Baháʼí Faith in Dominica
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The Baháʼí Faith in Dominica begins with a mention by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, then head of the religion, in 1916 as Latin America being among the places Baháʼís should take the religion to.[1] The island of Dominica was specifically listed as an objective for plans on spreading the religion in 1939 by Shoghi Effendi,[2] who succeeded ʻAbdu'l-Baha as head of the religion. In 1983, William Nedden is credited with being the first pioneer to Dominica (he arrived on April 19, 1966) at the festivities associated with the inaugural election of the Dominican Baháʼís National Spiritual Assembly[3] with Hand of the Cause, Dhikru'llah Khadem representing the Universal House of Justice. Later research records Ivor Ellard arrived two days before, April 17, 1966.[4] The first Baháʼí Local Spiritual Assembly of Dominica was elected in 1976. Since then, Baháʼís have participated in several projects for the benefit of the wider community, and in 2001 various sources report between less than 1.4%[5] and up to 1.7% of the island's approximately 70,000 citizens are Baháʼís.[6]