Mary McAleese, President of the Republic of Ireland, has praised the universality of of the Baha’i teachings and the contributions of the Baha’i community make to life in Ireland, according to this report in the Baha’i World News Service.

“You are marked out as people with values that are worth observing, worth learning from, worth looking at, worth imitating and so never be in any doubt of the value you are every single day in this world,” President McAleese told a gathering of some 60 Baha’is during her first ever visit to the national Baha’i Centre in the Irish capital.

President McAleese, first elected as Ireland’s President in 1997, made her special visit to the Baha’i Centre on 30 April to mark the Festival of Ridvan, the anniversary of Baha’u'llah’s declaration in 1863 that He is the most recent in a line of divine Messengers that includes Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, Mohammed, Moses, Zoroaster, and others.

The President also expressed concern about the persecution of Baha’is in other countries. She said it was both sad and remarkable that a Faith with such principles would attract, in any shape or form, violence from others.

Photo © Baha’i International Community

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In an article published in last Thursday’s edition of The Times, Mrs Blair writes that, in the aftermath of Iran’s disputed Presidential election result, there is a risk that the ongoing threat to the country’s largest non-Muslim religious minority may be overlooked. “They face a very uncertain, dangerous future,” writes Ms Blair.

Read Cherie Blair’s article here

The five men and two women, detained in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison since the spring of 2008, helped see to the minimum needs of Iran’s Bahá’í community after all Bahá’í institutions were banned by the Iranian government. Their informal committee was disbanded along with all local-level Bahá’í administrative groups in Iran in March this year. Family members of the seven have recently been told that they will face trial on Saturday 11 July. Spurious allegations made against them include “espionage for Israel”, “insulting religious sanctities”, “propaganda against the Islamic republic” and “spreading corruption on earth.”

“We must urge that the Iranian Government give the leaders of the Bahá’í community a fair trial,” writes Mrs Blair, “and allow independent observers access to ensure this happens. We must also call on Iran to live up to their international obligations to protect all their citizens and allow them to hold and practise their religious beliefs, without discrimination or fear.”

Mrs Blair’s article also pays tribute to Iranian lawyer and Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi, who announced that she would defend the Bahá’í prisoners. As a result, Dr Ebadi’s “offices were raided and shut down, angry mobs appeared outside her home and she, and her family, received renewed and serious threats to their safety,” writes Mrs Blair.

“Shirin Ebadi is a courageous woman and a brilliant advocate. But we can not let her carry this burden on her own,” Mrs Blair says.

Masoud Afnan, 51, a member of the Birmingham Bahá’í community – was presented with a prestigious Lloyds TSB Jewel Award at a ceremony in the city on Saturday 11 July.

The Lloyds TSB Jewel Awards celebrate “the wealth of experience, expertise and success which is becoming increasingly evident in Britain’s Asian community today”.

Mr Afnan was named the winner in the “Healthcare & Education” category which honours “outstanding achievements being made by British Asians in public and private healthcare and education sectors throughout the UK.”

“From an inspirational flash of brilliance to the relentless day-to-day pursuit of excellence, it is these individuals’ achievements that epitomise the exacting standards required to maintain healthcare and education in Britain today,” says the Award citation.

A consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Birmingham Women’s Hospital since 1992, Mr Afnan has specialised in the field of infertility and assisted conception since 1983. He has served as an Inspector for the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, and a Board member of the British Fertility Society, as well as chairing its training committee. Mr Afnan is the author of more than 60 publications.

“It is a great privilege to be honoured in this way,” said Mr Afnan, who was born in Ethiopia to a Bahá’í family. Accepting the award, he remarked that celebrating diversity is a mark of true civilization. He drew the attention of the audience to the plight of minority groups around the world who are systematically persecuted, and in particular to the Bahá’í community of Iran, seven of whose leaders are awaiting trial simply for professing their belief in the Bahá’í Faith.

“Our faith instills into us from an early age the spirit of service, a love of people, and the importance of striving for excellence. I am happy I have had the opportunity to practice these principles in my profession,” said Mr Afnan, pictured above left at the ceremony with comedian Inder Manocha – also a member of the Bahá’í community.

Three Lloyds TSB Jewel Award ceremonies take place each year covering the north, midlands and south of the United Kingdom. The awards are regionalised across the three territories to celebrate the impact British Asians are making within the commercial and corporate sectors.

82-year old Christina Kitchen – who lives in Epsom – became an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Mrs Kitchen – a former biology teacher at Epsom’s Rosebery School for girls – has been raising funds for charities, particularly Oxfam, for more than 45 years.

“I was jolly pleased,” said Mrs Kitchen. “When people do things for the community it’s nice to be recognised.”

Mrs Kitchen told the Surrey Comet that her four sons were “all very amused and delighted” at her award. “All of them have followed in her footsteps in supporting various charities,” wrote the newspaper.

The 91 year old actor was honoured with a CBE in HM the Queen’s New Year Honours list for his “services to drama”. In an investiture ceremony held at Buckingham Palace, Mr Cameron received his award from HRH The Prince of Wales.

“The Prince was very warm and friendly,” said Mr Cameron after the presentation, “and he seemed to be aware of my work which I was very pleased about.”

Mr Cameron attended the ceremony on Thursday 28 May with his wife Barbara, and two daughters Jane and Serena, pictured, who are all Bahá’ís.

A dedicated member of the Bahá’í faith since 1963, Bermudan-born Mr Cameron – who now lives in Kenilworth, Warwickshire – made his screen debut in the Ealing drama, Pool of London, in which he played a Jamaican sailor on shore leave who befriends a white girl. This was the first British film to show, however tentatively, a mixed-race relationship.

Mr Cameron’s most famous screen roles were in two films that confronted racism in Britain – Sapphire (1959) and Flame in the Streets (1961). He also became a familiar face on television in such cult favourites as Danger Man, Doctor Who and The Prisoner. In his 80s, he co-starred as a despotic African dictator in The Interpreter, with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. Most recently, he had a cameo role in The Queen with Helen Mirren.

The exhibition, at the St.Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, entitled Sacred Journeys: Expressions of Faith, explored the journeys of nine different religious adherents from Glasgow, two of whom - Menai Shahim and Carrie Varjavandi - are Bahá’ís who have recently returned from their pilgrimages to the Bahá’í holy places in the Haifa-Acre area of northern Israel.

Cabinets and panels explored aspects of pilgrimage in the different religions, showing objects associated with the journey and displaying quotations from the pilgrims themselves who were also featured in moving video testimonials about the  spiritual journeys they experienced. 

The St.Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art showcases the importance of religion in people’s lives across the world. “The museum plays a vital role in promoting understanding and respect about faiths in the city and in Scotland as a whole,” said Allan Forsyth, spokesperson for the Scottish Bahá’í community.

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.

London has hosted the United Kingdom’s largest Bahá’í gathering in 45 years with a northern European regional conference that brought together 3,200 people from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Greenland.

A World Congress held in the Royal Albert Hall in 1963 was the only bigger Bahá’í gathering in the city – attended by more than 6,000 people.

Around 200 participants travelled from the Republic of Ireland, with others from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. Six visitors came from Greenland. More than 200 also attended from other countries including Croatia, Australia and Mongolia.

The gathering was one of 41 Bahá’í conferences being held over a four-month period in cities around the world, all convened by the Universal House of Justice, the international governing body of the Bahá’í Faith. The goal was to celebrate the achievements of the community’s growth and development thus far and to contemplate the immediate needs of the region.

For most of the participants, coming from their own countries, the bracingly cold but dry weekend was not out of the ordinary. But for some the journey to the conference had been arduous. Shortly before the event, the Bahá’ís of Iceland – along with their fellow countrymen – were faced with the unexpected collapse of their country’s banking system and the ensuing financial crisis. Only a few of the Icelandic Bahá’ís thought it would be possible to attend the conference. The price of airline tickets rocketed and foreign currency was not available. 

“A deputisation fund was established,” said Bee McEvoy from Iceland, “and enough money was raised to be able to assist some who were interested in going. Others made great sacrifices to meet the cost.” Bahá’ís living close to the conference centre in Islington and Hackney offered accommodation at their homes at no charge to the Icelanders. 

A number of young Icelanders who have recently joined the Bahá’í community were able to attend. Tonje Plur Brenna made the journey from Hammerfest in the North Calotte region, referred to by Norwegians as the northern-most city in the world. Tonje, who works in a flower shop, took a break from the long winter days of total darkness in her home city to travel to London.

The conference programme looked at how many of the various representatives were devoting their energies to grassroots community building projects that are beginning to impact on the wider society. 

Howard Freemantle, 21, a student at Durham University in the north-east of England, spoke of new efforts to bring several Bahá’í communities in his area together to carry out activities dedicated to the benefit of society. “Our identity became a lot stronger when we started working together collectively,” Howard said. “We were no longer a collection of communities. With that power, nothing can stand in our way.”

Olinga Tahzib, aged 18, and his 16-year-old brother Collis told the conference about their efforts to work in a neighbourhood in the Hillfields area of the historic English city of Coventry. “Thirty families are now taking part in a social action initiative which the Bahá’ís have started which also include children’s classes and junior youth groups,” said Olinga.

“It’s a completely different experience to live within a locality, side by side with its people and working on projects that are prompt and sustainable,” said Collis. “Making time for others is a practical expression of our love for humanity.”

The National Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom described the conference as an “extraordinary gathering” at which Bahá’ís had risen to new levels of understanding and confidence at what they would achieve for the Faith. “There was a spirit of inclusiveness and a very real sense of unity tangible throughout the sweet moments of this blessed event,” read a message from the Assembly.

The London event coincided with another in Abidjan attended by 1,200 participants from Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

After a career spanning seven decades, 91 year old Mr Cameron has been honoured for his “services to drama”.

A dedicated member of the Bahá’í faith since 1963, Mr Cameron – who now lives in Kenilworth, Warwickshire - made his screen debut in the Ealing drama, Pool of London, in which he played a Jamaican sailor on shore leave who befriends a white girl. This was the first British film to show, however tentatively, a mixed-race relationship.

Bermudan-born Mr Cameron’s most famous screen roles were in two films that confronted racism in Britain – Sapphire (1959) and Flame in the Streets (1961). He also became a familiar face on television in such cult favourites as Danger Man, Doctor Who and The Prisoner. In his 80s, he co-starred as a despotic African dictator in The Interpreter, with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn

Most recently, he had a cameo role in The Queen with Helen Mirren. Mr Cameron told the Birmingham Post that he is ready to meet the real-life Queen. “I played an artist who painted Helen Mirren’s portrait in The Queen,” he said, “so I have already had a trial run. It never occurred to me I would come up for any kind of award like this.”

Among other Bahá’ís who have received honours are Hollywood film-music composer Russell Garcia and his singer wife Gina, now resident in New Zealand, who receive Queen’s Service Medals for their services to music.

Mabel Wharekawa-Burt, 61, television presenter, recevied the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to performing arts and the community.

Lady Carpenter met her husband, then a young curate, at the Holy Trinity church in Marylebone where she was active in its Sunday School and Youth club.  They married in 1941. Dr Carpenter served at Westminster Abbey for 35 years, eventually becoming Dean from 1974 to 1986. On his passing in 1998, an obituary in The Independent said, “He and his much-respected wife, Lilian, will go down in the history of Westminster for being so accessible, friendly and prepared to listen.”

After exploring many religions, Lady Carpenter embraced the Bahá’í faith attracted to its belief in the underlying unity of all religions.  In a written tribute, the international governing council of the Bahá’í faith – the Universal House of Justice – recalled her ”open and free-spirited heart”. “Among those who knew her she has left behind fond memories of a noble and deeply spiritual character,” they wrote.

Lady Carpenter is survived by her four children and seven grandchildren.