|
|
| — back to main Baha'i Journal of the United Kingdom archive — |
|
|
| — back to main Baha'i Journal of the United Kingdom archive — |
Grieve passing Hugh McKinley, highly admired, stalwart servant of Bahá'u'lláh half a century of distinguished service to the cause in the British Isles, Cyprus, and Greek islands was immortalized exalted title Knight of Bahá'u'lláh. His indefatigable labours pioneering field, his teaching activities coupled with profound knowledge of the Holy Writings and firmness in the Covenant brought great victories to The Cause. Praying Holy shrines progress his noble soul Abhá kingdom. Convey loving sympathy his dear wife.
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
A life of service in the Cause of Bahá
Hugh was born in Oxford. An only child, his family were among the first forty Bahá'ís in the UK. He inherited the gift of faith from his parents. For Hugh, God the loving, unseen, guiding, all-powerful, all-knowing, was a reality influencing every thought and activity in his life.
By his late teens in the West Country he was working on a farm, ploughing with horses, and later with tractors. He, as many of his generation, became attracted by socialist principles and their authors, but the book, "Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era" by Dr Esslemont convinced Hugh that Bahá'u'lláh's vision of man, society, and our Creator were better ideas than his own.
In 1946 Hugh was appointed to the new National Youth Committee and an active Bahá'í teacher, travelling in evenings and at weekends to help and teach at meetings. One evening in 1946 catastrophe struck when Hugh was thrown off his motorcycle in a traffic accident. He was unconscious for two weeks, concussed with skull damage, and his mastoid nerve severed. He received constant visits from the then few Bahá'ís in England. He came out of the coma, fuzzily, repeating the Greatest Name, the Name of God! Not expected to live, he survived through surgical skill and the prayers of all. In the months of recovery Hugh studied the great ocean of Bahá'í writings. He then returned to service on the National Youth Committee and in 1951, when Philip Hainsworth pioneered to Africa, was appointed as Secretary of the Consolidation Committee.
As a result of the accident, the hospital declared Hugh disabled. At the outbreak of the Second World War he had registered as a conscientious objector to killing and was assigned to essential farm work. The disablement meant that Hugh was no longer restricted and could move, or travel abroad. He and his mother relocated to Cardiff, the first of several pioneer moves to spread the Faith. Hugh always found work where he could, but he was not money driven. His income was never high but that did not prevent great achievements. It was while he was studying accountancy in Cardiff that his landlady discovered that he possessed a good bass voice and encouraged him to develop it. From his subsequent pioneering in Brighton he travelled weekly to London for singing lessons with an eminent teacher. He hoped to develop into a top-flight opera singer, but then the Bahá'ís of the world commenced a gigantic project - to take the Faith to every country, island, and territory of the globe in which there were no resident Bahá'ís. These were places as far apart as Orkney off northern Britain, Anticosti Island in the Gulf of St Lawrence and Nicobar in the Indian Ocean. Hugh and his mother pondered on the part they should play. He wrote to Shoghi Effendi and explained the dilema. On one hand he could continue his music. If successful, he would be constantly on the move, with little home life and few real friends. Or he could forego that and immediately respond to the call of the World Crusade. The Guardian told him to take professional advice and then do as he wished, that either life would reflect credit on the Faith. But his secretary penned a short note on the bottom of the letter saying that the outcome of our efforts to achieve success in the material world would always be problematical, whereas all efforts made for success in the spiritual world would be eternal in their effects.
For Hugh and his mother there was only one possible response - and they went to Cyprus. Many other Bahá'ís arose to fill the other goals and most were completed within a very few years. The last, Sakhalin Island in the Sea of Japan, was completed in 1994. The Bahá'ís had accomplished in 150 years what took Christianity some 1,860 years.
These valiant, self-sacrificing souls, the first heralds to settle in the goal territories, were designated Knights of Bahá'u'lláh. Many, including Hugh's mother Violet, laid down their lives and their bones in these distant lands. Hugh rightly considered that his most significant Bahá'í service was in opening Cyprus. Today there is a thriving Bahá'í community there, one united body serving both the south and the north of that divided island.
With that goal accomplished, Hugh left Cyprus a few years later, moving first to Ireland, then at Ridván 1966 to Syros, one of the Cyclades Islands off Greece. Hugh loved Greece. When the national Bahá'í administrative institution for Greece had been established Hugh returned to England in 1977 to pioneer yet again, this time to Suffolk, further opening it up to the Bahá'í world.
Probably every one of the moves throughout his life, brought pain and difficulty. But more important, every move also afforded a bounty to Hugh. He met his wife Deborah as a result of his move to Suffolk and they formed a united effective team. They organised the International Bahá'í Conferences of countries bordering the North Sea. Contacts made led to European Parliament support for persecuted Bahá'ís in Iran. The Border Conferences led to the East Anglia Bahá'í Schools, which go from strength to strength.
From his earliest days as a Bahá'í, Hugh will be remembered for his enthusiasm, his dedication, his reverence for the Writings and his great energy. He was the last of the British-born Knights of Bahá'u'lláh living in the United Kingdom and the whole community is left the poorer with his passing.
Wes Huxtable, with additional material from Philip Hainsworth
EDM 418 - Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education
A new Early Day Motion has been tabled in the House of Commons urging the Government to "...bring to bear all diplomatic and political pressure upon the Government of Iran to allow Bahá'ís unhindered access to use their own educational institute and also to reinstate their right to study at state universities..." This new EDM has attracted forty MP's signatures even before Local Spiritual Assemblies have had a chance to approach their MPs. This demonstrates the high profile that the Bahá'í community enjoys within parliament and is a testimony to the continued efforts of local Bahá'ís.
Since the tabling of the EDM the situation for the faculty members of the BIHE who have remained in prison since October 1998 has got worse. On 8th March 1999 the three remaining men, Dr Sina Hakiman, Mr Farrad Khajeh and Mr Habibullah Ferdosian, were handed prison sentences from seven to ten years. Further to this the previously released prisoner, Mr Ziaullah Mirzapanah, was called to attend the trial of the other three Bahá'ís and was sentenced with them to three years.
EDM 26
The staggering number of signatures on EDM 26, 159, is entirely due to the magnificent way in which Local Spiritual Assemblies and the friends in the UK have worked so comprehensively and promptly in lobbying their political representatives. Beyond numerical success the work of the friends at the local level has paved the way for some very close parliamentary contacts that are vital to our present efforts both at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and in other delegations.
Tony Blair
I am sure everyone will know the Bahá'í community of the United Kingdom received a congratulatory message from the Prime Minister for its centenary year and its Naw Ruz Festivities. Although as Bahá'ís we eschew party politics it is significant that this message comes from the Queen's First Minster and Head of Government and we welcome it as an indication of the growing status of the Faith in this country. This is an important development for the community and can be referred to in future external affairs activities.
NSPCC's Full Stop Campaign
The NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) launched a campaign on 22nd March to end cruelty to children within a generation. The Office of External Affairs was represented (by the writer) at the event in London. This campaign is fronted by HRH the Duke of York and has the backing of the Prime Minister and various figures from the world of business, sport and pop.
Public Information
Of the many projects being undertaken in the field of Public Information some of the most interesting are the contacts being made with relevant members of the media. Key television and radio producers have been identified and approached, with the aim of featuring Bahá'ís on a variety of programmes. LWT's (London Weekend Television) series on "Christianity and the Millennium" has asked Bahá'ís to be in the audience and hopefully a Bahá'í will feature on a few of the panels.
The Bahá'ís have been allocated a pillar in the Spirit Zone of the Millennium Dome, recommended by the Lambeth group, and have been asked to focus on family membership. We are advising the New Millennium Experience company on ideas and useful materials for our contribution.
Carmel Momen Office of External Affairs Public Information Representative
The first Persian Bahá'í Youth Seminar will take place at De Poort Conference Centre in the Netherlands from 26th - 30th August. Organised by a sub-committee of the Association of Persian Arts and Literature, the aim is to encourage Persian Bahá'í youth (18-35 yrs) in the West to study the writings in the original language. This initiative is based on guidance of the Universal House of Justice to the Iranian believers in the West on the importance of retaining the knowledge of the Persian language amongst Persian youth outside Iran. The programme will include talks on 'The Seven Valleys', 'Persian Culture and Mannerisms', 'The effect of Bahá'u'lláh's writings on Persian society', a picture journey of Iran, Iranian cinema, music and dance.
The conference will be bilingual. Cost approx (UK pounds)50 covering full board and registration including lunch on the date of arrival and departure. Registrations can be made directly via De Poort.
Persian Bahá'í Youth Seminar Committee, Contact Sasa Vahman, e-mail: svahman@compuserve.com
Youth Task Force for England - 1999
Jonneke Koomen - Acting Secretary Guildown House, Burcot, nr Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3DW Tel: 01865 407887 e-mail: youthtaskforce@koomen.demon.co.uk
Pejman Hafezi - Chair 30 Henleaze Rd, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4HS Mobile Tel: 0441 624 987 e-mail: p.hafezi@bristol.ac.uk
Rod Rastan, 4, River View, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 1UA Tel/fax: 01707 886019 e-mail: rodrastan@hotmail.com
Elisa Tidswell, 16, Mayberry Walk, Colchester CO2 8PS Tel: 01206 513773
Sara Mohammadi - Acting Treasurer e-mail: sara.sultan-mohammadi@durham.ac.uk Tel: 07957465476 (mob)