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Benin

From Bahaipedia
 Benin
Delegates at the Benin National Convention, 1977.
Location of Benin
National AssemblyBenin
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[1] 12,996,895
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source  
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 15,174
History:
Firsts
 -  Bahá'í to visit David Tanyi 
 -  Local Bahá'í Atanley II
Cosme Kponton 
 -  Local Assembly 1957, Agoue-Adjigo 
 -  National Assembly 1975 
How to contact:
 -  Email bahaibenin@yahoo.com
Official Website https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/benin
Related media
Categories: Benin • People

The Republic of Benin is a West African nation. Its official language is French, but other major languages are Fon and Yoruba.

The Kingdom of Dahomey was founded in the region in approximately 1600, but colonization of the area by France began in 1872 and in 1904 the area was incorporated into the French West Africa, a federation of colonial territories, as French Dahomey. It gained more autonomy in 1947 as part of the French Union and it became the self-governing Republic of Dahomey in 1958. It achieved full independence in 1960, and in 1975 changed its name to the People's Republic of Benin and in 1990 to the Republic of Benin.

The Bahá'í Faith was brought to Benin in 1955, but did not begin to develop in earnest until the 1960's. The community grew with Bahá'í institutions developing throughout the 1970's and 80's. Currently there are several Bahá'í communities located across Benin.

History[edit]

At the opening of the Ten Year Crusade in 1953 the goal of opening French West Africa to the Faith as a whole was set for the Bahá'í community. Labíb Isfahání was the first pioneer to the region arriving in November 1953, and Habíb Isfahání arrived in April 1954. The Faith was brought to Dahomey itself by David Tanyi in 1955,[2][3] and the first village where the Faith was taught in Dahomey was Dohoua.[4] The first people to become Bahá'í's in the country were Atanley II and Cosme Kponton.[5]

By 1955 there was an active Bahá'í group in Agoue-Adjigo with a Fie, a tribal Chief, as a member.[6] The group was visited by three African Bahá'ís from Lome, French Togoland, who deepened the fledgling community and informed the Chief of how to receive declarations and the goals of the Ten Year Crusade.[7] In April 1957 the Local Spiritual Assembly of Agoue-Adjigo was established.[8]

In the late 1950's Geneviève Lai and her husband, both Bahá'ís, were living in Cotonou and they introduced Frédéric Hodonou to the Faith. Frederic declared in January 1960 and at Ridvan 1960 the Local Spiritual Assembly of Cotonou was established.[9] In 1960 the Regional Spiritual Assembly of West Central Africa was formed and it was responsible for administrating the Faith in Dahomey at the national level.[10]

Participants at a Teaching Institute held in Dahomey, 1969.

As of 1964 Dahomey had one Local Spiritual Assembly and one Bahá'í group. At the launch of the Nine Year Plan that year the National Spiritual Assembly of West Central Africa was set the goal of establishing ten Local Spiritual Assemblies and incorporating three of them by 1973.[11] Inter-Assembly goals set for other National Assemblies to assist the Faith in Dahomey were the goals of; consolidating the Faith, assigned to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles,[12] acquiring a Temple site in Cotonou, assigned to the National Spiritual Assembly of France, and acquiring a Haziratu'l-Quds in Cotonou, assigned to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany.[13]

By 1968 Dahomey had four Local Spiritual Assemblies, and four Bahá'í groups.[14] As of 1968 Bahá'í marriage certificates and Holy Days were recognized by the Government of Dahomey,[15] and some Bahá'í literature had been translated into the Adja, Fon, and Yoruba languages spoken in the country.[16]

In 1969 a Teaching institute was held in Dahomey with delegates from Togo and Niger teaching. Sam Lynch, an American pioneer in Ghana, presented pictures of the Holy Land.[17] In October 1969 the Emergency Administrative Committee of West Central Africa convened a conference in Porto Norvo at which an address on the Nine Year Plan was delivered on behalf of Enoch Olinga, who was absent himself due to illness.[18]

In February 1970 Rúhíyyih Khánum visited Dahomey as part of her tour of Africa. She first spoke at a deepening an teaching conference in Agoue then visited Dohoua, which by this time had a Local Assembly and was building a Bahá'í Center, and gave a talk on the station of women. Rúhíyyih Khánum then visited the cities of Porto Novo and Cotonou and then the village of Hiye where she met with the Chief.[19] At Ridvan 1970 the National Spiritual Assembly of Dahomey, Togo, and Niger was established with its seat in Dahomey.[20][21]

Rúhíyyih Khánum at Teaching Institute in Agoue, 1970.

In August 1971 Rúhíyyih Khánum visited Dahomey a second time visiting Porto Novo and Cotonou and she met with two of the three Presidents of the country in Cotonou. She had to remain in Cotonou for a month to secure travelling papers to allow her to continue her tour of Africa.[22] In 1972 Mehrangiz Munsiff visited Dahomey for a seven day teaching tour, meeting one of the countries three Presidents and visiting several villages.[23] Also in 1972 a Haziratu'l-Quds was completed, and a Temple site was purchased, achieving two of Dahomey's goals for the Nine Year Plan. As of 1973 Dahomey had twenty-five Local Spiritual Assemblies, exceeding its goal for the Nine Year Plan.[24]

In 1974 the Bahá'í communities of Dahomey, Togo, and Niger, sponsored a Human Rights Day observance at the National Bahá'í Center in Cotonou which the Attorney General of Dahomey attended and spoke at.[25] In 1974 the entire village of Douhometo accepted the Faith after being visited by Vincent Aguémon, who had declared six months earlier.[26]

Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir visited the country in June 1974 to consult with the National Spiritual Assembly on the goals of the Five Year Plan. He also visited the Bahá'í communities of Porto Novo and Cotonou and was interviewed by the magazine Horizons Nouveaux. Enoch Olinga also visited the country the same year, staying for a week and visiting Dowa, Porto Novo and Cotonou and also meeting with the National Assembly. He also met with Anatale II, a local leader who accepted the Faith in the 1950's. Olinga and Muhájir both met with the countries Minister for Information who secured an announcement on the nations radio network for a National Teaching Conference to be held in 1975.[27]

Adrien Gnambodé of Benin in Haifa during 4th International Convention, 1978.

In 1975 the independent National Spiritual Assembly of Dahomey was established at the countries first National Convention in Avrankou, and it was renamed the National Spiritual Assembly of Benin the following year.[28] Also in 1975 Jerry Van Deusen and his wife, two American pioneers, pioneered to Parakou in northern Benin and a Local Spiritual Assembly was established the same year.[29] After the revolution in late 1975 the National Spiritual Assembly was summoned to a meeting with the President who after discussion concluded that the religion could be taught in the country.[30]

In 1976 Vincent Aguémon of Porto Novo made a travel teaching trip first meeting with village heads in Mono, one of whom lent him a motorcycle to allow him to reach nearby towns more easily. A Local Spiritual Assembly was established in one village during his teaching trip.[31] In 1976 Frédéric Hodonou was appointed as the first Auxiliary Board member for protection for Benin.[32]

In 1977 Djihoumet Gondjedo Candjeta became the first female delegate to the Benin National Convention.[33] In 1978 Adrien Gnambodé attended the Fourth International Convention in Haifa, becoming the first native Benin Bahá'í to visit the Holy Shrines.[34]

As of January 1978 there were sixty-five Local Spiritual Assemblies in Benin. Samuel Zodéougan was appointed as the first Auxiliary Board member for propagation assigned to Benin in January 1978.[35] In February 1978 the first Bahá'í Institute in Northern Benin was held in Parakou,[36] and a National Youth Committee was appointed in the late 1970's.[37]

In 1979, at the close of the Five Year Plan, Benin announced that from 1974 to 1979 it had established fifty-eight Local Spiritual Assemblies, opened one hundred and forty two localities to the Faith, established one district Bahá'í Center and five local Centers, and two land endowments.[38] The Seven Year Plan was launched in 1979 and Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir visited Benin to encourage the Bahá'ís that year.[39] In December 1979 a program was held to honor the United Nations International Year of the Child at the Bahá'í National Center in Cotonou.[40] The same month a Regional Bahá'í Center was opened in Porto Novo named in honor of Enoch Olinga.[41]

In February 1980 the 25th Anniversary of the Bahá'í Faith in Benin was celebrated in Porto Novo. Also in 1980 the President invited the Faith to send a delegation to meet with his technical adviser on education. In March 1980 Bahá'í Centers were dedicated in Agbojedo and Vakongbo.[42] In January 1982 a Regional Center for Zou was dedicated in Abomey, and named after Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir, with over two hundred and fifty attending the ceremony.[43][44] In May 1982 the Faith was granted tax exempt status in Benin.[45]

In 1983 a Local Spiritual Assembly was established in the Borgou region, one in the Mono region, and four in Zou. The National Assembly of Benin credited this to travel teaching which took place in association with the International Conference held in Nigeria.[46] In August 1983 an Inter-Regional Teaching Conference was held in Benin which Hooper Dunbar attended and spoke at.[47] In October 1983 Shoghi Ghadimi made a teaching trip to Benin with his wife and they met with the President, His Excellency Mathieu Kerekou.[48] In November 1983 Benin announced that it had achieved all of its teaching goals of the Seven Year Plan.[49]

In July and August 1984 two successful conferences were held in Cotonou.[50] In November 1985 The Promise of World Peace, the Peace Statement by the Universal House of Justice, was presented to the President of Benin,[51] and then to media at a press conference at the request of the President.[52] As of 1987 Benin had more than doubled the size of its Bahá'í community since 1979.[53]

In July 1996 the Músá Banání Institute for training Bahá'í teachers was opened in Benin.[54] In 2000 Kiser Barnes, who had served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Benin, was elected to the Universal House of Justice. The Association of Religion Data Archives estimated that the Bahá'í community of Benin had 12,114 members as of 2005.[55] In 2016 Bahá'í Djaouga Abdoulaye was enthroned as High Chief of the Fula people in Benin.[56]


See also[edit]

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. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 573, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
  3. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2002). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 29 (2000-2001), Pg(s) 274. View as PDF.
  4. ↑ Baha'i News (1970). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 471, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
  5. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 109
  6. ↑ Baha'i News (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 300, Pg(s) 9. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ Baha'i News (1957). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 313, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ Baha'i News (July 1957). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 317, Pg(s) 18. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ http://bahaichronicles.org/frederic-hodonou/
  10. ↑ Baha'i News (1963). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 393, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 126. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 120. View as PDF.
  13. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 121. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 151. View as PDF.
  15. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 114. View as PDF.
  16. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 566-567. View as PDF.
  17. ↑ Baha'i News (1969). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 461, Pg(s) 19. View as PDF.
  18. ↑ Baha'i News (1970). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 466, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
  19. ↑ Baha'i News (1970). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 471, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  20. ↑ Baha'i News (1970). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 471, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  21. ↑ Baha'i News (1970). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 472, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  22. ↑ Baha'i News (1972). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 491, Pg(s) 5-6. View as PDF.
  23. ↑ Baha'i News (1972). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 498, Pg(s) 23. View as PDF.
  24. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 190. View as PDF.
  25. ↑ Baha'i News (1974). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 522, Pg(s) 19. View as PDF.
  26. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 573, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
  27. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 161. View as PDF.
  28. ↑ Baha'i News (1975). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 531, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  29. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 566, Pg(s) 11. View as PDF.
  30. ↑ http://bahaichronicles.org/frederic-hodonou/
  31. ↑ Baha'i News (1976). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 542, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
  32. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 573, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
  33. ↑ Baha'i News (1977). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 553, Pg(s) 11. View as PDF.
  34. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 573, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
  35. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 565, Pg(s) 17. View as PDF.
  36. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 566, Pg(s) 11. View as PDF.
  37. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1981). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 17 (1976-1979), Pg(s) 154. View as PDF.
  38. ↑ Baha'i News (1979). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 581, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  39. ↑ Baha'i News (1980). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 587, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  40. ↑ Baha'i News (1980). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 591, Pg(s) 17. View as PDF.
  41. ↑ Bahá'í News, No. 595, p 16
  42. ↑ Baha'i News (1980). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 595, Pg(s) 16. View as PDF.
  43. ↑ Baha'i News (1982). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 619, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  44. ↑ Baha'i News (1982). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 620, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  45. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 96. View as PDF.
  46. ↑ Baha'i News (1983). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 626, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  47. ↑ Baha'i News (1984). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 645, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  48. ↑ Bahá'í News, No. 635, p 16
  49. ↑ Baha'i News (1984). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 638, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  50. ↑ Baha'i News (1985). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 646, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
  51. ↑ Baha'i News (1988). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 683, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  52. ↑ Baha'i News (1987). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 670, Pg(s) 1. View as PDF.
  53. ↑ Baha'i News (1987). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 676, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  54. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 25 (1996-1997), Pg(s) 108. View as PDF.
  55. ↑ http://www.thearda.com/QuickLists/QuickList_40b.asp
  56. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/1164/


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