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Mauritania

From Bahaipedia
 Mauritania
Location of Mauritania
National AssemblyN/A
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[1] 4,614,974
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source  
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 465
History:
Firsts
 -  National Assembly 1978
Disbanded 1983 
Related media
Categories: Mauritania • People

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is a country located in Northwestern Africa. The official language of the country is French and Islam is the countries major religion.

In ancient history the region was inhabited by the Berbers and in the middle ages it came under the control of Arabia. In the 19th century France colonized the region and incorporated it into French West Africa. The country Mauritania became independent in 1960.

The Bahá’í Faith was established in Mauritania in the late 1960's. The community grew and developed until 1983 when it faced some persecution from Mauritanian authorities and while there are still Bahá’ís residing in the country activity has been limited.

History[edit]

At the opening of the Ten Year Crusade in 1953 French West Africa had been assigned as a goal territory to be opened to the Bahá'í Faith as a whole, with Mauritania itself not being set as a specific goal. It remained unopened at the end of the Ten Year Crusade and the Universal House of Justice set the National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa the goal of opening the country to the Faith at the opening of the Nine Year Plan in 1964.[2] The National Spiritual Assembly of France was tasked with assisting the North West Africa Assembly.[3] By 1968 the country had been opened to the Faith with one locality having a Bahá'í presence.[4]

In 1970 the National Spiritual Assembly of Upper West Africa was formed, and succeeded the North West Africa Assembly in administrating the Faith in Mauritania. Delegates from Mauritania attended the Upper West Africa Convention which was held in the Gambia and participated in the election of the inaugural Assembly.[5] By 1971 a Local Spiritual Assembly had been established in Mauritania,[6] and by 1974 the number of Local Spiritual Assemblies had risen to four. Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga visited the country in 1974 and nine women and over sixty men declared during his visit.[7]

Bahá’í guests from Mauritania at the jubilee of the Bahá’í Faith in the Gambia, 2004.

By 1978 there were five Local Spiritual Assemblies in Mauritania and twelve localities had been opened to the Faith,[8] and in May 1978 the National Spiritual Assembly of Mauritania was established at the countries inaugural National Convention held in Nouakchott.[9] Hand of the Cause ‘Alí-Muhammad Varqá represented the Universal House of Justice at the Convention.[10] After the formation of the Assembly a National Haziratu'l-Quds was acquired.[11]

In March 1983 five Mauritanian Bahá'ís and two pioneers were arrested, interrogated, and briefly imprisoned and the National Spiritual Assembly was disbanded.[12] In 1986 The Promise of World Peace, the peace statement by the Universal House of Justice, was indirectly presented to the Head of State of Mauritania by post.[13]

Bahá'í activity within Mauritania has been limited since the disestablishment of the National Assembly but the Bahá'ís of Mauritania have been able to participate in events in neighboring countries, for example some Mauritanians attended the golden jubilee of the Faith in Gambia in 2004.[14]

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. ↑ Bahá'í World, Vol. 14, p 109
  3. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 121. View as PDF.
  4. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 149. View as PDF.
  5. ↑ Baha'i News (1970). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 475, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
  6. ↑ Baha'i News (1971). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 487, Pg(s) 16. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ Baha'i News (1974). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 524, Pg(s) 3. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 567, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 569, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1981). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 17 (1976-1979), Pg(s) 333. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 170. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 49. View as PDF.
  13. ↑ Baha'i News (1988). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 683, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2006). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 33 (2004-2005), Pg(s) 52. View as PDF.


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