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Afghanistan

From Bahaipedia
 Afghanistan
The First National Convention of Afghanistan, 1972.
Location of Afghanistan
National AssemblyN/A
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[1] 40,099,462
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source  
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 10,456
History:
Firsts
 -  Pioneers c. 1938, ‘Alí-Muhammad Nabílí 
 -  Local Assembly 1948, Kabul 
 -  National Assembly 1972
Disbanded 1979 
Related media
Categories: Afghanistan • People

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. The major languages of the country are Pashto and Dari and the predominant religion is Islam.

The region has been inhabited since prehistory and several monarchies established themselves in the area with the Durrani Empire being established in the 18th century. In the 19th century the region was occupied by the British Empire but it became independent in 1919. The last monarch of Afghanistan was deposed and it became a republic in 1973 however in 1978 the President was deposed by the Saur Revolution and the region came under the influence of the Soviet Union in 1979. A neutral government was formed in 1992 which was overthrown by the Taliban in 1992 and they remained in power until 2004 when an Islamic Republic was established with the support of Western powers. In 2021 the Taliban came to power again.

The Bahá’í community of Afghanistan was initially established in the 1940's and re-established in the 1960's after a lapse throughout the 1950's. The Soviet and Taliban aligned governments of the country persecuted the Bahá’í community during the early 1980's and late 1990's with the majority of the community fleeing the country although some have returned in the early 2000's.

History[edit]

Early contact[edit]

At some point between 1888 and 1890 Jamal Effendi visited Afghanistan during his extensive travel teaching tour of Asia undertaken on the instructions of Baha’u’llah Himself. He visited Badakhshan and Balkh and intended to visit Kabul but the Emir of Afghanistan reportedly threatened to execute him if he traveled to the capital.[2]

In 1914 an Afghani, Shah’o’llah Khan, met ‘Abdu’l-Baha during a visit to Haifa and ‘Abdu’l-Baha reportedly stated the following regarding the country:

"In ancient history, they have praised and lauded the city of Samarkand. It is the city of Prince Taymoor. But at present, it is entirely changed and transformed. . . . . . . . . .This blessed Cause has such power and penetration that it will spread into all parts of the world. I am hopeful that in Afghanistan it will be of great effect. The gentlemen of Afghanistan are active. They are warm blooded. In their blood, there is power and heat. Therefore, you see that although the Mohammedan governments are in a state of chaos, Afghanistan is protecting itself as much as possible."[3]

‘Abdu’l-Baha mentioned Afghanistan in one of the ‘’Tablets of the Divine Plan’’ revealed in 1916 formally calling for the Baha’i Faith to be established in the country:

”Likewise, if some teachers go to other islands and other parts, such as the continent of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, also to Japan, Asiatic Russia, Korea, French Indochina, Siam, Straits Settlements, India, Ceylon and Afghanistan, most great results will be forthcoming. [4]

In the early 1930’s Persian travel teacher ‘Ali-Aqa Adhari attempted to make a travel teaching trip to Afghanistan but was refused a visa.[5] In the mid 1930’s Shoghi Effendi sent a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran advising it to focus on sending travel teachers to neighboring countries including Afghanistan and a travel teacher secured a passport but was again refused a visa by the Afghan authorities.[6]

Establishment of a community[edit]

In approximately 1938 ‘Alí-Muhammad Nabílí secured permission to travel to Afghanistan allowing the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran to achieve its longstanding goal to send a Baha’i teacher to the country.[7] He flew to Kabul for the purposes of undertaking a teaching trip and remained in the country until at least 1940.[8]

In 1942 Amine Mesbah and his wife pioneered to Kabul from Iran and by 1944 a Baha’i group had been established in the city with Mesbah receiving correspondence on behalf of the body at the Persian Embassy,[9] however they could not remain in the country longterm and returned to Iran in 1945.[10] Shortly after the Mesbah’s departed Muhammad-Husayn Tam and his family pioneered on visitors visas but could only remain in the country for a short time as the government did not renew their visas.[11] Ni‘mat and Qudsiyyih ‘Alá’í also pioneered to Afghanistan in 1945 but were deported back to Iran after just nine months in the country.[12][13]

Despite setbacks and opposition to Bahá’í pioneers settling in the country in April 1947 Shoghi Effendi assigned the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran the goal of establishing a Local Spiritual Assembly in Kabul,[14][15] and this was achieved in 1948.[16] In 1954 a Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was purchased in Kabul however the community of Afghanistan fell into decline throughout the 1950’s with the Local Spiritual Assembly of Kabul lapsing and the Baha’is losing the Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.[17]

In 1964 the Universal House of Justice announced one of the goals of the Nine Year Plan was the reacquisition of a Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds in Kabul,[18] and a Baha’i group for the city was re-established in 1966 with the Local Spiritual Assembly being reformed in 1969.[19]

In 1972 the National Spiritual Assembly of Afghanistan was established with its seat in Kabul,[20] and as of 1973 the country had four Local Spiritual Assemblies which mostly consisted of Persian members. By the mid 1970's it was estimated that there were 400 Bahá’ís in the country,[21] and the Faith was present in the provinces of Kabul, Herat, Qandahar, Helmand, Ghazni, Paktia, Negarhar, Kondoz, Baghlan, Samangan, Mazar-e Sharif, Sheberghan, and Parwan by 1978.[19]

Persecution[edit]

In 1979 the Soviet aligned government of Afghanistan outlawed Bahá’í administration and all Assemblies in the country were disbanded with the majority of the community emigrating.[19] Conditions began to relax in the 1980's and at the direction of the Universal House of Justice a five member National Bahá’í Committee was formed in 1986 to oversee efforts to redevelop the Faith in the country. Three Local Spiritual Assemblies were established across Kabul province in 1987.[19]

A Local Spiritual Assembly of Mazar-e Sharif was formed in 1995,[19] however after the the Taliban came to power in 1996 the Bahá’í community of Afghanistan faced another period of persecution with many Bahá’ís being imprisoned or deported in May 1998. The release of all those who had been imprisoned was secured by October 1998.[19]

After the establishment of the Republic of Afghanistan some Afghan Bahá’ís began returning to the country in the early 2000's,[19] and the U.S. State Department estimated that there were 400 Bahá’ís in the country as of 2007.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "World Population Prospects 2022". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  2. ↑ H.M. Balyuzi, Eminent Baha'is in the Time of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 1985, p 124
  3. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 9, p 117
  4. ↑ April 11, 1916, Tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Baha to the Baha’is of the United States and Canada
  5. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1936). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. New York City, NY. Volume 5 (1932-1934), Pg(s) 119. View as PDF.
  6. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1939). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. New York City, NY. Volume 7 (1936-1938), Pg(s) 135. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1942). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 8 (1938-1940), Pg(s) 181. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1942). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 8 (1938-1940), Pg(s) 718. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1945). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 9 (1940-1944), Pg(s) 652. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 812. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1949). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 10 (1944-1946), Pg(s) 47. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 449. View as PDF.
  13. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2001). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 28 (1999-2000), Pg(s) 303. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1952?). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 11 (1946-1950), Pg(s) 187. View as PDF.
  15. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1952?). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 11 (1946-1950), Pg(s) 35. View as PDF.
  16. ↑ Cameron, G. & Momen, W. (1996). A Basic Bahá'í Chronology. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. pp. 277, 391. ISBN 0853984022. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ Baha'i News (1954). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 285, Pg(s) 1. View as PDF.
  18. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 107. View as PDF.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 https://web.archive.org/web/20110724225240/http://www.afghanbahais.org/afghanbahais.htm#ENg
  20. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 243. View as PDF.
  21. ↑ https://bahai-library.com/hassall_bahai_communities_country#1
  22. ↑ "Afghanistan - International Religious Freedom Report 2007". The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affair. Retrieved 2009-07-04. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)


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