NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

 

Guidance on travelling to Muslim countries

 

May we remind the friends that the Universal House of Justice has instructed that any believer planning to travel to a Middle-Eastern, North African, or other Muslim country (whether for business or on holiday), must contact the National Office well in advance for guidance. They should speak to either Hilary Freeman or Angela Tidswell at the Office of the Secretary. Those friends who wish for guidance on travelling to Iran are asked to contact Fuad Rizai at the National Sub-Office. (See inside front cover for address and telephone details).

 

This is a very serious matter, involving the protection of the Faith and the personal safety of the believers. We urge all the friends to comply with these instructions.

 

Bahá’í Information Office

 

 

Caught in the sunshine - exterior of the Mother Temple of Europe, near Frankfurt, Germany. Why not plan a community visit?

 

The European House of Worship - Our Temple

 

The National Spiritual Assembly is anxious that the Friends identify with the Mother Temple of Europe. It is ours, but sometimes we forget how close it is. To facilitate visits, whether for special events or simply just to go, material has been provided by our sister National Assembly in Germany and is available as a set of information sheets. This includes travel directions and accommodation details.

 

To obtain these please contact the National Spiritual Assembly at 27 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PD. The information can also be found on the World Wide Web at: www.bahai.org.uk/bio

 

Inter Faith networking is working

 

An official government document issued last year made an interesting reference to the Faith -

 

"A significant dimension of life in Britain at the end of the twentieth century is the presence of communities of the world’s major religious traditions: Bahá’í, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian, as well as a number of smaller religious groups."

 

This theme has been echoed elsewhere: in the religions represented in the Faith Zone of the Millennium Dome, for instance, and those taking part in the House of Lords at the beginning of this year, while the Prime Minister has referred to the "nine major religions" in this country.

 

It is clear that as far as the government is concerned the religious landscape of this country consists of nine major world religions, of which the Bahá’í Faith is one. A large measure of credit for this must go to the Inter Faith Network, an influential body of which we are founder members. Yet despite this Bahá’ís working at other levels such as regional and local often encounter a lack of understanding when they try to secure adequate recognition for the Faith and its activities, whether this be with official bodies, in inter-faith circles, on SACREs (Standing Advisory Committees on Religious Education), or in a number of other situations.

 

The National Spiritual Assembly is sharing this information with the Friends not simply because they should know of this very welcome development in the standing of the Faith but so that they can make use of it in their external affairs work and refer to it if people try to exclude them because they are not a "major religion" in this country. Sadly that still happens. The degree of recognition given by the government can be quoted as evidence of the standing of the Bahá’í Faith and should help to overcome obstacles.

 

Moral Leadership statement available

 

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom has reissued its statement on "Moral Leadership" in our society and has asked the Bahá’í Information Office to make it available. The statement is of interest to Bahá’ís and its contents can be shared with others who are involved or concerned with matters in this area, including those dealing with the education and training of young people.

 

It is available by post on request from BIO (SAE appreciated as usual) and also in electronic form by sending an e-mail request to BIO at: isp@iol.ie Please specify which you require - a plain e-text or RTF version.

 

Is your community on the electronic map?

 

170 million people…

 

That’s how many have access to the Internet, and the number is growing every day.

 

Imagine being part of a project to reach that many people and give them information about the Faith.

 

You already are!

 

Since the launch of the Web of Faith project last year the number of UK Bahá’í Websites has increased more than five fold. But there is plenty of room for more. How is yours coming along?

 

Put your community and the Faith on the electronic map with your own site on the World Wide Web. If you need more information or help contact the Bahá’í Information Office.

 

"The remarkable developments associated with the Internet offer the Bahá’í community new instruments for providing the public with direct access to the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh". (Office of Public Information, Bahá’í World Centre 16/3/00 to National Spiritual Assemblies).

 

New "Who is Writing the Future?" item

 

A new item has been added to the "response" to help our understanding and use of the statement "Who is Writing the Future?", a set of notes to help a facilitator take a deepening on the document. This and other such items can be had from the Bahá’í Information Office.

 

 

Some of the Bahá’í youth stewards at the launch of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís.

 

Your press coverage - Why it matters (and why we want it)

 

You cannot imagine how happy we are at the Bahá’í Information Office when we receive your press cuttings. There is something very heart warming when we see the word "Bahá’í" in print.

 

Why do we want copies?

 

We want them so that we know what is happening in the community. We keep the National Spiritual Assembly informed of the picture on a regular basis, and your successes bring much happiness. We send a copy to the Afnan Library, which is the UK Bahá’í "deposit library".

 

Future historians of the Faith will be able to see what happened in your locality when they use this library.

 

We are frequently inpressed by the interesting ideas that you come up with to let the community at large learn about the Faith. This helps us advise other communities of possibilities that they never thought of themselves. We like to share what we have learned from you with others.

 

When you do not send us press cuttings, we have no way of knowing if you are being successful in obtaining space in local press or news media. If you have success, we love to share in your joy. If not, maybe we can help.

 

Why is press coverage so important at the local level?

 

First it makes people aware that the Bahá’í Faith is active in their local area. Seeing the names Bahá’u’lláh, Bahá’í and terms, which are familiar to us, but not to others, makes them seem less foreign. Before too long, they become familiar words to everyone. When the individual members of our community are mentioned it is noticed. Again this makes the Faith less strange. This all helps to create a climate in which wider teaching of the Faith can take place.

 

Secondly it establishes the Faith, in the minds of people, as an active part of the local community. Again, this helps teaching and other activities, increases the chances of securing regional and national media coverage.

 

This year has seen our Faith as one of the nine major religions, which are featured at the Millennium Dome. How did this and other recognitions of the Faith happen? Through the commitment of those who have worked so hard throughout the 100 years since the establishment of our Faith in this country.

 

All of us are needed to bring the name of Bahá’u’lláh and the Bahá’í Faith into the daily lives of our local communities. People should know that the Bahá’í Faith is here. It is a religion worth talking about!

 

You can help us here at the Bahá’í Information Office by sending us your press cuttings, informing us of who your Local Information Officer is and sharing with us your media successes.

 

We are here to serve you, encourage you, advise you and train you in doing this important work. The "Show-on-the-Go" training programme was created to help you become more confident. We can be reached by post, telephone, fax or e-mail. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with BIO.

 

A big THANK YOU to those of you who have been keeping us informed of what is happening in your communities. Your work is greatly appreciated by your National Spiritual Assembly. WELL DONE!

 

Many Naw Ruz media mentions

 

A big thank you to the many Friends who secured mentions of the Faith and Naw-Ruz in musical dedications on national, regional, and local radio stations. Through your efforts millions - literally millions - of people heard the name of the Faith.

 

Office of the Treasurer

 

New National Treasurer

 

As you will know by now, Mrs Carolyn Wade has been invited to serve at the Bahá’í World Centre. As a result it fell to the National Spiritual Assembly to elect a new Treasurer. The ballot took place at the February meeting and the National Assembly is very happy to announce that the new Treasurer is Dr Kishan Manocha.

 

At the same time the National Assembly decided that the office formerly known as the Treasury Office will from now on be named the Office of the Treasurer. All other details, such as phone numbers, e-mail addresses and so on, remain the same.

 

Please direct all enquiries about Treasury matters to the Office of the Treasurer.

 

Under the auspices of The Bahá’í Council for England Ampleforth Summer School Sunday 13th - Sat 19th August Registrar: Patsy Jenkins, Grimble’s Barn, Huddersfield HD7 3JE Tel: 01484 852780 Fax: 0870 0523354 email: graham@jenks.demon.co.uk

http://www.jenks.demon.co.uk Details of theme and speakers to follow...

 

Office of External Affairs

 

The Launch of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís

 

On the evening of 21st March the Bahá’ís of the UK held a reception to formally launch the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís, a group of parliamentarians established with the encouragement of the Universal House of Justice to help the National Assembly achieve its external affairs aims.

 

The reception in the rooms of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at Westminster, attracted around 100 guests, including at least fourteen parliamentarians, one of whom was Peter Hain MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Other significant guests included the Head of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Foreign Office, the Head of the Home Office’s Race Equality Unit, and a number of other middle-ranking civil servants from the Foreign Office, the Home Office and the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions. A number of leading religious figures attended, including the Director of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the President of the National Council of Hindu Temples, the Director of the Interfaith Network and a representative of the Parliament of the World’s Religions. Media representatives included the head of the BBC’s Heritage Department and a writer from The Tablet. Amongst the other guests were leading figures from UK civil society organisations, such as UNED-UK, Charter 99, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the World Federalists, the Law Society, the Bar Human Rights Committee and Peace Child International. Several members of the National Spiritual Assembly were also in attendance and it was particularly poignant to have the company of Soraya Raiyat, whose brother Ata’ullah Hamid Nasirizadeh is currently serving a ten year prison sentence in Mashhad.

 

Barney Leith, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, welcomed everyone and spoke briefly about the gratitude of the Bahá’ís for the work of the All Party Group. "This group saves lives," Mr Leith told the assembled guests, adding that he hoped the group would also enable the Bahá’í community to contribute towards public debate on issues with which Bahá’ís were concerned such as social justice, the elimination of prejudice and good governance.

 

Lembit Opik MP, the Chair of the All Party Group, recalled that he had become involved when Daniel Wheatley, the National Assembly’s Diplomatic Officer, had asked him to launch an Early Day Motion in support of Bahá’ís facing death sentences in Iran. "I don’t believe that that was a coincidence. Things happen for a reason," he said. Mr Opik went on to speak about how impressed he was with the key principles of the Bahá’í Faith and stressed that it was unacceptable for people with such tolerant beliefs to be persecuted in Iran. As Mr Opik was speaking, Peter Hain MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, arrived. Mr Opik welcomed him and thanked him for the efforts of the Foreign Office in defence of the Bahá’ís of Iran. Outlining his ideas for the future of the All Party Group, Mr Opik suggested that the group might send a delegation to Iran to raise its concerns directly with the Iranian authorities.

 

In response Mr Hain told the assembled guests that he had particularly wanted to be at the reception. He restated the Government’s concern for the Bahá’ís of Iran and invited the All Party Group to work closely with the Foreign Office, which could smooth the way for a parliamentary delegation to Iran.

 

Guests were struck by the welcoming and energizing Bahá’í atmosphere of the reception. Indian and Persian food prepared by Bahá’ís of Ealing and the lack of alcoholic drinks made for an unusual event in Parliamentary experience. The smiling faces of the Bahá’í youth who volunteered as stewards and courteously handed out the refreshments made a favourable impression on everyone. An excellent informational display prepared by Margaret and Janita Appa was a talking point with MPs and civil servants.

 

As a result of the evening an Early Day Motion (no. 555) has been tabled wishing the Bahá’ís a Happy New Year. (Please do not contact your MP about this EDM; it’s not important enough to warrant persuading MPs to sign.) The Office of External Affairs has received positive feedback from Bahá’ís and non-Bahá’ís alike about the event. Many friends and their families contributed to the success. Our thanks and loving greetings go out to Janita and Margaret Appa, Ursula Patel, Maliheh and Khurush Pourtabib, Bernie Carr, Kitty and Peter Bryant, Manoocher Samii, Hamid Jahanpour, Samantha Maingay and the Bahá’í youth stewards; Saleem, Shaida, Daniele, Valeh, Shayda, Dion, Sasan, Alison, Danielle and James. There is no doubt that the launch of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís marks another important step in the progress of the Bahá’í Faith in the United Kingdom.

 

 

Lembit Opik MP, Chairman of the All Party group talking with Barney Leith at the launch of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís

 

Office for the Advancement of Women

 

Organised by the Office for the Advancement of Women Sponsored by the Association of Bahá’í Women UK The Juggle Balancing Work and Family Life Juggling family life and work is the consistent challenge facing women today. Balancing the concerns of mother, wife, daughter or friend with those of carer, worker, voluntary helper, student, entrepreneur or executive throughout life is an increasing dilemma for all women.

 

This conference highlights some key factors of this dilemma with speakers and experts. Voluntary bodies, women's organisations, business, educational establishments and the public sector will all be participating in this not-to-be-missed event.

 

Contact Zarin Hainsworth Fadaei for information:

 

Tel: 01256 350187. More details in next month’s issue.