Posts from — April 2008

I’m struggling to digest this morning’s experiences at the International Baha’i Convention in Haifa.

We started with the reading of the Ridvan message to the Baha’is of the world from the Universal House of Justice. This is one of the

most powerful and direct messages I’ve heard. Of all the things that struck me, one was this:
Only if you perceive honour and nobility in every human being - this independent of wealth or poverty - will you be able to champion the cause of justice. And to the extent that administrative processes of your institutions are governed by principles of Baha’i consultation will the great masses of humanity be able to take refuge in the Baha’i community.

Sorry, out of battery.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, justice, consultation

So, this amazing Convention is in motion.

Having had a couple of days to pray in the Holy Shrines and visit some of the Holy Places, we are in the Haifa Convention Centre for the first day of the Convention iself. Around a thousand delegates from all over the world are casting their ballots in person. Almost two thousand ballots, from countries from Alaska to Zimbabwe, will be cast altogether.

This afternoon we go to Bahji to celebrate the Ninth Day of Ridvan.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, International Convention, religion, democracy, Haifa

This where I shall be for the next week, for the 10th International Baha’i Convention.

I’m not taking my laptop and I’m quite unlikely to have time to find a cybercafe and to post here while I’m away. I look forward to getting back to writing in early May. See you then!

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, International Convention, Haifa, blogging

Baha’i World News Service reported on the Baha’i reception to celebrate the Festival of Ridván in the House of Commons:

One of the messages presented by Ruth Banda, Jenna Nicholas and Collis Tahzib, all members of the Baha’i Faith, and their friend Lavina Hassasing, was that there is a difference between the principle of human rights and the reality of human rights.

“As the ideals of human rights become more mainstream, we hope that our generation can play its part to fulfil the promise of dignity and equality for all,” Miss Nicholas, 18, told the 100-strong audience, which included members of Parliament and the House of Lords, and representatives of the media, various faith communities, and nongovernmental organizations.

“As young citizens at the beginning of a new century, my friends and I have reflected on what the values enshrined in the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights mean to us today in a world much more connected than it was in 1948,” she said. “As a young Baha’i, I recognize in the two key concepts of equal rights and dignity, the secular expression of the ideas I acknowledge within my faith.”

“I was born in the country of Zambia,” Miss Hassasing, 20, told the guests, “and across my home country and indeed the African continent, social and economic rights are fundamental to the ability of people in exercising civil and political rights. Without an education, it is more difficult to participate meaningfully in political processes…. Many girls are denied the opportunity to an education. In many families, particularly in rural areas, parents opt to educate their male children while they prepare the female children for marriage.”

Miss Banda, also 20, who studied with Miss Hassasing in Zambia, added:
“Having had the opportunity to go to an international school that promotes education (for girls), we hope to help others realize what they as human beings are entitled to.”

“The record of some states in guaranteeing rights for their own citizens remains ultimately woefully inadequate and lamentably defective,” said Collis Tahzib, who is 15. “It falls to our generation to realize the promise of human rights.”

They delivered their speeches clearly, professionally, and from the heart.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Ridvan, House of Commons, human rights

Here are a couple of pictures from our recent Ridván reception on the terrace of the House of Commons. They both show Lembit Opik MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís, with the four Bahá’í youth who spoke so eloquently about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Ridvan, House of Commons, parliament, Lembit Opik

Lembit Opik MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís read out the following messages of greeting to the UK Bahá’í community at our Ridván reception on the House of Commons Terrace last night.

Message from the Prime Minister

I would like to express my respect and admiration to those attending this reception, and the wider Baha’í community which makes an important contribution to British life. I very much recognise and welcome those of the Baha’í faith as a distinguished and valuable part of our rich and multi-cultural society.

The Baha’í community has a long, proud and respected tradition and contributes much to today’s Britain. Your faith includes a clear obligation to work towards religious tolerance and respect for other faiths, an aim shared by both myself and a wide range of different communities across Britain.

I commend you for promoting and understanding and explorations of your faith to wider British society. The Baha’í community can be proud of its success in working to foster cohesive and integrated communities.

[Signed] The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, the Prime Minister

Message from the Leader of the Opposition

I am delighted to send my best wishes to everyone attending the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís Group reception to mark the festival of Ridván. I would like to take this opportunity to also send my best wishes to the wider Bahá’í community in the UK.

Not only is Ridván an important time for communal prayers and celebration, and for electing local governing councils, but it can also be a time for reflection on the principles which the Bahá’í community holds dear. These principles include unity, the promotion of social justice, a belief in the importance of family life, and a concern for the environment. I know that you will also be thinking of your co-religionists elsewhere who may be facing persecution because of their beliefs.

May I once again send my good wishes to you and your families at this time.

[Signed] The Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Leader of the Opposition

Message from the Leader of the Liberal Democrats

I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Baha’í community in the United Kingdom and your guests a very happy Ridvan. I am sure that this celebration will help raise awareness of the issues facing the Baha’í community and that you will have a wonderful evening.

[Signed] The Rt Hon Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Ridvan, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Nick Clegg

Lembit Opik MP brought his charming Cheeky Girl, Gaby, to our Ridván reception on the House of Commons terrace last night. Lembit may be a “character”, but he is also a key member (and Chair) of the All Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís and our host for the evening. Actually, Lembit was the first MP to take an active role in forming the group and supporting our parliamentary work in defence of the Bahá’ís in Iran.

If Lembit were to lose his parliamentary seat of Montgomeryshire he could take up a new career as a stand-up comedian. He’s a funny guy and tells a good gag, as he did last night. But he’s also very serious about his relationship with the Bahá’ís and about defending the human rights of the Bahá’ís in Iran and he paid considerable compliments to the community in the UK and around the world.

He also read out messages of greeting for Ridván from the Prime Minister, from David Cameron MP (Leader of the Opposition) and from Nick Clegg MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

We had a good turnout of MPs last night, but sadly not so many of our other friends as in previous years. A pity; they missed a good jazz combo - all Bahá’ís from the north of England - as well as stunningly good speeches about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (it’s the 60th anniversary of the UDHR and we were launching our year’s programme to mark the anniversary) from four young Bahá’ís (the youngest was a 14-year-old Iranian boy whose own family have suffered persecution in Iran), including two who had been educated at a Bahá’í school in Tanzania.

It was all great fun and I was able to have some excellent conversations, including an enjoyable discussion with Simon Hughes MP, who asked some very good questions about the Bahá’í community and Bahá’í elections.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Ridvan, House of Commons, parliament, Lembit Opik, Cheeky Girls, Simon Hughes

If you’re really desperate for something to do, you can follow me on Twitter here.

Technorati Tags: Barney, Twitter

The Seat of the Universal House of Justice, Haifa, Israel

Religion, politics and power

Welcome to a new series of occasional posts on the theme of religion, politics and power. Religion is becoming ever more prominent for good and ill in the public square. Questions about the relationship of religion, politics and power are increasingly important and demand answers. The Bahá’í sacred texts and commentaries have some interesting insights into these questions.

Ridván and Bahá’í elections

The Ridván season in the Bahá’í calendar prompts some thoughts about politics and religion.

Why? Well this is the time of year when Bahá’ís across the world elect their local and national governing councils. And this year is a special one. In less than a week’s time, members of the world’s National Spiritual Assemblies (the national governing councils) will converge on the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, to take part in electing the Universal House of Justice, the Bahá’í community’s international council.

Religion and identity politics

Religion is becoming ever more salient as a marker of identity. At the same time, we live in an era of identity politics, a time when people campaign and vote on the basis of presumed group identities and interests. Congruence of identity based on ethnicity, religion, sexual preference, gender and so on, is seen as more important than ideas or policies. And more important than personal qualities, such as integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, capacity to contribute effectively to parliament and government.

To put it crudely, people vote for a candidate because he or she is one of “us” and not one of “them”. At its worst, identity politics can descend into an exclusivist politics of the tribe. The needs of humankind as a whole are then ignored in favour of the sectional interests of groups. Universalism gives way to particularism.

This paper by Tufyal Choudhury of Durham University (published by the Department of Communities and Local Government in April 2007) has some interesting findings about the function of identity politics for Muslims.

Does religion have any place in a secular democracy?

This interview in New Statesman with Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham shows that evangelical Christians also have some strong things to say in the political realm:

[Read more →]

Happy Ridván to everyone!

Ridván is the king of Bahá’í festivals, celebrating Bahá’u'lláh’s declaration of His mission in the Najibiyyih Garden across the Tigris from Baghdad.

Like local Bahá’í communities across the world, our community in the Hertfordshire town of Welwyn elected its Local Spiritual Assembly, its local governing council. We even managed to elect our Local Assembly officers, since all members of the newly elected Assembly were present.

Next week, members of National Spiritual Assemblies (Bahá’í national governing councils) from all over the world will travel to the Bahá’í World Centre in Haifa, Israel, to participate in the election of the Universal House of Justice, the community’s world governing council.

Yours truly will be one of those privileged to take part in this glorious gathering.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, Ridvan, election, assembly, Universal House of Justice, Haifa, Israel