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Senegal

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 Senegal
Bahá’ís of Senegal with Rúhíyyih Khánum in Rufisque, 1971.
Location of Senegal
National AssemblySenegal
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[1] 16,876,720
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source  
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 30,939
History:
Firsts
 -  Pioneers Labíb Isfahání
Habíb Isfahání 
 -  National Assembly 1975 
Related media
Categories: Senegal • People

The Republic of Senegal is a country in West Africa, the most westernmost country of the continent. The countries official language is French, but Wolof is also widely spoken, with the Wolof people being the majority group in the country.

The area which is now Senegal has been inhabited since prehistory, and from the 13th century the Jolof Empire ruled the region. In the 17th century the French began to use the island of Gorée as a location to facilitate the slave trade, and throughout the 19th century France waged a successful full scale campaign to conquer Senegal. In 1904 Dakar, now the capital of Senegal, was named the capital of French West Africa, a federation of French colonial territories. In 1959 French Senegal merged with French Sudan to form the Mali Federation which became independent of France in 1960, but by the end of 1960 the federation broke up with Senegal and French Sudan, now Mali, both becoming independent nations.

The Bahá’í Faith was established in Senegal in 1953 and the community was consolidated in the 1960's continuing to remain active to the present day.

History[edit]

Establishment of a Community[edit]

At the opening of the Ten Year Crusade in 1953 French West Africa as a whole was set as a goal territory to be opened to the Faith meaning that Senegal itself was not set as a goal. Perhaps due to Dakar, in what is now Senegal, being the capital of French West Africa it was the first region of French West Africa to be opened to the Faith, with Labíb Isfahání pioneering to Dakar in November 1953, but departing for Côte d'Ivoire in 1955,[2] and Habíb Isfahání pioneering in February 1954.[3] A milestone was achieved in October 1959 when the first Bahá'í marriage in Senegal took place in Dakar with Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga attending the ceremony,[4] however Habíb was forced to leave the area in 1960 and settled in Côte d'Ivoire.[5]

In the early 1960's Ḥusayn Ardikání was asked to assess the Bahá’í community of Senegal by the National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa and as he was unable to establish contact with any Bahá’ís during his visit he decided to pioneer to the country. He pioneered in January, 1962, with his wife Nusrat however they were unable to secure permission to live in the country and had to leave after six months.[6] In 1963 the National Spiritual Assembly of West Africa was formed and given responsibility for administrating the Faith in Senegal,[7] which did not yet have a Local Spiritual Assembly but did have a Bahá'í group in Dakar.[8]

When the Nine Year Plan began in 1964 the United States Bahá'í community was assigned to consolidate the Faith in Senegal,[9] with a goal of establishing five Local Spiritual Assemblies in the country by 1973 being set.[10] Labíb Isfahání returned to Dakar in 1964,[11] and Ḥusayn and Nusrat Ardikání returned in 1966 enrolling in tertiary study so that they could remain in the country as students.[12] American Poet and Bahá'í Robert Hayden achieved prominence in Senegal in June, 1966, when he was given an award at the First World Festival of Negro Arts held in Dakar for his work A Ballad of Remembrance,[13] although he did not visit Senegal instead being presented with the award by the President of Senegal in New York after the festival.[14]

The 1970's[edit]

In 1970 the National Spiritual Assembly of Upper West Africa was formed and assumed responsibility for administrating the Bahá'í Faith in Senegal. Delegates from Senegal attended the first Upper West Africa Convention in The Gambia and cast votes for the Assembly.[15]

In 1971 Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum visited Senegal during her tour of Africa. She arrived in Dakar on March 26 and during her time in the capital she met with President Leopold Senghor for half an hour, held a press conference at the Senegal Ministry for Information, gave two interviews with newspapers and two on the radio, and spoke at a meeting at the Centre Culturel attended by students. On April 8 she departed Dakar and visited Rufisque and Pikwe, two towns which had Local Spiritual Assemblies with the Local Spiritual Assembly of Rufisque having been formed that year.[16] In total six Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed in Senegal in 1971,[17] contributing to Senegal surpassing its goal of establishing five Local Spiritual Assemblies by 1973.[18]

When the Five Year Plan began in 1974 the goal of establishing a National Spiritual Assembly of Senegal with its seat in Dakar was set,[19] and later that year Enoch Olinga visited Senegal to assist with deepening classes and mass teaching efforts.[20] In 1975 the National Spiritual Assembly of The Gambia was established changing the jurisdiction of the Upper West Africa Assembly which was registered as an association in Senegal under the name The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Senegal.[21] Enoch Olinga represented the Universal House of Justice at the National Convention at which the newly constituted National Assembly of Upper West Africa was established,[22] and the same year a National Haziratu'l-Quds for Senegal was acquired.[23] In 1976 the first local Bahá'í Centre of Senegal was acquired and dedicated in M'Bidieum, a Bahá'í bulletin titled Naw-Ruz began publication,[24] and Enoch Olinga made another visit to the country, attending that years National Convention.[25]

As of 1978 thirty Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established and seventy-six localities had been opened to the Faith since the beginning of the Five Year Plan in 1974.[26] In April 1978 a National Bahá'í Women's Conference was held in Senegal.[27] By 1979 another eight Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established and another fourteen localities had been opened to the Faith. Also as of 1979 one regional Bahá'í Center and five local Bahá'í Centers had been acquired.[28]

The 1980's[edit]

In 1983 an interstate Bahá'í Conference was held in Dakar which was attended by ninety-two guests from across The Gambia, Mauritania, and Senegal, including Counsellor Husayn Ardekani. Talks on diverse topics were given during the conference, children's classes were held, and a soccer game was played between the Bahá'ís of The Gambia and Senegal which ended in a tie.[29] In 1984 a Bahá'í Regional Children's Conference was held in Senegal which was attended by eighty children and thirty adults. A National Youth Conference was also held at the Bahá'í National Center in Dakar, and seventy-five Bahá'ís attended Senegal's third annual Spring School held in Dakar.[30]

In 1985 the Bahá'í Center of Koundhioughor was opened with an inauguration ceremony attended by seventy-five, including two travel teachers who assisted in establishing seven Local Spiritual Assemblies during their visit to Senegal.[31] In January 1986 The Promise of World Peace, the peace statement by the Universal House of Justice, was conveyed to the President of Senegal via the Director of the Cabinet.[32] As a result of this the Bahá'í community was invited to participate in the elaboration of a cultural charter for Senegal by the Minister for Culture in February 1986.[33]

As of 1987 the National Spiritual Assembly of Senegal had achieved incorporation.[34] In 1988 a seven day teaching project dedicated to Eduardo Duarte Vieria, the first African Bahá'í martyr, was held in the Ziguinchor region of Senegal which resulted in nineteen localities being opened to the Faith and seven Local Spiritual Assemblies being formed.[35] Also in 1989 Dr. Pierre Daoust, chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of Belgium, made a teaching trip to the regions of Pikine and Bambylor in Senegal during which he provided free dental care.[36]

The 1990's[edit]

In 1995 the Bahá'ís of Senegal undertook a teaching project which was named after Enoch Olinga. In addition to teaching the Faith it also involved literacy classes.[37] In 1996 the Bahá'í theatre group Lumiere de l'Unite toured Senegal.[38] Also in 1996 the Bahá'í community of Dioral was noted in Bahá'í World, a yearbook for the Bahá'í Faith, as having established a community field in which the Bahá'í community grew crops which they sold to raise money for their Local Fund.[39] In 1997 classes based on the Ruhi Institute materials were held at the Permanent Institute of Bambilor in the Wolof language which were attended by participants from Kaolack, Pikine, Tataguine, and other parts of Senegal.[40]

In 1999 a Bahá'í representative was invited to a panel on unity by the Office of the President of Senegal,[41] and in October 1999 a large newspaper of Senegal published an article which listed the Bahá'í Faith as a dangerous sect being introduced to the country, the National Spiritual Assembly contacted the paper and a delegation met with the editor-in-chief which resulted in a letter written on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly also being published in the newspaper in December 1999.[42]

Recent Years[edit]

On April 17, 2000, the Bahá'ís of Senegal launched the first Bahá'í website for French-speaking Africa.[43] In December 2003 the 50th Anniversary of the Bahá'í Faith in French West Africa was celebrated in Dakar with Bahá'ís travelling from Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo for the event. At the celebration the history of the Faith in the region was recounted by early Bahá'ís.[44] In 2005 the Bahá'ís of Senegal participated in an international book fair held in Dakar, and their stall was visited by the Minister of Culture and Historical Heritage fo Senegal who accepted a gift of Bahá'í books. There were thirty-four Local Spiritual Assemblies in Senegal as of 2005.[45]

In 2013 a Youth Conference was held in Dakar which was attended by 350 youth from Senegal, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and The Gambia. At the conference the contributions youth can make through service were discussed.[46]

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. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2002). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 29 (2000-2001), Pg(s) 270. View as PDF.
  3. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 109
  4. ↑ Baha'i News (1960). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 348, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
  5. ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 44
  6. ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 19
  7. ↑ Baha'i News (1963). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 393, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 1014. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 117. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 125. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 44
  12. ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 19
  13. ↑ Baha'i News (1966). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 425, Pg(s) 17. View as PDF.
  14. ↑ Baha'i News (1966). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 429, Pg(s) 23. View as PDF.
  15. ↑ Baha'i News (1970). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 475, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
  16. ↑ Baha'i News (1971). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 486, Pg(s) 22. View as PDF.
  17. ↑ Baha'i News (1971). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 487, Pg(s) 16. View as PDF.
  18. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 193. View as PDF.
  19. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 112. View as PDF.
  20. ↑ Bahá'í News, No. 526, p 10
  21. ↑ Baha'i News (1975). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 526, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  22. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 418. View as PDF.
  23. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 174. View as PDF.
  24. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 175. View as PDF.
  25. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1981). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 17 (1976-1979), Pg(s) 329. View as PDF.
  26. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 567, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  27. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1981). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 17 (1976-1979), Pg(s) 208. View as PDF.
  28. ↑ Baha'i News (1979). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 581, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  29. ↑ Bahá'í News, No. 628, p 17
  30. ↑ Baha'i News (1984). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 645, Pg(s) 16. View as PDF.
  31. ↑ Baha'i News (1985). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 650, Pg(s) 16. View as PDF.
  32. ↑ Baha'i News (1988). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 683, Pg(s) 9. View as PDF.
  33. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 19 (1983-1986), Pg(s) 98. View as PDF.
  34. ↑ Bahá'í News, No. 676.
  35. ↑ Baha'i News (1989). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 701, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  36. ↑ Baha'i News (1989). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 704, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  37. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1997). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 24 (1995-1996), Pg(s) 112. View as PDF.
  38. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 25 (1996-1997), Pg(s) 103. View as PDF.
  39. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 25 (1996-1997), Pg(s) 60. View as PDF.
  40. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1999). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 26 (1997-1998), Pg(s) 93. View as PDF.
  41. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2000). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 27 (1998-1999), Pg(s) 99. View as PDF.
  42. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2001). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 28 (1999-2000), Pg(s) 56. View as PDF.
  43. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2001). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 28 (1999-2000), Pg(s) 56. View as PDF.
  44. ↑ Bahá'í World, Vol. 32, pp 55-56
  45. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/428/
  46. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/community-news/youth-conferences/dakar.html


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