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"lighten and uplift
them, so that they may soar on the wings of the Divine verses"
-Baha'u'llah
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Festivities
exceed expectations
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VICTORIA,
Seychelles, 11 January 2004 (BWNS) --
A jubilant Baha'i community celebrated its 50th
anniversary here in a week-long series of events
which included the official opening of an
impressive new building as its center.
The
prelude to the golden jubilee festivities was on
8 November 2003 as banners advertising the
forthcoming official program were placed above
all the main streets of the capital city.
Television
coverage at prime time and extensive reporting
on radio and in the newspapers informed the
nation about what was to take place, but at that
time nobody predicted the unprecedented public
interest that was to come.
The
first formal event was a workshop on virtues
education in schools, and a presentation of
books to the Ministry of Education sponsored by
the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is
of Seychelles. |
Unveiling the commemorative plaque of the
new national Baha'i center... Munirih Zarqani
(left) and Badi Abbas.
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The
response to the invitation to attend the workshop was
overwhelming. More than 100 teachers from public and
private schools attended. The media covered the event,
and there were extensive inquiries from those in the
public who wanted to obtain a publication on virtues for
their own use.
Speaking at
that event on behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly,
Sarah Rene, who is a member of the Assembly and also the
First Lady of Seychelles, said "educational systems
must provide a more balanced education to our young
souls, an education where the moral, ethical, and
spiritual is given its due importance on a par with the
intellectual and academic."
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In
response, the Minister of Education, Danny Faure,
agreed that there was an urgent need to make the
classroom curriculum more balanced. Mr. Faure also
thanked the Baha'i community for its gift of
books, and twice quoted what he described as a
very profound statement by Baha'u'llah: "The
earth is but one country, and mankind its
citizens."
The
next day saw the official dedication ceremony in
Victoria of the new national Baha'i center, an
event attended by some 400 guests, including the
President of the Republic, France Albert Rene,
along with the vice-president, a former president,
the leader of the opposition, and many other
ministers and high ranking officials.
Also
present were Baha'i guests from India, Mauritius,
the Maldives, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria. The
national Baha'i choir provided uplifting music for
the occasion. |
The chairman of the National Spiritual
Assembly, Antonio Gopal (right), presents books to
Seychelles Minister of Education, Danny Faure. |
Speeches by
the chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly, Antonio
Gopal, and vice-chairman Selwyn Gendron, explained much
about the Baha'i Faith and its history in Seychelles.
"May
this building," said Dr. Gendron, "provide the
Baha'i community with a daily reminder that we need to
strive for perfection in all aspects or our daily lives
by adhering to the principles of our Faith."
Member of the National Spiritual Assembly, Sarah
Rene, addressing the participants. |
"The
Baha'i community of Seychelles is jubilant today
to offer to our country what we believe to be a
monument, and which we are sure will add to the
richness of the architectural landscape of
Seychelles," Dr. Gendron said.
Participating
was one of the Baha'i community's historic
figures, Munirih Zarqani, one of the first Baha'is
to pioneer to the Seychelles and the widow of
Abdu'l Rahman Zarqani, who was one of the two men
named by Shoghi Effendi as a Knight of Baha'u'llah
for bringing the Faith to the islands in January
1954.
Mrs.
Zarqani unveiled the commemorative plaque with Dr.
Badi Abbas, the son of the other Knight of
Baha'u'llah, the late Kamil Abbas, who arrived in
Seychelles from Iraq in November 1953. |
Also
present was the center's architect, Kamal Zarqani, the
only son of Mr. and Mrs. Zarqani. Mrs. Rene, a daughter
of the Zarqanis, also attended.
In his
design concept, which integrated Baha'i concepts with
the local culture, he combined ancient Greek
architecture on the ground floor with traditional
Seychelles architecture on the upper floor.
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After
the unveiling of the plaque, there was a two-hour
pageant that depicted the history of the Baha'i
Faith in Seychelles and an overview of the
Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh.
Some
100 performers in the pageant and the background
crew presented a show of songs, video, dances and
skits. So much interest was generated in the
pageant that it was staged again the following
day, and another four days later, both times to
full houses.
National
television also broadcast the complete two hours
15 minutes of the pageant at prime time. |
The new national Baha'i center of Seychelles. |
The next
stage of the festivities involved two open days at the
Baha'i center where members of the public were guided
throughout. They visited an exhibition and watched video
programs. They also bought many books and posed
questions to the Baha'is about their Faith.
Two
well-attended devotional programs were held, and many of
the visiting public also registered to join Baha'i study
circles.
Dr. Gendron
later addressed a public meeting on the topic
"Station and Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh."
The final
event of the jubilee celebrations was the laying of the
foundation stone of the Baha'i Centre of La Digue, the
fourth biggest island of Seychelles, by a local Baha'i,
Angela Sophola, and Mrs. Zarqani. Some 100 Baha'is as
well as many local dignitaries attended the ceremony.
Kamil Abbas. |
The
national Baha'i choir sang, prayers were said, and
Mr. Gopal addressed the gathering. National
television news covered the event.
History
of the community
Participants
at the jubilee events heard about the first Baha'i
to set foot in Seychelles, Mr. Abbas. Although he
had to leave after five weeks, he taught the Faith
to a local teacher, Marshall Delcy, the first
Seychellois to become a Baha'i.
Shortly
after Mr. Abbas left, Mr. Zarqani (1926-1994)
arrived from India where he had been the secretary
of the National Spiritual Assembly. Answering the
call of Shoghi Effendi for Baha'is to take the
teachings of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the world,
he traveled with great courage to Seychelles,
having heard it was a place of exile and having
been warned, mistakenly, that there were cannibals
there. He had originally intended to settle in the
Chagos Islands. |
However,
when he landed he found Seychelles an exquisitely
beautiful location and soon called for his young wife
and daughter.
In
mid-1954, Manuchihr Ma'ani Entessari arrived from Iran
as a Baha'i pioneer bound for the Chagos archipelago. In
1955, Munir Wakil arrived from Iraq. He was joined by
his family in 1956 and purchased land that is now the
site of the national Baha'i center.
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When
Mr. Wakil arrived, the fact there were now nine
adult Baha'i meant that they were able to elect
the first Local Spiritual Assembly. The election
was carried out in the house of a local Baha'i
family, the Deweas. Five of the nine members were
locals. Seychelles now has 13 Local Spiritual
Assemblies.
During
the 1960s, the Baha'i community inaugurated the
observance in their country of international days
celebrating Human Rights, the United Nations, Race
Unity, World Peace, and World Religion.
Many
people, including religious and civil leaders,
attended those celebrations organized by the
Baha'is. |
Abdu'l Rahman Zarqani. |
In 1969,
programs about the Faith were broadcast on national
radio, the first religion to do so.
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| Published in Bahá'í
World News Service |
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