.[66] "Tsehai Loves Learning" is a television show of a hand puppet in the Amharic language.[67] There are about 45 local children's classes being offered currently by Baháʼí communities in Ethiopia[68] - more prominent schools[52] are the School of the Nations of Ethiopia[69] and One Planet International School.[70]

Demographics

The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying mostly on the World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 26,581 Baháʼís in 2005.[7]

See also

References

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  4. ^ a b c d Hassall, Graham. "Ethiopia". Research notes. Asia Pacific Baháʼí Studies. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
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  6. ^ a b c "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. 28, 55.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. ^ a b "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.
  8. ^ a b c Multiple authors (January 2009). "North American Baháʼí Choir in Ethiopia 2009". Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  9. ^ ʻAbbas, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (April 1919). Tablets, Instructions and Words of Explanation. Mirza Ahmad Sohrab (trans. and comments).
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  11. ^ a b c d e f "Reaping the Harvest 44 years after opening the country to the Faith, Sabri Elias returns 'home' to Ethiopia". Baháʼí News. No. 557. August 1977. pp. 1–3.
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  13. ^ "News from Other Lands; Egypt, New Field of Service". Baháʼí News. No. 181. March 1946. p. 11.
  14. ^ "Greeting from Addis Ababa". Baháʼí News. No. 201. November 1947. p. 7.
  15. ^ "Around the Baha'i World". Baháʼí News. No. 247. January 1951. p. 9.
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  17. ^ "International News; Baha'i literature Needed for Addis Ababa". Baháʼí News. No. 258. August 1952. p. 8.
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  19. ^ "World Crusade; Fifth Pioneer report". Baháʼí News. No. 277. March 1954. p. 5.
  20. ^ a b "World Crusade; Fifth Pioneer report". Baháʼí News. No. 336. February 1959. p. 8.
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  22. ^ "Baha'is of Three Countries Attend First Addis Ababa Summer School". Baháʼí News. No. 344. October 1959. p. 6.
  23. ^ "New Interest in Faith in Northeast Africa Despite Condemnation bv Eritrea Church". Baháʼí News. No. 348. February 1960. p. 4.
  24. ^ "International News Briefs". Baháʼí News. No. 360. March 1961. p. 8.
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  30. ^ U.S. Department of State (2004-09-15). "Egypt: International Religious Freedom Report". Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  31. ^ "Baháʼí News Beliefs". Baháʼí News. No. 426. September 1966. p. 15.
  32. ^ a b "International News Briefs". Baháʼí News. No. 426. April 1969. p. 6.
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  62. ^ Universal House of Justice (2000). "Ridván Letter, 2000". Ridvan Messages from the Universal House of Justice. Baháʼí Library Online. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
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  64. ^ "Database of African Journalism Schools > Unity University College". Database of African Journalism Schools. UNESCO. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  65. ^ Kinde, Samuel (February 2001). "Internet in Ethiopia". Ethiopian Engineering Resources. Ethiopian Computing and Information Technology Association. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  66. ^ Prof. Heruy, Tegest. "Unity College Professor Gets Vision for Future From Visit to Educator Meeting and University of Georgia". Cox Center Activities - Sept. 1, 2001 to August 31, 2002. University of Georgia. Retrieved 2010-10-15.
  67. ^ Baháʼí International Community (2007-02-11). "Ethiopian giraffe captures children's hearts". Baháʼí World News Service. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  68. ^ Baháʼí International Community (2006-10-11). "Raising a new generation". Baháʼí International News Service. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  69. ^ "School of Nations - About Us". School of Nations. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  70. ^ "One Planet International School - About Us". One Planet International School. Archived from the original on 2010-03-12. Retrieved 2009-10-30.

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