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Norway

From Bahaipedia
 Norway
Bahá’í Inter-Scandinavian Conference, Norway, 1973.
Location of Norway
National AssemblyNorway
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[2] 5,403,021
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source 1,000[1] 
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 3,101
History:
Firsts
 -  Pioneers 1927, Johanna Schubarth 
 -  Local Assembly 1948, Oslo 
 -  National Assembly 1962 
Official Website http://www.bahai.no/
Related media
Categories: Norway • People

The Kingdom of Norway is a country in Northern Europe on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Christianity is the predominant religion and Norwegian and Sami are the official languages. In recent history the region was administratively a single united Kingdom with Sweden until 1905 when Norway became independent.

The Bahá’í Faith was introduced into Norway in 1927 and efforts were made to establish a Bahá’í community in the country into the 1930s up until the Second World War. Efforts continued after the end of the war and a community was firmly established in the late 1940s which remains active to the present day.

History[edit]

The first Bahá’í in Norway was Johanna Schubarth, a Norwegian who had become a Bahá’í in America, who returned to Norway in 1927 settling in Oslo.[3] In June the same year Martha Root visited Oslo where she delivered a talk on Esperanto and Bahá’u’lláh's views on peace, which was broadcast across Europe via radio, before traveling on to Sweden.[4]

Martha Root returned to Oslo in December 1933 and planned to undertake teaching activities but fell seriously ill and had to rest with Schubarth, a trained nurse, providing care for her as she recuperated. In April 1934 Root had recovered and began delivering talks on the Faith in Oslo and in early May she was granted an audience with King Haakon of Norway.[5] She made a short third visit to Norway in July 1935 spending a few days in Bergen.[6] Louise Gregory briefly visited Norway in May, 1936, as did Stuart and Nellie French in July.[7]

Despite many American Bahá’ís making short visits to Norway no progress in establishing a community had been made as of 1940, although by that year Aagot Krantz-Rämsli had pioneered from America settling in Kristiansund and she had began actively teaching the Faith. Schubarth was also actively teaching and translating Bahá’í literature into Norwegian having completed a translation of Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era.[8] The Second World War disrupted efforts to establish the Faith in Norway however in 1946, after the end of the war, communication was re-established between Schubarth and Krantz-Rämsli and the American Bahá’í community.[9][10]

In 1946 Shoghi Effendi called on the American Bahá’í community to focus on teaching the Faith in Europe and Solveigh Corbit pioneered to Norway before the end of the year,[11][12] and in 1947 Mildred Clark pioneered to the country and Mason Remey visited during a travel teaching tour of Europe,[13][14] The teaching work began to find success in 1948, with Jeanne Bolles visiting the country,[15] and that year the first Naw-Ruz celebration of Norway was held,[16] and the Local Spiritual Assembly of Oslo was established.[17] In 1949 Mason Remey made another visit to Norway,[18] and Amelia Bowman pioneered to Norway as a few resident pioneers had departed the country with Elinor Gregory being the only other pioneer.[19][20]

In 1952 a series of public meetings on the theme of peace with guest speakers were held in Oslo and Amelia Bowman began holding firesides and facilitating study classes in Moss, Stavanger, and Bergen beginning efforts to expand the Faith in Norway beyond Oslo.[21] In 1953 a international Scandinavian Bahá’í Teaching Conference was held in Oslo and that year the Ten Year Crusade was launched,[22] and one of the goals of the Crusade was establishing a Bahá’í community on the Spitsbergen island group which is part of Norway with Paul Adams opening the region to the Faith in 1958, making it the last goal territory outside of the Communist Bloc to be opened to the Faith.[23] In 1956 a Summer School was held in Moss, Norway,[24] and as of that year a small Bahá’í community had been established in Bergen.[25]

In 1957 the National Spiritual Assembly of Scandinavia and Finland was established which assumed responsibility for administrating the Faith in Norway,[26] and a National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Norway was dedicated in Oslo.[27] Habib Sabet attended the dedication ceremony having been asked to visit Norway by Shoghi Effendi.[28] In 1960 the Convention to elect to National Assembly of Scandinavia and Finland was held in Oslo,[29] and the same year the Local Spiritual Assembly of Stavanger was established with Hand of the Cause Adelbert Mühlschlegel visiting the city.[30] In 1961 a Local Spiritual Assembly of Hetland was established,[31] and in 1962 the independent National Spiritual Assembly of Norway was established,[32] with John Ferraby attending Norway's first National Convention at which the body was established.[33]

There were four Local Spiritual Assemblies in Norway as of 1964,[34] and that year the National Spiritual Assembly was incorporated.[35] Progress of the Faith in Norway slowed in the 1960's however towards the end of the decade teaching activities began to find success with a four page report of an interview with a member of the National Assembly being published in a major newspaper in 1968, and the Local Spiritual Assembly of Trondheim being established in 1969.[36] In the early 1970's the Bahá’í Faith was formally recognized as a religion in Norway and Bahá’í marriage was legally recognised and in 1972 a Temple site near Oslo was purchased by the Bahá’í community with a teaching team of American Bahá’í youth visiting Norway the same year.[37] In 1975 the Scandinavian Summer School was held in Norway and a programme for children was facilitated during the school for the first time,[38] and by 1976 there were eight Local Spiritual Assemblies in Norway.[39] In the late 1970's a new National Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds for Norway was acquired and in 1979 Norway held an independent Summer School for the first time, with all previous summer schools being for the whole region of Scandinavia.[40]

In the 1980's a Local Spiritual Assembly was established in Tromso in the far north of Norway within the Artic Circle,[41] and Bahá’í youth camps were held in the country.[42] In 1987 the Norwegian government became the first European government to provide financial assistance to a Bahá’í social and economic development program with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation collaborating with the Norwegian National Assembly on the LOTUS project with the collaboration continuing until 1999.[43]In the latter part of the decade the National Youth Committee of Norway established the Eurobots Fund to support the Bahá’í community of Botswana in acquiring a mobile teaching institute,[44][45] and in 1988 teaching efforts undertaken by the Bahá’í youth of Norway experienced great success increasing public awareness of the Faith in the country.[46]

In 1993 the National Spiritual Assembly of Norway collaborated with the Hawkodden Art Center to present an exhibition of the artwork of Mark Tobey.[47] In 1995 Sven Erik Svedman, the Norwegian Ambassador to Israel, visited the Bahá’í World Center.[48] In 1998 a Bahá’í delegation participated in the Oslo Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief,[49] and in 1999 the Bahá’í Faith was represented at the inaugural conference for the National Dialogue on Religion and Belief launched by the Norwegian government.[50] In 2000 a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Norway participated in a meeting between various Faith leaders and the King of Norway held as part of the Dialogue.[51]

In 2001 the Bahá’í community participated in a signing ceremony for the Norwegian Declaration on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Oslo,[52] and in 2002 Britt Strandlie Thoresen, a member of the National Spiritual Assembly, was elected to represent religious minorities on the council of the Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities in Norway.[53] An international Bahá’í Nordic Youth Conference was held in Norway in 2003 which was focused on learning in action.[54] In 2005 the Bahá’í community of Norway was one of three religious groups represented on the organizing committee for a national commemoration for the victims of the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami disaster.[55] In 2008 the Kitab-i-Aqdas was published in Norwegian for the first time.[56]

In 2012 the Bahá’í community of Norway held a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Norway in Oslo with approximately one hundred people attending.[57] In 2015 representatives of the Bahá’í community participated in an interfaith gathering organized by the Royal Family of Norway.[58] In 2017 Bahá’í communities across Norway symbolically lit beacons in their hometowns to commemorate the Bicentenary of the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh.[59]

In 2022 several local conferences were held across Norway as part of the Global Conferences initiative of the international Bahá’í community.[60]

See also[edit]


External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "Members of religious and life stance communities outside the Church of Norway, by religion/life stance". Church of Norway and other religious and life stance communities. Statistics Norway. 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ↑ "World Population Prospects 2022". population.un.org. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  3. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 12 (1950-1954), Pg(s) 695. View as PDF.
  4. ↑ M.R. Garis, Martha Root: Lioness at the Threshold, Baha'i Publishing Trust: Wilmette, 1983, p 278
  5. ↑ M.R. Garis, Martha Root: Lioness at the Threshold, Baha'i Publishing Trust: Wilmette, 1983, pp 404-409
  6. ↑ M.R. Garis, Martha Root: Lioness at the Threshold, Baha'i Publishing Trust: Wilmette, 1983, pp 410
  7. ↑ Baha'i News (1936). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 104, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ Baha'i News (1940). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 135, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ Baha'i News (1946). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 185, Pg(s) 11. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ Baha'i News (1946). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 180, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ Baha'i News (1946). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 188, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ Baha'i News (1947). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 194, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
  13. ↑ Baha'i News (1947). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 197, Pg(s) 1. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ Baha'i News (1947). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 199, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  15. ↑ Baha'i News (October 1948). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 212, Pg(s) 3. View as PDF.
  16. ↑ Baha'i News (1948). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 209, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  17. ↑ Baha'i News (1948). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 207, Pg(s) 9. View as PDF.
  18. ↑ Baha'i News (1950). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 227, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  19. ↑ Baha'i News (1950). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 229, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
  20. ↑ Baha'i News (1950). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 230, Pg(s) 17. View as PDF.
  21. ↑ Baha'i News (1952). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 257, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
  22. ↑ Baha'i News (1952). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 262, Pg(s) 18. View as PDF.
  23. ↑ Earl Redman, The Knights of Baha'u'llah, George Ronald: Oxford, 2017, p 317
  24. ↑ Baha'i News (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 307, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  25. ↑ Baha'i News (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 303, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
  26. ↑ Baha'i News (1957). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 316, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
  27. ↑ Baha'i News (1957). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 314, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  28. ↑ Baha'i News (1957). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 315, Pg(s) 3. View as PDF.
  29. ↑ Baha'i News (1960). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 353, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
  30. ↑ Baha'i News (1960). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 353, Pg(s) 16. View as PDF.
  31. ↑ Baha'i News (1961). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 367, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
  32. ↑ Baha'i News (1962). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 375, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  33. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 283. View as PDF.
  34. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 135. View as PDF.
  35. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 569. View as PDF.
  36. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 286. View as PDF.
  37. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 287. View as PDF.
  38. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 310. View as PDF.
  39. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 310. View as PDF.
  40. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 190. View as PDF.
  41. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 171. View as PDF.
  42. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 173. View as PDF.
  43. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1993). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 21 (1992-1993), Pg(s) 241. View as PDF.
  44. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 434. View as PDF.
  45. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2001). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 28 (1999-2000), Pg(s) 96. View as PDF.
  46. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 353. View as PDF.
  47. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1993). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 21 (1992-1993), Pg(s) 144. View as PDF.
  48. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1997). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 24 (1995-1996), Pg(s) 70. View as PDF.
  49. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2000). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 27 (1998-1999), Pg(s) 89. View as PDF.
  50. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2001). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 28 (1999-2000), Pg(s) 95. View as PDF.
  51. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/90/
  52. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2003). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 30 (2001-2002), Pg(s) 99. View as PDF.
  53. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2004). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 31 (2002-2003), Pg(s) 68. View as PDF.
  54. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2004). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 31 (2002-2003), Pg(s) 74. View as PDF.
  55. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2006). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 33 (2004-2005), Pg(s) 112. View as PDF.
  56. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/646/
  57. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/909/
  58. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/1079/
  59. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/1212/
  60. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/1593/slideshow/14/
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