wfn.org | Baha'i News: Vietnam recognizes Baha'is as religious community

["Sally Weeks" <sweeks@bwc.org>]

>Baha'i World News Service

http://news.bahai.org <http://news.bahai.org/

>For more information, contact: news@bahai.org

Vietnam recognizes Baha'is as religious community

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, 31 July 2008 (BWNS) - The government of
Vietnam has given full recognition to the Baha'i community as a
religious organization.

A certificate was presented to representatives of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of Vietnam at a ceremony on 25 July.

It was the final act in a series of steps that included the election
four months ago of the Baha'i Assembly - itself a landmark event in that
it was the first time in many years that elections for the governing
council were held. Government representatives were on hand to observe
the balloting.

The head of the central government's Committee for Religious Affairs,
Nguyen Thuc Trong, officiated at last week's ceremony in Ho Chi Minh
City.

The official government news agency reported the event and quoted his
remarks: "(Mr. Nguyen) said the Government's recognition of the Baha'i
religion 'charts a new course of development for the entire Baha'i
community' and motivates followers to make more contributions to social
and humanitarian activities and to drive to preserve traditional
spiritual values."

The Baha'i Faith was established in the country in 1954, and the first
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Vietnam was elected 10
years later. In the mid-1970s, formal activities of the community were
suspended.

The Vietnam News Agency said last week's ceremony means that "the
Government's Committee for Religious Affairs has recognized the Baha'i
Community of Vietnam as a religious organization able to operate on an
equal footing with other religions."

Baha'is of Vietnam are now working on consolidating their community,
gathering accurate statistics, and expanding social projects to serve
the people of Vietnam, particularly in the area of education.