The UK Baha’i community was represented at the G8 World Religions Summit 2010 in Winnipeg, Canada, from Monday to Wednesday of this week.

Barney Leith, a member of the UK Baha’i community’s national governing council, joined other representatives from the world’s religions for the summit at the University of Winnipeg ahead of the G8 and G20 summits in Toronto.

The World Religions Summit 2010 was the sixth in a series of interfaith gatherings associated with the annual G8 meetings. It brought together more than 80 participants from all of the world’s major faiths including, for the first time, representatives of the Baha’i community.

Religious leaders from more than 20 countries attended, including each of the G8 nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Inspired leadership and action

The summit urged world leaders to take “inspired leadership and action” to eradicate poverty, protect the environment and end violent conflict.

“Acknowledging our common humanity and embracing the imperative to treat all persons with dignity, we affirm that no one person is more or less valuable than another,” said the statement agreed by summit participants.

“We urge the political leaders to consider first the vulnerable among us, particularly our children, and to work together to address the dehumanizing scourge of poverty and injustice, and practice and promote care for our common environment, the Earth.”

The Reverend Dr. James Christie, secretary general of the Summit, said the meeting and its output was directed principally at the leaders of the so-called “Group of 8″ countries because they represent the nations that have the most power to effect change in the world.

“The reality is that these nations have the money, they have the clout, and they make a difference,” said Dr. Christie.

Some participants said it was also important for the religious communities themselves to redouble their own efforts to address the three main topics of their discussions – poverty, the environment, and peace.

‘The future ain’t what it used to be’

Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire addresses the G8 World Religions Summit 2010

In addressing the opening session of the summit, Canadian senator and humanitarian Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire quoted baseball player Yogi Berra’s famous quip about the future before stating that this is an era of revolutions in the worlds of of information, the environment and security.

Things are changing so fast the politicians find it difficult to do anything more than react.

“Religions need to help politicians to think long-term and to live by the fundamental premise that every human being is human – to be treated equally and to be protected from human rights abuses,” said General Dallaire.

“National sovereignty is not an absolute,” said General Dallaire. “Love and faith are absolutes.”

Baha’i participation

Baha’i representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States took part in the summit.

“It was an important experience for all of us,” said UK Baha’i representative Barney Leith. “We were there to share our understanding that solutions to the world’s problems require the application of spiritual principles and an understanding of the oneness and interconnectedness of humanity. We were also there to learn what the other faiths understand and are saying about the complex issues that the summit considered.”

“It was notable that most, if not all, delegates understood that the challenges the world faces are at root spiritual.”

Human rights and religious freedom seminar

A day-long seminar on 21 June, sponsored by the Baha’i community of Canada, on human and religious freedom was one of the pre-summit activities on the campus of the University of Winnipeg.

A panel of four human rights experts from different religious backgrounds concluded that the right to freedom of religion must be upheld to ensure that its influence on society is progressive and positive.

Summit statement

The statement, issued after three days of deliberation at the World Religions Summit 2010, called upon political leaders to take “courageous and concrete” actions.

Regarding poverty, it said more than a billion people are “chronically hungry” and that women, children and indigenous peoples are among those most affected.

“The magnitude of poverty would be overwhelming were it not for the knowledge that this global inequity can be transformed into a shared life of human flourishing for all. Together, we have the capacity and the global resources to end extreme poverty and its impacts,” the statement said.

On the subject of the environment, the statement noted that all faith traditions “call us to careful stewardship of the Earth.” It warned of the effects of climate change and said “bold action is needed now.”

Governments were also called upon to halt the nuclear arms race, and to make new investments to create a “culture of peace.”

The Summit condemned religiously-motivated terrorism and extremism with the faith leaders committing themselves “to stop the teaching and justification of the use of violence between and among our faith communities.”

The statement was presented to Steven Fletcher, Canada’s Minister of State for Democratic Reform. Mr. Fletcher promised to deliver it to the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, for presentation to the G8 leaders.

More information

You can download the Statement from the World Religions Summit 2010 here.

You can read a fuller story on the Baha’i World News Service here.

Photos by Louis Brunet, © Baha’i International Community

Technorati Tags: Baha’i,   Bahai, G8, UK, religious leaders, summit, Winnipeg, poverty, environment, peace, security

On 5th December the first ever Inter Faith Eisteddfod took place in Cardiff as the culmination of events held in Wales for the Inter Faith Week in Wales.

An eisteddfod – Welsh for ‘sitting together’ – is a festival of literature, music and performance and this particular eisteddfod gave people from the different faith communities in South Wales opportunities to perform in the spirit of creating connections and friendships.

Inter-faith Wales used funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and the Big Lottery to employ South Wales Baha’i Fleur Missaghian to manage this exciting and innovative project.

‘It was a three month project,’ said Mrs Missaghian, ‘and we had to work hard to persuade people to take part. But we did a lot of leg-work and had a good many one-to-one conversations with people from the various faiths. In the end it all came together.’

The eisteddfod aimed to include stories from different faiths, stories of inspirational people of faith, spiritual stories, the story of a particular art form practiced by a faith community and so on.

Said Fleur Missaghian, ‘The aim was to contribute positively towards building a strong, diverse and united community in Wales, celebrating and finding common ground amongst the different ways of life in Wales.’

‘For two months prior to the eisteddfod,’ explained Christine Abbas, one of two Baha’i representatives on Inter-faith Wales,’creative arts workshops were held to engage the faith and wider communities in story telling and to prepare for the eisteddfod itself. Some of the faith groups hadn’t previously been involved in inter faith dialogue.’

The preparations culminated in a presentation of stories, music, dance and drama by faith groups. The show was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Cardiff, by Dr Harriet Crabtree, Director of the Inter Faith Network of the UK and by other guests. Baha’is, Hindus and Muslims were amongst the faith communities supporting the event.

‘We felt we were not so much organising an event as developing a model to work with faith communities,’ said project organiser Fleur Missaghian, who had been assisted in her work by Baha’i youth Kalim Bartlett.

‘These words of Baha’u'llah underpinned this process,’ said Christine Abbas,’Our hope is that the world’s religious leaders and the rulers thereof will unitedly arise for the reformation of this age and the rehabilitation of its fortunes.’

A film of the eisteddfod will be available to download from the Inter-faith Wales website sometime in January.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, inter-faith, eisteddfod, Wales, Cardiff, arts, storytelling

Baha’i delegates Arthur L Dahl and Tahirih Naylor in conversation in Windsor Castle with HRH Prince Philip, ARC Secretary-General Martin Palmer, and UN Secretary-General HE Ban Ki-moon

Is this, as has been suggested, “the biggest civil society movement on climate change in history”?

Representatives of the Bahá’í International Community joined some 200 delegates from nine major faith communities and a range of environmental organisations in Windsor on Monday 2 November  and Tuesday 3 November to commit to long-term practical action to save the environment

The three-day event, which concluded today, was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), which was founded in 1985 by Prince Phillip.

Leading representatives from the Bahá’í, Buddhist, Christian, Daoist, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Shinto and Sikh communities announced a huge range of environmental initiatives to help combat the impact of climate change.

At the heart of the gathering was a ceremony in Windsor Castle during which HRH Prince Philip and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented certificates to representatives of 31 faith-based projects, ranging from the development of an Islamic environmental labelling system and the greening of the Hajj – the Muslim pilgrimage – to the Sikh plan to urge gurdwaras – Sikh temples – to recycle, compost, use green energy, use eco-stoves, start rainwater harvesting, purchase reusable plates and cups.

The Bahá’í representatives presented a plan that focuses on using a system of regional training institutes to encourage within the worldwide Bahá’í community “acts of service related to environmental sustainability.”

“Bahá’ís believe that religious belief and spirituality lie at the foundation of human motivation and behaviour,” said Tahirih Naylor, a Bahá’í International Community representative to the United Nations who was one of two Bahá’í delegates to the Windsor event.

“So we believe that efforts to change harmful human behaviour – such those actions that contribute to global warming or environmental degradation – can be greatly facilitated by processes that lead to a better understanding of our own spirituality, and of humanity’s relationship with nature. And it is also from such understanding that action naturally arises.”

In his speech at the Windsor Castle ceremony, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said,, “I have long believed that when governments and civil society work toward a common goal, transformational change is possible. Faiths and religions are a central part of that equation.

“Indeed, the world’s faith communities occupy a unique position in discussions on the fate of our planet and the accelerating impacts of climate change,” said Mr. Ban.

Delegates also met in a series of plenary sessions and workshops at Windsor’s Harte and Garter Hotel to discuss how they can reach a new level of collaboration in the face of global warming, water shortages, deforestation, and other environmental threats.

“Climate change is complex and dealing with it requires us to change at many levels,” said UN Assistant Secretary-General Olav Kjørven on Monday.

“It requires a change of ethos. Religions have an unparalleled ability to reach out to people at the grassroots and to touch hearts and minds. Religious institutions are the third largest actors in international markets. Environmentally friendly purchasing decisions by them would have a huge impact across the world.”

Tony Juniper, special adviser to the Prince of Wales’ Rainforests Project and former executive director of the Friends of the Earth, likewise emphasized the important role that religions can play.

“Scientific rationalism gave rise to good science, which in turn gave rise to strong political arguments for cleaning up the environment,” said Mr. Juniper,

“As a result, governments dealt with acid rain and other environmental threats. But these changes were only superficial,” he said.

“Purely scientific rationalism cannot change our fundamental understanding of who we are and how we should live. Religion and science must work together to bring about a fundamental transformation in our relationship to the world. This kind of change needs a spiritual foundation,” he said.

Delegates process into Windsor Castle.

The Baha’i World News Service has more on this.

[Picture courtesy of Alliance of Religions and Conservation]

Technorati Tags: ARC, UNDP, Baha’i, Windsor Castle, Prince Philip, environment, climate change, religion, faiths, social action

The Baha’i International Community has become a partner in a UN sponsored programme to address climate change and environmental stability.

According to the Baha’i World News Service, the programme, which is co-sponsored by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), seeks to promote lifestyle changes that will help slow global warming and other environmental problems during a seven-year period from 2010 to 2017.

Tahirih Naylor, a representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations, will join leading members of the world’s other religions at Windsor Castle next week for the formal launch of the ARC/UNDP programme.

“We are very pleased to join with other world religions and with the United Nations in this inspiring initiative to promote lasting change in the way people interact with the environment,” Ms Naylor said.

“The significance of this effort is the manner in which it capitalises on the strengths of faith communities – such as their strong grassroots network and the transformative power of religious belief – to address environmental problems at their foundation, which is human behaviour.

“One of the long-term goals of the Baha’i Faith is to promote the positive transformation of individuals and communities, and to this end we already sponsor thousands of study circles, children’s classes, devotional gatherings, and youth groups in more than 180 countries.

“We look forward to learning more about the efforts of other faith communities and are confident that we can make a useful contribution to this exciting program,” said Ms Naylor.

The 2-4 November Windsor Castle event will be hosted by HRH Prince Philip and will feature a keynote speech by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

Arthur Lyon Dahl, former UNDP deputy assistant executive director, author and a well-known specialist on coral reefs and biodiversity, will join Ms Naylor in representing the Baha’i International Community at the launch.

More than 200 faith and secular leaders are expected to be present, and many faith groups will announce commitments to practical initiatives, like the Baha’i plan, to meet global environmental challenges.

“The worldwide Baha’i community has long been involved in promoting sustainable development and in creating small-scale projects that include environmental conservation,” Ms Naylor said.

“This initiative is especially exciting because of the way it concretely addresses the underlying attitudes and values that are at the root of many of humanity’s environmental problems.”

Baha’is around the world will be encouraged to explore what the Baha’i sacred writings say about the relationship between humans and the environment and to take practical action as individuals and local communities.

“In our experience, connecting the hearts of people to sacred writings is the best way to provide the motivation for social change and action,” Ms Naylor said.

Baha’is everywhere engage in a coherent framework of action that promotes the spiritual development of the individual and channels the collective energies of the Baha’i community towards service to humanity.

These activities include the systematic study of the Baha’i writings in small groups to build capacity for service, devotional gatherings aimed at connecting the hearts of participants with the Creator; neighbourhood children’s classes that offer lessons that lay the foundations of a noble and upright character; and groups that work to assist young teens to navigate a crucial stage of their lives and become empowered to direct their energies toward the advancement of civilisation.

The full story can be found on the Baha’i World News Service.

Technorati Tags: Baha’i, Bahai, ARC, UNDP, environment, climate change, Windsor Castle, Prince Phillip, Ban Ki-moon

Special features in the latest edition includes news of the UNESCO recognition of Baha’i holy places in Israel as World Heritage sites, a report of the 10th international Bahá’í convention, the latest developments concerning the persecution of the Bahá’ís in Iran and news of awards and honours received by British Bahá’ís for their services to society in the last year.

Copies of the UK Bahá’í Review can be requested from opi@bahai.org.uk, or by post from the Office of Public Information, 27 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PD. Copies cost £1.50 each (including postage). Cheques should be made payable to the “NSA of the Baha’is”, indicating that the payment is for the UK Bahá’í Review.

Mr Brown made his remarks in a special message sent to the UK Bahá’í community on the holiest day of the Bahá’í year. In a letter addressed to the annual reception hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Friends of the Bahá’ís, Mr Brown expressed his “respect and admiration” for the British Bahá’í community which, he said, “makes a contribution to British life out of all proportion to its size.”  

“The principles of the Bahá’í Faith are rightly shared and appreciated by many in our different communities. It is therefore all the more tragic that Bahá’ís around the world face prejudice and discrimination,” wrote Mr Brown.

“At the forefront of all of our minds this Ridvan is the fate of the seven Bahá’í leaders awaiting trial in Iran,” the letter continued. “We have raised our concerns with the Iranian Government and I urge the authorities to ensure that these individuals receive a fair trial and ask them to put an end to discrimination against the wider Bahá’í community within Iran.” 

Mr Brown’s message concluded, “I very much welcome your increased participation in public life and hope you will build on this in the future. I am sure this year’s Festival of  Ridván will give joy and inspiration to everyone attending and I would like to send my very best wishes to everyone in the British Bahá’í community for a happy Ridván.” 

Mr Brown’s message was read by Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who joined some 80 other guests including leading figures from non-governmental organisations and the UK’s religious communities. The uncertain situation faced by seven Bahá’í leaders who have been held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, without charges or access to legal counsel, since May last year was mentioned by all the speakers including Dr Kishan Manocha, Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the UK, and Lembit Opik MP, Chair of the All-Party group. Mrs Bahar Tahzib, whose father was executed in Iran in the early 1980s for his Bahá’í beliefs and who is also a niece of one of those currently being held, addressed the gathering and spoke movingly about the strength her family members have demonstrated in the face of persecution.

The Prime Minister’s sentiments were also echoed by the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who also sent messages to the reception.

David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party wrote, “Ridván is an important time for reflection and celebration of the Bahá’í Faith. It is also a time to focus on the importance of community, including the wider Bahá’í community worldwide – some of whom may face persecution of their beliefs.”

“The Bahá’í emphasis on equality, unity, social justice, and human rights does credit to your faith, and I would like to send my good wishes to you and your families at this time,” said Mr Cameron.

“This festival is not only an opportunity to celebrate the Bahá’í religion and the principles of peace, social justice and equality which are at the heart of Bahá’í traditions,” wrote Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrat party. “Ridván is also a time to acknowledge and reflect on the valuable social and cultural contribution made by the thousands of Baháis living in the UK.”

“The Bahá’í community can be very proud of its active role in promoting religious tolerance, peace and unity across the world,” said Mr Clegg.

In a message written on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, the leader of the Church of England expressed his solidarity with the Bahá’í leadership imprisoned in Iran. The message said that the Archbishop “has made clear to the Iranian authorities his profound disapproval of the way in which the leadership has been treated since their arrest and detention in harsh conditions and without charge last year. The charges now brought go against all the experience of Baha’is as peaceful people and loyal citizens of their countries.”

The Archbishop assured those present at the parliamentary reception – “and especially those who have experienced persecution” – his warm greetings and his commitment to justice and to religious freedom for all.

The Ridván festival marks the first public announcement in 1863 by the Bahá’í Faith’s Prophet-Founder Bahá’u'lláh of his mission.

In a letter issued in advance of the G20 meeting in London, political leaders are called upon to consider the moral issues at the root of the current financial crisis, and to pay special attention to the needs of poor, marginalised and vulnerable people: “to forget their needs would be to compound regrettable past failures with needless future injustices”.

Attention is drawn to promises made by the international community in “easier times” which now risk being “postponed by the pressing concern to rectify market failures”.

“Even in these difficult times we strongly urge the leaders of the G20 to hold fast to the commitments they have made to the world’s poorest people,” says the statement.

The 31 signatories to the letter include the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom along with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Archbishop of Westminster and the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.

Recognising that people “who have lost jobs, savings, or homes, are in need of immediate help” the statement stresses the need for the G20 to fulfill its promises to the poor, citing World Bank figures that “53 million more people could fall into absolute poverty “ as a result of the world financial crisis, the faith leaders’ hope was that “poorer countries would be allowed to trade their way to prosperity”.

The text of the letter reads:

“We write as religious leaders who share a belief in God and the dignity of human life. We wish to acknowledge with realism and humility the severity of the current economic crisis and the sheer complexity of the global and local challenge faced by political leaders. We pray for the leaders of the G20 as they prepare to meet in London this week. They, and we, have a crucial role to play in recovering that lost sense of balance between the requirements of market mechanisms that help deliver increased prosperity, and the moral requirement to safeguard human dignity, regardless of economic or social category.

Many people are suffering as a result of the economic crisis. The World Bank estimates that 53 million more people could fall into absolute poverty as a result of the crisis. The likelihood is that more will face significant hardship before it comes to an end, and those who are already poor suffer the most. Along with the leaders of the G20 we all have a duty to look at the faces of the poor around the world and to act with justice, to think with compassion, and to look with hope to a sustainable vision of the future.

We wish therefore to draw attention to some of the promises made by the international community in recent times – with our wholehearted support – that risk being postponed by the pressing concern to rectify market failures. We need to be properly conscious that all communities include, and must pay special attention to the needs of, poor, marginalised and vulnerable people. To forget their needs would be to compound regrettable past failures with needless future injustices.

Some aspects of this crisis will require technical economic solutions. However those solutions alone will not be enough to address all the questions that we face. At the roots of this crisis lie important moral issues.

We are concerned for people and the work they do. We believe there is a need to consider the aspirations of both rich and poor; to examine our own expectations and how realistic they are; and to root future global patterns of work in our understanding of human dignity. We recognize that people who have lost jobs, savings, or homes, or who now live with the worry of what the future might bring are in need of immediate help. Their hope is for sustainable employment and not continuing job insecurity.

The international community has made important commitments to the developing world. The Millennium Development Goals are of fundamental importance and cannot now be forgotten. Even in these difficult times we strongly urge the leaders of the G20 to hold fast to the commitments they have made to the world’s poorest people. We still need to find ways to enable poorer countries to trade their way to prosperity. We hold that promises made to the poor are especially sacred.

When we spend now, we have to pay later. This also applies when we use up the resources of the natural environment. Morally binding commitments to cut carbon emissions and so to slow the devastating effects of man-made climate change have been made in recent years. They should not be forgotten or postponed. We call on the whole of the international community to hold firm to commitments already made. Most recognise that even more radical commitments will need to be agreed in the near future.

The leaders of the G20 countries are concerned to recover stability in the global economy. We support those efforts. And we pray that as they deliberate they will be mindful of the need to protect the vulnerable from unintended injustice and to respect the commitments they made in easier times.

Dr Musharraf Hussain Azhari
Chief Imam and Executive Officer, Karimia Institute
Chair, Christian-Muslim Forum
Dr Mohammed Abdul Bari
Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain
Rabbi Dr Tony Bayfield
Head, Movement for Reform Judaism
Dr Girdhari Bhan
President, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (UK)
Mr Anil Bhanot
General Secretary, Hindu Council UK
Mr Steve Clifford
General Director, Evangelical Alliance
Mr Khurshid Drabu
Project Director, Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, UK (MINAB)
Mr Henry Grunwald
President, Board of Deputies of British Jews
Bishop Nathan Hovhannisian
Primate, Armenian Orthodox Church of Great Britain
Mr Sanjay Jagatia
Secretary-General, National Council of Hindu Temples UK (NCHT)
The Most Revd Dr Idris Jones
Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway
Primus, Scottish Episcopal Church
Mr Ramesh Kallidai
General Secretary, Hindu Forum of Britain
Sayyed Nadeem Kazmi
Founder & Director, The Britslam Partnership.
Commissioner Elizabeth Matear
Moderator of the Free Churches Group
Ayatollah Sayyid Fazel Milani
Al-Khoei Foundation
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra
Chairman, Religions for Peace, UK
The Most Revd Barry Morgan
Bishop of Llandaff,
Archbishop, The Church in Wales
His Eminence Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor
Archbishop of Westminster, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the UK
Mrs Ravinder Kaur Nijjar
Sikh Community, Scotland
His Eminence Keith Patrick Cardinal O’Brien
Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, President of the Scottish Catholic Bishops’ Conference
Mr Jitu Patel
Chairman, Baps Swaminarayan Sanstha
Rabbi Danny Rich
Chief Executive, Liberal Judaism
Dr Nawal Prinja and the Rt Revd Tom Butler
Sir Jonathan Sacks
Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala Nayaka Thera
Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain
Head of the Sri Lankan Sangha Sabha of Great Britain
Head of the London Buddhist Vihara
The Most Revd & Rt Hon Dr. John Sentamu
The Archbishop of York
Dr Indarjit Singh, CBE
Director, Network of Sikh Organisations UK
Dr Natubhai Shah MBBS, PhD
Chair, Jain Network
Sir Sigmund Sternberg, KCSG
Co-Founder, Three Faiths Forum,
Senior Advisor, Community of Religious Leaders, World Economic Forum,
Patron, International Council of Christians and Jews,
Vice President, World Congress of Faiths
The Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr. Rowan Williams
The Archbishop of Canterbury

“We are very disturbed by these events…this is a shocking development,” wrote the Bahá’í Council for Northern Ireland in a statement to the Community NI website, a portal for the community and voluntary sector managed by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action.

“…we thought these days were over,” the letter continues. “We are heartened by the united response from all the political parties and urge everyone to support initiatives to bring the community together at this difficult time.”

The Bahá’í community also extended its sympathy to the family and friends of those killed – Sapper Mark Quinsey, Sapper Cengiz Azimkar and Constable Stephen Carroll – and to the wounded and their families.

“We extend our support to the clergy of all denominations that are helping the families at this difficult time and we will remember them all in our prayers,” said the statement signed by Afnan Hashemi-Zadeh, Secretary of the Bahá’í Council.

The Board made representations to the government in May of last year when six community leaders were arrested and detained. The group, including a seventh leader already in custody, is now reportedly facing charges for various crimes including ‘insulting religious sanctity,’ ‘undermining the Islamic Republic of Iran’ and ‘espionage for Israel’.

In his letter Mr. Grunwald said, “These are clearly spurious charges and it is believed that this step may herald a major crackdown on the Bahá’ís’ Iranian national leadership.”

The letter went on to urge the government to, “make it publicly clear to the Iranian leadership that they are under international scrutiny and that those who campaign for human rights for all peoples will not hesitate to hold the Iranian leadership accountable in international forums if they proceed with their plans.”

In a letter to Gordon Brown, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Release International and the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the UK, Dr Kishan Manocha, affirmed Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

Concerned that, sixty years on, international mechanisms and government action to uphold freedom of religion and belief do not reflect the centrality of this right, the letter challenges the British government to “redouble” its efforts in promoting freedom of religion and specifically recommends:

• the appointment of an Ambassador-at-Large for Freedom of Religion and Belief; 
• provision of adequate training within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on freedom of religion issues; 
• allocation of international financial and technical support to enable the better protection of freedom of religion and belief.
   

“The anniversary of the adoption of the UDHR reminds us of the distance the international community still needs to go to protect and uphold human rights,” said Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas. ”Freedom of religion is in many senses a “first among freedoms’, a cornerstone for a number of other rights and freedoms within the UDHR.  This freedom is marginalised at best and is even now attacked, including at the UN itself. CSW and our partners call on the British government to implement the recommendations outlined in the letter and to accord freedom of religion and belief the importance it deserves.”