Enayat Sohaili

Enayat Sohaili
Sohaili speaking at the Golden Jubilee of the Faith in Malawi, 2003.
BornNovember 18, 1927
DiedFebruary 3, 2025
NSA memberSouth Central Africa
1964 - ????
ABMAfrica
???? - ????

Enayat Sohaili (November 18, 1927 - February 3, 2025) was a Bahá’í who served as a pioneer in Southern Africa for six decades notably re-opening Mozambique to the Bahá’í Faith, and also re-opening Malawi to the Bahá’í Faith serving as the countries sole pioneer for an extended period.

Biography[edit]

Sohaili was of Iranian descent and born into a Baha’i family. His parents were Rustam and Delbar Sohaili and the family was living in India as of the early 1950's. In January, 1953, Sohaili traveled to Kampala, Uganda, to attend one of the Intercontinental Conferences held to open the Ten Year Crusade intending to pioneer to Italian Somaliland. He received a cable from the Indian Bahá’í community requesting he instead pioneer to Mozambique and he obtained a three month visa and flew to Beira from Kampala with another pioneer, Ezzatu’llah Zahra’i, flying to Lourenco Marques in Mozambique at the same time.[1]

A few weeks after arriving Zahra’i was interrogated by police who confiscated his papers and found Sohaili’s name in them and Sohaili began to be followed and questioned. His papers and books were confiscated however the police found no incriminating information and returned the items but instructed him to leave the country when his visa expired. Jalál Nakhjavání assisted him in obtaining a visa for Tanganyika, however the boat he boarded from Mozambique instead took him to Zanzibar which resulted in some confusion as he did not have a visa allowing him to stay in Zanzibar. After a short time he was allowed to fly to Dar-es-Salaam in Tanganyika.[1]

While in Dar-es-Salaam Sohaili attempted to secure a visa for the Comoros which was denied and he instead pioneered to Malawi, then called Nyasaland, arriving in Limbe-Blantyre on September 13, 1953, and re-opening the country to the Faith. He took several temporary low-paying jobs after arriving and taught the Faith with little results with little support due to infrequent visits from travel teachers to the country. In 1956 Claire Gung joined him in Limbe-Blantyre and began hosting meetings in her flat and through her and Sohaili’s efforts Albert Nthala and Robert Kasakula became Bahá’ís and a small deepened group of Bahá’ís was established. In 1957 Sohaili was appointed to the Area Teaching Committee of Southern Nyasaland and he served until 1959 when he returned to India.[2]

After returning to India Sohaili also visited Iran where he met and married his wife Iran and they went on to have three children. In March 1961 they pioneered to Zimbabwe, settling in Salisbury, and Sohaili was appointed to the countries Area Teaching Committee and made several teaching trips to Namibia.[3] After the end of the Ten Year Crusade in 1963 they pioneered within Zimbabwe to Bulawayo. Sohaili was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of South Central Africa in 1964,[4] and at some point became the countries only legal officer for officiating Bahá’í marriage ceremonies. In 1969 his parents joined him in Zimbabwe,[5] and as of 1970 he was serving as an Auxiliary Board member.[6]

In 2003 Sohaili returned to Malawi to speak at a commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Bahá’í Faith in the country.[7] He and his wife remained in Zimbabwe until 2012 when they moved to Sarasota, Florida, in the United States and he was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Sarasota after arriving. He passed away in 2025 survived by his wife, three children, and four grandchildren.[8]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Edith Johnson, Lowell Johnson, comp. (2003). Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa. South Africa: NSA:South Africa. 2003. p. 112. ISBN 1919864229.
  2. ↑ Edith Johnson, Lowell Johnson, comp. (2003). Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa. South Africa: NSA:South Africa. 2003. p. 159. ISBN 1919864229.
  3. ↑ Edith Johnson, Lowell Johnson, comp. (2003). Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa. South Africa: NSA:South Africa. 2003. p. 398. ISBN 1919864229.
  4. ↑ Baha'i News (1964). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 405, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
  5. ↑ Edith Johnson, Lowell Johnson, comp. (2003). Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa. South Africa: NSA:South Africa. 2003. p. 399. ISBN 1919864229.
  6. ↑ Baha'i News (1970). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 476, Pg(s) 16. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/240/dramatic-stories-thrill-malawi-golden-jubilee
  8. ↑ https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/ellenton-fl/enayat-sohaili-12233536
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