Baha’i Activities in Indonesia

The National Spiritual Assembly of Baha’is of Indonesia was elected on 21st April 1954.

The Baha’i administration in Haifa entrusted the propagation of the Baha’i Faith in Indonesia to India and of Mentawai Islands to Australia. Baha’is went on forming local Assemblies. They went for mass teaching approach towards propagation of the Baha’i Faith which resulted in the growth of the Baha’i population there. In 1957 they acquired a temple site to build a Baha’i Temple in future. At the same time, Baha’is went on incorporating their local Assembly to avoid any action from the Government of Indonesia in future.

The Baha’i Administration in Haifa called for an international conference of Baha’is in Djakarta on September 21-29, 1958. The Indonesian government realizing that it is a Zionist ploy withdrew the permit for holding the conference. On September 23, chartered planes carried the delegates from Djakarta to Singapore. This was nothing more than a show of strength by the Zionists to the Indonesian government. The conference was shifted to Victoria Memorial Town Hall at Singapore. Many representatives from the Baha’i world centre at Haifa, Israel attended the conference. Some of these include Mr. Leroy Ioas, Mrs. Ioas, Mr. Olinga and Mr. Faizi. At the conference, the delegates were encouraged to increase efforts for mass propagation of the Baha’i Faith in South East Asia. So focused were they on this activity that they even gave this propagation project a name - PROJECT CRUSADE.

Ban on all administrative activities of Baha’is in Indonesia.

The secretive activities of the Baha’is and their receiving orders from their world centre at Haifa - Israel convinced the Indonesian government of the danger of this Zionist group. In 1964 President Suharto imposed a ban on the activities of Baha’i Faith. The National Spiritual Assembly and Local spiritual Assemblies in Indonesia were forbidden to conduct any administrative activities. The ban also included a number of international organizations to conduct any administrative activities - a clear reference and message to the Baha’i World Centre at Israel.

Baha'i Study Circle

But the cunning Baha’is went underground with their propagation and continued their activities despite the ban. Leading to the arrest and detention of many Baha’is. Few were even deported to different places.

In the early 80’s, Baha’is were involved in individual and small group propagation of the Baha’i Faith in Padang and Mentawai Islands, Siberut Islands, Padang, Java, and Djakarta.

Baha’is deceptively converted many inhabitants and opened schools for preaching amongst the children. As a result the government put many Baha’is in jail for their deceptive and secretive activities and insulting Islam.