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Réunion

From Bahaipedia
Réunion
Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds of Réunion in Saint Pierre, late 1960's.
Location of Réunion
National AssemblyRéunion
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[1] 966,129
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source  
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 7,702
History:
Firsts
 -  Pioneers 1953, Opal Jensen
1954, Leland Jensen 
 -  Local Assembly 1955, Saint Pierre 
 -  National Assembly 1972 
How to contact:
 -  Email asn.reunion@wanadoo.fr
 -  Address 20 boulevard de la Plage 97410
Saint Pierre 
Official Website https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/reunion
Related media
Categories: Réunion • People

The Department of La Réunion is an island in the Indian Ocean which is under the jurisdiction of France.

The island was uninhabited until French settlers established themselves in the 17th Century. It is governed as a French region with similar status to regions within France itself.

The Bahá’í community of Réunion was established in 1953 and began to develop and consolidate itself in the late 1960s. The community remains active and makes efforts to promote community building to the present day.

History[edit]

When Shoghi Effendi launched the Ten Year Crusade in 1953 Réunion was designated a goal territory for the establishment of a Bahá’í community. Opal Jensen arrived on the island in November, 1953, and was joined by her husband Leland in May, 1954. They could not speak French but were able to find success in teaching which lead to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Saint Pierre being established in 1955.[2] Audrey and John Robarts visited the island in 1956,[3] and ‘Azizu’lláh Sháyání made a travel teaching trip around the same time,[4] however due to the prominence of the Catholic Church the Jensen's were forced depart the island by the authorities in December, 1956.[5][2]

In 1960 Mason Remey broke the Covenant when he claimed to be the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, despite previously signing documents affirming that Shoghi Effendi had not appointed a successor, and many Bahá’ís of Réunion accepted his claim encouraged by the Jensen's who had also broken the Covenant.[6] In 1962 Lucienne Migette was sent to Réunion by the Custodians to attempt to restore unity within the community,[7] however by 1963 there were only seventeen faithful Bahá’ís on the island.[6]

In 1964 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Indian Ocean was established which had jurisdiction over the Bahá’ís of Réunion.[8] In 1967 Rúḥíyyih Khánum visited the island for a week to encourage the Bahá’ís in their activities towards the goals of the Nine Year Plan,[9] and as of 1968 there were three Local Spiritual Assemblies on the island although there was only one pioneer.[10] In November, 1968, a Local Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds was secured in Saint Pierre and during the year a summer school was held. In 1969 several travel teachers visited Réunion and a Regional Youth Committee was established.[10]

In 1970 a copy of The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh was presented to the Prefect of Réunion and as of that year the island had five Local Spiritual Assemblies. In 1971 several public teaching meetings were held with the Faith being proclaimed to several Mayors and by 1972 there were eight Local Spiritual Assemblies.[10] In 1972 an independent National Spiritual Assembly of Réunion was established, with Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir representing the Universal House of Justice at the occasion, and in June the governmental authorities of Réunion officially recognized the body. In 1973 a national endowment property and Temple site were obtained and by that year the island had thirteen Assemblies.[10]

In 1975 the membership of the National Teaching Committee of Réunion decided to undertake travel teaching itself as opposed to devoting itself to planning activities for others and aver two months the Faith was proclaimed to over two hundred people and Bahá’ís across the island became more active,[11] with a National Teaching Conference being held the following year.[12] In early 1978 five weeks of intensive teaching activity resulted in five localities being opened to the Faith and twenty-five people declaring.[13] Teaching activity in the late 1970's utilized Bahá’í youth who would stay in an area for a week or two and undertake an intensive teaching campaign.[14]

In 1980 French Bahá’í author and film-maker André Brugiroux visited Réunion with a film he had made on the Faith being screened eleven times to almost two thousand people during his visit.[15] By the early 1980's the Réunion Bahá’í community was facilitating numerous activities for children,[16] and by the late 1980's the community had been invited to produce a regular radio programme after several successful broadcasts for special occasions.[17] In 1986 the National Spiritual Assembly held a peace symposium which received widespread media coverage.[18]

In August, 1996, a major teaching campaign was undertaken with support from Bahá’ís from Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles with four public conferences being held to proclaim the Faith.[19] In 2002 a Bahá’í delegation met with the Prime Minister of France when he visited Réunion alongside representatives of other religious communities.[20]

The Bahá’í community of Réunion continues to remain active facilitating several community building such as study circles, devotional meetings, and groups for children and youth.[21]

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. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Earl Redman, The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press: Oxford, p 129
  3. ↑ Baha'i News (1957). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 312, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  4. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 910. View as PDF.
  5. ↑ Edith & Lowell Johnson, Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa, NSA of South Africa: Johannesburg, 2003, p 164
  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 161
  7. ↑ Edith & Lowell Johnson, Heroes and Heroines of the Ten Year Crusade in Southern Africa, NSA of South Africa: Johannesburg, 2003, p 163
  8. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 96. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ Baha'i News (1968). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 442, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 199. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ Baha'i News (1975). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 530, Pg(s) 20. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ Baha'i News (1976). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 544, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  13. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 567, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1981). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 17 (1976-1979), Pg(s) 144. View as PDF.
  15. ↑ Baha'i News (1981). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 607, Pg(s) 16. View as PDF.
  16. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1986). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 18 (1979-1983), Pg(s) 168. View as PDF.
  17. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 133. View as PDF.
  18. ↑ Baha'i News (1986). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 665, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  19. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 25 (1996-1997), Pg(s) 104. View as PDF.
  20. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2003). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 30 (2001-2002), Pg(s) 101. View as PDF.
  21. ↑ activities https://www.bahai.org/national-communities/reunion
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