London: May 1, 2014. (PCP) Global Minorities Alliance reaffirmed its solidarity with the worldwide Bahá’í community today following a parliamentary reception to celebrate the Bahá’í festival of Ridván, which runs from 21st April to 2nd May. The reception was held by the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Bahá’í Faith, which was organised by Lousie Ellman MP, who chairs the Group. The All-Party Group has two aims; to raise awareness within Parliament of the Bahá’í faith and the efforts of the Bahá’í community of the UK to contribute to the betterment of British society, and to raise awareness of the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran and other instances where Bahá’ís are subject to discrimination or oppression on the grounds of their faith. Global Minorities Alliance, as a human rights organisation which is dedicated to fighting for minority rights the world over, was invited because of their work to highlight persecution of the Bahá’í community in Iran, for example by drawing attention to murders such as that of Ataollah Rezvani, a prominent Iranian Bahá’í who was shot in the head on the outskirts of the city of Bandar Abbas in August last year. The reception was attended by Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who praised the community spirit and goodness of humanity of the Bahá’ís in the UK, stating that their contribution to making Britain a more cohesive society is extensive and appreciated by all who work with them. Ridván is a period of 12 days from 21st April to 2nd May and is celebrated by the world’s six million Bahá’ís. It commemorates the dates in 1863 when Bahá’u’lláh, founder of the Bahá’í faith, revealed himself as a prophet to his family and friends in the garden of Ridván, in Baghdad, Iraq. During the celebration, Global Minorities Alliance spoke to many members of the Bahá’í community in the UK, who all talked of the selfless work they do for their community, and who appreciated the work of the Alliance to raise awareness of Bahá’í persecution. GMA also spoke to Dr Julian Lewis, MP for New Forest East and member of the Intelligence and Security Committee, about religious persecution both of the international Bahá’í community and other religious minorities across the world. Dr Lewis was particularly interested to hear about GMA's work to highlight the misuse of Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Mr Shahid Khan, Vice-Chairperson of the Alliance, explained about the situation facing many religious minorities, including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmadis and Muslims, and highlighted the particular case of Aasia Bibi, the mother of five on death row in Pakistan over a blasphemy allegation. “The reception showed that the festival of Ridván is filled with joy and happiness,” said Mr Khan. “The fact that the event was so well attended by many likeminded politicians, activists and interest groups shows how well regarded the Bahá’ís in the UK are for their community spirit, their goodwill to all and their dedication to interfaith work. “GMA wishes Bahá’ís the world over a very happy Ridván.”