The Baháʼí Faith in Uganda started to grow in 1951 and four years later there were 500 Baháʼís in 80 localities, including 13 Baháʼí
Local Spiritual Assemblies
Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
, representing 30 tribes, and had dispatched 9
pioneers to other African locations.
Following the reign of
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...
when the Baháʼí Faith was banned and the murder of Baháʼí
Hand of the Cause
Hand of the Cause was a title given to prominent early members of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the religion's founders. Of the fifty individuals given the title, the last living was ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá, who died in 2007. Hands of ...
Enoch Olinga
Enoch Olinga (June 24, 1926 – September 16, 1979) was born to a Ugandan family of the Teso people, Iteso ethnic group. He became a Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼí, earned the title Knights of Baháʼu'lláh, Knight of Baháʼu'lláh and was appointed ...
and his family,
the community continues to grow though estimates of the population range widely from 19,000 to 105,000
and the community's involvements have included diverse efforts to promote the welfare of the Ugandan people. The
Association of Religion Data Archives
The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) is a free source of online information related to American and international religion. One of the primary goals of the archive is to democratize access to academic information on religion by making t ...
(relying on
World Christian Encyclopedia
''World Christian Encyclopedia'' is a reference work, with its third edition published by Edinburgh University Press in November 2019. The ''WCE'' is known for providing membership statistics for major world religions and Christian denomination ...
) estimated about 78,500;
however
National Population & Housing Census, 2014recorded only 29,601.
Early history
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: , ;, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás (, ), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who designated him to be his successor and head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 un ...
wrote a series of letters, or
tablets, to the followers of the religion in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in 1916–1917; these letters were compiled together in the book ''
Tablets of the Divine Plan
The ''Tablets of the Divine Plan'' collectively refers to 14 letters ( tablets) written between March 1916 and March 1917 by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to Baháʼís in the United States and Canada. Included in multiple books, the first five tablets were pr ...
''. The eighth and twelfth of the tablets mentioned
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
and were written on April 19, 1916, and February 15, 1917, respectively. Publication however was delayed in the United States until 1919—after the end of the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and the
Spanish flu
The 1918–1920 flu pandemic, also known as the Great Influenza epidemic or by the common misnomer Spanish flu, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 subtype of the influenza A virus. The earliest docum ...
. The tablets were translated and presented by
Mirza Ahmad Sohrab
Mírzá Aḥmad Sohráb (March 21, 1890 – April 20, 1958) was a Persian- American author and Baháʼí who served as 'Abdu'l-Bahá's secretary and interpreter from 1912 to 1919. He co-founded the New History Society and the Caravan of East and ...
on April 4, 1919, and published in ''
Star of the West
''Star of the West'' was an American merchant steamship that was launched in 1852 and scuttled by Confederate forces in 1863. In January 1861, the ship was hired by the government of the United States to transport military supplies and reinforc ...
'' magazine on December 12, 1919. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá mentions Baháʼís traveling "…especially from America to Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, and travel through Japan and China. Likewise, from Germany teachers and believers may travel to the continents of America, Africa, Japan and China; in brief, they may travel through all the continents and islands of the globe"
and " …the anthem of the oneness of the world of humanity may confer a new life upon all the children of men, and the tabernacle of universal peace be pitched on the apex of America; thus Europe and Africa may become vivified with the breaths of the Holy Spirit, this world may become another world, the body politic may attain to a new exhilaration…."
Connections and development
An early instance of contact between Uganda and the Baháʼí Faith came in September 1946 when Ugandan Dr. Ernest Kalibala, one of Uganda's first PhDs then associated with the UN, gave a talk at the New York Baháʼí Center. Particular plans to bring the religion to Uganda began in 1950 involving the cooperation of American, British,
Egyptian
''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...
, and Persian Baháʼí communities and reached a level of coordination and detail that materials were translated into languages widely used in Africa before pioneers reached Africa. On August 3, 1951 Mr. and Mrs.
Músá Banání, Mrs. Violette and Mr.
Ali Nakhjavani
Alí-Yulláh Nakhjavání (19 September 1919 – 11 October 2019) was an Azerbaijani-born Iranian Baháʼí, who served as a member of the Universal House of Justice, the supreme governing body of the Baháʼí Faith, between 1963 and 2003.
Al ...
, of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, with their baby daughter
Bahiyyih, and Mr. Philip Hainsworth arrived in
Kampala
Kampala (, ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Uganda. The city proper has a population of 1,875,834 (2024) and is divided into the five political divisions of Kampala Central Division, Kampala, Kawempe Division, Kawempe, Makindy ...
. Banání was an adult convert to the religion during World War I
from a Jewish background. After receiving the news that Hand of the Cause
Louis George Gregory
Louis George Gregory (June 6, 1874 – July 30, 1951) was a prominent American member of the Baháʼí Faith who was devoted to its expansion in the United States and elsewhere. He traveled especially in the South to spread his religion as well a ...
—
Hands of the Cause
Hand of the Cause was a title given to prominent early members of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the religion's founders. Of the fifty individuals given the title, the last living was ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá, who died in 2007. Hands o ...
are a select group of Baháʼís who achieved a distinguished rank in service to the religion — had died previously on July 31, a commemorative meeting for Gregory was held in Kampala at which the five pioneers and Marguerite Preston (from
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
) were joined by twelve Africans. In October an observance of the birth of the
Báb
The Báb (born ʻAlí-Muḥammad; ; ; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850) was an Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbai ...
was the first to be held in the home of a
Buganda
Buganda is a Bantu peoples, Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda, Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the List of current non-sovereign African monarchs, traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Ug ...
n citizen of Uganda, with prayers said in
Luganda
Ganda or Luganda ( ; ) is a Bantu language spoken in the African Great Lakes region. It is one of the major languages in Uganda and is spoken by more than 5.56 million Ganda people, Baganda and other people principally in central Uganda, includ ...
. In December, the first two native Ugandans had converted to the Baháʼí Faith — Fred Bigabwa (
Mutoro tribe) and Chrispin Kajubi (
Buganda
Buganda is a Bantu peoples, Bantu kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Baganda, Baganda people, Buganda is the largest of the List of current non-sovereign African monarchs, traditional kingdoms in present-day East Africa, consisting of Ug ...
tribe).
While Banání was on pilgrimage, World War II veteran
Enoch Olinga
Enoch Olinga (June 24, 1926 – September 16, 1979) was born to a Ugandan family of the Teso people, Iteso ethnic group. He became a Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼí, earned the title Knights of Baháʼu'lláh, Knight of Baháʼu'lláh and was appointed ...
(of
Iteso
''ITESO, Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara'' — distinct from the University of Guadalajara — also known as ''Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente, ITESO'' (Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education), is a ...
tribe), who had been attending classes taught by Nakhjavani in Kampala, was the third Ugandan to become a Baháʼí and swore off alcohol, though his
alcoholism
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...
had already cost him his government job.

The first Baháʼí
Local Spiritual Assembly
Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
in the country was elected in April 1952 in Kampala. The members of the assembly were Fred Bigabwa, Chrispin Kajubi, Peter Musoke, Enoch Olinga, Mr and Mrs Músá Banání, Mr and Mrs Ali Nakhjavani and Philip Hainsworth. These were soon joined by American pioneers, Mary and Reginald (Rex) Collison, in about May. In early 1952, Músá Banání was also appointed as a
Hand of the Cause
Hand of the Cause was a title given to prominent early members of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the religion's founders. Of the fifty individuals given the title, the last living was ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá, who died in 2007. Hands of ...
.
In the summer of 1952 the Baháʼís bought the first center for hosting meetings. By October 1952 there were 55 members of the religion including Olinga's father, living in 12 different localities and representing 9 different tribes: Ganda, Gishu, Gwero, Kabarasi, Kakamega, Luo, Sega, Teso, Toro. Six of them were women. Eighteen were in Kampala and 26 in Teso country. Like Olinga other Baháʼís effected a change in character when converting to the religion and giving up alcoholism. These joined the religion by conversion from Roman Catholic, Protestant and pagan backgrounds and the rural areas were organized into committees until Assemblies could be organized. In February 1953 the first inter-continental conference of four designated by the head of the religion was taking place in Kampala. On the program were Hands of the Cause (already appointed or not yet)
Dorothy Beecher Baker
Dorothy Beecher Baker (December 21, 1898 – January 10, 1954) was an American teacher and prominent member of the Baháʼí Faith. She rose to leadership positions in a Local Spiritual Assembly and then was elected to the National Spiritual Assem ...
,
ʻAlí-Akbar Furútan
ʻAlí-Akbar Furútan (; 29 April 1905 – 26 November 2003) was a prominent Iranian Baháʼí educator and author who was given the rank of Hand of the Cause in 1951.
Biography
A native of Sabzivár in what was, at the time, Iran's Khur ...
,
Ugo Giachery
Ugo Giachery (May 13, 1896 – July 5, 1989) was a prominent Italian Baháʼí from an aristocratic family from Palermo. At an anniversary of the founding of the spiritual assembly of Perugia Giachery told the story of how, as a young wounded ...
,
Hermann Grossman,
ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá
ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá (; 191122 September 2007) was a prominent adherent of the Baháʼí Faith. He was the longest surviving Hand of the Cause of God, an appointed position in the Baháʼí Faith whose main function is to propagate and prot ...
,
George Townshend, and
Dhikru'llah Khadem
Zikrullah Khadem (, or Dhikru'lláh Khádim; 1904–1986) was an Iranian follower of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by its leader to a leadership role as a Hands of the Cause, Hand of the Cause in February 1952. The 27 Hands played a ...
giving a wide variety of talks and classes across 7 days opened with a message from Shoghi Effendi read by Hand of the Cause
Leroy Ioas
Leroy C Ioas (15 February 1896, Wilmington, Illinois - 22 July 1965, Haifa, Israel) was a Hand of the Cause of the Baháʼí Faith. His parents declared themselves Baháʼís in 1898 and took Ioas to meet ʻAbdu'l-Bahá during the latter's travels ...
. By April nine more assemblies were elected
among a community of over two hundred ninety members of the religion, residing in twenty-five localities, and representative of twenty tribes. In June 1953 the American pioneers Mr. and Mrs. Rex Collison moved to
Ruanda-Urundi
Ruanda-Urundi (), later Rwanda-Burundi, was a geopolitical entity, once part of German East Africa, that was occupied by troops from the Belgian Congo during the East African campaign in World War I and was administered by Belgium under milit ...
from Kampala. In October 1953 Olinga went on to
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
and was honoured with the title
Knight of Baháʼu'lláh.
Developing community
Wide-scale growth in the religion across
Sub-Sahara
Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...
n Africa was observed to begin in the 1950s and extend in the 1960s.
After the conference in February 1953
Bill and Marguerite Sears arrived in September 1953 visiting from Johannesburg for an extended stay into October giving many classes and traveling to many villages. It was also during this time the first pioneer from Uganda went to
Mwanza
Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,104,521 and a population of 3,699,872 in the region ...
, Tanganyika. In 1954 Uganda had 500 Baháʼís in 80 localities, including 13 Local Spiritual Assemblies, representing 30 tribes, and had dispatched 9 pioneers to other African locations.
In 1955 there were over 800 Baháʼís having just added seventeen assemblies. In 1956 Olinga was elected as Chairman of the North West regional Baháʼí
National Spiritual Assembly
Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
and the Ugandan Baháʼí community came under the newly formed regional National Spiritual Assembly of Central & Eastern Africa,
of which Nakhjavani was the Chairman
and the Ugandan community alone topped 1000 members. The other members of the regional assembly over Uganda were
Philip Hainsworth, Hassan Sabri, Oloro Epyeruj, Aziz Yazdi, Jalal Nakhjavani, Tito Wanantsusit, Sylvester Okurut, and Max Kenyerezi. In early 1957 Olinga attended the laying of the foundation stone of the first
Baháʼí House of Worship
A Baháʼí House of Worship or Baháʼí temple is a place of worship of the Baháʼí Faith. It is also referred to by the name ''Mashriqu'l-Adhkár'', which is Arabic for "Dawning-place of the remembrance of God".
All Baháʼí Houses of Wo ...
of Africa (which was in Uganda) and in the fall he was appointed a
Hand of the Cause
Hand of the Cause was a title given to prominent early members of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the religion's founders. Of the fifty individuals given the title, the last living was ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá, who died in 2007. Hands of ...
and
Knight of Baháʼu'lláh Clare Gung, formerly of Germany, moved from Tanganyika to Uganda where she founded a multi-racial kindergarten nursery.
Systems were initiated to deal with the rate of growth of the religion - weekend
Baháʼí schools were set up for any Baháʼí who could attend and individuals who were judged to have a substantial understanding of the religion and were able to travel were selected for training as presenters who would then travel locally in their area to make presentations on many of the same themes. By the summer of 1957 13 weekend schools had been held. It was believed these schools lent impetus to the continued growth of the religion in the area by empowering local members of the religion and the schools were repeated in 1958. And the same year regional and local assemblies were registered with the civil government. In 1957 a lone Baháʼí, a member of the Tesa, Yokolamu Okello, reached the relatively remote and pagan region of
Moroto in
Karamoja
The Karamoja sub-region, commonly known as Karamoja, is a region in Uganda. It covers an area of 27,528km and comprises the Kotido District, Kaabong District, Karenga District, Nabilatuk District, Abim District, Moroto District, Napak D ...
and in 1958 the first spiritual assembly was formed there. Conversions to the Baháʼí Faith in Uganda even reached into the prisons where
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendi (; ;1896 or 1897 – 4 November 1957) was Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1922 until his death in 1957. As the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he was charged with guiding the development of the Baháʼí Faith, in ...
, then head of the religion, responded to letters by encouraging the inmates to use their "stumbled" history not to become "embittered or defeated" but "determined to make it a means of purifying your natures, improving your characters, and enabling you to become better citizens in the future." The quick growth of the religion in Uganda was attributed by Baháʼís to the sincerity of their purpose and to the demonstrated lack of racial prejudice.
House of Worship
In 1958 the land for the temple had to be bought in the name of three African Ugandan Baháʼís rather than an institution directly foreign or domestic. These Baháʼís were Joseph Mbogo, Erisha Kiwanuka and Max Kanyerezi who held the land in trust. The
Baháʼí House of Worship
A Baháʼí House of Worship or Baháʼí temple is a place of worship of the Baháʼí Faith. It is also referred to by the name ''Mashriqu'l-Adhkár'', which is Arabic for "Dawning-place of the remembrance of God".
All Baháʼí Houses of Wo ...
in Uganda, named as the Mother Temple of Africa, is situated on
Kikaya Hill on the outskirts of Kampala. At the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone in 1958 Hands of the Cause
Ruhiyyih Khanum and Músá Banání presented material gifts for the building - some soil from the inner-most
Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh
The Mansion of Bahjí (, Qasr Bahjī, ''Mansion of Delight'') is a summer house in Acre, Israel where Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, died in 1892. He was buried in an adjacent house, which became the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh, ...
and the fortress of
Maku where the
Báb
The Báb (born ʻAlí-Muḥammad; ; ; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850) was an Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbai ...
was imprisoned. The building was designed by
Mason Remey
Charles Mason Remey (15 May 1874 – 4 February 1974) was a prominent member of the early American Baháʼí community, and served in several important administrative capacities. He is well-known for an attempted schism of 1960, in which he cla ...
and the green dome is made of fixed mosaic tiles from
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, the lower roof tiles are from
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, and the colored glass in the wall panels was brought from
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
Nine massive columns, each two feet in diameter, support the great dome, itself forty-four feet in diameter at its base; while the two roofs are supported by two sets of twenty seven slightly smaller columns. The overall height is 127 ft., the internal diameter of the building is eighty four feet and the seating capacity is over 600. The inside of the dome is painted a pale blue; the rotunda, into which are set nine enormous windows and fifty-four small windows, all filled with green, amber and pale blue glass, is painted a brilliant white, while the columns and the lower walls are painted a very pale green. All this lends itself to an effect of lightness and airiness which is intensified by the large green and amber glass-filled grilles which stand on either side of the huge mvule doors.
The fifty-acre property includes the House of Worship, extensive gardens, a guest house, and an administrative center.
In 1960 the Ugandan government built an access road out to the site of the temple and a Bugandan council of ministers came to see the building. Observances of Baháʼí Holy days are held and regular services are normally held about 4 pm on Sunday afternoons. By the end of 1965 an estimated 50,000 visitors had come to the temple. Both Hands of the Cause Enoch Olinga and Músá Banání are buried near the Temple.
Dedication

Festivities associated with the opening of the temple were wide-ranging through early 1961. The Ugandan government publication ''
Uganda Argus
''Uganda Argus'' was daily print newspaper and magazine in Uganda, published in Kampala by the Uganda Argus Limited.
The newspaper was founded in 1955, seven years before Uganda achieved independence from the British colonial government in 1962. ...
'' covered the history and description of the temple in the January 1961 issue
and interviews and stories ran on the Ugandan Broadcasting service on radio.
Events on site began on the 13th with a unity feast with Hands of the Cause Musa Banani, John Robarts, Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir and Chairman of the regional assembly Ali Nakhkajvani and vice-chairman O]oro Epyeru giving talks. The temple was dedicated on 14th led by Hand of the Cause Ruhiyyih Khanum where there was a viewing of portraits of the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh. And the public inaugural service was held on the 15th. Over 1500 people attended.
Among the Baháʼís were some 225 African Baháʼís from Uganda, Kenya, Tanganyika, Ruanda Urundi, Ethiopia, Northern Rhodesia, Swaziland, and South Africa; some 90 Persian Baha'is, sixty-two of whom flew from Tehran; the British national assembly, the mother assembly to that of Central and East Africa, sent one believer from each of its regions - England, Scotland and Wales, as well as one from Ireland; the American national assembly sent one of its members, Amos Gibson, himself a pioneer among the American Indian peoples. Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga was unable to attend due to
History of Cameroon#Cameroon after independence, political turmoil in Cameroon Olinga was attempting to help them with. A choir, especially selected from among Kampala's singers and directed by Peter Wingard of
Makerere College
Makerere University (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922, and the oldest currently active university in East Africa. It became an independent national university in ...
sang music
and readings offered were from the Old and New Testaments and the Qurʼan, plus a number of prayers and readings from the Baháʼí writings in Arabic, Persian, Ateso, Swahili, Acholi, Luganda and English. Following the public meeting a reception was held for representatives of the Governor and the
Kabaka of Buganda
Kabaka is the title of the monarch, king of the Buganda, Kingdom of Buganda.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G. Newnes, According to the traditions of the Baganda, they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual and the othe ...
, together with the Mayor of Kampala at which Ruhiyyih Khanum shared a story that Shoghi Effendi had traveled through the region in the early 1920s.
Following the dedication Ruhiyyih Khanum and chairman Nakhkajvani embarked on 15 days of visiting Baháʼís through Uganda and Kenya including staying in their homes, dedicating two schools, ate native food, and were honored with traditional songs and dances. Khanum suggested repeatedly that the Ugandan's own folklore, their traditions and their native songs and music should not be discarded, but that in a society of unity in diversity they were to preserve and develop these as their contribution in enriching the spiritual and material life of human society as well as noting the equality of the sexes and that women should take equal part in administration of the religion.
Intercontinental conferences
First conference
In January 1958, soon after the death of Shoghi Effendi in November, another intercontinental conference was held in Kampala and attended by his widow Ruhiyyih Khanum.
Though sorrowful at his death, there was a call to service in honor of his service. The conference had been initially planned for less than 400 attendees and was overwhelmed as news of over 300 Persians alone were coming. Ultimately some 950 Baháʼís, six Hands of the Cause, a member of the
International Baháʼí Council
The International Baháʼí Council (IBC) was an administrative institution of the Baháʼí Faith, first created in 1951 as a precursor to the Universal House of Justice, which replaced it in 1963.
Formation
The following is a January 9, 195 ...
, sixteen Auxiliary Board members, and representatives from eleven national spiritual assemblies (including those from the four African regional assemblies, those from the other national assemblies which had participated in campaign to bring the religion to sub-Saharan Africa - Britain, India, Iraq, Persia, and the United States - and those from Arabia and Japan), 450 African members, over 300 from Persia, two
Knights of Baháʼu'lláh
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
(one from the Pacific and one from the Arctic), and others from rest of the world were present at the formal convening of the conference as well as telegrams received from many other Hands of the Cause and 34 national assemblies arrived. Reportedly every hotel room was booked.
Ruhiyyih Khanum anointed most attendees with
Attar of rose before being admitted into a viewing of relics of Baháʼu'lláh as well as a reproduction of a painting of him on the first day of the conference. Viewings were also held of a large map by Shoghi Effendi showing the progress of the religion, films of Shrines and gardens from the
Baháʼí World Center, as it existed then, as well as the Monument on the grave of Shoghi Effendi.
Some $280,000 was raised at the conference from a segment of the attendees for donation to the progress of the religion. The foundation stone for the Mother Temple of Africa was laid and relics in silk bags made by
Bahíyyih Khánum
Bahíyyih Khánum (1846 – 15 July 1932) was the only daughter of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, and Ásíyih Khánum. She was born in 1846 with the given name Fatimih Sultan, and was entitled "Varaqiy-i-'Ulyá" or "Greates ...
were set in place (planned to be under the wall on that side of the Temple facing out across a grassy valley towards the Baháʼí
Qiblih
__NOTOC__
In the Baháʼí Faith, the Qiblih (, "direction") is the location to which Baháʼís face when saying their daily obligatory prayers. The Qiblih is fixed at the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh, near Acre, in present-day Israel; approxim ...
.) Ruhiyyih Khanum then spent a day among the Tseo people - speaking to school groups, receiving guests, and visiting homes. She donated money for the reconstruction of a center that had been lost.
Second Conference
Six conferences held in October 1967 around the world presented a viewing of a copy of the photograph of
Baháʼu'lláh
Baháʼu'lláh (, born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was an Iranian religious leader who founded the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Iran and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Báb ...
on the highly significant occasion commemorating the centennial of Baháʼu'lláh's writing of the ''
Suriy-i-Mulúk
The ''Summons of the Lord of Hosts'' is a collection of the tablets of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith, that were written to the kings and rulers of the world during his exile in Adrianople and in the early years of his exile to ...
'' (Tablet to the Kings), which
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendi (; ;1896 or 1897 – 4 November 1957) was Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1922 until his death in 1957. As the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he was charged with guiding the development of the Baháʼí Faith, in ...
describes as "the most momentous Tablet revealed by Baháʼu'lláh".
After a meeting in Edirne (
Adrianople
Edirne (; ), historically known as Orestias, Adrianople, is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the Edirne Province, province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, Edirne was the second c ...
), Turkey, the
Hands of the Cause
Hand of the Cause was a title given to prominent early members of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the religion's founders. Of the fifty individuals given the title, the last living was ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá, who died in 2007. Hands o ...
travelled to the conferences, with each carrying a copy of the photograph of Baháʼú'lláh. Hand of the Cause ʻAlí-Akbar Furútan conveyed this photograph to the Conference for Africa at Uganda.
Ebony magazine
''Ebony'' is a monthly magazine that focuses on news, culture, and entertainment. Its target audience is the Black-American community, and its coverage includes the lifestyles and accomplishments of influential black people, fashion, beauty, and ...
covered the event. Ugandan radio, television and print media covered the events related to the conference as well.
Some 400 Baháʼís from twenty-four African countries gathered. Kolonerio Oule, chairman of the National Assembly for Uganda and Central Africa, opened the conference on the first day and Hands of the Cause ʻAlí-Akbar Furútan and Enoch Olinga began presentations and discussions about the history of the tablets and the range of who they were made for. The next day the new national center building on the same property as the temple was dedicated - it is a circular building having a round central auditorium surrounded by a group of offices, a library, archives, publishing, guest roams and kitchen. The third day William Masehla and speaker
Helen Elsie Austin
Helen Elsie Austin (May 10, 1908– Oct 26, 2004), known as H. Elsie Austin as an adult, was an American attorney, civil rights leader, and diplomat from the Midwest. From 1960 to 1970, she served for ten years with the United States Information ...
focused attention on the role of the individual in the progress of the religion.
That evening a public meeting of some 500 people was held followed by a reception for 250 people; efforts had focused invitations to government personnel, clergy, educational institutions and professional communities.
Roger White was a representative of the Canadian national Assembly which made a gift to the Baháʼís of Uganda in the form of an illuminated tablet of the writings of the religion.
Other developments
It was in 1958 that the Baháʼís of Kampala contracted to reserve a segment of a cemetery for use by Baháʼís. Weekend schools begun in 1958 continued through 1960 though classes now used chapters from ''Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era'' by
John Esslemont
John Ebenezer Esslemont M.B., Ch.B. (1874 – 1925), from Scotland, was a prominent British adherent of the Baháʼí Faith. Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith, posthumously named Esslemont a Hand of the Cause of God, one of ...
. In September 1961, a number of permanent
Baháʼí school
A Baháʼí school at its simplest would be a school run officially by the Baháʼí institutions in its jurisdiction and may be a local class or set of classes, normally run weekly where children get together to study about Baháʼí teachings, ...
s were set up—two Louis Gregory Baháʼí Schools, one in
Tilling, the home town of Olinga, and the other in
Dusai. Courses emphasized homecraft and child rearing mixed with presentations on the religion and men supported women taking the courses. News of the openings was covered in ''
Jet Magazine
''Jet'' is an American weekly digital magazine focusing on news, culture, and entertainment related to the African-American community. Founded in print by John H. Johnson in November 1951 in Chicago, Illinois, the magazine was billed as "The We ...
''. The extraordinary number of enrollments in Uganda and Kenya had reached the point in late 1959 that the institution of the Hands of the Cause were noting there were not enough Baháʼís to keep up with the work of checking the enrollments. 1961 also saw the development of a Ugandan Baháʼí publishing trust.
Olinga was able to re-visit Uganda in June, and again in August–September 1962 when he toured widely in Uganda speaking to many groups amounting to thousands of people about the religion before moving on to Kenya and Tanganyika and the Congo. As the monthly rate of growth reached into the hundreds, a goal of the Uganda Teaching Committee was of stimulating the individual assemblies and believers to assume increasing responsibility for weekend schools in their own villages so that traveling teachers could focus in other areas. In September 1962
Milton Obote
Apollo Milton Obote (28 December 1925 – 10 October 2005) was a Ugandan politician who served as the second prime minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and the second president of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and later from 1980 to 1985.
A Lango, ...
, then Prime Minister of Uganda, visited the
Shrine of the Bab. In 1963 Nakhjavani was elected to the
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the nine-member supreme ruling body of the Baháʼí Faith. It was envisioned by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, as an institution that could legislate on issues not already addressed in the ...
,
the governing body of the worldwide Baháʼí community, while Olinga chaired the first
Baháʼí World Congress
The Baháʼí World Congress is a large gathering of Baháʼís from across the world that is called irregularly by the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baháʼís. There have only been two conferences of this nature; in 196 ...
which announced the election to the world.
By the end of 1963 there were 554
Local Spiritual Assemblies
Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
in various localities, 389 smaller Baháʼí groups, and some 200 isolated individual Baháʼís spread across Uganda.
In 1964 the regional Assemblies were reassigned and Uganda joined with the
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to Central African Republic–Chad border, the north, Sudan to Central African Republic–Sudan border, the northeast, South Sudan to Central ...
.
The July 1964 issue of
Uganda Argus
''Uganda Argus'' was daily print newspaper and magazine in Uganda, published in Kampala by the Uganda Argus Limited.
The newspaper was founded in 1955, seven years before Uganda achieved independence from the British colonial government in 1962. ...
profiled the religion as well as a broad article about the 4
Baháʼí Houses of Worship then in existence. One hundred thirty-two delegates and visitors assembled in Kampala, Uganda, for the 1966 convention to elect the regional national assembly of Uganda and Central Africa. Olinga was able to visit Uganda again from October to December 1967 for an extended tour of the country. Rapid expansion of the religion in the late 1960s was most particularly true in Uganda,
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
.
The 1968 membership of the regional national assembly of Uganda and Central Africa was: Hassan Sabri, Tito Wanantsrusri, Kolonerio Oule, Elizabeth Olinga, George William Ebetu, Moses Senoga, Sospateri Isimai, Alinote Colleque, and Albert Ocnamodek. During the period of
Ayyám-i-Há
Ayyám-i-Há is a period of intercalary days in the Baháʼí calendar, when Baháʼís celebrate the Festival of Ayyám-i-Há. The four or five days of this period are inserted between the last two months of the calendar (Mulk and ʻAláʼ). ...
1969 the Baháʼís had a public exhibit on the religion at the Kampala national theatre. The mayor of Kampala spoke at the opening preceding the showing of the film, "And His Name Shall Be One". The exhibit consisted of books, charts, artifacts, photographs, movies, slides, and recordings. Original Tablets, books, and excerpts written by the Báb, Baháʼu'lláh, and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá were displayed along with secondary works. Baháʼí history was illustrated in a chart depicting events from the birth of Baháʼu'lláh to the founding of the Universal House of Justice, plus displays of
The Dawn-Breakers
''The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl's Narrative of the Early Days of the Baháʼí Revelation'' (''Maṭāleʿ al-anwār'') or ''Nabíl's Narrative'' (''Táríkh-i-Nabíl'') is an account of the early Bábí and Baháʼí Faiths written in Persian by N ...
in three languages. The arts were shown in oil paintings, photographs, silverwork, and handwoven carpets and the diversity of nationalities and religious backgrounds was illustrated with photographs and slides taken during conventions, Temple dedications, and intercontinental conferences. Later that summer Ruhiyyih Khanum visited Uganda on a ten-day tour. In Kampala she was able to attend several events before driving into the countryside to visit Baháʼís. In town events included: a reception given in her honor and that of two visiting members of the Universal House of Justice, Hushmand Fatheazam and 'Ali Nahkjavani; to deliver a public lecture in the hall of the national theater; to be interviewed for a full half hour on Radio Uganda on the "Guest of the Week" program; and attend a wedding at the temple along with fellow Hands of the Cause Enoch Olinga and Músá Bánaní before going on to Ethiopia and other countries on a four-month tour. She returned at the end of the tour for a few days of low key meetings with Baháʼís before her final departure.
Momentous changes approaching
In 1970 Mary Collison died - together Mary and Reginald Collison had spent their last years as caretakers of the temple. That summer Ugandan Baháʼís held their first national youth conference and elected a national assembly just for Uganda - the first members were: Enos Epyeru, Javan Gutosi, S. M. lsimai, Moses Senoga, Julias Nambafu, Augustin Massati, Augustin Naku, and Albert Ocamodek. On the Presidency of Idi Amin in August, the Baháʼís were among those invited to a meeting with the President. At the meeting the Baháʼís offered a statement outlining the basic principle of the religion of obedience to government. At a follow-up meeting, Enoch Olinga represented the community at the close of a number of sessions of Religious Conferences that took place across Uganda. Soon afterwards, Músá Banání died in September after suffering a long illness and was buried on grounds of the temple in a new Baháʼí cemetery.
The funeral gathered together three Hands of the Cause: Enoch Olinga, A. Q. Faizi, Ruhiyyih Khanum; a member of The Universal House of Justice, Ali Nakbjavani, Violette Nakhjavani and their daughter, Bahiyyih, whose wedding took place two years ago in Kampala to Paul Adams many other Baháʼí leaders from across Africa as well as six members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda; and many other Baha'is from all over Uganda and other parts of Africa. Pioneers like Zylpha Mapp served development interests in Uganda in 1971-2 while working as a director of guidance at the
Tororo Girls' School. She was on a leave of absence from the public school system from her work in the States, and was cooperating with the Uganda Ministry of Education in developing a guidance program in other schools of the nation while also began editing the Ugandan National Baha'i Newsletter. Later in 1971 then President Amin attended the celebration of the birth of Baháʼu'lláh and made complimentary remarks about the religion. These and others worked with university researchers on mental health issues as well. Efforts inside the community included noting the importance of Baháʼí elections as part of a worldwide initiative called for by the Universal House of Justice. Other projects in 1971-2 for Uganda included beautification of the cemetery, spreading the religion, and multiple youth gatherings. In 1972 Baháʼí
Dwight W. Allen won an Award of Merit for helping in the establishment of the
Tororo
Tororo is a town in the Eastern Region, Uganda, Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Tororo District.
History
Tororo was garrisoned by the Uganda Army (1971–1980), Uganda Army's Air an ...
Girls' School which was transitioned to administration by the Ugandan government.
Enoch Olinga's daughter Florence began attending the Tororo school in 1972 while other youth began making trips to various communities in support of Baháʼí activities. In 1973 Enoch Olinga and his wife both spoke at the Tororo School while the school also had visits from other leaders of the religion. In 1975-6 the Olingas toured parts of Uganda as well as having talks with government officials on the teachings of the religion with some of their travels covered by announcements by radio. Meanwhile, a public exhibit on the religion was held at the national museum which was covered by the now renamed
Voice of Uganda national newsletter as well as examine Baháʼí teachings. 1975 was the silver anniversary of the religion in Uganda and a celebration, commemorating it was concluded with a program in observance of
United Nations Day
United Nations Day is an annual commemorative day, reflecting the official creation of the United Nations on 24 October 1945. In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly declared 24 October, the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, ...
and a reception of high-ranking official guests from other Ghana and the UN, and members of the religion who had come from some villages. In 1976 Zylpha Mapp-Robinson, the daughter of the first African-American woman Baháʼí, who had pioneered in many places and who lived in Uganda nine years, was elected to the national spiritual assembly of Uganda in 1976.
In June 1977 a small conference of leaders of the religion including the Olingas was held to discuss the progress of the growth of the religion. It was unusual in that even though just 52, 13 of whom were youth, were at the meeting, they received a message from the Universal House of Justice. Enoch Olinga reminded the group that Shoghi Effendi had called the Ugandan community the spiritual heart of Africa. In September the administrative institutions of the religion had been disbanded by the government along with over two dozen other groups.
Soon the
Uganda-Tanzania War broke out in 1978 and President Amin was overthrown by early 1979.
Oppression, violence, and freedom
As part of a sweep across several
Sub-Saharan
Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...
countries, the Baháʼí Faith was banned in the 1970s in several countries:
Burundi
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
, 1974;
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
1976;
Uganda
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
1977;
Congo, 1978;
Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
, 1978. Uganda had had the largest Baháʼí community in Africa at the time and Olinga had returned and sought the protection of the community during this difficult time when
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 30 May 192816 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 until Uganda–Tanzania War, his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a Military dictatorship, ...
's regime ruled Uganda.
See also
Uganda under Idi Amin
The Second Republic of Uganda existed from 1971 to 1979, when Uganda was ruled by Idi Amin's military dictatorship. Amin's rule formally came to an end with the Uganda-Tanzania War, which ended with Tanzania occupying Uganda and Amin fleeing in ...
.
"This was principally the result of a campaign by a number of Arab countries. Since these countries were also by this time providers of development aid, this overt attack on the Baha'is was supported by covert moves such as linking the aid money to a particular country to the action that it took against the Baha'is. This was partially successful and a number of countries did ban the Baha'is for a time. However, the Baha'is were able to demonstrate to these governments that they were not agents of Zionism
Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
nor anti-Islamic and succeeded in having the ban reversed in all of these countries except Niger."
It was a period of violence from 1978.
In March 1979 the Olinga home was robbed though the temple was undisturbed and there was a suspicious accident where Olinga's car was rammed and forced down a hill by a troop transport vehicle, where he was robbed and left for dead,
and Olinga's son George was disappeared for a week by soldiers of Amin.
Death threats perhaps simply because of his prominence came to Olinga from his home town.
Meanwhile, after President Amin fled in April the religion began to re-organize - there was the re-opening of the Baháʼí House of Worship again,
and the beginning of reforming the national assembly in August.
Neighbors and a garden servant boy bore witness mostly by hearing events of the execution of the Olinga family.
On the evening of Sunday, September 16, 1979, the birthday of one of Olinga's daughters and planned as a day of a family reunion of which a few could not arrive in time,
after 8pm local time five soldiers entered Olinga's home while one stood guard at the household gate and killed Olinga, his wife, and three of their five children. Trails of blood went from the kitchen to the back of the house and one of the children had been hurt and roughly bandaged before the family was executed. Enoch himself was killed out in the yard where he had been heard weeping after perhaps witnessing his dead family in the very same house he had joined the religion in.
The news was conveyed initially by the garden servant to a member of the national committee that had been appointed and then to a 79-year-old pioneer, Claire Gung, who called internationally. Ultimately news reached the Universal House of Justice while it sat in session on the 17th. All the dead were buried in the Baháʼí cemetery on the temple grounds on the 25th while civil war and terrorism continued.
The funeral included hundreds of Baháʼís who could make the trip and several members of the government of Uganda.
After the
Uganda-Tanzania War and when the ban on the religion was rescinded, Ugandan Baháʼís re-formed their National Spiritual Assembly in 1981,
though the
Ugandan Bush War
The Ugandan Bush War was a civil war fought in Uganda by the official Ugandan government and its armed wing, the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA), against a number of rebel groups, most importantly the National Resistance Army (NRA), from 19 ...
dragged on. In 1982 the two primary schools the Baháʼís had founded in 1961 were again under Baháʼí administration by February 1982.
More than 200 Baháʼís and non-Baháʼís gathered in 1983 to celebrate children and a kindergarten multi-racial nursery school established by Claire Gung and Rex Collison died in June 1983. Instances of hundreds of people joining the religion recurred in 1984. In about February 1985 George Olinga and Benson Kariuki gave a talk at one of the primary schools about the religion about the institutions of the religion and Claire Gung died while the nursery she established was assumed by the national assembly and funds were allotted for the renovation of the primary schools. In 1986-7 Dwight W. Allen returned to Uganda and was the project coordinator for the Donors' Conference for the rehabilitation of
Makerere University
Makerere University (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922, and the oldest currently active university in East Africa. It became an independent national university in ...
.
In 1988 the community held a children's conference and was visible in a number of public events including a preferential trade exhibition at which various governmental leaders visited.
Involvement in society
The Ugandan Baháʼí community has been involved in a wide range of projects many of which benefit the nation while also advancing awareness of the religion. In 1989 a Baháʼí expert and businessman in using
appropriate technology
Appropriate technology is a movement (and its manifestations) encompassing technology, technological choice and application that is small-scale, affordable by its users, labor-intensive, efficient energy use, energy-efficient, environmentally sust ...
from Swaziland traveled through six southern and eastern African countries including Uganda training local people in the manufacture of several kinds of fence-making machines and other technologies in building, agriculture and water programs. The 10-day training courses were organized by the National Spiritual Assemblies in each of the six countries. In 1989 a Baháʼí Club was organized for
Makerere University
Makerere University (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922, and the oldest currently active university in East Africa. It became an independent national university in ...
composed of Baháʼís and non-Baháʼís while the national assembly invited members of the Department of Religious Studies at Makerere University to the Baháʼí House of Worship to familiarize staff with the religion, its institutions and how they function to contextualize the interaction between the agencies of the religion and the university while it implemented two new courses designed and taught by a Baháʼí, Dr. Tim Rost, on "Peace and Justice" and another on "Religion and Development." At the same time Baháʼí women of
Mbale
Mbale is a city in the Eastern Region of Uganda. It is the main municipal, administrative, and commercial center of Mbale District and the surrounding sub-region.
Location
Mbale is approximately northeast of Kampala, Uganda's capital city, on ...
took part in events organized by the National Council on Women by a multicultural children's program emphasizing good neighborliness and handicrafts of women - government administrators observed that Baháʼís had several programs advancing diverse issues in Uganda. In 1990 the Baháʼí Office of Social and Economic Development in Uganda established a project to train healthcare field workers for work in Uganda. In 1993 the national assembly added a project to develop a middle-level management training program for community level primary health care workers. The focus was on prevention of childhood diseases, maternal-infant health care, and community building. Later, the Uganda Baháʼí Institute for Development set up a project introducing use of the latrine, immunization, and nets to fight off malaria-bearing mosquitoes, and people learned the importance of clean water in a Ugandan village. In 2000, the Baháʼís of Uganda shared their activities in the areas of education, family health, moral training for children, publishing, and collaboration with other non-governmental organizations at a national
United Nations Day
United Nations Day is an annual commemorative day, reflecting the official creation of the United Nations on 24 October 1945. In 1947, the United Nations General Assembly declared 24 October, the anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, ...
celebration held at the
Muguluka Primary School near
Jinja. After receiving her Ph.D. at age 78, Zylpha Mapp-Robinson returned to Uganda at age 86 in the year 2000 to create the Ugandan Institution for the advancement of Women.
In 2002 a National Conference in
Guyana
Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...
on "Spiritual Approach to the Challenge of HIV/AIDS" sponsored by the Varqa Foundation,
UNICEF
UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
, &
Baháʼí International Community
The Baháʼí International Community, or the BIC, is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) representing the members of the Baháʼí Faith; it was first chartered in March 1948 with the United Nations, and currently has affiliates ...
highlighted experiences in Uganda dealing with the
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
epidemic by including the role of the spiritual training of children on virtues like humility, reverence, kindliness, respect and courtesy, and unity in diversity so that they would lead moral lives and overcome not only AIDS but alcohol and drug abuse, violence, crime, prejudice, hatred, intolerance and poverty. In 2004 the Baháʼí-based Uganda Program of Literacy for Transformation helped participants acquire the skills, knowledge, and incentive for a “lifelong self-improvement plan” — coupled with an emphasis on moral education and inter-religious harmony.
The Ugandan Baháʼí community has also encouraged the practice of the arts. Eighteen youth from Kenya, Uganda,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
, and
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
joined together to form Youth in Motion, a Baháʼí Workshop (see
Oscar DeGruy) aimed at expressing the message brought by
Baháʼu'lláh
Baháʼu'lláh (, born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was an Iranian religious leader who founded the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Iran and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Báb ...
. The group traveled for four months, performing before a total of more than 50,000 people in three countries. In 1998 Baháʼí
Margaret Nagawa
Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Old Iranian. It has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular throughout the Middle Ages. It became le ...
held a showing at the Ugandan National Museum, and award-winning Baháʼí
Edel'Akongu Ekodelele Eyperu died in 2002.
In 2001 a week-long celebration featuring a statement by Ugandan President
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and military officer who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2025, he is the third- longest consecutively serving current non-royal n ...
, some 2000 of the Ugandan Baha'i community commemorated the 50th anniversary of its founding.
The Baháʼís of Uganda have continued to be involved in social issues; in 2007 a movie on development issues in Uganda was produced by the Baháʼís named "Opening a Space - The Discourse on Science, Religion and Development in Uganda" and on 25 November 2007 the Baháʼí House of Worship was a rallying point on for the "Speak out! Stand out!" campaign on preventing violence against women. Baháʼí delegates from Uganda and 14 other countries convened in New York from February 23 – March 7 for the 52nd session of the
UN Commission on the Status of Women
The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW or UNCSW) is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the principal organs of the United Nations. CSW has been described as the UN organ promoting gende ...
in 2008.
Ugandan Baháʼís have also participated in recent international Baháʼí events. Ugandan youth were among the 149 assembled at the National Baháʼí Center in
Burundi
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
in August 2006. In 2007 Baháʼís in
Entebbe
Entebbe is a city in Central Region, Uganda, Central Uganda which is located on Lake Victoria peninsula, approximately southwest of the Ugandan capital city, Kampala. Entebbe was once the seat of government for the Protectorate of Uganda pri ...
helped organize
World Religion Day
World Religion Day is an observance that was initiated in 1950 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States, which is celebrated worldwide on the third Sunday in January each year. Though initiated in the United Sta ...
commemorations. In 2008 one of the delegates from Uganda was one of the 19 tellers who counted the secret ballots for the election of the Universal House of Justice.
Demographics
During 2000–2002 estimates of the Ugandan Baháʼí community ranged widely; sources range from 66,000 to 105,000 Baháʼís in the country.
The 2002 national census counted almost 19,000 Baháʼís,
and the 2014 census reported 29,601.
[ Inbetween, the 2005 US Dept. State statistics estimated Hinduism, the Baháʼí Faith, and Judaism together formed 2% of the national population. About 300 Baháʼí believers were in Kampala according to a 2007 news report.]
See also
*History of Uganda
The history of Uganda comprises the history of the people who inhabited the territory of present-day Uganda before the establishment of the Republic of Uganda, and the history of that country once it was established. Evidence from the Paleolithic ...
*Religion in Uganda
Christianity is the predominant religion in Uganda. According to the 2024 census, approximately 82 percent of the population was Christian, while around 13 percent of the population adhered to Islam, making it the largest minority religion. Angli ...
References
External links
Ugandan Baháʼí National Community
Ugandans study approaches to development
a film on Ugandan development issues.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baha'i Faith in Uganda