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The Gambia

From Bahaipedia
The Gambia
Some of the Participants at the Festivities held to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Bahá'í Faith in The Gambia, 2004.
Location of The Gambia
National AssemblyGambia
Statistics:
Total Population
 -  UN 2021[1] 2,639,916
Bahá'í pop.
 -  Bahá'í source  
 -  Non-Bahá'í source 19,833
History:
Firsts
 -  Local Bahá'í Nelson Ethan Thomas[2] 
 -  Pioneers Faríburz Rúzbihíyán 
 -  Local Assembly 1955, Multiple 
 -  National Assembly 1970, with Upper West Africa
1975, Independent 
How to contact:
 -  Email nsagambia@gmail.com
Official Website https://bahaigambia.com/
Related media
Categories: The Gambia • People

The Republic of The Gambia is a West African country bordered by Senegal and the Atlantic Ocean. It is the smallest non-island country in Africa. The official language of the country is English, but other major languages are Mandinka, Fula, Wolof, Serer, and Jola.

The region has been inhabited since prehistory, and the first written accounts come from early Muslim travelers. By the 12th century Islam had been established in the region. By the 14th century it was ruled by the Mali Empire. Both France and Britain attempted to colonize the region in the 17th and 18th century, and Britain ultimately prevailed. The region was ruled as part of the colony of Sierra Leone until becoming a separate colony in 1888. It became self-governing in 1963 and achieved independence in 1965 as a constitutional monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II. In 1970 it became a Commonwealth republic. It left the Commonwealth in 2013, but returned in 2018.

The Bahá'í Faith was first present in the Gambia in 1954, and by 1956 there was an established community. This community collapsed when the Bahá'í pioneer who had established it departed due to health concerns. Other Bahá'ís pioneered to the country in the late 50's and the community was re-established, however it soon stagnated again once the pioneers departed. The community was established through teaching work again in the late 1960's and from then on has experienced stable growth.

History[edit]

Introducing the Bahá’í Faith[edit]

At the opening of the Ten Year Crusade in 1953 Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, assigned the goal of opening Gambia to the Faith to the National Spiritual Assembly of India, Pakistan, and Burma in his message to the Kampala Intercontinental Conference.[3] Faríburz Rúzbihíyán pioneered to the country arriving in Bathurst, now Banjul, by plane on February 19, 1954 and he was named a Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for doing so.[4]

First LSA of Serekunda, 1955.

In Faríburz's first six months in the country he was ill and was admitted to hospital several times, with only one person accepting the Faith, a Christian Syrian named Nelson Ethan Thomas, who he converted during his fourth hospitalization.[5] He requested that the Guardian pray at the Holy Shrines for his success and health, and another Christian in his hospital ward declared while he was recovering. He also began studying Qur'anic prophecies while in hospital so that he could teach the Muslim population.[6] After recovering he found success teaching the Faith in the town of Birkama, where an acquaintance invited him to present the Faith at a local Mosque. While initially apprehensive of the crowd that approached he gave a talk with his acquaintance interpreting and a man declared after being assured that in the Faith a black man would have the same status as any other man.[7] The first Muslim to convert to the Faith in the Gambia was al-Hassan Jagne.[8] By Ridvan 1955 Faríburz had been successful enough that Local Spiritual Assemblies were established in Bathurst, Serekunda, Lamin and Birkama, and a Bahá'í group was established in the town of Bakau.[9]

By 1955 introductory pamphlets on the Faith had been translated into Wolof, a language spoken in Gambia.[10] In 1956 Shoghi Effendi commended the progress of the Faith in Gambia in a letter to the Bahá'í Convention of the United States, reporting approximately three hundred believers in the country.[11] Faríburz departed the Gambia in 1956, and as the early growth of the Faith in the country had not been consolidated his departure resulted in the size of the community diminishing considerably.[12]

In April 1957 Enayatu'llah and Eshrat Fananapazir pioneered to Gambia with their children and had to virtually restart the teaching work in the country. They remained in the Gambia for five years.[13] Faríburz returned briefly in October 1957 at the request of Shoghi Effendi and purchased a house in Serekunda which became a Bahá'í Center, however he was hospitalized for the majority of this visit and had to depart.[14][15] The Fananapazir's departed Gambia in March 1962, and Shoghi Riaz Rohani arrived in the country the same year, and served the Faith until departing in 1963.[16]

In 1963 twenty-one Local Assemblies were elected in the Gambia.[17] Also in 1963 the National Spiritual Assembly of West Africa was formed with jurisdiction over the Bahá'í community of the Gambia.[18] Unfortunately the departure of Shoghi Riaz Rohani in 1963 left the Gambia without a Bahá'í pioneer again, and the lack of consolidation of the community resulted in the community stagnating, and in 1964 only seven Local Spiritual Assemblies were re-elected. In addition to the Assemblies in 1964 there twenty-four Bahá'í groups, and thirty-one localities opened to the Faith in the Gambia. The Nine Year Plan set the Gambia Bahá'ís the goal of establishing twenty Local Spiritual Assemblies and incorporating seven by 1973.[19]

Establishment of a Community[edit]

In 1967 'Ali-Muhammad Jalali pioneered to the country from Iran and began assisting the community in organizing.[20] In 1968 Moojan Momen visited the Gambia during a teaching trip across West Africa, as the first Bahá'í youth to answer the call for youth to dedicate six to twelve months to teaching trips from the Universal House of Justice.[21] A Local Spiritual Assembly was established in Bondali in 1968, bringing the total number of Assemblies in the country to five, with Assemblies in; Serekunda (the only Assembly maintained since 1955), Bathurst, Lamin, Bondali and Nibrass Village.[22] Seven of the Bondali Assembly members planned to pioneer to other villages to teach the Faith by October 1968.[23] After this third period of growth there was not another collapse of the community.[24]

In 1970 the National Spiritual Assembly of Upper West Africa was established with its seat in Bathurst. Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga attended the Convention at which it was established, representing the Universal House of Justice, and Counsellor Husayn Ardikani also attended. News of the Convention was broadcast on radio across the country, and a representative of the National Assembly of West Africa, Jamshid Fanaiyyan, delivered a thirty minute radio interview on the Faith.[25]

Rúhíyyih Khánum with Bahá'ís at Upper West Africa Convention, Bathurst, 1971.

In April 1971 Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum visited Gambia for eighteen days. By this point some Local Assemblies were at risk of being disbanded. Early in her visit Rúhíyyih Khánum met with the National Assembly and Board of Counsellors for West Africa and assisted them in designing a campaign to retain the Assemblies. She also met with Sir Dawda Jawara, the President of Gambia, with Counselor William Maxwell who was also visiting the country, and the President informed them that he had visited the Shrine of the Báb in the Holy Land. Rúhíyyih Khánum also conducted a public meeting and joint interview with William Maxwell.[26]

During her visit Rúhíyyih Khánum assisted the Bahá'í community in executing the campaign to retain the Assemblies, with a pioneer driving the Bahá'ís out to villages with an interpreter to deepen their Bahá'í communities, most being visited more than once. At Ridvan 1971 Nine Assemblies were elected in the area that Rúhíyyih Khánum had visited, with her personal assistance in the election of three, and another was elected in another part of the country. On the last day of the campaign while returning to Bathurst the bus was stopped by an elder in Bulenghat, a village they had driven past while traveling to visit the Bahá'í community of Kankurang, who wanted to know why they had not stopped in their village. Rúhíyyih Khánum gave a presentation on the Faith after which the elder, Kebba Badjie, declared.[27] Before departing the Gambia Rúhíyyih Khánum attended the 1971 Annual Convention for Upper West Africa.[28]

In August 1971 Bahá'í Cyrus Towfiq visited Gambia to act as economic consultant to the Central Bank of the Gambia. He devoted his spare time to assisting the Bahá'í community during his visit, meeting with Bahá'ís in Lamin, Churchiltown, Serekunda and the village of Sotokoi.[29] In December 1972 the first West African Bahá'í Youth Conference was held on Yundum College Campus in Bathurst, having been sponsored by the Continental Board of Counselors. Counselors Husayn Ardikani and William Maxwell were present, as were six Auxiliary Board members, who delivered talks to the attendees.[30]

As of 1973 there were an estimated 1,800 Bahá'ís in the Gambia and twenty-seven Local Assemblies.[31] In August 1973 Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir and Husayn Ardikani visited Banjul and Churchilltown,[32] and in 1974 Enoch Olinga visited Gambia during a tour of West Africa staying in Banjul and visiting Latrikunda Sabiji and Lamin.[33] Olinga was received by Acting President Andrew D. Camara during his visit.[34] In August 1974 Mas’ud Khamsi met with President Sir Dawda Jawara during a visit the President made to Trinidad.[35]

In 1975 the independent National Spiritual Assembly of the Gambia was established with its seat in Banjul.[36] In February 1976 the National Assembly was registered with the government as a religious body, and a Temple Site was leased at Latrikunda Sabiji.[37] As of 1976 six Bahá'í Centers were in the process of being constructed, in accordance with the countries Five Year Plan goal of constructing seven Bahá'í Centers. They were being built in Sotokoi, Kanfenda, Burock, Badjiran, Wassadoung, and Bulenghat.[38] During 1976 twelve villages were opened to the Faith in the Foni District.[39]

In January 1977 a National Teaching Conference was held at a newly constructed Bahá'í Center in Latrikunda-Sabiji with the Center being dedicated during the Conference. Expansion of the Faith in the Foni region was discussed at the conference.[40] By August 1977 thirteen Local Spiritual Assemblies had been established in the Lorebeh region.[41] In late 1977 nine villages were opened to the Faith by a three woman teaching team consisting of Mahin Azami and Ghodzieh Badcoubei of Holland and Marlena Imani of Germany.[42] In November 1977 the Bulenghat Teaching Conference was held.[43] In January 1978 the first National Bahá'í Women's Conference for the Gambia was held at the Bahá'í Center in Badjiran.[44] In 1979 at the conclusion of the Five Year Plan the Bahá'í community of the Gambia announced that it had achieved all of its goals.[45] In September 1979 American Bahá'í Ann McCrory conducted a teaching tour of Gambia, holding children's classes and firesides in twenty localities.[46]

Women's Institute held at Latrikunda Bahá'í Center, 1987.

Beginning of Social & Economic Development Efforts[edit]

In 1981 Ada Williams of the United Kingdom conducted a teaching tour of the Gambia.[47] In August 1983 Yama N'jie was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Gambia in a by-election, and she was the first woman elected to the body.[48] In May 1984 Gambian Bahá'ís conducted a teaching campaign in Guinea Bissau, fulfilling an extension goal assigned to the country for the Seven Year Plan.[49] As of July 1984 adult literacy classes were being held at the Latrikunda-Sabiji Regional Bahá'í Center.[50] By 1985 a nursery school had been established at the Bahá'í National Center of the Gambia with twenty-five children attending.[51] On January 5, 1986, the Secretary-General of the Gambia received The Promise of World Peace, the Peace statement by the Universal House of Justice, on behalf of the President.[52] As of 1987 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Gambia was incorporated, and the Faith had tax exempt status.[53] In January 1987 an inter-faith World Peace Seminar was organized by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Gambia.[54]

In early 1990 the Non-Formal Education Services Unit of the Department of Education of the Gambia invited the Bahá'í community to exhibit materials at an event.[55] In May 1990 Magdalene Carney met with the National Spiritual Assemblies of Senegal and the Gambia.[56] From 1992 to 1993 some youth from the United States and Canada visited the village of New Yundun and held weekly literacy and moral education classes.[57] From 1996 to 1997 literacy and health classes for women were held by Bahá'í's across the Gambia, one of which included lessons on sesame brittle production in order to assist women in generating an independent income.[58] In 1997 the Quddus football team was organized by the National Youth Committee.[59] In 1998 the Local Spiritual Assembly of Bakau began offering free advanced computer classes for the wider community to assist their employment prospects.[60][61] In March 1999 a program for Bahá'í mothers was held in Latrikuna-Sabiji.[62] In May 1999 the first Bahá'í marriage in the region surrounding Lamin was conducted, with Gambian boxer and Bahá'í Sang Correa marrying Elizabeth Mendy at a ceremony in Lamin.[63]

In January 2002 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Gambia was incorporated again and the Faith was recognized as an independent religion by the countries Department for Religious Affairs.[64] In December 2004 National Bahá'í Center in Bakau was opened and the Bahá'í community of the Gambia celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Faith in the country, with Moojan Momen acting as a keynote speaker at the celebration and the Dakar Bahá'í choir performing.[65] Faríburz's grandson also spoke at the celebration.[66]

In recent years the Bahá’í community of the Gambia has begun holding devotional gatherings, children's classes, junior youth spiritual empowerment programs, and study circles for the purposes of building community in eighty-one localities throughout the country.[67] It also continues to facilitate free computer classes.[68]

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. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/346/slideshow/22/
  3. ↑ Baha'i News (1953). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 265, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  4. ↑ Baha'i News (1954). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 278, Pg(s) 1. View as PDF.
  5. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 91
  6. ↑ Baha'i News (1955). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 298, Pg(s) 3-4. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ Baha'i News (1955). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 296, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 91
  9. ↑ Baha'i News (1955). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 298, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ Baha'i News (1955). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 292, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ Baha'i News (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 303, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 92
  13. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 99
  14. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2006). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 33 (2004-2005), Pg(s) 53. View as PDF.
  15. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 97
  16. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 99
  17. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 288. View as PDF.
  18. ↑ Baha'i News (1963). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 393, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  19. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1974). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 14 (1963-1968), Pg(s) 125. View as PDF.
  20. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 99
  21. ↑ Baha'i News (1968). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 446, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
  22. ↑ Baha'i News (1968). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 450, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
  23. ↑ Baha'i News (1968). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 450, Pg(s) 11. View as PDF.
  24. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 99
  25. ↑ Baha'i News (1970). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 475, Pg(s) 6. View as PDF.
  26. ↑ Baha'i News (1971). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 487, Pg(s) 14-15. View as PDF.
  27. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20101206040359/http://bci.org/bahaigambia/history.htm
  28. ↑ Baha'i News (1971). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 487, Pg(s) 15-16. View as PDF.
  29. ↑ Baha'i News (1972). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 491, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  30. ↑ Baha'i News (1973). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 504, Pg(s) 8-9. View as PDF.
  31. ↑ Lee, A.A., The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962, 2011 Brill: Boston, p 99
  32. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 166. View as PDF.
  33. ↑ Baha'i News (1975). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 526, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
  34. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 166. View as PDF.
  35. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 225. View as PDF.
  36. ↑ Baha'i News (1975). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 526, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  37. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 168. View as PDF.
  38. ↑ Bahá'í News, No. 543, p 11
  39. ↑ Baha'i News (1977). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 551, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  40. ↑ Baha'i News (1977). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 553, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  41. ↑ Baha'i News (1977). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 557, Pg(s) 17. View as PDF.
  42. ↑ Baha'i News (1977). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 561, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
  43. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 565, Pg(s) 17. View as PDF.
  44. ↑ Baha'i News (1978). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 566, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
  45. ↑ Baha'i News (1979). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 581, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  46. ↑ Baha'i News (1980). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 594, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  47. ↑ Baha'i News (1981). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 608, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  48. ↑ Baha'i News (1984). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 637, Pg(s) 17. View as PDF.
  49. ↑ Baha'i News (December 1985). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 657, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
  50. ↑ Baha'i News (1986). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 660, Pg(s) 3. View as PDF.
  51. ↑ Baha'i News (1985). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 650, Pg(s) 16. View as PDF.
  52. ↑ Baha'i News (1988). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 683, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
  53. ↑ Baha'i News (1987). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 676, Pg(s) 11. View as PDF.
  54. ↑ Baha'i News (1988). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 692, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  55. ↑ Baha'i News (1990). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 707, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
  56. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 20 (1986-1992), Pg(s) 166. View as PDF.
  57. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1994). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 22 (1993-1994), Pg(s) 123. View as PDF.
  58. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1998). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 25 (1996-1997), Pg(s) 74. View as PDF.
  59. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/346/slideshow/4/
  60. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2007). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 34 (2005-2006), Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
  61. ↑ Bahá'ís of the Gambia Official Website, archived version.
  62. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2000). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 27 (1998-1999), Pg(s) 85. View as PDF.
  63. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2001). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 28 (1999-2000), Pg(s) 52. View as PDF.
  64. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2003). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 30 (2001-2002), Pg(s) 102. View as PDF.
  65. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/story/346/
  66. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2006). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 33 (2004-2005), Pg(s) 52. View as PDF.
  67. ↑ https://bahaigambia.com/#about
  68. ↑ https://bahaigambia.com/#computerclasses


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