Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Bahá’í Religion Receives Legal Recognition in Vietnam

The Bahá’í Vietnamese Community held its first
convention in Ho Chi Minh City on March 21 to mark
the government’s recognition of the religion’s legal
status.

"It is a historic event of the entire Bahá’í Vietnam
community, which has built up confidence in the
government’s religious policies among followers,"
said Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thoa. Mr. Thao is one of the
nine members of the newly-elected National Spiritual
Assembly of Bahá’ís of Vietnam.

Mrs. Joan Lincoln, a special emissary of the Universal
House of Justice, traveled from the Bahá’í World
Centre in Haifa, Israel, to Ho Chi Minh City for the
occasion. She said "This is important because it was
the first time in 33 years that the government had
approved that such a gathering could take place."
She also said "this event has ushered in a dynamic
development stage for the Bahá’í Vietnam Community and contributed to the nation’s comprehensive development."

Established in Vietnam in 1954, the Bahá’í faith now has almost 7,000 followers in 43 provinces and cities nationwide, concentrated in the central and southern regions.

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