Baháʼí Faith in Azerbaijan
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The history of the Baháʼí Faith in Azerbaijan is complex and intertwined with various developments in the country's history. Through that series of changes the thread of the Baháʼí Faith traces its history in the region from the earliest moments of the Bábí religion, accepted by Baháʼís as a predecessor religion. Followers of the religion formed communities in Nakhichevan before 1850.[1] By the early 20th century the community, by then centered in Baku, numbered perhaps 2000 individuals and several Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assemblies and had facilitated the favorable attention of local and regional,[1] and international[2] leaders of thought as well as long-standing leading figures in the religion.[3] However under Soviet rule the Baháʼí community was almost ended[4] though it was quickly reactivated as more than 30 years later when perestroyka loosened controls on religions. The community quickly rallied and re-elected its own National Spiritual Assembly in 1992.[5] The modern Baháʼí population of Azerbaijan, centered in Baku, may have regained its peak from the oppression of the Soviet period of about 2000 people, today with more than 80% converts,[6] although the community in Nakhichevan, where it all began, is still seriously harassed and oppressed.[7] The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated some 1,685 Baháʼís in 2010.[8]
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