- 1926-06-24 — Enoch Olinga, future Hand of the Cause of God, was born in Abaango, Uganda.
- 1951-08-03 —
The establishment of the Faith in Uganda with the arrival of Mr. Músá Banání, his wife Samí'ih Banání, their daughter, Mrs. Violette and her husband, Mr. Ali Nakhjavani, of Iran, with their baby daughter Bahiyyih, and Mr. Philip Hainsworth who arrived in Kampala from England. [Wiki Bahá'í Uganda]
- See BWNS135 for an account of the celebration of 50 years of the Faith in Uganda and the accomplishments.
- 1951-12-00 — Brothers-in-law Fred Bigabwa, a Mutoro, and Crispin Kajubi, a Muganda, became Bahá'ís in Uganda, the first to accept the Faith in that country.
- 1952-02-00 —
Enoch Olinga became a Bahá'í, the third Ugandan and the first of the Iteso tribe to accept the Faith.
- See TG160 for the story of how he became a Bahá'í.
- 1952-10-08 —
Holy Year, "The Great Jubilee", October 1952 to October 1953, was inaugurated. [MBW16-18; BW12:116; DG84; PP409–10; SBR170–1]
- Centenary celebrations of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh's mission were initiated. [MBW16–18]
- "Shoghi Effendi began the Holy Year to commemorate the centenary of Bahá'u'lláh's experience in the Siyáh Chál in October 1952 and closed the Holy Year in October 1953 (which corresponds to the centenary of the "Year Nine", the Islamic year 1269)". [Two Episodes from the Life of Bahá'u'lláh in Iran p21 by Moojan Momen]
- Four international conferences were scheduled in Kampala, Wilmette (dedication of the Temple), Stockholm and New Delhi. [SETPE2p31-43]
- For a brief description of the Kampala Conference see CG20-21.
- 1953-00-00 —
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.
- 1953-02-12 —
The first Intercontinental Teaching Conference was convened by the British National Spiritual Assembly in Kampala, Uganda. [BW12:121, MBW135-140; BN No 267 May 1953 p5-7]
- For Shoghi Effendi's message to the conference see BW12:121–4.
- For a report of the conference see BW12:124–30.
- It was attended by ten Hands of the Cause, Bahá'ís from 19 countries and representatives of over 30 tribes. [PP413]
- Over a hundred new African believers attended as personal guests of the Guardian. [PP413]
- With this conference the Ten Year World Crusade was launched. [BBRSM158–9; BW12:253; MBW41]
- Picture. [BW12p118]
- See some candid video footage taken by Ted Cardell.
- 1954-04-21 — In Uganda, 2 years previous, there were no Bahá'ís. By this time there were over 700 Bahá'ís, with 24 Spiritual Assemblies. [That Promising Continent 18]
- 1955-08-23 — Shoghi Effendi announced plans to begin construction on the House of Worship in Kampala, Uganda in light of the fact that the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár that had been planned for Tehran during the Ten Year Crusade had to be postponed due to circumstances in Iran. [MBW90; PP312; BW13p713; CG42-43; Bahá'í Faith, The: 1844-1963:
Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963 compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land]
- 1956-04-21 —
The Regional Spiritual Assembly of Central and East Africa was formed with its seat in Kampala, Uganda. [BW13:284; MBW71-72]
- Its area of jurisdiction was Uganda, Tanganyika, Kenya, Belgian Congo, Ruanda-Urundi, French Equatorial Africa, Zanzibar, Comoro Islands and Seychelles Islands.
See the Guardian's message to this Assembly. [That Promising Continent 30]
- Ali Nakhjavani, Hassan Sabri, Philip Hainsworth, Oloro Epyeruj, Jalal Nakhjavani, Aziz Yazdi, Tito Wanantsusit, Max Kenyerezi, and Sylvester Okurut were members of the first regional national assembly. [History of the Bahá'í Faith in Tanzania]
- This regional assembly was dissolved at Ridván 1964. [BW14p96]
- 1957-10-03 —
- 1958-01-23 —
The first Intercontinental Conference held at the mid-point of the Crusade convened in Kampala, Uganda. [BW13:317]
- Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum, who had been designated by the Guardian as his representative, attended, accompanied by Dr Lutfu'lláh Hakím.
- For the message of the Custodians to the conference see MC56–60.
- For a report of the conference see BW13:317.
- 1958-01-26 —
The foundation stone of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár of Africa was laid by Hands of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and Músá Banání. [BW13:317]
- The Guardian had sent special gifts to be presented during the laying of the foundation stone. These included a Persian carpet from the Holy Shrine at Bahji, some plaster from the prison of Máh-Kú and a silver box containing the earth from Bahá'u'lláh's Shrine. These last two items were placed beneath the foundation stone by Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and Hand of the Cause Músá Banání. [CG44]
- 1960-00-02 — Two Bahá'í primary schools were opened in Uganda.
- 1961-01-14 —
The House of Worship in Kampala, the Mother Temple of Africa, was dedicated by Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum in a service for Bahá'ís only. [BW13:713–14; CG45]
- For details of the service and a picture see BW13:714. [TG159]
- Enoch Olinga was not present because of the unrest in British Cameroons. [TG160]
- 1961-01-15 —
The House of Worship in Kampala, the Mother Temple of Africa, is officially opened by Hand of the Cause Rúhíyyih Khánum in a public service attended by 1,500 people. [BW13:715–18; MoC15]
- For message of the Custodians to the dedication service see MoC2503.
- For cable of the Custodians to the Bahá'ís of the world see MoC253.
Specifics
Location:Northern Kampala, on Dikaaya Hill in Kawempe Division.
Foundation Stone: 26 Jan 1958 (Beneath the stone is a silver box containing the sacred earth from the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh and a wooden box containing a piece of the plaster from the Prison Fortress of Máh-Kú where the Báb had been incarcerated.)
Construction Period: Land purchased: 20 April 1954, January 1958 – 14 January 1961
Site Dedication: 14 January 1961 (Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum brought a gift from the Guardian- a carpet from the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh was hung on the inside of the door facing the Qiblih.)
Architect: Charles Mason Remey
Seating:Over 400 (800 for Dedication ceremony)
Dimensions: Dome at its base-44ft. Diameter of inner floor-84ft. Circumference: 265ft yielding 5,550 sq ft of floor space. Height of the building-124ft.
Cost: $ ? (initial budget was 42,00 Pounds Sterling)
Dependencies:
References: BW13p704-719, CEBF241, CG45
- 1964-00-02 —
Rex and Mary Collision, Knights of Bahá'u'lláh for Ruanda-Urandi (now the independent countries of Rwanda and Burundi), returned to the United States after three year's service at the Temple in Kampala.
- Photo.
- 1964-04-21 —
The National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda and Central Africa was formed with its seat in Kampala. [BW14p96]
- This Assembly had jurisdiction over the following countries: Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo Republic, (Leopoldville), Congo Republic, (Brazzaville), Gabon, Central African Republic, and Chad.
- 1967-10-05 —
Six Intercontinental Conferences were held simultaneously in Panama City, Wilmette, Sydney, Kampala, Frankfurt and New Delhi to celebrate the centenary of the proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh to the kings and rulers of the world in September/October of 1867. [BW 14:221]
- For the message of the Universal House of Justice to the conferences see BW14:221–2.
- For descriptions of each conference see BW14:223–58.
- See CG68-69 for a brief description of the Intercontinental Conference in Kampala.
- The six Hands of the Cause representing the Universal House of Justice at the conferences travelled to Adrianople to visit the House of Bahá'u'lláh before dispersing to the conferences. [BW14:236, 458; VV2]
- 1967-11-12 —
The dedication of two schools founded by Bahá'ís in Odusai and Tilling Uganda. (Note: Tilling was where the home of Hand of the Cause Olinga was located.) [CG70-71]
- The schools had been confiscated during the regime of Idi Amin and had fallen into poor repair. A project was undertaken by the Mona Foundation to restore the facilities. [Website]
- 1969-08-04 —
Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and her companion, Violette Nakhjavání, arrived in Kampala, Uganda, at the start of the 'Great African Safari'. [BN No 468 March 1970 p2-12]
On August 5, 1969, the wheels of our plane touched down at Entebbe airport, Kampala, Uganda—at last the long-promised visit of Amatu'l-Bahá to the believers of Africa was commencing. In 1961, at the time when she dedicated the Mother Temple of Africa for public worship, Rúḥíyyih Khánum promised the friends to come back and really visit them, touring as many Centres as possible. After nine years, this has now been fulfilled. [BW15p594]
It was the start of a four-leg journey that took the Hand of the Cause to 34 African countries, travelling 36,000 miles, addressing 40,000 people including 19 heads of state in some 400 gatherings. Beginning her
Safari in East Africa, she crossed the whole breadth of the continent to the Gambia, turned back
to the center of the Congo, and went down to the tip of South Africa in Cape Town before
returning to East Africa. She met nineteen Heads of State
among them Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, President Hamani Diori of Niger, President
Dr. William V.S Tubman of Liberia, King Motlotletlehi Sobhuza II of Swaziland, President
Gregoire Kayibanda of Rwanda, and President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia.
- For a map and details of the safari as well as pictures see BW15:593–607.
- See The Great African Safari: The travels of Rúhíyyih Khánum in Africa, 1969-73 by Violette Nakhjavani published by George Ronald in 2003.
- A diary of Rúhíyyih Khánum's travels through Africa was serialized in Bahá'í News in 26 issues (468-513) from 1970 through 1973.
These travels lead
to significant exposure of the Faith in the public domain, from governments to civil leaders to
mass media, propelling the development of national institutions across the continent in a new
dimension of work. One can say these events greatly contributed to the emergence of the Faith
from obscurity in Africa. [A Brief Account of the Progress of the Bahá'í Faith in Africa Since 1953 by Nancy Oloro-Robarts and Selam Ahderom p9]
- 1969-08-05 —
The itinerary for the first leg of the Great African Safari was as follows:
- Aug 4 - 14, 1969, Uganda
- Aug 15 - Sept 1,1969, Kenya
- Sept 2 - 26, 1969, Tanzania (and Mafia Island)
- Sept 28 - Oct 14, 1969, Kenya
- Oct 15 - Nov 17, 1969, Ethiopia. See BW15p186-187 where it is reported that over a thousand new Bahá'ís joined the ranks.
- Nov 17 - Dec 2, 1969, Kenya
- Dec 3, 1969 - Jan 2,1970, Uganda
- Jan 3 - 12, 1970, Zaire (now Central African Republic)
- Jan 13 - 24, 1970, Zaire (now Central African Republic)
- Jan 25 - Feb 7, 1970, Chad
- Feb 8 - 10, 1970, Nigeria
- Feb 11 - 18, 1970, Niger
- Feb 19 - 26, 1970, Dahomey (now Benin)
- Feb 27 - Mar 1, 1970, Togo
- Mar 2 - 11, 1970, Ghana [BW15p606]
- 1970-01-01 — Claire Gung opened Auntie Claire's Kindergarten in new facilities in Kampala with an enrollment of 146 children. [CG81]
- 1970-07-00 — The first National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Uganda was elected for the first time. Those elected were: Mr. Enos
Epyeru, Assistant Treasurer; Mr. Javan Gutosi, Treasurer;
Mr. S. M. Isimai, Secretary; Mr. Moses Senoga, Vice-Chairman
and Assistant Secretary, Mr. Julias
Nambafu, Augustin Massati, Augustin Naku, and Albert Ocamodek. [Bahá'í News No 479 February 1971 pg15; Wikipedia]
- 1971-04-21 — Although the first National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda was elected in the summer of 1970 it has been listed the following Ridván. [BW15p295]
- 1971-09-04 —
Músá Banání, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Kampala, Uganda. (b.1886) [BW15:42; VV7]
- For a brief biography see Bahá'í Chronicles.
- For his obituary see BW15:421–423.
- Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the second contingent on the 29th of February, 1952. [MoCxxiii]
- A Bahá'í Winter and Summer School was established in the southern part of Ethiopia and named "Banání House" in honour of Hand of the Cause Músá Banání, their "spiritual father". [BW15p187]
- 1975-10-31 — The Secretary of Religious Affairs in the President's Office of Uganda informed the Bahá'ís that the Bahá'í Faith was not among those religions prohibited to practise in the country. [BW16:147]
- 1977-09-16 —
In Uganda, 27 religious organizations were banned, including the Bahá'í Faith, and the Bahá'í House of Worship was closed. [BW17:81]
- The national spiritual assembly and all 1,550 local assemblies were dissolved. [BW17:141]
- The Assembly was able to re-form in 1981. [The Achievements of the Seven Year Plan p2]
- 1977-09-20 —
The Bahá'í Faith, along with many other religious groups, were banned in Uganda. The National Assembly and 1,550 local assemblies were dissolved. The ban was lifted in April of 1979 and the community began the process to re-build. [BWNS135; BW17:141]
- The National Spiritual Assembly was re-established in 1981. [BW18:553]
- 1977-09-21 —
The government of Idi Amin in Uganda banned all religion groups but for four. President Amin, who was a Moslem convert, granted the freedom of worship only to Islam and the Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches. The vast majority of Christians belonged to the Anglican and Catholic churches. Some of those organizations banned had been included in previous bans imposed by President Amin in 1973 and 1975. [CG113]
- The ban remained in place until the overthrow of the Amin government by the ousted former President Obote on the 11th of April, 1979. The Bahá'ís of Kampala formed an administrative committee until elections could be held. [CG124]
- 1979-04-02 — The ban against the Bahá'í Faith in Uganda was lifted and the House of Worship in Kampala was re-opened for worship. [BW17:141]
- 1979-08-25 — An Administrative Committee for Uganda was appointed by the Universal House of Justice to prepare the Bahá'í community for the re-establishment of the national spiritual assembly. [LoF471]
- 1979-09-16 —
Enoch Olinga—Hand of the Cause of God and Knight of Bahá'u'lláh—his wife and three of his children were murdered in Kampala, Uganda. (b.24 June 1926) [BBD 172; BW18:633; LoF471-472]
- He was buried near the grave of Hand of the Cause Mr Banání with the graves of his wife and children nearby. [CG132]
- Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the third contingent on the 2nd of October, 1957. [MoCxxiii]
- For his obituary see BW18:618–35.
- See Bahá'í Blog for a tribute to his life.
- Early in May soldiers had invaded his home and thoroughly sacked it. The president of Uganda was a Nilotic and a native of northern Uganda as were a majority of his army. After taking control of the country they began to take reprisals from rival tribes and those who they thought had supported Idi Amin. [CG127]
- On the morning of the murders Mr. Olinga and his family had participated in a work detail at the Temple grounds. After the evening meal, a group of soldiers entered their compound and murdered him as well as his wife Elizabeth the children Táhirih and Lennie. [CG130-132]
- Claire Gung, the "Mother of Africa", had had an extraordinarily accurate dream and had warned Mr. Olinga of his danger. [CG163]
- See Enoch Olinga, Knight of Baha'u'llah, Father of Victories and Hand of the Cause of God, Part 1,
Part 2,
Part 3 and
Part 4
- See as well Glimpse of the life of Enoch Olinga as told by 'Ali Nakhjavani.
- 1981-04-21 — The National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda was re-formed after a period of 19 months during which the Faith was banned. [BW18:107, 163; Ridván Message 1981]
- 1981-07-02 — The reconstituted Bahá'í Publishing Trust of Uganda met for the first time. [BW18:112]
- 1985-02-06 —
The passing of Claire Gung (b. 3 November, 1904, Gladbeck, Ruhrgebeit, Germany, d. Kampala, Uganda). She was buried in The National Bahá'í Cemetery of Uganda. [BW19p653-657]
- She had worked as a children's nurse or housekeeper in Germany, switzerland, Austria, the Italian tyrol, Belgium, Holland and finally settled in England in 1930. She became a Bahá'í in Torquay and after a time in Eastleigh, Dovon, later joined the small Bahá'í group in Cheltenham in 1940. She moved to the Manchester area and later pioneered to Northampton in November 1946 to become member of the first Spiritual Assembly there. In 1948 she again pioneered to help form the first Spiritual Assembly in the "Pivotal Centre" of Cardiff then to Brighton and to Belfast. In 1947 she became a naturalized British subject. In 1950, during the "Year of Respite", Claire became the first pioneer to actually move from the British community to settle in Africa when Shoghi Effendi called for Bahá'ís to open Africa. She sailed on the "Warwick Castle" on 4 (or 25) January, 1951 and landed in Tanzania where she obtained a post as assistant matron in a school in Lushoto,150 miles from Dar-es-Salaam. [CG158-159]
-
She became a "Knight" for Rhodesia. Mr. Zahrai was actually the first Bahá'í to come to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) during a Ten Year Crusade. He was followed soon after by Claire Gung, Eyneddin and Tahirih Ala'i, Kenneth and Roberta Christian and Joan Powis. All seven received the accolade of Knight of Baha'u'llah from Shoghi Effendi. Subsequently the Guardian gave her the title, "Mother of Africa".
- Later she moved to Uganda where she started a Kindergarten school. She was affectionately known as "Auntie Claire".
- After being in the country since 1957 Auntie Claire was granted he certificate of residence for life from the Republic of Uganda date the 11th of May, 1978. [CG118]
[BWNS275; Wikipedia; Wikipedia; Historical Dictionary of the Bahá'í Faith p.209; UD211, 482]
- Also see Claire Gung Mother of Africa by Adrienne Morgan and published by the National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'is of South Africa; (1997).
- 1986-00-00 — Community-based Bahá'í health care programmes were launched in Kenya, Uganda and Swaziland, spearheaded by Dr Ethel Martens of Canada.
- 1987-12-00 — The first Children's Conference of Uganda was held in Kikaaya, Kampala. [BINS173:7]
- 2001-00-00 — Building on the Indian experience, the discourse on science, religion, and development was extended to other countries. With the collaboration of a task force, the Institute organized a series of seminars in different regions of Uganda. At these seminars, academics, government officials, and representatives from nongovernmental organizations, gathered to discuss – within the context of Ugandan society – the issues raised in the Institute's document. Participants later formed working groups to explore how the discourse can affect such areas of human activity as education, economic activity and environmental resources, technology, and governance. A series of documents was prepared to be presented to the government. A video entitled Opening a Space: The Discourse on Science, Religion, and Development, documenting the Ugandan experience, was produced. [ISGP History; BWNS590]
- 2004-04-19 — The passing of Mr Aziz Ismayn Yazdi (b. Alexandria, Egypt in 1909) in Vancouver, Canada at the age of 94. Aziz Yazdi lived in Egypt, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Great Britain, Uganda, Kenya, Israel, and finally Canada. In 1968 he was appointed to the Continental Board of Counsellors in Central and East Africa and was an inaugural member of the International Teaching Centre in Haifa. [BWNS297, BW'03-'04pg239]
- 2011-04-22 —
The Preparation for Social Action programme was implemented under the Five Year Plan.
The programme drew on the learning of three decades of experience of FUNDAEC (Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de las Ciencias), in Columbia. It was an approach to social and economic development that addressed both the material and the spiritual dimensions of human existence. The programme aimed at assisting youth to understand certain concepts, learn a range of relevant facts, and acquire certain qualities, attitudes and skills that would enable them to promote the well-being of their people in fields as diverse as health, education, the environment, secondary production and community organization.
- At the beginning of the Plan, the programme was being implemented in nine countries, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and Zambia and involved some 1,500 to 3,000 participants. [5YPSumPage94-95]
- For further information see video entitled 2017 Teach For All Global Conference - Grassroots Stirrings in the Preparation for Social Action Program, Colombia
- See the thesis Knowledge Sharing for Community Developement: Educational Benefits at the Community Level through Networks of Knowledge Flow and Communities of Practice by Emily Lample.
- For further information please see Uplifting Words.
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