Dominica
Dominica |
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|---|---|---|
| Location of Dominica
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| National Assembly | Dominica | |
| Statistics: | ||
| Total Population | ||
| - | UN 2021[1] | 72,412 |
| Bahá'í pop. | ||
| - | Bahá'í source | |
| - | Non-Bahá'í source | 1,223 |
 Related media
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| Categories: Dominica • People | ||
The Bahá'í Faith in Dominica begins with a mention by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, then head of the religion, in 1916 as Latin America being among the places Bahá'ís should take the religion to.[2] The island of Dominica was specifically listed as an objective for plans on spreading the religion in 1939 Shoghi Effendi,[3] who succeeded `Abdu'l-Baha as head of the religion. In 1983 Bill Nedden is credited with being the first pioneer to Dominica at the festivities associated with the inaugural election of the Dominican Bahá'ís National Spiritual Assembly[4] with Hand of the Cause, Dhikru'llah Khadem representing the Universal House of Justice. Since then Bahá'ís have participated in several projects for the benefit of the wider community and in 2001 various sources report between less than 1.4%[5] upto 1.7% of the island's about 70,000 citizens are Bahá'ís.[6]
Early phase[edit]
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the religion, 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 titled Tablets of the Divine Plan. The sixth of the tablets was the first to mention Latin American regions and was written on April 8 1916, but was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919—after the end of the First World War and the Spanish flu. The first actions on the part of Bahá'í community towards Latin America were that of a few individuals who made trips to Mexico and South America near or before this unveiling in 1919, including Mr. and Mrs. Frankland, and Roy C. Wilhelm, and Martha Root. The sixth tablet was translated and presented by Mirza Ahmad Sohrab on April 4 1919, and published in Star of the West magazine on December 12 1919.[2]
His Holiness Christ says: Travel ye to the East and to the West of the world and summon the people to the Kingdom of God.…(travel to) the Islands of the West Indies, such as Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Islands of the Lesser Antilles (which includes Dominca), Bahama Islands, even the small Watling Island, have great importance…[7]
Dominica was specifically listed as an objective for plans on spreading the religion in 1939.[3]
Growth[edit]
As far back as 1951 the Bahá'ís had organized a regional National Assembly for the combination of Mexico, Central America and the Antilles islands.[8] From 1966 the region was reorganized among the Bahá'ís of Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands with its seat in Charlotte Amalie[9] with Bahá'í Local Spiritual Assemblies in neighboring islands to Dominica by the end of 1963.[10] From 1972 the regional assembly was reorganized for Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Vincent, Grenada and other Windward Islands.[11] It's not known when he arrived but the first pioneer to Dominica was Bill Nedden[4] though later lived on other Leeward Islands.[12]
In 1983 Hand of the Cause, Dhikru'llah Khadem represented the Universal House of Justice, which succeeded Shoghi Effendi as the head of the religion, at the inaugural Convention for the National Spiritual Assembly of Dominica in Roseau.[4] In 1988 the National Assembly oversaw the translation and publication of the Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh.[13]
Modern community[edit]
In 2000 Bahá'ís hosted a prayer gathering in an auditorium at the University of West Indies Centre in Roseau[14] and accomplished literacy and education projects.[15] The Dominican government supported the United Nations General Assembly vote on the "Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran" (A/56/583/Add.3 Draft Resolution) on 19 December 2001.[16]
Demographics[edit]
According to the 2001 population and housing census 1.4% of the population belonged to "other" religious groups, including the Bahá'í Faith.[5] However the 2001 World Christian Database reported 1.7% of Dominicans were Bahá'ís.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ "World Population Prospects 2022". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Abbas, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1919). Tablets, Instructions and Words of Explanation.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Effendi, Shoghi (1947). Messages to America. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Committee. p. 25. OCLC 5806374.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Universal House of Justice (1986), "In Memorium", The Bahá'í World of the Bahá'í Era 136-140 (1979-1983), Bahá'í World Centre, XVIII: p. 514, ISBN 0853982341
{{citation}}:|pages=has extra text (help)CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (2007-09-14). "International Religious Freedom Report - Dominica". United States State Department. Retrieved 2008-12-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 "International > Regions > Caribbean > Dominica > Religious Adherents". thearda.com. thearda.com. 2001. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ↑ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1991). Tablets of the Divine Plan (Paperback ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. pp. 31–36. ISBN 0877432333.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|origdate=ignored (|orig-date=suggested) (help) - ↑ Lamb, Artemus (1995). The Beginnings of the Bahá'í Faith in Latin America:Some Remembrances, English Revised and Amplified Edition. 1405 Killarney Drive, West Linn OR, 97068, United States of America: M L VanOrman Enterprises.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)CS1 maint: location (link) - ↑ Universal House of Justice (1966). "Ridván 1966". Ridván Messages. Bahá'í Library Online. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ↑ Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land. "The Bahá'í Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963". pp. pp. 127.
{{cite web}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - ↑ Hassall, Graham. "Notes on Research on National Spiritual Assemblies". Asia Pacific Bahá'í Studies. Bahá'í Library Online. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ↑ Bahá'í International Community (2008-05-12), "The faces of the Bahá'í world, further information", Bahá'í International News Service, pp. pp. 11
{{citation}}:|pages=has extra text (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ↑ "Pawol kashte awabik". Translations of The Hidden Words - By decade. International Bahá'í Library. 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ↑ Bahá'í International Community (2000-09-17), "Baha'is around the world host interfaith prayers for peace", Bahá'í International News Service
{{citation}}: Check date values in:|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - ↑ Bahá'í International Community (2008). "In the Field: Some Examples". Bahá'í International Community. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ↑ Bahá'í International Community (2008). "UN General Assembly Resolution 2001". Bahá'í International Community. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
