Baha’i
The 9-pointed star - a symbol of Baha'i
Today is one of the nine holy days of the Bahai faith: the Birth of Baha’u'llah, in Tehran, Iran, in 1817. (Bahá’u'lláh was the founder of the faith).
The Bahai faith, itself, was founded in Iran over 150 years ago, in 1844 and as such it is one of the youngest of the world’s major religions. It was founded by Baha’u'llah, (pronounced buh-howluh – and means “the Glory of God” in Arabic), in Iran out of the Shiite tradition of Islam.
It arose out of the Shi’ite branch of Islam when a young Iranian, who called himself “The Bab” (or “the gate”), proclaimed that a messenger would soon arrive from God who would be the latest in a line of prophets which included Moses, Jesus and Mohammed. The Bab and his followers were persecuted, mainly because in Islam, Mohammed is recognized as the final prophet – but there were other points in his teaching which were also considered controversial.
The central tenets of the religion can be summarized as:
- the human race is a single people with a common destiny – all human beings are different, but equal. Hence they oppose all forms of discrimination or differentiation on the basis a race, creed or gender;
- that people should work together for the common benefit of humanity;
- each human has an immortal soul;
- all religions have truth and validity – despite their apparent differences;
- there is one God;
- it is not possible to know this deity directly – only indirectly through the lives, examples, and teachings of his prophets;
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God reveals himself, and his will, progressively to succeeding generations through various “Manifestations”, or prohets, who each provide guidance appropriate for their particular time and culture, including (the list is not exhaustive):
- Zoroaster,
- Buddha,
- Moses,
- Jesus,
- Mohammed,
- Baha’u'lah – whom they believe to be the latest Manifestation, but who himself claimed that he was not the final one.
Although the religion originated in Iran – called Persia at that time – Iran is the one country in the world where the Bahai’s have suffered persecution.
The Kyrgyz Baha'i Community page on Facebook
There are estimated to be 6 million believers worldwide in 235 countries and territories – and hence, it is claimed, Bahai is the second most widespread religion in the world.
According to www.bahai.org, (which claims to be the ”international website of the Baha’is of the world“), the Baha’i faith was first established in Kyrgyzstan in the middle of the twentieth century. It is thought that there are over 5000 adherents in Kyrgyzstan, although another source give a more modest figure of about 940. According to the US International Religious Freedom Report, however, there are 12 registered places of worship in the country serving some 300 followers.
This short video, (just over two minutes), was posted on the vimeo website back in May, “The Baha’i Community in Kyrgyzstan“, (music and photographs):
Община бахаи в Кыргызстане from Kushtar Mamytaliev on Vimeo.
Вера бахаи – самая молодая мировая религия
Contact Information
Postal Address
The National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of Kyrgyzstan
5 Officerskiy Pereulok
720014 Bishkek
Kyrgyzstan
Email Inquiries
Bishkek