From its earliest days, the Bahá’í Faith has existed in Iraq, dating back to Bahá’u’lláh’s exile to Baghdad in 1853. For ten years, Bahá’u’lláh and his family resided in Iraq — a chapter of Bahá’í history that concluded with the declaration of Bahá’u’lláh’s mission to His followers in the Garden of Riḍván in 1863.
Drawing strength from the sacred history upon which their community is built, the Bahá’ís of Iraq celebrated the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh with a befitting attitude of love and reverence. Hundreds came together throughout the country, including in the Kurdistan region, where guests watched the film Light to the World, which features footage from their own region.