Baháʼí Faith in Rwanda
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The Baháʼí Faith in Rwanda begins after 1916 with a mention by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, that Baháʼís should take the religion to the regions of Africa.[1] The first specific mention of Rwanda was in May 1953 suggesting the expanding community of the Baháʼí Faith in Uganda look at sending pioneers to neighboring areas like Ruanda.[2] The first settlers of the religion arrived in the region by July[3] 1953 when Baháʼís from the United States and Malawi arrived. By 1963 there were three Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assemblies in Burundi-Ruanda.[4] Through succeeding organizations of the countries in the region, the National Spiritual Assembly of Rwanda was formed in 1972.[5] Baháʼís, perhaps in the thousands, were among those who perished in the Rwandan genocide[6] Following the disruption of the Rwandan Civil War the national assembly was reformed in 1997.[7] The Baháʼís of Rwanda have continued to strive for inter-racial harmony, a teaching which Denyse Umutoni, an assistant director of Shake Hands with the Devil, mentions as among the reasons for her conversion to the religion.[8] 2001 estimates[9] place the Baháʼí population around 15000 while 2005 estimates from the same source shows just over 18,900.[10]