INTER-FAITH WORK SHOWS THE BIG SOCIETY IN ACTION

Suleman Nagdi has written the First Person column in today's Leicester Mercury:

Inter-faith work shows the Big Society in action 

Suleman Nagdi reflects on projects that help to make our city stand out from the rest 

Riaz Ravat's first person article (Mercury, September 15) was an excellent description of his efforts through St Philip's Centre at working with people of diverse backgrounds. I say this by virtue of my association with Riaz, whom I hold in high regard, and the article truly represents his honest views about how we can build a city which stands out from the rest. 

The Sewa Day effort to help elderly people from the African Caribbean community who are often forgotten and helped build key services we now take for granted, is a project which is rooted in the best traditions and values of Britain. 

There are those voices out there who may throw doubt on inter-faith work but we need to convince them that their doubts should be put aside so that they can witness the immense confidence-building work which communities do for vulnerable individuals every day of the week. This is the Big Society at its best. It is alive and kicking. Last year I had the pleasure of working with Riaz and our Jewish friends for Mitzvah Day. 

As a Muslim representing the Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO) it was poignant for me to stand with volunteers from all faiths and none, outside supermarkets collecting toiletries for people suffering domestic violence. 

I fondly recall our gathering in the Jewish communal hall to assess our collections which were staggering. I am proud to say that already this year, even before the Mitzvah Day campaign has been launched, that the FMO and the Islamic Society of Britain whose "Eat n Meet" campaign was endorsed by the imams and Bishop of Leicester, have offered their support. 

Last October when our relations were tested, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and those of other faiths and beliefs stood shoulder to shoulder with Muslims on a day when our city was challenged. The recent riots highlighted just how vital it is for us to renew our commitment to British values. In these most testing of economic times, when many members of our local community have fallen on hard times due to the cuts made by the Government, strong community and inter-faith work is needed more than ever so that we may all support each other to face the many and varied challenges that we all face in today's society. 

Let us take a page from Riaz's book to show how our young generation can be great visionaries for our nation. Riaz's vocation brings to mind the Qur'anic verse 49:13 which reads: "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)." 

Suleman Nagdi is spokesman for the Federation of Muslim Organisations.

Suleman is a long-standing member of Leicester Council of Faiths. I'm sorry to see that he does not mention the Council of Faiths in this article.

TAKING PUBLIC SERVICES FORWARD IN THE EAST MIDLANDS

To the Albert Hall Conference Centre, Nottingham, this afternoon for an event hosted by East Midlands Councils and the Local Government Group. Four of us from the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP) are attending "Taking Public Services Forward in the East Midlands".

I've come through from Leicester with Iris Lightfoote (The Race Equality Centre), Dee Martin (Leicestershire Centre for Integraqted Living) and Kelly Jussab (Project Officer, REDP).

East Midlands Councils demonstrates how local councils in the region can work together on  issues such as housing, transport and the environment. It represents the interests of local councils to Government and national organisations. It supports the improvement and development of local councils and their workforce.

The six organisations of the Local Government Group work together to support, promote and improve local government:

• Local Government Association
• Local Government Employers
• Local Government Improvement and Development
• Local Government Leadership
• Local Government Regulation
• Local Partnerships

Core Partners of REDP (and members of its more extensive Core Reference Group) are here today to listen to a presentation on the Open Public Services White Paper by Alison Adams, Policy Manager, Local Intelligence Team, Office for Civil Society, Cabinet Office. We have the chance to discuss this presentation and to raise questions from the floor.

SUNRISE WALK FOR THE LAURA CENTRE

Up early this morning, to head out to Arthingworth Lodge (near Market Harborough) to take part on the Sunrise Walk. This annual occasion is a sponsored walk to raise funds for The Laura Centre.

Did I say this required getting up early? Rising at 0400, leaving the house at 0445, registering on site at 0530, then setting off together on the Sunrise Walk proper at 0600. There are around 100 people doing it, on five miles of road, tracks and fields. I officially finish last. But part of the reason for that is that I hung around at the back to get some nice photos, like the one above - a small number of the walkers (those tiny dots) moving along the top of a hill as the sun rises.

There's a lot of time for thinking while walking. I can't recall the last time I walked this long without having my iPod on. For much of the way, the walk itself offers a good analogy for life: just keeping going, try not to step in too much sh*t on your way. I'm deep in thought for the first mile or more, but before long I find my way back into the shallows.

At the end, a hot breakfast is provided (including vegetarian sausages, I'm glad to say). The morning ends with a balloon launch. Attached to the balloons are labels on which we've written things about the children whom we've lost and whom we miss.

The Laura Centre is a wonderful thing, supporting those bereaved by the loss of a child. You don't have to get up four in the morning then go walking five miles in order to raise funds, faithful reader. You can donate much more easily here.

CENTENARY OF 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ'S FIRST VISIT TO BRITAIN

A group of Leicester Baha’is bundle into a minibus this morning, heading for London. We’re on our way to take part in a weekend of rolling celebrations of the centenary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 1911 visit to London.

Our first stop is the National Bahá'í Centre in Rutland Gate, Knightsbridge. The centre has recently undergone renovations, entirely funded (like everything else that the Bahá'í community does) by voluntary donations from the members of the Bahá'í community themselves. Small parties of two dozen at a time are being given an hour-long tour of the building  together. We mingle downstairs, have the chance to spend a few minutes in the public reception area (and spend a few quid in the bookshop). Then we're led upstairs to the Parvine Room, which is often used for official reception of visiting dignitaries. There's a brief introduction to the Centre, its history and the story of its various renovations. For those with an interest in the historical development of the UK Bahá'í community, or in historic events associated with faith communities in this country, it was from this site in Rutland Gate that Shoghi Effendi's funeral cortege departed in 1957 and it was where the first meeting of the Universal House of Justice took place in 1963. The image of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the top of this blog entry is from a painting, the original of which hangs in the Parvine Room. 

Half a dozen or so prayers and readings are distributed - all of them, bar one, are read by Leicester friends. I read the following passage, written by Shoghi Effendi (grandson of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Guardian and World Head of the Bahá'í Faith, 1921-57) about the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá:

He is, and should for all time be regarded, first and foremost, as the Centre and Pivot of Bahá’u’lláh’s peerless and all-enfolding Covenant, His most exalted handiwork, the stainless Mirror of His light, the perfect Exemplar of His teachings, the unerring Interpreter of His Word, the embodiment of every Bahá’í ideal, the incarnation of every Bahá’í virtue, the Most Mighty Branch sprung from the Ancient Root, the Limb of the Law of God, the Being “round Whom all names revolve,” the Mainspring of the Oneness of Humanity, the Ensign of the Most Great Peace, the Moon of the Central Orb of this most holy Dispensation—styles and titles that are implicit and find their truest, their highest and fairest expression in the magic name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He is, above and beyond these appellations, the “Mystery of God”—an expression by which Bahá’u’lláh Himself has chosen to designate Him, and which, while it does not by any means justify us to assign to Him the station of Prophethood, indicates how in the person of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the incompatible characteristics of a human nature and superhuman knowledge and perfection have been blended and are completely harmonized.

One of the friends read this extract from an article published in a London periodical, in November 1911:

One of the most interesting and significant events which have taken place, has been the visit of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to London. The Persian Mage whose life, passed in prison, has been spent in promoting peace and unity by the one certain method of aiding individual spiritual development, must in a very real sense have “tasted of the travail of his soul and been satisfied”. Not only was he visited privately by nearly every earnest truth-seeker and leader of high thought in London, but his message was made known to thousands who had but dimly heard his name before.

Another read the following passage, a translation of a discourse given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on 13 September 1911 – a hundred years ago, almost to the day:

Thanks be to God, this is a good meeting. It is very enlightened, it is spiritual. 

As a Persian Poet has written:—“The Celestial Universe is so formed that the under world reflects the upper world.” That is to say whatever exists in heaven is reflected in this phenomenal world. Now, praise be to God, this meeting of ours is a reflection of the heavenly concourse; it is as though we had taken a mirror and had gazed into it. This reflection from the heavenly concourse we know as love. 

As heavenly love exists in the supreme concourse even so it is reflected here. The supreme concourse is filled with the desire for God—thank God, this desire is also here. 

Therefore if we say that this meeting is heavenly, it is true. Why? Because we have no other desire except for that which comes from God. We have no other object save the commemoration of God. 

Some of the people of the earth desire conquest over others: some of them are longing for rest and ease; others desire a high position; some desire to become famous:—thank God our desire is for spirituality and for union with God. 

Now that we are gathered here our wish is to raise the banner of the Unity of God, to spread the Light of God, to make the hearts of the people turn to the Kingdom. Therefore I thank God that He is causing us to do this great work. 

I pray for all of you, that you may become celestial warriors, that you may everywhere spread the Unity of God and enlighten the East and West, and that you may give to all hearts the love of God. This is my utmost desire, and I pray to God that your desire may be the same. 

I am very happy to be with you all. I am pleased with the English King and Government, and with the people. 

You may thank God that in this land you are so free. You do not know what lack of freedom there is in the East. When anyone comes to this country he is content. 

I wish God’s protection for you all. Goodbye to you all.

After the prayers and readings in the Parvine Room, we go up to the second-floor room normally used for meetings of the National Spiritual Assembly. Here we see a display of a small number of artefacts associated with the central figures of the Bahá'í Faith and with some of the early British Bahá'ís.

• Some personal effects of Bahá'u'lláh on display
• One of his robes
• A lock of his hair, framed behind glass
• A brief prayer, in his own handwriting
• His spectacles (and case)

• Some personal effects of the Báb on display
• A plate which belonged to his family
• A carpet from his house in Shiraz
• A piece of plaster from the prison at Mah-Ku where the Báb was incarcerated

• Some personal effects of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on display
• His aba (long robe) and the shirt he wore under it
• His spectacles
• A pair of his slippers
• The samovar that he took on his tours of the West
• The chair he used at Lady Blomfield’s house

These and other items shown here today are small-scale, personal (even intimate), accessible. At the Bahá'í World Centre in the city of Haifa, the extensive collection of the Bahá'í International Archives Building preserves and displays a massive range of items that illustrate the story of the Bahá'í Faith, the lives of its central figures and the triumphs and tribulations associated with even the humblest adherents of this religion.

I've been in this room many, many times, from way back when I was appointed to the National Teaching Committee at the age of 21, in 1981 till the last time I sat in here in March 2003. What really takes my fancy today is the 32" plasma screen and webcam. This would allow the National Spiritual Assembly to consult with anyone, anywhere in the world with access to a webcam of their own. To me, that's testimony to the up-to-date nature of Bahá'í life, unifying science and religion (which is one of its central principles).

After we leave the National Centre, we make our way over to Hyde Park for a picnic lunch (above). Then we spend the rest of lunchtime searching out Cadogan Gardens, where 'Abdu'l-Bahá spent several days as the guest of Lady Sarah Blomfield during his first visit to London.

Some of the Leicester friends in Cadogan Gardens today

We round off our trip with a brief visit to the resting place of Shoghi Effendi in New Southgate Cemetery.

And I'm home in time for Doctor Who. Visit the website of the Bahá'í community of the United Kingdom to find out more about 'Abdu'l-Bahá's first visit to this country.

THIS WEEK'S VISITORS (836)

Regular update on the number of pageviews received from different parts of the world in the week just ending.

1. United Kingdom 373
2. United States 184
3. Russia 113
4. Ukraine 48
5. France 28
6. Canada 25
7. Germany 23
8. India 17
9. Latvia 16
10. Romania 9

This week's total: 836 (last week's: 954). These are aggregates of figures from the top ten countries only. Blogger's stats software doesn't show me numbers of pageviews below the tenth-ranking country.

The world map at the top of this post is the graphic that I see on the stats page. The darker the green, the more pageviews from that country. I can see different versions of that map for "now" (whenever that is), "today", "this week", "this month" and "all time" (which seems to mean the last 12 months). They're updated each time I look at them.

OPEN PUBLIC SERVICES WHITE PAPER

At Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living this morning, for a joint meeting with One East Midlands on the Open Public Services White Paper.

More than a dozen participants are here today, representing ten organisations (including Leicester Council of Faiths):

• Age UK
• Leicester Local Involvement Network (LINks)
• Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living
• Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service
• Nottingham Inter Faith Council
• One East Midlands
• Pakistani Centre, Nottingham
• The Race Equality Centre
• Speak Up 4 Urself Children's Advocacy

This meeting is partly in preparation for an event coming up in Nottingham on Monday 19 September, a conference on "Taking Public Services Forward in the East Midlands" at which there will be a presentation on the Open Public Services White Paper. Today's session is led by Rahcel Quinn, CEO of One East Midlands, who'll be appearing on a panel at the Nottingham event.

A WELCOME VISITOR

Having been at my desk in the Welcome Centre since early this morning, I'm surprised to hear a very light tapping on the door around 0845. I open the door to Irene Zempie, who introduces herself as a Research Student and Tutor at the University of Leicester, Department of Criminology.

We sit and chat for half an hour or so; Irene's unexpected visit reveals itself to be a piece of serendipity. She tells me that her specialist area of research is that of harassment, persecution and victimisation of Muslim women who wear the niqab in public. She has been struggling to obtain local contacts who would be willing to help with her research and just happened to be on her way to a volunteering appointment at Victim Support (our next door neighbours in Bishop Street) this morning when she saw the big poster in the window of our downstairs office, which led her to come upstairs and knock on our door.

Irene's work is highly relevant to recent discussions I've been having with some of our partner groups and organisations in the city in relation to the forthcoming International Hate Crime Day (Friday 28 October), which will be marked with a day-long event at Phoenix Square Film and Digital Media Centre. In exchange for advising her about local contacts who can help with her research, Irene may be able to assist us on 28 October. I look forward to us being able to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement - watch this space.

LEICESTER PEOPLE'S PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY: OFFICIAL OPENING

Chris Minter, Head of Leicester Adult Skills and Learning Service; Cllr Manjula Sood, Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths; Sven Goran-Eriksson, Manager of Leicester City FC; Nicola Wood; The Birch - Leicester City FC legend Alan Birchenall

This afternoon I attend the official opening of the Leicester People's Photographic Gallery, which occupies most of what used to be the Central Lending Library on the corner of Belvoir Street and Wellington Street.

The old Central Lending Library is a former concert hall, where musical celebrities such as Paganini and Liszt performed in the mid-19th century. The entrance hall of the library was once a cinema, so today's visitor walks through what used to be a cinema into a what used to be a concert hall – then into what used to be a public library until six months or so ago. I ask three people (who should be in the know) what the building is going to be called in its new incarnation – and I get three different answers. For our present purposes, faithful reader, we'll stick with the old Central Lending Library when referring to the building as a whole, to Flint Hall (as it's going to be renamed, after the architect William Flint) for the as yet underdeveloped ground floor (although you have to go up a flight of stairs or take the lift to get to it) and the Leicester People's Photographic Gallery for the first floor, where the photos are. Never mind the temporary Bike Park in the basement! *Phew*

In his laudatory speech today, Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby described this as "a wonderful use for a magnificent building" – and he's right. Reliable sources at BBC Radio Leicester have stated that this is the biggest photographic exhibition space outside London. Apparently the bill presented to Leicester City Council for getting the building into a fit state to be open to the public was no more than £65 – so much has been achieved by volunteers and from donations. Well-deserved credit goes to Ian Davies, the driving force behind this whole enterprise. Thanks are also given to John E Wright, the commercial printers backing the gallery and providing professional presentation services.

The most striking feature in the (soon to be renamed) William Flint Hall is a sand sculpture by Nicola Wood. Nicola's work is well-known around her home city of Leicester and she's been gathering a following and reputation further afield. My kids have seen lots of her stuff and they love it. She did a great sand sculpture of Tanky Thomas at Summer Sundae last month. She's become known nationally as presenter of Deadly Art on CBBC. You can find out more about Nicola Wood on her website.

Prominent among the guests today is Sven-Göran Eriksson, Manager of Leicester City FC (and former Manager of England, of course). His presence brings a certain frisson to the event. Even I (a dyed-in-the-wool Scotland supporter) get unreasonably excited!

Among the refreshments available today, I'm pleased to see Rosie Clarke offering and promoting her Virtuous Bread. Rosie will be making use of the sizeable kitchen on the second floor of the building as part of her social enterprise. She asks me if I’d like a quick look at the facilities there, but then we discover that the kitchen has been taped off to visitors today to deter the more inquisitive among us. Rosie and I discuss how we might be able to collaborate during National Inter Faith Week at the end of November or during the week-long Leicester Speaks event in October. We put our heads together and come up with a couple of good ideas that we hope to able to develop, to our mutual benefit.

I'd like to acknowledge that I've adapted some information from Colin Crosby Heritage Tours for this blog entry.

A nice set of photos from the official opening can be found on Simon Johnson's Perfect Snapz website.

FOCUSING ON OUR COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER

Riaz Ravat has written the First Person column in today’s Leicester Mercury: 

Focusing on our commitment to each other 

Riaz Ravat looks at Sewa Day, an inter-faith charity event which brings people together 

In a few days, volunteers from a number Leicester's Indian-rooted faith communities, will come together for a special Sewa Day event. "Sewa" originates from the Indian language of Sanskrit and the concept invokes a spirit of community and selfless service for a just and fair society. It is promoted by different cultures and faiths but the core belief is the same – to sacrifice your time and resources for the benefit of others without wanting anything in return. In this age of the "Big Society", Sewa Day makes a key contribution. 

Leicester would not be Leicester unless we deliver Sewa Day in our own unique and cosmopolitan style. This is why for us the day is anchored in the wider inter-faith context of the city. It is all too easy to run campaigns for individual faiths, by individual faiths. Rather, we have established a special partnership which includes several Gurdwaras, Hindu groups, a Buddhist Temple, an Indian restaurant, as well as individual volunteers from the Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh communities. 

Our project, "Talk over Tea", will involve engaging and entertaining elderly members of the African Caribbean community. Not only are we sharing food and socialising with one of society's most isolated and vulnerable groups but we are also building relational bridges between people of different backgrounds. 

There will be so many conversations to explore, such as discovering each others' cultures, faiths, life experiences, traditions and, of course, diets! It seems like a simple idea, which it is, but it doesn't often happen very often. That's why we need a focus and Sewa Day gives us that opportunity to stop and think about our commitment to each other. 

Although Sewa Day is a relatively new initiative, it is nevertheless, a reminder about the long-standing efforts made by Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs to the social fabric of the UK. 

Charity is part and parcel of these major faiths and is delivered in temples and communities every single day of the week. Sewa Day is just one of many faith-based social action initiatives run each year. In November, the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group will run its 10th annual charity dinner. 

St Philip's Centre with its Christian heritage has co-ordinated the distinctive effort for Sewa Day. There is a precedent for how people of one faith can engineer charity efforts which are based in other traditions. Last year we launched Leicester's first-ever Mitzvah Day campaign. Mitzvah is a Hebrew word meaning "good deed" and our partnership with the Jewish community and other faiths of the city once again demonstrated our common endeavour, which is to utilise the best that each of our faiths offer to serve wider society. 

Sewa Day – next Thursday – will show that when Leicester contributes, it makes a difference by being different. 

Riaz Ravat is based at St Philip's Centre, Leicester.

RELIGION UNDER ATTACK

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Religion under attack

Mr Allan Hayes (Mailbox, September 10), member of the Leicester Secular Society and the humanist movement, again tiresomely calls for religious influence to be abandoned.

Some of his views I can find favour with. The need to co-exist, the need for all of us to respect one another's views, the need for understanding.

There he should leave it, but, no, he insists on picking a fight with us of faith, all faiths.

He reminds me of the story of two tribes, the "Haves" and the "Have-nots" that lived on either side of the wide densely covered jungle valley. They each survived and lived in peace for many generations unaware of the other's presence.

One day, they discovered each other's existence, and although they lived only several miles apart, they had developed quite separately. The "Haves" had religion, the "Have Nots" had not.

Most of the tribe members were prepared to continue their way of life undisturbed and trade with the new tribe, except one person in the "Have Nots", who felt their way was the supreme way and continually harassed the other tribe to change their ways until the "Haves" patience was exhausted. Readers can finish the story themselves...

It was well over a year ago the Leicester Secular Society and the UK Humanist tribe set out to harass us religious people, even though we had co-existed for years. I cannot claim the Church has a clean record – recent reports would prove me to be deluded if I tried – but the actions of a few selfish, arrogant and perverted individuals in positions of trust should not condemn the millions who do charitable work day in, day out in centres, churches, streets and schools.

If a small minority's actions forecast the fate of millions, atheists would suffer, whatever My [sic] Hayes and his colleagues would claim against religion.

If atheism is so good, and for some it may be, why do committed atheists harass faith followers rather than centre on atheism's merits for recruitment?

Stephen A Warden, Wigston