The Messenger Jamál - Azamat - Nur July 1999 “ We have no special teachers in His cause. Everyone is a potential teacher. He has only to use what God has given him and thus prove that he is faithful to his trust” Shoghi Effendi Helping the police with their enquiries. On May 7th two senior female police officers visited a local Bahá’í woman, having requested to learn about the Bahá’í Faith. The two, an inspector from the county police force and the local Brixworth officer were on a fact-finding mission. After the recent bombings in London the police in many parts of the country have made it their business to find out more about organisations that are known to be multi-cultural and promote harmony in the community. Having seen the Bahá’í stand in his home village of Brixworth a senior officer had recommended the visit to a Bahá’í. The two officers stayed for over an hour and were fascinated to hear about the Faiths teachings. They both agreed that the world was in need of these teachings in such a gentle religion. They were grateful to receive literature, including the magazine and leaflets on racial harmony. They were particularly interested  in  the  concept  of  priority  for  education  going  to  girls,  as  mothers  are  the  first educators of the next generation. They felt that much of society’s ills, and thus the burden on the police force, were related to declining parenting skill. Visit to China On May 10th Peter Oliver, a Brixworth parish councillor and newly elected District Councillor, talked about his visit to China at a meeting in Brixworth. Peter, a retired engineer, is known to Brixworth Bahá’ís through the local Agenda 21 group and as a member of the parochial church council he is a keen advocate of religious understanding and closer ties with Bahá’ís. His visit to China was on behalf of a charity that sends retired experts to help Chinas industrialists overcome problems in production. Peter spoke interestingly and warmly about Chinese culture and family life and about the natural dignity of a poor people who take great pride in their appearance and work. The highlight of his journey was a visit to a sacred mountain three times higher than Ben Nevis and with stairs to the very top. All along the root to the summit were shrines. Peter commented that China could do well to adopt Bahá’í principles and that the Bahá’í Faith would have a lot to offer China. The room was packed and there was a general air of genuine appreciation for Peter’s insights.