Western Sahara

Western Sahara
Location of Western Sahara
National Assembly		N/A
Statistics:
Total Population
-	UN 2021	565,581
Bahá'í pop.
-	Bahá'í source
-	Non-Bahá'í source	245
History: Firsts
-	Pioneers	1953, ‘Amín Battáh 1953, Muhammad Mustafá Sulaymán
Related media
Categories: Western Sahara • People

Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North West Africa. It is partially controlled by Morocco and partially by the self proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. One of the primary languages spoken in the area is Spanish.

The region has been inhabited since ancient history. Throughout the 1700s Spain established control of the region and in 1884 the colony of Spanish Sahara was established. In 1975 Spain transferred governance of portions of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania however a civil war broke out in 1991 with the situation remaining unresolved. The islands of Río de Oro neighbor Western Sahara and also remained disputed territory.

The Bahá'í Faith was first present in the area in 1953 but a community has not yet been firmly established.

History

At the opening of the Ten Year Crusade in 1953 Spanish Sahara and Río de Oro were both set as distinct goal territories to establish the Bahá’í Faith in. Responsibility for pursuing the goals was assigned to the National Spiritual Assembly of Egypt and Sudan.

Egyptian Bahá’í Amin Battah pioneered to Río de Oro arriving in early October, 1953, settling in Villa Cesnoros however the Spanish authorities were suspicious of him and prevented him from meeting with locals. Fellow Egyptian Bahá’í Muhammad Mustafá Sulaymán also pioneered around the same time arriving in Spanish Sahara on October 4, 1953, and settling in Cabo Juby however he established good relations with the authorities and was able to visit a school to teach and they organized a military plane for him so he could travel to the capital of the area El Aaiun. He visited the governor of Spanish Sahara in the capital and secured permission to teach and his efforts resulted in two declarations in El Aaiun.

Although Mustafá had initially established positive relations with the authorities both him and Battah were deported from the area to Morocco on October 28, 1953. The Spanish authorities forbade any visas for the Spanish Sahara from being granted to Bahá’ís after they were deported. In 1957 Shoghi Effendi noted the importance of reopening Spanish Sahara to the Faith, and it was re-opened in 1966.

In 1974 the responsibility for administration of the Faith in Spanish Sahara was given to the National Spiritual Assembly of Spain, and as of 1975 it was under the jurisdiction of the Continental Board for Northern Africa.