UK COMMUNITY NEWS

Some Thoughts on the Passing of Kenneth Carter (89 - 156 BE)

Though I think I had seen him at one or two conferences, I really got to know Kenneth when he opened his home to me so that I could take up employment at the Bahá’í National Sub Office when it newly opened in Uckfield. Kenneth and his family let me stay with them and were instrumental in helping me find permanent accommodation in the area.

 This act of kindness was typical of Kenneth. Indeed one of the first things that struck me whilst staying with him was that there need only be the merest hint that someone was less than happy and he would be on the phone to commiserate and see what he might do to help. My earnest recollection was that this was not just an occasional thing but a regular occurrence. He would either hear that someone was hurting or it would occur to him that he hadn’t heard from so and so for a while and he would be on the phone to them.

The next thing that really struck me was his boundless passion, enthusiasm and sometimes frustration, for his art. Unlike some who would internalise these things, Kenneth would share them and consult about them even with a philistine such as myself. His enthusiasm was very infectious. I love Ken’s art. I am convinced that, like many artists before him, he will only find real renown now he is no longer physically with us.

Although his art speaks for itself, some of my happiest moments have been listening to Kenneth talking about his paintings. What his inspiration was, how the painting came about, what techniques he used. I would find it utterly entrancing; the picture would take on even more life and vibrancy as I came to understand it  more. Those of an artistic bent would possibly not have gained much from such an explanation as they would have seen it all in the work itself. For this philistine however it was light upon light.

Actually “light” is a good word in this context as I would suggest that his treatment of light was possibly one of his greatest skills. I would look at such works as “Mother of Light” or “The Triumph of Sacrifice” and be absolutely astonished at the luminescence he achieved through the mastery of his medium. Light is also apposite in respect of his overriding passion, the Bahá’í Faith (Bahá means light). Like his art it evoked  in him passion, enthusiasm and sometimes frustration when he lamented the relatively slow growth of the Faith in this country. As with his art, he would share his  concerns and would often inspire us to greater efforts.

Kenneth’s Faith, together with music, inspired his art. I remember going to a “Bahá’í Arts Festival” where many artists displayed their work but, with the majority, you would not have known the artist was a Bahá’í. With Kenneth you know it. I would suggest he is one of an elite few (so far) in the West whose Faith inspires their art like some of the great artists of the Christian era. Many will no doubt follow down the ages but I believe Kenneth will be remembered as being among the first.

 Kenneth had another, I would suggest, rather unique characteristic. Almost all artists I have seen on the television and the few I have met or had dealings with seem to be ego driven to the nth degree. Kenneth was totally different. You had to search really hard to find a trace of ego. His principle motivation was that, whatever skill he had, should be used in the service of his Lord.

One of the things we both enjoyed was meditating together. He would come over and we’d read something from the Writings, meditate upon it for perhaps half an hour and then share any insights or impressions we had gained. Whereas my meditations were relatively mundane, he would share having seen this person  or that place or some event. He was a   visionary artist. When he went to a conference and heard about the seven Bahá’í women who had been martyred, the intensity of his emotion caused him to leave the hall to be alone. Whilst walking he saw every detail in his minds eye of the painting that would become “the Triumph of Sacrifice”. Another time he had a dream and saw a beautiful woman.  Later in a book he saw a picture of Queen Marie of Rumania - the first reigning monarch to become a Bahá’í - and, recognising her from his dream, another painting was born. It has been a real privilege to have known Kenneth and to have been touched by that kind of magic. Kenneth went to the Abhá Kingdom 1 Ala 156. Together with the others in our community I will miss a dear and compassionate friend.

A mutual friend, Stephen Lambden, said the following of Kenneth: “I adored him very much. Always I think of Ken with very special emotions. He was a great soul full of feeling for mystery and light. Now he has gone to the world of lights I am sure he will illumine both that world and this.” I heartily agree.

Paul M Booth  10 ‘Ala 156, 11 March 2000

Gaenor Carter would like to thank all the friends who offered prayers and gave support to the family during this sad time of bereavement.

 

Kenneth Carter giving a talk and presenting some of his work

 

Isle of Wight Bahá’ís are led to new opportunities

Having been invited by the local Council to provide speakers to schools and a three-week exhibition on the Faith as part of the island’s Millennium Spring Festival, Isle of Wight  Bahá’ís set to and obtained help from many sources: BOREA provided copies of the Teachers Information Pack; Brighton Assembly lent their exhibition; BASED (UK) loaned  posters;  literature was prepared locally; “The Bahá’ís” CD-roms were bought wholesale for handing out to schools; and the Council for England provided essential financial support.

In brief, the Bahá’í community did everything we promised the local Council we would - we arranged speakers, put on an exhibition alongside those from local churches and other faiths, and we stewarded the exhibition every day - the only group that did.

We were naturally disappointed that only a few schools came through and that poor use was made of our speakers ... but we were not surprised when we learned that the Council had, for cost reasons, withdrawn support for the project.  Letters to schools had not been sent out, and unlike previous years,  buses had not been arranged to bring school parties to the venue.

All was not lost, however. With the visits of Kay Hughes and Barney Leith, who had come to help, we were able to make presentations to, and develop contacts with, the Council’s Agenda 21 Officer,  Policy Officer for Equality Issues; with staff at the Ryde 2000 Urban Regeneration Project; the Wight “Green” Group;  Sure Start and Newport Quay Arts Centre. All expressed interest in the Bahá’í position on a number of social issues and encouraged us to contribute more to community activities.

This has led to the formation of a local branch of the Association for Bahá’í Women and to further opportunities  in  areas such as women, family, education and life skills - all issues being addressed by the local Council. The  Virtues Project excited interest. Already two non-Bahá’ís have joined the ABW and want to participate. We now look forward to  practical help from ABW England and the Office for the Advancement of Women.  Prospects look promising.

Our perception is that, having  made a major effort to take advantage of one opportunity that presented itself, we were somehow “nudged” into other, even more promising spheres of action.  We hope this turns out to be the case.

Clair Pope

 

50th anniversary celebration of the Faith in Sheffield. John Denton, a member of the present local Spiritual Assembly spots a long lost friend in the archives display. During part of the evening the audience submitted questions to a panel which included representatives from the Council for England (Naghme Adab) and the Auxiliary Board (Farshid Taleb) regarding the vision of the Bahá’í Faith. The friends also enjoyed Ceilidh dancing, food and children’s games. 

 Backflip Theatre

An exciting new theatre company run by Bahá’ís to promote CITIZENSHIP in schools and empower young people to bring out their gems! Backflip seeks:

• A kind, patient person with experience of finance and business to assist Director Fleur Bartlett to understand such things.
• Ideas, suggestions or support from anyone about World Citizenship and relevant funding.

 

Backflip aims to Use the performing arts as a vehicle to 

 

• transform young people
• help further develop an understanding of our multi-cultural society
• promote Citizenship in schools and the community
• provide a forum for discussing moral and ethical solutions to societal problems...

For information, donation of a computer, assistance or chocolate, please contact: Fleur Bartlett, Backflip Theatre, 25 St David’s Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton NN2 7QJ Tel: 01604 474704

Theatre in the Lounge

Theatre in the Lounge is a Bristol based group dedicated to the development of drama to promote knowledge of the Bahá’í Faith. Performances are often given in small spaces. We are seeking others who may be interested in working in a team creating, writing, and performing new plays. Enquiries are welcomed about performances of our recent work, “The Seeker”, already shown in Swindon and Portishead. To find out more about Theatre in the Lounge Tel:  01225 863859.

 Bahá’ís work flat out at the Anne Frank exhibition in Nantyglo (and get results!)

On hearing that the prestigious Anne Frank Exhibition was to come to Nantyglo, the Abbas family offered to set up a meditation room/tranquillity zone and were surprised to be given a room for the duration. With no local community to call on for help the family set about collecting candles, vases, dried flowers and ‘bits of tat’ and several other communities chipped in. Francesca Bantock came travel-teaching for the month and helped transform the room.  As it was not in the same building she spent three days and nights painting huge flowery posters for all the windows and corridors to draw attention to it.

Finally the launch night arrived with two local choirs and town band plus One World Rhythm (Kingsley and Suzanne Swan) who proclaimed to over 400 people that their inspiration was drawn from the Bahá’í Faith.  Ben and Sam Roskams (Cardiff youth) played cello and violin, one as background to a  video showing parts of Anne’s life (Anne was portrayed by Hana and Mona Abbas). Several mayors, councillors, a Member of Parliament, Welsh AMP, Director and Deputy Director of Education were amongst the dignitaries in attendance. So powerful was the entire evening that it is still the topic of conversation over a month later.

For the first few days our busy period came at the lunch hour of the school to which our room was attached, as up to twenty or so curious teenagers peeped in and we found we had a fireside session going, including teaching songs such as the perennial “We are drops”. Some came in to read the books on display and it was noted that life after death was a popular choice as were some hand-made teaching books. It was not easy to begin with as they were giggly and the situtation could have got out of control, but in a few days their attitude changed, because they realised that we really cared about them.

Gaining confidence from this we dashed over to get the Guides to include us in the tour as over 5,000 children were expected to pass through in two weeks. Thus began our 4 - 6 hour long “fireside zone”!

Sometimes ours was the only room available and the Guides were relieved when we took their group in for 10-15   minutes, whilst at other times the groups came in at the end of their tour.  As they had no idea what a Tranquillity Zone was for we had to explain. By linking it to the theme of the exhibition we were able to talk about some of the principles of the Faith and, most importantly, tell them Who had brought these principles. 

Other Bahá’ís who visited were able to speak to the children in simple ways that had a great effect. (Sorrel Ault also assisted as a Year of Service volunteer.) From this came the idea to put together packs for schools and overnight a junior school and senior school pack was organised and given to each teacher.

These are just two of the wonderful experiences we had: Francesca asked two young girls to look after the room for a brief moment and on her return she found them seated around a candle reciting words of Bahá’u’lláh on “love”. 

So engrossed, Francesca let them be, only to find a teacher with a group outside the door who explained that they had no time to stop, but could the children just walk around the room?  What was she to do?  She let the teacher lead the children Piedpiper style and they tiptoed around the room accompanied to the recitations of the two girls.

 One school got a prolonged visit when the Bahá’ís in the room got carried away. Finally, a prayer was called upon to be said. “God grant that the light of unity...” was chosen but there was concern that the session had been too long.  However the male teacher rose up and on his way out declared “This is amazing. I feel I have been on an emotional roller-coaster” and he seemed to float out of the room.

Other teachers who returned with several groups asked for us to talk about the same things each time - the role of women and self-esteem.

Besides the children, adults came in too, including volunteers, guides and  firstaiders, either for a bit of peace and quiet or a fireside chat. Childen returned with their parents and many had either set up a tranquillity space in their bedrooms or wanted to ask their schools to have one. We had about 1,000 children pass through and maybe fifty or more adults.

The evening sessions were particularly peaceful and tranquil and reminiscent of being in the Holy Shrines. People commented on being able to feel the peace and love, whilst we could feel the veils being drawn to one side for a  moment that allowed them glimpses of a more spiritual existence.  I cried to think that it would all have to be taken down and wished it could go on forever (it will when a House of Worship is built).

 The local newspaper sent a reporter who  wrote a good article on the room. Mona and Hana were interviewed by Meridian for the “Esther” programme.  The video of them as Anne, made by a highly talented local, professional, has been sold  to S4C and the girls were also featured in the Western Mail, a regional paper and made an appearance on “Wales Today” BBC Wales’ news programme. They  were presented with a book by Herbert Levy (chief guide for the Exhibition), and a tree to plant in the school by one of their retired teachers. Mona and Hana are now being recognised in the street!

The Abbas family also found some young local  performers for one of the evening events including Thenna Abbas (on drums) and friends in their band. They helped out on the last event, an “All-Faith meeting” on 1st May.

In the final days of this century the family felt that the dawning rays had at last penetrated into the valleys to lift the Faith from obscurity and take it into a new era.

With loving Bahá’í greetings, Chris Abbas

 

Mona Abbas with a bald wig gets ready for an Anne Frank performance 

 

 Baha’u’llah’s words are reaching 35,000 homes in Cheshire

“All things are beneficial if joined with the love of God: and without His love all things are harmful, and act as a veil between man and the Lord of the Kingdom. When His love is there, every bitterness turneth sweet, and every bounty rendereth a wholesome pleasure.” (Bahá’u’lláh)

In the closing months of last year, our local parish church of Prestbury in Cheshire initiated the compilation of a “Millennium booklet” which, it was hoped, would reflect the views and beliefs of many people within the area and represent what is important and valuable as we face a new millennium together.

As a community we felt that this was an opportunity not to be missed and so we sent several quotations from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’lBahá to the organisers. Imagine our delight when reading the booklet, (which was distributed to over 35,000 homes in ours and neighbouring parishes), to see this quotation attributed to Bahá’u’lláh placed at the top of one of the pages. (See above). We could not have hoped for a better start for our teaching plans in the new millennium.

Ruth and Jimmy Habibi