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Mozambique

From Bahaipedia
 Mozambique
First National Convention of Mozambique, 1985.
Location of Mozambique
National AssemblyMozambique
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[1] 32,077,072
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source  
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 3,844
History:
Firsts
 -  Bahá'í to visit 1922, Fanny Knobloch 
 -  Pioneers 1954, John Pinto
1954, Charlotte Pinto 
 -  Local Assembly 1955, Lourenco Marques 
 -  National Assembly 1985 
How to contact:
 -  Address P.O. Box 369
Maputo 
Official Website https://www.bahai.org.mz/
Related media
Categories: Mozambique • People

The Republic of Mozambique is a nation in Southeast Africa. Portuguese is the official language, with Makhuwa, Sena, Tsonga, Lomwe, and Changana also being recognized, and Christianity and traditional faiths are the predominant religions.

The region was the homeland of the Swahili culture but was colonised by Portugal in the 16th Century and was known as Portuguese Mozambique or Portuguese East Africa. In 1975 it became independent as the People's Republic of Mozambique however the country descended into civil war in 1977 and remained at war until 1992. Since 1994 the country has become a stable Republic.

The Bahá’í Faith was first present in Mozambique in 1952 with efforts to establish a community beginning in 1954. The community struggled during the political instability of the country in the 1970's however it quickly recovered and began to make efforts to contribute to social and economic development in the 1990's which continue to develop the current day.

History[edit]

Likely the first Bahá’í activity in Mozambique was a visit made by Fanny Knobloch in mid-1922 during which she delivered a talk on the Faith to a Methodist Church in Lourenco Marques.[2]

In August, 1951, Fernando Biscaya, a Portuguese Bahá’í, settled in Mozambique although he was not aware of the teaching plans of the Faith.[3] In 1952 Eric and Terry Manton briefly visited Beira in Mozambique while travelling to their pioneer post in Lusaka, Zambia.[4] In April, 1952, Shoghi Effendi announced that there were two Portuguese Bahá’ís living in the country,[5] however they were not active and did not undertake any teaching efforts.[6] In April, 1953, Persian Bahá’ís Ezzatu’llah Zahra’i and Enayat Sohaili pioneered to the country settling in Lourenco Marques, however they were unable to teach experienced persecution with Zahra’i being arrested and expelled from the country in May.[7]

In September, 1954, efforts to establish the Faith in Mozambique were able to begin when John Pinto, a Portuguese Bahá’í, and Charlotte, his American wife, settled in Lourenco Marques and began teaching. Their residence visas were canceled in April 1955 however they were able to attend the establishment of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Lourenco Marques that year one day before departing the country.[8]

Due to restrictions put in place by the Portuguese authorities no pioneers were able to settle in the country during the 1950's, with the exception one Persian Bahá’í who was arrested and deported after a short time,[9] however the local Bahá’ís actively pursued teaching and community development and as of 1963 there were 148 Bahá’ís in the country, two Local Spiritual Assemblies, and six Bahá’í groups.[6]

In 1967 a joint National Spiritual Assembly for Swaziland, Lesotho, and Mozambique was established,[10] and in 1969 the Bahá’í community of Mozambique successfully purchased land for the construction of a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds.[11] As of 1973 there were twelve Local Spiritual Assemblies in Mozambique,[12] however by 1975 only three had been maintained.[13] In 1978 the Universal House of Justice assumed direct responsibility for administrating the Bahá’í community of Mozambique.[14][15]

Political instability in the country limited the capacity of the Bahá’í community of Mozambique to expand or consolidate itself in the late 1970's and into the early 1980's.[16] By 1985 the community had recovered to the extent that an independent National Spiritual Assembly was established with its seat in Maputo.[17] Despite the civil unrest in the country a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was also secured in November 1987.[18]

In January 1993 the Bahá’í community held a celebration of World Religion Day which was attended by a representative of the governments Department of Religious Affairs.[19] In 1998 a travel teaching team visited twelve provinces across Mozambique with their efforts resulting in six hundred declarations and two Local Spiritual Assemblies being established,[20] and teaching efforts in the Sofala and Manica provinces in 1999 secured 2500 declarations. In June 1999 the Institute Process began to become formalized in the country with sessions to train tutors of study circles taking place at the National Bahá’í Center.[21]

In the early 2000's the Bahá’í community of Mozambique began training local volunteers to participate in social and economic development which resulted in the Bahá’í community being invited to participate in government seminars focused on encouraging religious organizations to collaborate with the Government.[22] In 2019 the Local Spiritual Assembly of Dondo was able to coordinate efforts to assist the community of Dondo in the aftermath of a major Cyclone mobilizing volunteers to assist in repairing and rebuilding destroyed homes.[23]

In 2022 local Bahá’í conferences were held across the country as part of a worldwide initiative of the Bahá’í community.[24]

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. ↑ Edith & Lowell Johnson, Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa, NSA of South Africa: Johannesburg, 2003, p 456
  3. ↑ Edith & Lowell Johnson, Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa, NSA of South Africa: Johannesburg, 2003, p 451
  4. ↑ Baha'i News (1952). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 254, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
  5. ↑ Baha'i News (1952). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 255, Pg(s) 1. View as PDF.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Edith & Lowell Johnson, Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa, NSA of South Africa: Johannesburg, 2003, p 105
  7. ↑ Earl Redman, The Knights of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 2017, p 98
  8. ↑ Edith & Lowell Johnson, Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa, NSA of South Africa: Johannesburg, 2003, p 111
  9. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 290. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ Baha'i News (1967). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 440, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ Baha'i News (1969). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 463, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 201. View as PDF.
  13. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 157. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ Baha'i News (1981). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 608, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
  15. ↑ Baha'i News (1981). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 598, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  16. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 167. View as PDF.
  17. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 147. View as PDF.
  18. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 258. View as PDF.
  19. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1993). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 21 (1992-1993), Pg(s) 140. View as PDF.
  20. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2000). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 27 (1998-1999), Pg(s) 118. View as PDF.
  21. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2001). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 28 (1999-2000), Pg(s) 55. View as PDF.
  22. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2003). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 30 (2001-2002), Pg(s) 136. View as PDF.
  23. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/1322/
  24. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/1601/slideshow/76/
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