Bahai Library Online

Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1953-00-00, sorted by date, ascending

date event tags firsts
1953 (In the year)
195-
Bahá'ís and their houses were attacked in Bushrúyih and Fárán, Iran. [BW18:390] * Persecution, Iran; - Persecution; Bushrúyih, Iran; Faran, Iran; Iran
1953 (In the year)
195-
Marthe Molitor, a Belgian from Rwanda, began to teach the Bahá'í Faith in Kalina (now Gombe), a district in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa). [bahai.org] Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; Marthe Molitor
1953 (In the year)
195-
Mr. Mohammad Ali Djalali was among the first Baha'i's to reside in Morocco, for which Shoghi Effendi gave him the title "Knight of Baha'u'llah." [BW34p239]

It is not certain which "Morocco".

- Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Morocco
1953 (In the year)
195-
Áqá Rahmán Kulayní-Mamaqání was martyred in Durúd, Iran. [BW18:390] * Persecution, Iran; - Persecution; - Persecution, Deaths; Durúd, Iran; Iran
1953 (In the year)
195-
Alfred Amisi (Maragoli), Jacob Kisombe (Mtaita), Laurence Ouna (Mluhya), Labi Mathew (Zulu), and Zablon Bob (Luo) were among the first Kenyans to become Bahá'ís. - First Bahá'ís by country or area; Kenya first Kenyans Bahá’ís
1953 (In the year)
195-
Grant Mensah, a Ghanaian, became a Bahá'í in Ruanda-Urundi, the first person to accept the Faith in that country. Grant Mensah; Ruanda-Urundi first Bahá’í in Burundi
1953 (In the year)
195-
Anjoman-e Hojjatieh ("Society of Allah's Proof Over Creation"), also called the Hojjatieh Society was founded specifically as an anti-Bahá'í organization by a charismatic Shiite Muslim cleric, Shaikh Mahmoud Halabi in the aftermath of the coup d'état of 1953. Between the early 1950s and the early 1970s a great number of the future elite of the Islamic revolution were trained by Hujjatieh. During the 1979 Iranian revolution, the Society was to play an important role in stirring animosity against Bahá'ís. However, in part because of differences in theology—among other things the Hojjatieh believe a truly Islamic state cannot be established until the return of the 12th Imam—the Society fell into disfavour and was banned by the regime in 1984. [Hojjatieh Society, Wiki] * Persecution, Iran; - Persecution; - Persecution, Other; Hojjatieh Society; Iran
1953 (In the Year)
195-
The publication of Questions about the Second Coming by George Townshend by the Bahá'í Publishing Committee in Wilmette in response to questions asked of him by the Bahá'ís of Kampala.
  • The publication is available in PDF.
  • * Christianity; George Townshend; Uganda; United States (USA); Wilmette, IL
    1953 (In the year)
    195-
    Bahiyyih and Harry Ford were the first pioneers to establish themselves permanently in Johannesburg, Harry died within the first year of their arrival. His story is told in BW13p824.

    Bahiyyih developed a career in African arts and crafts, becoming a sought after lecturer as an authority on the subject at lunches and functions held by church groups and other organizations such as Rotarians, Lions and Women's Institutes. Bahiyyih was named Margaret at birth and was given the name Bahiyyih by 'Abdu'l-Bahá during a visit to Haifa at the age of twelve with her father, Harry Randall who was an Apostle of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [PHBFp15]

    - Travel teachers and pioneers, First; Bahiyyih Ford; Harry Ford; Johannesburg, South Africa first pioneers to establish themselves permanently in Johannesburg
    1953 (In the year and prior)
    195-
    With the announcement of the Ten-Year Crusade, the third phase of the development of the Faith in South Africa began. By the end of 1953, no less than 13 Bahá'ís had left their homes in the United States and settled in South Africa. William and Marguerite Sears and son Michael, Harry and Margaret Ford as well as Robert and Helen Miller (with their three young children) all settled in Johannesburg. Ruth and Bishop Brown, who were Margaret Ford's mother and step-father settled in Durban. Lowell and Edith Johnson settled in Cape Town whilst Eleanor and Lyall Hadden settled in Pretoria.

    During the course of the Ten-Year Crusade, 65 other pioneers from the United States, Canada, Germany, New Zealand and England came with some settling permanently.

    Following the instructions of the Guardian during this phase, the pioneers concentrated their teaching work on the black and colored people of South Africa. "Coloured" in South Africa indicates people of mixed heritage as distinct from native black Africans. During these 10 years a few others declared their faith in Bahá'u'lláh, i.e. descendants of Malays who were imported as slaves over 300 years ago by the Dutch settlers, Indians and a few whites. The first black African to become a Bahá'í was Klaas Mtsweni, a Zulu in Pretoria in 1954.

    By April 1956 the Bahá'í Faith had spread thinly over 15 countries of Southern Africa including the islands of the Indian Ocean and St. Helena, and a regional governing body, the Regional Spiritual Assembly of South and West Africa was formed with its seat in Johannesburg. The National Convention was held at the farm owned by the Sears family.

    Because of the system of apartheid practiced and legislated in South Africa, the Bahá'í Faith, the principles of which include the Oneness of Mankind, was taught for 32 years on a one-to-one basis mainly without publicity. Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed by plurality vote in all localities where there were 9 or more believers aged 21 years and over. These Assemblies were charged with making their own teaching plans and living a life based on the moral principles outlined by Bahá'u'lláh.

    During this period of gestation, the Bahá'í Faith was being watched continually by the security police. Both the individual Bahá'ís and the administrative bodies were under police investigation and surveillance. However, although the believers never compromised the principles of the Faith and gradually developed racially integrated Bahá'í communities, the numbers were too small and peaceful to be considered a threat to the apartheid regime. By 1985 the marriage laws were relaxed. In 1990 a series of steps began that led to the repeal of apartheid legislation on the 17th of June 1991 and a democratic government was elected in 1994. [Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in South Africa since 1911]

    - First believers by background; Apartheid; Cape Town, South Africa; Durban, South Africa; Harry Ford; Johannesburg, South Africa; Lowell Johnson; Pretoria, South Africa; South Africa; William Sears
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