Chronology of the Bahá'í Faith

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Date 1991-0, descending — sort earliest first

date event tags firsts
1991 (In the year) The Bahá'ís of Bulgaria held their first National Conference in Plovdiv. Earlier that year they had elected local spiritual assemblies in Plovdiv, Sofia, Stara Zagora and Blagoevgrad.
  • In November the Bahá'í Faith was officially registered as a religion at the Directorate of Religions. They held their first National Convention in 1992. [Nation Website]
    		•  Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Sofia, Bulgaria; Stara Zagora, Bulgaria; Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
    1991 Sep The ground was broken for the construction of the Centre for the Study of the Sacred Texts and for the Extension to the International Archives Building. [Ridván Message 1992] Centre for the Study of the Sacred Texts; International Bahá'í Archives; Arc project; Foundation stones and groundbreaking; Haifa, Israel; - Bahá'í World Centre
    1991 15 – 22 Aug The first summer school of Tajikistan took place in Varzoub Gorge. First summer and winter schools; Varzoub Gorge; Tajikistan first summer school of Tajikistan
    1991 Aug Hand of the Cause Dr 'Alí-Muhammad Varqá convened a conference for the Deputies of the Huqúqu'lláh at Landegg Academy. [VV125]
  • Photo.
    		•  Huququllah; Varqá, `Alí-Muhammad; - Conferences; Landegg, Switzerland; Switzerland
    1991 15 – 21 Jul The first European Bahá'í Youth Conference of Romania was held in Neptune. [BINS253:9; VV74]
  • For picture see VV74.
    		•  Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Youth; - Conferences, International; Neptune; Romania; - Europe
    1991 15 – 21 Jul The first summer school of Sikkim was held in Saramsa. [BINS257:6] Summer schools; First summer and winter schools; Saramsa, Sikkim; Sikkim, India; India first summer school of Sikkim
    1991 21 Jun The first local spiritual assembly in Kirgizia was formed in Bishkek. Local Spiritual Assembly; Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Kirgizia
    1991 18 Jun The passing of Hand of the Cause of God, Knight of Bahá'u'lláh, John Aldham Robarts at Rawdon, Quebec. He was born in Waterloo, Ontario 2nd of November, 1901. [VV124]
  • Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
  • See BW20p801-809.
  • For his obituary see BINS250:10.
  • For picture see VV124.
  • For the story of how he came to learn of the Faith see SBR137.
  • See LoF473-495.
  • A 50-minute film entitledRetrospective, a Ciné Bahá'í production, was made as a tribute to the Hand of the Cause John A. Robarts on the occasion of his 40th anniversary as a member of the Bahá'r' community.
    		• - Hands of the Cause; Hands of the Cause, Births and deaths; Births and deaths; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; John Robarts; In Memoriam; Births and deaths; Rawdon, QC; Quebec, Canada
    1991 17 Jun The contracts were signed for the second phase of construction for the terraces to the Shrine of the Báb. Báb, Shrine of; Terraces; Haifa, Israel; Mount Carmel MERGE
    1991 16 Jun The first local spiritual assembly in Albania was formed at Tirana. Local Spiritual Assembly; Tirana; Albania
    1991 14 May The first local spiritual assembly in Armenia was formed at Yerevan. Local Spiritual Assembly; Yerevan; Armenia
    1991 May The first local spiritual assembly in Moldova was formed in Kishinev. Local Spiritual Assembly; Kishinev; Moldavia (Moldova), Romania
    1991 Ridván The Bahá'ís of East and West Germany were united at their 61st convention for the first time after the war. [VV113] Conventions, National; Germany first united convention in Germany after war
    1991 (In the year) The National Spiritual Assembly of Liberia had to be dissolved because of the civil war in that country. [Ridván Message 1992] National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Monrovia, Liberia; Liberia
    1991 Ridván The National Spiritual Assembly of the Leeward Islands that was formed in 1981 was renamed the National Spiritual Assembly of the East Leeward Islands following the splitting of this region. [East Leeward Islands by Patricia Paccassi] National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Antigua; Leeward Islands
    1991 Ridván The National Spiritual Assembly of the West Leeward Islands was formed. [AWH86; BINS246:1; VV113] iiiii National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Leeward Islands
    1991 Ridván The National Spiritual Assembly of the Soviet Union was formed with its seat in Moscow. [AWH86; BINS246:1–3; VV113]
  • This assembly was later renamed the Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Baltic States and Georgia. [BW95-96p48]
  • It was dissolved in 1992 when the National Spiritual Assembly of Russia and the Regional Spiritual Assembly of Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova were formed to replace it. [National Spiritual Assemblies: Lists and years of formation by Graham Hassall]
    		• National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Moscow, Russia
    1991 Ridván The National Spiritual Assembly of Czechoslovakia was formed with its seat in Prague. [AWH86; BINS246:3–4; VV113] National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Prague; Czech Republic
    1991 Ridván Romania has had a Bahá'í community since 1926, including Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romania at that time. After the fall of communism in Romania, which generally had outlawed religion, the Romanian Bahá'í community organized to form its first National Spiritual Assembly. The National Spiritual Assembly of Romania was formed with its seat in Bucharest. About 200 believers were present at the inaugural National Convention. [AWH86; BINS246:1; VV113]
  • Photo of the first National Spiritual Assembly.
  • From the Ridván Message...
      ...the Government has recognized the Bahá'í community as a religious association with the right to spread the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh

    In 2005 the Romanian Bahá'í community numbered some 7000, but in January 2007 a law was passed that had restrictive requirements for religious communities to be recognized, which Bahá'ís and other religions could not meet. Some of the restrictions include waiting twelve years from petitioning for recognition and to have over 22,000 members. [ROMANIA: Too much power for the state and recognised communities?]

    		•  National Spiritual Assembly, formation; Persecution, Romania; Bucharest, Romania; Romania first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Romania
    1991 (In the year) The administration of the Bahá'í Faith in Zaire was devolved to a system of subordinate regional councils. Regional Bahá'í Councils; Congo, Democratic Republic of (Zaire)
    1991 Ridván The Universal House of Justice announced that the law of Huqúqu'lláh would become universally applicable at Ridván 1992. [AWH91–2, 174, Ridván 1991] Huququllah; Gradual implementation of laws; - Worldwide
    1991 Ridván Number of National Assemblies - 155

    Number of Local Assemblies - more than 17,000

    Number of nationalities and tribes represented is estimated at 2,112 [B'91pg54 note 2]

    Number of localities - over 108,000. [CoB375]

    Number of languages - over 800 [B'91pg3]

    		 Statistics; Growth; - Worldwide
    1991 12 Apr The Local Spiritual Assembly of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, was re-formed. Local Spiritual Assembly, re-formed; Tashkent; Uzbekistan
    1991 Mar 1991 In March the first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly was re-elected in Warsaw. By 1992 the National Spiritual Assembly was elected. [Wikipedia] Local Spiritual Assembly, formation; Warsaw; Poland
    1991 25 Feb In Iran, a secret government memorandum (known as the Golpaygani Memorandum) was drawn up by Iran's Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council and signed by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, which provided a blueprint of the policies and actions to which the Bahá'í community of Iran was to be subjugated. The memorandum demanded a shift in Iran's stance towards Bahá'ís from overt persecution to a more covert policy aimed at depleting the Iranian Bahá'í community's economic and cultural resources. This was a change in the policy for the Islamic regime which had openly persecuted and killed Bahá'ís during its first decade in power and had accused them of being spies for various foreign powers. The document also called for "countering and destroying their [Bahá'ís] cultural roots abroad." [Iran Press Watch 1407]
    Signed by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the memorandum established a subtle government policy aimed at essentially grinding the community into nonexistence by:
  • forcing Bahá'í children to have a strong Islamic education,
  • pushing Bahá'í adults into the economic periphery and forcing them from all positions of power or influence, and
  • requiring that Bahá'í youth "be expelled from universities, either in the admission process or during the course of their studies, once it becomes known that they are Bahá'ís." [One Country; Iran Press Watch 1578]
  • The memorandum can be found here, here and here.
  • This document might have remained secret had it not been divulged to Reynaldo Galindo Pohl, the Salvadoran diplomat who served as the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran between 1986 and 1995. Professor Pohl disclosed the document in 1993 during a session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (now replaced by the Human Rights Council). [BWNS575]
    		• Golpaygani Memorandum; Ayatollah Khamenei; Ayatollahs; Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Other; - Persecution; Human Rights; United Nations; - Persecution, Education; Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS); Bahá'í International Community; Iran; USA
    1991 8 - 14 Feb The first Bahá'í Winter School of Romania was held in Felix, attended by 80 Bahá'ís. [BINS241:3] First summer and winter schools; Băile Felix, Romania; Romania
    1991 5 Feb The highest legal authority in Germany, the Federal Constitutional Court, overturned the decisions of a number of lower courts that had refused to register the by-laws of a Local Spiritual Assembly on the grounds that the authority granted to the National Spiritual Assembly in the document violated the legal principle requiring the autonomy of all legally incorporated associations.
  • The case was first brought before the District Court of Tübingen when the legal administrator refused to register the Local Assembly on the 8th of December, 1983. The decision was appealed on the 5th of May 1985 to the High State Court in Sturrgart and rejected on the 27th of January 1986. News of the decision caused other jurisdictions to demand that local assemblies amend their By-Laws or face cancellation of their existing incorporation. The National Spiritual Assembly was in danger of the same fate. An appeal was submitted in March of 1986.
  • The ruling affirmed Bahá'í community, by its right as a recognized religion, recognized by public knowledge and by the testimony of scholars of comparative religion, had the right to a legal identity. [AWH87]
  • See Ridván Message 1991.
  • For complete details of the case see Mess86-01p206-235.
    		•  Local Spiritual Assembly; National Spiritual Assembly; By-laws; Recognition (legal); Tubingen; Germany
    1991 Feb The Faith became officially recognized as a "religious association" in Romania. [CBNJun91pg12] Recognition (legal); Romania
    1991 26 - 27 Jan The first National Teaching Conference of Yugoslavia was held in Belgrade. [BINS243:3] Conferences, Bahá'í; Conferences, Teaching; - Conferences, National; Belgrade, Serbia; Yugoslavia
    1991 25 Jan Mottahedeh Development Services was established by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States as a non-profit agency to promote social and economic development to benefit individuals of any race, creed, or nationality. The agency name honours more than fifty years of dedicated service by Mildred and Rafi Mottahedeh, two pioneers in social and economic development.
  • Mottahedeh Development Services was organized as a charitable organization under US law. [MDS]
    		•  National Spiritual Assembly of the United States; Social and economic development; Mottahedeh Development Services; Mildred Mottahedeh; Rafi Mottahedeh; USA
    1991 25 Jan The first local spiritual assembly in Latvia was formed in Riga. [BINS241:3] Local Spiritual Assembly; Riga; Latvia first local spiritual assembly in Latvia
    1991 20 Jan The first World Religion Day to be held in Bophuthatswana took place in Mmabatho. [BINS 244:1] World Religion Day; Mmabatho, South Africa; Bophuthatswana, South Africa; South Africa first World Religion Day
    1991 2 Jan The first local spiritual assembly in Bulgaria was formed in Plovdiv. [BINS239:2] Local Spiritual Assembly; Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Bulgaria first local spiritual assembly in Bulgaria
    1991 Jan Dr. Victor de Araujo, Bahá'í representative to the United Nations for 23 years and the first full-time representative, retired from his duties. He had represented the BIC at innumerable conferences and seminars throughout the world as well as at the UN headquarters in New York, often serving as chairman on the UN committees. [VV54]
  • Mr. Techeste Ahderom of Eritrea succeeded him. [VV54]
    		•  Victor de Araujo; Bahá'í International Community; USA; Techeste Ahderom; Firsts, other; New York, USA; USA First full-time Bahá'í representative to UN
    1991 Jan The first local spiritual assembly in Slovakia was formed in Bratislava. Local Spiritual Assembly; Bratislava, Slovakia; Slovakia first local spiritual assembly in Slovakia
    1991 (In the year) The Italian Bahá'í Community purchased the La Panoramica hotel in 1989 and by 1991 to was transformed it into an International Study Centre for training and study as well as cultural exchanges between people of various religions and many nationalities. [Website; Facebook; Instagram]
  • List of Associations for Bahá'í Studies worldwide.
    		•  Bahá'í Studies, Associations for; Acuto, Italy; Italy
    1991 (In the Year) The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States established the Association of Persian Culture and Literature, with the goal of promoting Persian arts and culture. Later, this entity was named "Association of the Friends of Persian Culture."

    The main objectives of the Association were:

    • Assisting individuals of Iranian descent to stay in touch with, and gain a deeper understanding of the cultural, artistic and literary heritage of Iran.
    • Encouraging children, youth and young adults of Iranian descent living abroad to familiarize themselves with, and gain a deeper appreciation of Persian arts, literature and culture.
    • Helping English speaking friends and family members to gain an appreciation of Persian culture.
    • Promoting systematic and comprehensive study of Persian arts, culture and history.
    • Creating dialogue in a loving, respectful and friendly atmosphere amongst Iranians with different religions, ethnicities and ideologies.
    [Association of the Friends of Persian Culture.]
    1991 (In the year) The first major public statement of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, The Vision of Race Unity: America's Most challenging Issue, was published and disseminated widely throughout the country. Vision of Race Unity (statement); Race; Unity; * Publications; - Statements; - National Spiritual Assembly, statements; Public discourse; USA

    Try also a shorter date like or 1991 or 199

    try also the Chronology Canada — 1991-0 or 1991 or 199

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