The Baháʼí Faith in Mexico begins with visits of Baháʼís before 1916.
In 1919 letters from the head of the religion,
Abdu'l-Bahá, were published mentioning Mexico as one of the places Baháʼís should take the religion to.
Following further
pioneers
Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land.
In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...
moving there and making contacts the first Mexican to join the religion was in 1937, followed quickly by 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 leve ...
of all Latin America being elected in 1938.
With continued growth the
National Spiritual Assembly was first elected in 1961.
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 denominations ...
'') estimated almost 37,900 Baháʼís in 2005.
Prelude
Several Baháʼís from the United States made trips to Mexico to introduce the religion before 1916, including Mr. and Mrs. Frankland,
Mark Tobey
Mark George Tobey (December 11, 1890 – April 24, 1976) was an American painter. His densely structured compositions, inspired by Asian calligraphy, resemble Abstract expressionism, although the motives for his compositions differ philosophi ...
and Roy Wilhelm.
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's Tablets of the Divine Plan
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, wrote a series of letters, or
tablets, to the followers of the religion in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
in 1916–1917; these letters were compiled together in the book ''
Tablets of the Divine Plan''. The sixth of the tablets was the first to mention
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived ...
n regions and was written on 8 April 1916, but was delayed in being presented in the United States until 1919—after the end of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
and the
Spanish flu
The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case wa ...
. The sixth tablet was translated and presented by
Mirza Ahmad Sohrab on 4 April 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 12 December 1919.
After mentioning the need for the message of the religion to visit the Latin American countries ʻAbdu'l-Bahá continues:
... becoming severed from rest and composure of the world, heymay arise and travel throughout Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...
, the republic of Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
, and south of Mexico in the Central American republics, such as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to ...
, Costa Rica, Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
and Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...
...
Following the Tablets and about the time of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's passing in 1921, a few other Baháʼís began moving to Latin America.
Seven Year Plan and succeeding decades
In April 1936 Orcella Rexford traveled to Mexico presenting the religion to various contacts on issues like the Baháʼí view of world peace.
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendi (; 1 March 1897 – 4 November 1957) was the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, appointed to the role of Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957. He created a series of teaching plans that over ...
, who was named ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's successor, wrote a
cable on 1 May 1936 to the
Baháʼí Annual Convention of the United States and Canada, and asked for the systematic implementation of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's vision to begin.
In his cable he wrote:
"Appeal to assembled delegates ponder historic appeal voiced by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in ''Tablets of the Divine Plan''. Urge earnest deliberation with incoming National Assembly to insure its complete fulfillment. First century of Baháʼí Era drawing to a close. Humanity entering outer fringes most perilous stage its existence. Opportunities of present hour unimaginably precious. Would to God every State within American Republic and every Republic in American continent might ere termination of this glorious century embrace the light of the Faith of Baháʼu'lláh and establish structural basis of His World Order."
Following the 1 May cable, another cable from Shoghi Effendi came on 19 May calling for permanent
pioneers
Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land.
In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...
to be established in all the countries of Latin America. The Baháʼí
National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada appointed the Inter–America Committee to take charge of the preparations. During the 1937 Baháʼí North American Convention, Shoghi Effendi cabled advising the convention to prolong their deliberations to permit the delegates and the National Assembly to consult on a plan that would enable Baháʼís to go to Latin America as well as to include the completion of the outer structure of 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". Baháʼí Houses of Worship ...
in Wilmette, Illinois.
In 1937 the ''First Seven Year Plan'' (1937–44), which was an international plan designed by Shoghi Effendi, gave the American Baháʼís the goal of establishing the Baháʼí Faith in every country in Latin America. With the spread of American Baháʼís communities and assemblies began to form in 1938 across Latin America.
Early history
First assembly
Following travels by
Frances Stewart and others like
Beatrice Irwin the first person to declare their belief in the religion in Mexico was Maria del Refugio Ochoa of Mexico City in 1937. A group that believed that a new messenger of God was about to appear or had appeared was contacted. Among the early topics of discussion was world peace and
Tahirih. The entire group joined the religion and formed 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 leve ...
in Latin America in 1938.
Among the early work of the assembly was translating
Baháʼí literature
Baháʼí literature covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia. Sometimes considerable overlap between these forms can be obse ...
. Its officers were Pedro Andres Basurto, Maria Luisa B de Jurado, and Zenaida Jurad. It was noted as early as May 1938 that once formed as an assembly it was not under the jurisdiction of the national assembly of the United States. The assembly was invited to attend the US national convention to facilitate communication and consult about the progress of the religion in the region. They sent a representative. A monthly magazine, ''Emir'', published in Mexico Citv, carried a story "Un Nuevo Mensaje Espiritual Nos Ilega de Oriente," before April 1939 presenting the religion directly and reproducing a picture of the US
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". Baháʼí Houses of Worship ...
and of the members of the assembly in Mexico City. The assembly pursued legal recognition in spring 1939 as well as establishing classes the winter of 1938–9. In the early spring of 1940 it began publishing its own newsletter – ''Novedades Baháʼís'' – which began with a 6-page article delineating the brief history of the community and its activities.
Mexicans outside Mexico also encountered the religion. In 1940 four Mexicans were part of an observance in Costa Rica for the death of
May Maxwell
Mary "May" Maxwell (née Bolles; born 14 January 1870 in Englewood, New Jersey, Englewood, New Jersey; died 1 March 1940 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) was an early American member of the Baháʼí Faith.
Early life
Mary Ellis Bolles was born t ...
. After starting plans in January 1941 for a radio broadcast by Ford covering Central and South America the broadcast was successfully accomplished 26 November 1941.
Meanwhile, a Pedro Espinosa is noted from Mexico City talking at the Baháʼí Center in New York in June 1943.
By 1942 another assembly had been elected in the town of
Puebla
Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...
though it failed to re–elect in 1943.
Regional developments
An All–American Convention, that is to say North and South, for the Baháʼís was held in 1944 with Carlos Vergara as the delegate from Mexico.
A number of notable Baháʼí individuals traveled though visiting starting in early 1945:
Juliet Thompson early 1945 for a year,
Dorothy Beecher Baker, then chair of the Inter–America Committee, in later 1945 and again early 1947,
Amelia Collins early 1946 and
Mason Remey in early 1947. Later most of these were appointed as
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 of ...
a distinctive station in the religion. Dorothy Baker's daughter toured Mexico several times and helped refound the assembly of Pueblo that failed re–election previously as well as another in
Coatepec.
Charles Ioas and
Amoz Gibson, later a members of the
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice ( fa, بیتالعدل اعظم) 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 o ...
, served in the community for a time as well.
In January 1947 Panama City hosted the first congress of the northern Latin America countries to build a new consciousness of unity among the Baháʼís of Central America, Mexico and the West Indies to focus energies for the election of a regional national assembly. Regional committees were appointed overseeing Panama, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Its members were Josi Antonio Bonilla, Marcia Steward, Natalia Chávez, Gerardo Vega, and Oscar Castro.
Retrospectively, a stated purpose for the committee was to facilitate a shift in the balance of roles from North American guidance and Latin cooperation to Latin guidance and North American cooperation. The process was well underway by 1950 and was to be enforced about 1953. In 1948 several of the committee and others traveled extensively through the region visiting Baháʼí communities and various regional conferences – one hosted in Mexico City in 1948 – and temporary schools. In 1950 the committee coordinated a series of classes for itinerant Baháʼís visiting and teachings classes among the communities along with close coordination of their services.
A regional National Spiritual Assembly for Central America, Mexico and the Antilles was then elected in 1951
attended by Dorothy Baker and
Horace Holley serving as special representatives. The convention hosted 25 delegates from Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. Following the election a letter of the regional assembly noted that "Considerable attention is being paid to stressing the need throughout the area of a much greater understanding of the administration of the religion. Local assemblies are being taught, by means of the National Teaching Committee and the Baha'i Bulletin to acquire a much higher concept of their own importance as governing bodies. They are being groomed slowly but surely to realize that they are not merely groups of nine people gathered together in a purely spiritual unity, but nine members of a governing body, gathered together to maintain order and peace in their own communities, resolve their problems through the medium of prayer and consultation and to devise efficient ways and means of spreading the Faith in the territory under their immediate jurisdiction." The 1952 members were Raquel Constante, Cora Oliver, James Facey, Elena Marella, Artemus Lamb, Louise Caswell, Zenayda Jurado, David Escalante, and Randolph Fitz–Henley. 1955's convention was held in Mexico City with 27 delegates, 16 of whom attended. During this time Auxiliary Board members, assistants to
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 of ...
at the time, carried on a campaign of visiting many communities with many pioneers still being coordinated by the regional assembly. The first assembly of Monterrey formed in 1956. In July 1956 the first Mexican conference was held about issues specific to Mexico about the promulgation of the religion.
The regional assembly was reorganized in April 1957 with Mexico joining with the Republics of Central America:
Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. In attendance representing the head of the religion, Shoghi Effendi, was Hand of the Cause
Dhikru'llah Khadem with 27 delegates from the various countries as well as representative of various institutions. In 1958 there were 50 delegates at the election of the regional assembly. Coordinated efforts were made in 1959 to celebrate
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 the first assembly of
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende () is the principal city in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende, located in the far eastern part of Guanajuato, Mexico. A part of the Bajío region, the city lies from Mexico City, 86 km (53 mi) from Quer� ...
in Guanajuato was formed.
In 1959 the first public meeting on the religion in Mexico took place in Guadalajara. The meeting was covered by the local news. The 1960 convention was attended by Hand of the Cause
William Sears.
In 1961 Mexican Baháʼís elected their own National Spiritual Assembly with
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 o ...
Paul Haney Paul P. Haney was an American journalist and public affairs officer for NASA. He was the voice of mission control for the Gemini and Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apél ...
overseeing the proceedings.
Its members were Samuel Burafato, Dr. Edris Rice–Wray, Valeria Nichols, Carmen Burafato, Harold Murray,
Florence Mayberry, Anna Howard, Chappie Angulo, Earl James Morris.
Indian connections
In March 1957 the first Indians joining the religion are noted. A committee focused on that need was active by April 1958 in making contacts and translating materials. Baháʼí observers were welcomed at an Inter–American Indian Congress in the city of Guatemala in 1959 thanks to their contacts with local versions of inter–American Indian institutes in the region and included opportunities for sharing native and Spanish translations of Baháʼí pamphlets. In 1961 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 of ...
of the Americas took special note of the spread of the religion among the Indians across the continents noting progress in Mexico among them. The first all–Indian assembly of Mexico was elected in San Rafael Comac near
Cholula, Puebla
Cholula (), officially Cholula de Rivadavia, is a city and district located in the metropolitan area of Puebla, Mexico. Cholula is best known for its Great Pyramid, with the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios sanctuary on top, as well as ...
1960.
Hand of the Cause
Enoch Olinga
Enoch Olinga (June 24, 1926September 16, 1979) was born to a Ugandan family of the Iteso ethnic group. He became a Baháʼí, earned the title Knight of Baháʼu'lláh and was appointed as the youngest Hand of the Cause, the highest appointed pos ...
visited this assembly of San Rafael in May 1961.
Formation of a national community
In 1963 the members of the National Assembly were elected by 19 delegates from the Mexican community. That year was the first election of the
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice ( fa, بیتالعدل اعظم) 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 o ...
and the delegates for the election were the members of the national assemblies. In Mexico they were: Samuel Burrafato, Carmen Burrafatoc, Romeo Guerrac, Anna W. Howard, Florence Mayberry, Earl James Morris, Harold Baldwin Murray, Valeria Lamb Nichols, and Dr. Edris Rice–Wray.
A review done of the world community in 1963 found Mexico had:
[The Baháʼí Faith: 1844–1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Baháʼí Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953–1963](_blank)
Compiled by 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 of ...
Residing in the Holy Land, page 16, 19, 51, 103
* 11 assemblies (including
Guadalajara,
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...
,
Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is ancho ...
,
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende () is the principal city in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende, located in the far eastern part of Guanajuato, Mexico. A part of the Bajío region, the city lies from Mexico City, 86 km (53 mi) from Quer� ...
,
San Rafael Comac and
Tepic
Tepic () is the capital and largest city of the western Mexico, Mexican Political divisions of Mexico, state of Nayarit, as well as the seat of the Tepic Municipality.
Located in the central part of the state, it stands at an altitude of above ...
),
* 16 groups (including the cities of
Colima
Colima (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Colima), is one of the 31 states that make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima.
Colima i ...
,
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca (; nci-IPA, Cuauhnāhuac, kʷawˈnaːwak "near the woods", ) is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. The city is located around a 90-minute drive south of Mexico City using the Federal Highway 95D.
The na ...
, and
Tarandacuao
Tarandacuao is a Mexican city (and municipality) located in the lowlands of the state of Guanajuato. The municipality has an area of 117.39 square kilometres, (0.31% of the surface of the state) and is bordered to the north and east by Jerécuaro, ...
), and
* 16 other places with isolated individuals.
* At the same time the membership of the community included several Indian peoples –
Cora
Cora may refer to:
Science
* ''Cora'' (fungus), a genus of lichens
* ''Cora'' (damselfly), a genus of damselflies
* CorA metal ion transporter, a Mg2+ influx system
People
* Cora (name), a given name and surname
* Cora E. (born 1968), German hi ...
,
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a popu ...
,
Nahuatl
Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have small ...
speaking Aztecs, and
Otomí, as well as contact being establied with the
Tlaxcaltec
The Tlaxcalans, or Tlaxcaltecs, are a Nahua people who live in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala.
Pre-Columbian history
The Tlaxcaltecs were originally a conglomeration of three distinct ethnic groups who spoke Nahuatl, Otomi, and Pinome that comp ...
and
Yaqui
The Yaqui, Hiaki, or Yoeme, are a Native American people of the southwest, who speak a Uto-Aztecan language. Their homelands include the Río Yaqui valley in Sonora, Mexico, and the area below the Gila River in Arizona, Southwestern United ...
peoples.
In 1964 the religion reached
Cozumel
Cozumel (; yua, Kùutsmil) is an island and municipality in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen. It is separated from the mainland by the Cozumel Channel and is close to the Yucatán ...
and
Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres (, Spanish for "Women Island" (formally “Isla de Mujeres”) is an island where the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea meet, about off the Yucatán Peninsula coast in the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is approximately long ...
. In 1965 Hand of the Cause
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 wounde ...
attended the national convention. Its first Mayan member was elected that year – Jorge Coronado – after 3 yrs of work promulgating the religion among the Maya people. The first
Yaqui
The Yaqui, Hiaki, or Yoeme, are a Native American people of the southwest, who speak a Uto-Aztecan language. Their homelands include the Río Yaqui valley in Sonora, Mexico, and the area below the Gila River in Arizona, Southwestern United ...
tribe member joined the religion in 1966. Mexican pioneers are noted as pioneering to other countries and other states in Mexico from 1967. Youth from the United States were known to offer a period of service to the Yucatán area including the institute there and accompanied the Auxiliary Board member on many trips. In October there was a major regional conference in Panama at which there was a viewing of a copy of the photograph of
Baháʼu'lláh
Baháʼu'lláh (born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Persia, and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Bábí Faith. In 1863, in I ...
on the highly significant occasion commemorating the centenary of Baháʼu'lláh's writing of the ''
Suriy-i-Mulúk'' (Tablet to the Kings), which
Shoghi Effendi
Shoghí Effendi (; 1 March 1897 – 4 November 1957) was the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, appointed to the role of Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957. He created a series of teaching plans that over ...
describes as "the most momentous Tablet revealed by Baháʼu'lláh".
It also served as a laying of a cornerstone for the first Latin American
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". Baháʼí Houses of Worship ...
. To this conference there were delegations of various Mexican peoples and institutions. Meanwhile, short term pioneers continued to come to Mexico. Indian actor and documentarian
Phil Lucas was among those that lived in Mexico in the 1970s. Baháʼís reached out to various city and state leaders who were presented with Baháʼí literature including the
Governor of Yucatan
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
, and the
Governor of Oaxaca
The governor of Oaxaca (officially in Spanish ''Gobernador Constitucional del Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca'', in English ''Constitutional Governor of the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca''), who is Alejandro Murat Hinojosa, heads the exec ...
.
Youth
In 1970 a Baháʼí club was founded in the
Fundación Universidad de las Américas, Puebla
Fundación is a town and municipality of the Colombian Department of Magdalena. Its people are known as Fundanenses. The primary economic activity is livestock-raising, for production of both meat and milk. Other crops are: corn, yuca, ...
which was officially recognized – the first in all Latin America – in 1971. In 1972 traveling speakers on the religion made presentations there. The first international youth conference of Mexico took place in 1973 in Pueblo City with participants from 5 countries
swelling to 200 youth. Later in 1975 a series of public concerts by Baháʼí performers at a university of Mérida included audiences of hundreds as well as news coverage. In 1974 teachers and youth from the center at Muna appeared on local television during a winter school on the religion. The first Baháʼí Campus Club at the
Autonomous University of Guadalajara, Mexico's School of Medicine was formed in April 1978.
Conferences
In 1974 the Baháʼís of Mexico were invited to be part of a university panel discussion religion in Mexico which the Continental Counselors Cannen de Burafato and Paul Lucas participated in at the request of the national assembly. As part of International Women's Year in 1975, the
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 affiliate ...
participated in the first World Conference on Women, held in Mexico City. Two Baháʼí representatives were officially accredited to attend the Conference and nine representatives attended the NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Tribune, the parallel meeting for non-governmental organizations in a process which was overseen by the national assembly of Mexico. The delegates were Baháʼí women leaders from around the world and included among them was Dr. Edris Rice–Wray of Mexico.
Dr.
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 10 years with the United States Information A ...
was among the delegates in many international women's conferences, including the 1975 International Women's Conference in Mexico City. There was also television coverage and interviews.
Meanwhile, several Indian Baháʼís from Mexico participated in a cultural awareness meeting in California for the Baháʼís along with Indians from the United States encouraging a standard of deeds over words be kept along with awareness of the culture of the peoples addressed. In February 1977 a conference looking at promulgating the religion in Mexico also took place in Mérida with more than 2000 Baháʼís attending.
One third of the participants were indigenous believers from across Central America 150 of whom were Mayans. Non-Baháʼí family members of the Indians were allowed to fully attend the meeting. Three Hands of the Cause were present – Paul Haney, Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir, and Enoch Olinga, as well as Counsellor Florence Mayberry who had been on the first national assembly of Mexico.
Demographics by the late 1970s
While there were 11 assemblies in 1963 by 1977 the community reported 141 assemblies had been elected. The 1979 national convention reported 165 assemblies, 602 localities, 45 delegates, and seven Auxiliary Board members for the nation.
Beginning of socio-economic development efforts
Since its inception in the 1800s in Asia the religion has had involvement in
socio-economic development
Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their lo ...
beginning by giving greater freedom to women,
promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern, and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural coops, and clinics.
In Mexico
Baháʼí schools began serving community needs as early as 1965 when Baháʼís founded an institute in
Muna, Yucatán Muná is a small city in Muna Municipality, Yucatán State, Mexico, to the south of the state capital of Mérida at 20.48°N, 89.72°W. Muná had an estimated population of about 11,000 people in 2003. Muna is north of the Maya ruins of Uxmal
...
offering children's classes and adult training by the Baháʼís of the region. In 1970 an institute similar to the one founded in Muna was established in San Rafael Comac. Another institute, damaged in 1973 in a quake, was renovated, expanded and re–opened in 1975. In early 1976 Baháʼí women from many northern Latin American countries including Mexico gathered in El Salvador for a women's conference sponsored by the Continental Counselors of Central America and the event included meetings among the Baháʼís as well as invited non-Baháʼís.
The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice ( fa, بیتالعدل اعظم) 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 o ...
dated 20 October 1983 was released addressing the world community on the importance of such activities. Baháʼís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the
Baháʼí teachings
The Baháʼí teachings represent a considerable number of theological, ethical, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Baháʼí Faith by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the religion, and clarified by its successive leaders: ʻ ...
, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Baháʼí socio–economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. Aside from continuing the various schools Baháʼí musicians from 14 countries met for an international conference including
Charles Wolcott, which served as an exhibition of indigenous dance and music, a memorial to Baháʼís suffering
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...
and an opportunity to toured a local children's hospital, an orphanage, a school and a local theatre to play for children and staff – two traveling musicians joined the religion during the events.
Modern community
Since the 1980s the national community has engaged in a wide variety of venues.
International issues
Mexican Baháʼís have participated the interfaith Mexican hosting of the
Parliament of the World's Religions
There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World's Religions, the first being the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, which was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another c ...
.
The national government has been generally somewhat supportive of the Baháʼí response to human rights abuses in Iran. In 2001 Mexico abstained; in 2002 it supported the resolution.
The Mexican Baháʼí community was among the respondents of the Special Rapporteur of the UN who had conducted a survey on problems relating to freedom of religion and belief from the standpoint of the curricula and textbooks of primary or elementary and secondary education institutions. The results of such a survey could facilitate the formulation of an international educational strategy to combat all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief, a strategy that could centre on the definition and implementation of a common minimum programme to foster tolerance and non-discrimination.
Mexican Baháʼís participated in a world teleconference commemoration of
Human Rights Day
Human Rights Day is celebrated annually around the world on 10 December every year.
The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Right ...
before the 2001
World Conference against Racism
The World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) is a series of international events organized by UNESCO to promote struggle against racism ideologies and behaviours. Five conferences have been held so far, in 1978, 1983, 2001, 2009 and 2021. Founded ...
. The videoconference linked participants in Bogota, Chicago, Geneva, Mexico City, New York, Rome, San Francisco, Santiago and Vienna. Speakers included Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Jyoti Singh, Executive Coordinator of the UN World Conference Against Racism; Techeste Ahderom, Chairman of the NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Committee on Human Rights and a Baha'i International Community representative to the United Nations; and Pitso Montwedi, Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of South Africa to the UN. It also enabled participants in those cities and on the internet to ask questions and join in the discussion with UN leaders in the work.
People
Indigenous peoples
In 1980 two teams of Native American Baháʼís from Alaska, Canada and the United States representing 10 tribes under the name''Trail of Light'' traveled from the north to the south starting mid June and presented the religion to audiences in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and finally Ecuador. The first Baháʼí of the
Totonac people
The Totonac are an indigenous people of Mexico who reside in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo. They are one of the possible builders of the pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and further maintained quarters in Teotihuacán (a city wh ...
was noted in Veracruz, Mexico before 1983.
A 1984–5 continuation of the 'Trail of Light' process brought Mexican indigenous Baháʼís into Veracruz Mexico. In 1988 Mexico was represented at the fifth Continental Indigenous Council among the 400 participants.
Youth
Mexican youth traveled internationally to support Baháʼí communities including in New Zealand and Brazil. Other youth continue to travel to Mexico, serve and be changed by the engagement.
Demographics
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 denominations ...
'') estimated that there were almost 37,900 Baháʼís in Mexico in 2005.
The national teaching committee indicated in c.2000 that while there was at least some growth in 19 of the states of Mexico most of the growth took place in San Luis Potosí and Yucatán, followed by Guanajuato, Baja California, with some notice in Colima and other states. In 2009 a regional conference held by request of the
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice ( fa, بیتالعدل اعظم) 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 o ...
to celebrate recent achievements in grassroots community–building and to plan their next steps in organizing in their home areas.
600 Baháʼís from across Mexico attended the two-day event.
See also
*
Religion in Mexico
The Catholic branch of Christianity is the dominant religion in Mexico, representing 78% of the total population as of 2020. In recent decades the share of Catholics has been declining, due to the growth of other Christian denominations – ...
*
History of Mexico
The written history of Mexico spans more than three millennia. First populated more than 13,000 years ago, central and southern Mexico (termed Mesoamerica) saw the rise and fall of complex indigenous civilizations. Mexico would later develop ...
*
Baháʼí Faith and Native Americans
References
External links
Baháʼís de Mexico
** ttp://cancun-bahais.com/ Baháʼís of Cancun** ttp://www.bahaismexicali.org/ Baháʼís of Mexicali** ttps://plus.google.com/photos/106710863777149159828/albums/5102505658189615889/5102505692549354370?banner=pwa photos of Baháʼís of Oaxaca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baha'i Faith in Mexico
Religion in Mexico
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...