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Brief History of the Baha’is of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan being Iran's neighbourhood country, has a close connection with the Baha'I faith since the time of the Bab. The impact of the teachings of the Bab was seen in Azerbaijan, as much as it was witnessed in Iran. Since 1850, small Baha'i communities established themselves in different parts of Azerbaijan, namely Ordubad, Baku, Balakhani, Ganja, Barda, Goychay, Salyan, Khilli (present day Neftchala), Shaki, Shamakhy, etc. Soon, the community of Baku counted the largest number of faithful in the region and in 1860 obtained official acknowledgement from the authorities. These small communities also recognized the newly proclaimed position of Baha'u'llah. Soon there was more public awareness and some favour from leaders of the wider community. At the same time, the Baha'i community of Baku broadened its communication with other Baha'is in Russia, Turkey and Ashkhabad and did much work printing materials in Turkish.

Around 1902, relations with the government were decent but with the general population there was no satisfactory tranquility on account of the people. The Baha'is of Baku were also in contact with the communities in the United States. The community could have peaked at about 2000 people, second only to that of Ashqabad. The Nakhjavani family was said to have played major roles in the spreading of the faith.

 

1906 - Azerbaijan Baha’i Community

 

From 1922, Soviet officials launched their initial campaigns against the Baha'is including deportation of Baha'i of the Persian citizens back to their country and exiled others to Siberia. All the publications, schools as well as collective meetings were banned. By about 1937, only Baku and Ashgabat assemblies were still operational, although the associates of the Baku assembly had been elected three times in just two years since the first two set of members were all arrested and banished to Siberia. The third set elected were mostly women due to apparent ins and outs.

From 1988, the Baha'is of the city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan became active. The Baha'i community has existed almost from the time the religion was founded in neighbouring Persia in 1844. During the Soviet period, Azerbaijani faithful practiced the Baha'i faith secretly, but with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, it again revived.


 

1926 - A group of Baha'i children in Baku receiving instructions in the principles of character building

 

In 1992, the Parliament of Azerbaijan adoptedthe law of religious liberty and thus the Free Baha'is gained an opportunity to be officially recognised as a religion in the country. In 1993, the Governing Board of the Ministry of Justice of the Azerbaijan Republic gave official permission for the functioning of the Baha'i Community of Baku. The international observers have criticized Azerbaijan for religious freedom, but local Baha'is express no dissatisfaction with the government's treatment of their faith. They have, however, faced challenges particularly in the autonomous republic of Nakhchivan, where the faithful have reported harassment.

 

Free Baha'is being a small community spends most of their time at in-house gatherings where people from families, friends and neighbors are made part of. Some faithful also organise workshops for children, lectures for adults, and social-welfare projects. Faithful also organise specially gatherings in Baku for kids to sing songs and make drawings highlighting religious unity. All in the name of Baha'u'llah and the Master. Azerbaijan offers a perfect blend of religious tolerance and multiculturalism, and hence the followers of the Free Baha'i faith become a natural fit for the country. I wish great victory to the followers of Baha'u'llah to spread the message of peace and unity in this region and may the dream of the Master come true. Keep growing!

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