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The '''Bahá'í Faith in Kazakhstan''' began during the [[Religion in the Soviet Union#Policy toward religions in practice|policy of oppression]] of religion in the former [[Soviet Union]]. Before that time, [[Kazakhstan]], as part of the [[Russian Empire]], had indirect contact with the [[Bahá'í Faith]] as far back as 1847.<ref name="russia">{{cite web | last = Momen | first = Moojan| authorlink = Moojan Momen  | title = Russia | work = Draft for "A Short Encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith" | publisher = Bahá'í Academics Resource Library | date = | url = http://bahai-library.com/momen_encyclopedia_russia | accessdate = 2008-04-14}}</ref> Following the arrival of [[Pioneering (Bahá'í)|pioneers]] the community grew to be the largest religious community after Islam and Christianity, although only a minor percent of the national whole.<ref name="census">{{cite web
 |author=Government of Kazakhstan 
 |title=Religious Groups in Kazakhstan 
 |work=2001 Census 
 |publisher=Embassy of Kazakhstan to the USA & Canada 
 |year=2001 
 |url=http://www.kazakhembus.com/files/Religious_Groups_in_Kazakhstan.htm 
 |accessdate=2008-05-21 
 |deadurl=yes 
 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031175723/http://www.kazakhembus.com/files/Religious_Groups_in_Kazakhstan.htm 
 |archivedate=2006-10-31 
 |df= 
}}</ref> By 1994 the National Spiritual Assembly of Kazakhstan was elected<ref name="statement">{{cite web | author = Local Spiritual Assembly of Kyiv | title = Statement on the history of the Bahá'í Faith in Soviet Union | work = Official Website of the Bahá'ís of Kyiv | publisher = Local Spiritual Assembly of Kyiv | year = 2007–8 | url = http://bahai.kiev.ua/history9.html | accessdate = 2008-04-19}}</ref> and the community had begun to multiply its efforts across various interests. The [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] (relying on [[World Christian Encyclopedia]]) estimated some 6,400 Bahá'ís in 2005.<ref name="WCE-05">{{cite web|title = Most Baha'i Nations (2005) | work = QuickLists > Compare Nations > Religions > | publisher = The Association of Religion Data Archives | year = 2005| url =http://www.thearda.com/QuickLists/QuickList_40c.asp | accessdate = 2009-07-04}}</ref>

== History in the region ==

=== A part of the Russian Empire ===

The earliest relationship between the Bahá'í Faith and Kazakhstan came under the sphere of the country's [[History of Kazakhstan#In the Russian Empire (1731–1917)|history with Russia]]. In 1847 the Russian ambassador to [[Tehran]], Prince Dimitri Ivanovich Dolgorukov, requested that the [[Báb]], the herald to the Bahá'í Faith who was imprisoned at [[Maku, Iran|Maku]], be moved elsewhere. He also condemned the massacres of Iranian religionists and asked for the release of [[Bahá'u'lláh]], the founder of the Bahá'í Faith.<ref name="russia" /><ref name="statement" /> By the 1880s an organized community of Bahá'ís was established in [[Ashgabat]] and later built the first [[Bahá'í House of Worship]] in 1913-1918.

=== Soviet period ===

By the time of the [[October Revolution]] Bahá'ís had spread through [[Central Asia]] and [[Caucasus]] with the community in [[Ashgabat]] numbering about two thousand people. The community of Ashgabat had developed a library, hospital, hotel and [[Bahá'í school]]s &mdash; including a school for girls &mdash; all open to all people regardless of religion. After the October Revolution and the ban on religion, the Bahá'ís (strictly adhering to their principle of obedience to legal government) abandoned their administration and allowed their properties to be nationalized.<ref>{{cite book | last = Effendi | first = Shoghi | authorlink = Shoghi Effendi | title = The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh | publisher = US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1991 first pocket-size edition | date = 1936-03-11 | location = Haifa, Palestine | pages = 64–67 | url = http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/WOB/wob-34.html#pg64| isbn = }}</ref> By 1938, after numerous arrests and a [[Religion in the Soviet Union#Policy toward religions in practice|policy of oppression]] of religion, most Bahá'ís were sent to prisons and camps or sent abroad. There were at this time some 1,400 families of Bahá'ís resident in Ashgabat. The authorities arrested every adult male Bahá'í. The women and children were deported to [[Iran]], while the men were either deported or sentenced to long terms of imprisonment or exile. Many were sent to [[Pavlodar]] in northern Kazakhstan.<ref name="momen">{{cite conference | last = Momen | first = Moojan | authorlink = Moojan Momen | title = Turkmenistan | booktitle = draft of "A Short Encyclopedia of the Baha'i Faith" | publisher = Bahá'í Library Online | year = 1994 | url = http://www.northill.demon.co.uk/relstud/turkmnst.htm | accessdate = 2008-05-21| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080509200356/http://www.northill.demon.co.uk/relstud/turkmnst.htm| archivedate= 9 May 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> Bahá'í communities in 38 cities ceased to exist.

Bahá'ís had managed to re-enter various countries of the [[Eastern Bloc]] throughout the 1950s,<ref name="russia" /> following a plan of the head of the religion at the time, [[Shoghi Effendi]]. By 1953 the first [[Pioneering (Bahá'í)|pioneers]] arrived in Kazakhstan.<ref>{{cite book | last = Effendi | first = Shoghi | authorlink = Shoghi Effendi | title = Citadel of Faith | publisher = US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1980 third printing | year = collected letters from 1947-57 | location = Haifa, Palestine | pages = 107 | url = http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/CF/cf-9.html#pg107 | isbn = }}</ref> A pair of small communities are listed in 1963.<ref name="Hands">[http://bahai-library.com/handscause_statistics_1953-63&chapter=1#22 The Bahá'í Faith: 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, page 95.</ref>

== Development of the community ==

There is evidence that the Bahá'í Faith started to grow across the [[Soviet Union]] in the 1980s.<ref name="russia" /> In 1991 a Bahá'í [[National Spiritual Assembly]] of the Soviet Union was elected but was quickly split among its former members.<ref name="russia" /> In 1992, a regional National Spiritual Assembly for the whole of Central Asia ([[Turkmenistan]], Kazakhstan, [[Kirgizia]], [[Tajikistan]], and [[Uzbekistan]]) was formed with its seat in Ashkhabad.<ref name="momen" /> In 1994 the National Spiritual Assembly of Kazakhstan was elected.<ref name="Hands" />

As of 2001, 25<ref name="census" /> Bahá'í [[Local Spiritual Assembly|Local Spiritual Assemblies]] or smaller groups had registered with the government - and these communities totaled 25 of 55 of the organized communities of "nontraditional" religions ("traditional" being defined by the Kazakh government as [[Islam]], [[Christianity]], [[Judaism]] and [[Buddhism]].) Local Spiritual Assemblies had been registered in many Kazakh cities.<ref name="newspaper">{{cite news
| last = Balkina
| first = Valeriya
| title = Kazakhstan "target of religious aggression" from Bahai faith<nowiki>[sic]</nowiki>
| work = Ekspress-K (Kazakhstan)
| pages = 3–4
| publisher = BBC Monitoring Central Asia - Ekspress-K
| year = 2001| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110928093252/http://www.bahaindex.com/en/news/1-general-news/1413-kazakhstan-qtarget-of-religious-aggressionq-from-bahai-faith-paper | archive-date =September 28, 2011
| url = http://www.bahaindex.com/en/news/1-general-news/1413-kazakhstan-qtarget-of-religious-aggressionq-from-bahai-faith-paper
| accessdate = 2010-11-10}}</ref>} There were more registered communities of Bahá'ís than Jews and Buddhists and the rest of the non-Moslem, non-Christian religious communities. In 1999 - the closest national census - 7% of the religious national population of 14,896,000 (or just over 1 million) were not Muslim or Christian.

=== Hostile atmosphere in 2000-2002 ===

* There are reports of oppression of religious minorities as early as 2000.<ref>{{cite web
| author = U.S. State Department
| title = Kazakhstan - International Religious Freedom Report 2001
| publisher = The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affair
| date = 2001-10-26
| url = http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2001/5574.htm
| accessdate = 2008-05-21}}</ref>

* A 2001 hostile newspaper article<ref name="newspaper"/> characterized the religion with various hostile statements<ref name="census" /> as part of a generally hostile environment against several minority religions according to United States government reports.<ref>{{cite web
| author = U.S. State Department
| title = Kazakhstan - International Religious Freedom Report 2002
| publisher = The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affair
| date = 2002-10-07
| url = http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/13942.htm
| accessdate = 2008-05-21}}</ref> See [[Freedom of religion in Kazakhstan]].

* The government of Kazakhstan voted against a [[United Nations]] [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]] Resolution on the "Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran" (UN document no. A/C.3/56/L.50) on 19 December 2001. Kazakhstan was among 49 votes against, 72 for, and 68 either didn't vote or abstained.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Community
| first = Bahá'í International
| authorlink = Bahá'í International Community
| title = UN General Assembly Resolution 2001
| work = Bahá'í Topics
| publisher = Bahá'í International Community
| year = 2006
| url = http://www.info.bahai.org/article-1-8-3-23.html
| accessdate = 2008-05-21| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080510025914/http://www.info.bahai.org/article-1-8-3-23.html| archivedate= 10 May 2008 <!--DASHBot-->| deadurl= no}}</ref> See [[Persecution of Bahá'ís]].

* In 2002 a draft law more oppressive to religious minorities increased social pressure against them but by 2004 these draft laws and policies had ended and members of many religious minorities like the Bahá'í Faith considered the situation no longer repressive.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Rotar
| first = Igor
| title = KAZAKHSTAN: Religious freedom survey, February 2004
| work = F18News Archive
| publisher = F18News
| date = 2004-02-10
| url = http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=249
| accessdate = 2008-05-21}}</ref>

== Modern community ==

In 2002 Bahá'í Conference on Social and Economic Development for the Americas, held in [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], [[Florida]] had an attendee from Kazakhstan.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Community
| first = Bahá'í International
| title = Colored ribbons, a gold mine and a path to peace
| newspaper = Bahá'í World News Service
| publisher = Bahá'í International Community
| date = 2003-02-10
| url = http://news.bahai.org/story/189 }}</ref>

A Kazakhstan citizen worked at the [[Bahá'í World Centre]] in [[Haifa]] and volunteered participation with the Inspirit troupe which toured [[Vilnius]] in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Community
| first = Bahá'í International
| title = International cast in musical theater
| newspaper = Bahá'í World News Service
| publisher = Bahá'í International Community
| date = 2004-08-10
| url = http://news.bahai.org/story/320 }}</ref>

A "Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace," which was held on 22 June 2005 had Bahá'í speakers rising in support of the advancement of women and the conference was co-sponsored by several governments including Kazakhstan's, and at which the Kazakh Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs also spoke.<ref>{{Cite news
| last = Community
| first = Bahá'í International
| title = Unity stressed at interfaith conference
| newspaper = Bahá'í World News Service
| publisher = Bahá'í International Community
| date = 2005-06-28
| url = http://news.bahai.org/story/379 }}</ref>

In 2005 Kazakhstan government statistics reported to the United States indicated 44 registered "nontraditional" religious groups during the reporting period, (recall from above that 25 had been Bahá'í as late as 2001).<ref name="newspaper"/> The U.S. State Department says: <blockquote>Kazakh laws were amended in 2005 to reinforce registration requirements and clarify that religious groups must register with both the central government and the local governments of individual regions ([[oblasts]]) in which they have congregations. Prior to these amendments, the government required religious organizations to register only if they wished to be accorded legal status in order to buy or rent property, hire employees, or engage in other legal transactions. Although the amended national religion laws explicitly require religious organizations to register with the government, it continues to provide that all persons are free to practice their religion "alone or together with others." To register, a religious organization must have at least ten members and submit an application to the Ministry of Justice.<ref>{{cite web
| author = U.S. State Department
| title = Kazakhstan - International Religious Freedom Report 2007
| publisher = The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affair
| date = 2007-09-14
| url = http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90229.htm
| accessdate = 2008-05-21}}</ref></blockquote> A regional conference in 2008 on the progress of the religion in [[Almaty]] in southeastern Kazakhstan gathered about 650 people from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Western Siberia.<ref>{{Cite web | title = The Almaty Regional Conference | work = Regional Conferences of the Five Year Plan | publisher = Bahá'í International Community | date = 6–7 December 2008 | url = http://news.bahai.org/community-news/regional-conferences/almaty.html | accessdate = 2010-02-18}}</ref>

The [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] (relying on [[World Christian Encyclopedia]]) estimated some 6,400 Bahá'ís in 2005.<ref name="WCE-05"/>

== See also ==

* [[Religion in Kazakhstan]]
* [[Freedom of religion in Kazakhstan]]
* [[History of Kazakhstan]]
* [[List of cities in Kazakhstan]]
* [[Bahá'í Faith in Ukraine]]
* [[Bahá'í Faith in Uzbekistan]]

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|author1=Soli Shahvar|author2=Boris Morozov|author3=Gad Gilbar|title=Baha’is of Iran, Transcaspia and the Caucasus, The Volume 1: Letters of Russian Officers and Officials|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fl4BAwAAQBAJ|date=30 November 2011|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-0-85772-068-9}}
*  [http://futbolfactory.futbolweb.net/index.php?ff=historicos&f2=00001&idjugador=295бахаи.kz/index.php/%D0%9F%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%BC%D0%BE_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%A2%D1%83%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0_%D0%92%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%83_%D0%94%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%83_%D0%A1%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8_%D0%BE%D1%82_28_%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8F%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8F_2014_%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0 Answer to the letter on behalf of the Universal House of Justice dated September 4, 2014 about situation with M. Tungatarov and depriving of his administrative rights.]{{dead link|date=April 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.bahai.org/worldwide-community/national-communities/kazakhstan Kazakhstan Bahá'í National Community]

{{Asia topic|Bahá'í Faith in}}

{{Europe topic|Bahá'í Faith in}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baha'i Faith in Kazakhstan}}
[[Category:Religion in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Bahá'í Faith in Asia|Kaz]]