www.stdavidsdiocese.org.uk Mawrth / March 2010 Youth Strikes a Chord Children will be leading the way when this year’s St Davids Cathedral Festival opens in May HE opening concert will which is now in its 32nd year. Tfeature a double celebration Following their sell-out concert at Cathedral by the Children’s Festival Chorus in 2009, the St Davids Cathedral and the Choristers of the Cathedral, Boys Choir will be giving a tea- paying tribute to the success of the time recital in Llanrhian Church. cathedral’s educational outreach And the Cathedral Choir will programme. The performance will perform several works, including also be in conjunction with Farms the premier of a new piece, O Lux Festival For City Children at Treginnis, Beata Trinitas, commissioned from (pictured) whose director is Rev composer David Bednall. Mike Plant, to mark twenty years The festival runs from May of offering a countryside experi- 28th to June 6th and Artistic Direc- ence to inner city youngsters. tor Alex Mason’s programme Youth will feature prominently includes a glittering array of stars. throughout the ten-day festival, (Continued on page 6) Treginnis – St Davids base of Farms for City Children The King’s Singers – one of the star names at this year’s Festival TWO neighbours – apart HAVERFORDWEST for 400 years – have been reunited by the recent merger FRIENDS REUNITED The new Vicar, Rev Paul Mack- ness, who will be installed in of Castlemartin and Narberth St Peter’s and St John’s in into the ‘new’ Deanery of May and will join the team in Carmarthen town centre, St. the new united benefice and Pembroke. Rev Canon Michael David’s, Abergwili and Capel Butler was installed as the new the collegiate of parishes y Groes in Peniel. The former including the churches of St Dean at a service in St Mary’s Vicar of Abergwili, Rev Leigh last month. It covers an area Mary, St Thomas, St Martin Richardson, becomes Rector and Haroldston St Issel. from Narberth in the north and the appointment of a new But church leaders are east to Angle in the south team vicar for St David’s is confident that the view from west, and includes the major expected this summer. centres of Tenby, Pembroke the pew will be very much the and Pembroke Dock. LLANELLI same. And the changes will It’s one of several changes Changes are afoot in the offer an opportunity for wider taking place in the way the Rectorial Benefice. A new, fellowship and discussion for diocese is organised. clergy team under Rector Rev both clergy and lay people. Sian Jones is being appointed Also, benefits of scale will CARMARTHEN to develop new styles of minis- bring added value for every- The new Rectorial Benefice try and worship, and a greater one in the diocese. of East Carmarthen will cover involvement of the laity. (See Appointments page 3) “Big Science, Big God” with Sir John Houghton – page 10 Am ddim Free 2 Pobl Dewi, March 2010 Brains behind the bombs When disadvantaged Muslim youths are radicalised it may be understandable, if difficult to accept. But what makes well-educated professionals turn terrorist? Jonathan Copus seeks some insight T just after ten past three on bombs’ of violent individuals seek- In a direct reversal of the terrorists’ Athe afternoon of Saturday, 30th ing to re-assert Islamic culture as standpoint, one profound hadif, or June 2007, Bilal Abdulla drove a a distinct entity. It could be that Saying of the Prophet, states that Cherokee truck loaded with gas Abdullah and Ahmed felt that ‘a person who kills one human canisters into the terminal building their relatively privileged position being is like a person who kills all at Glasgow International Airport obliged them to adopt a leadership humanity’. and set fire to the vehicle. When it role in this armed struggle. But as Dr Izzi Dien points out, failed to explode, his accomplice, As a worldwide religion, Islam intelligent people from all faiths Kafeel Ahmed, poured petrol over has always emphasised the concept have always harmed one other – in himself. It took him a month to die. of ummah – the global commu- Northern Ireland, and during the But these were not disaffected, nity. Its followers see themselves Spanish Inquisition, for instance. unemployed young men from a as part of a single nation which At the root of much of this harm is poor neighbourhood. Abdulla – transcends geographical bounda- fundamentalism, which knows no later jailed for 32 years – was a ries. Their founder Mohammed faith boundaries. In Islam as else- hospital doctor and Ahmed an engi- said: ‘Muslims are like one body, where, the extremists’ interpretation neering PhD student. So how do and if one part of it suffers, then of the holy texts – while distorted such intelligent people fall prey to the rest of the body will respond from a mainstream perspective – is the incitement of terrorist leaders? by having fever and sleeplessness.’ supported by a profound system of Dr Mawil Izzidien is Reader Perhaps this attitude explains why references which makes it unassail- in Islamic Studies and Arabic at many terrorists justify their actions able by anyone except a scholar, the University of Wales, Lampeter. by citing what they see as the ineq- and can exert a powerful influence He is convinced that the answer uity of the Palestinians’ plight and on the layman of any faith search- consists largely of three simple the aggressive attitude of the West ing for a cause to give his life words: loss of identity. towards their brothers and sisters meaning and purpose. After the demise of the Otto- in Iraq and elsewhere. An attack on Fortunately for the rest of us, man Empire in the early 1900s, the one Muslim is an attack on all, and the majority of Western Muslims Islamic world suffered an eclipse, their primary allegiance is to their are moderates, and many, like Dr losing identity and self-esteem. In fellow Muslims rather than to any Izzidien, regard all religions as Full Circle in Uganda the UK, this loss is most keenly felt particular political state. different maps for the same spirit- Visiting Uganda Jayne Macgregor finds patches of hope, by Muslim youths, increasingly On the other hand, both the ual journey. They may be drawn in resilience and encouragement suffering from unemployment and Qur’an and the tradition of Moham- different inks; they may highlight poverty, and has led to the growth med insist that the whole of humanity different areas; but eventually they of what Dr Izzidien calls ‘cluster is derived from one um, one mother. all lead along the same path. WENTY-TWO years ago our My own church, St Mary’s in Fish- Tfamily began paying a small guard, raised £2,500 in 2008 to amount each month to sponsor a fund the building of a village well needy child in rural Uganda. The in the Luwero district in conjunc- The Church in the western little girl, named Olive Nama- tion with The Busoga Trust – an world has been quick to notice that ganda, was then 6 years old and Anglican Ugandan charity provid- Uganda and Anti-Homosexuality church leaders in Uganda have our monthly subscription enabled ing sanitation and water aid in rural been slow to speak up in response her to receive an education and Uganda. We visited both these to the proposed legislation. Some, other basic requirements of life. projects and were greatly encour- including the relatively new Bishop She thrived, grew up through aged by the work being done. of Karamoja, have been outspoken primary and secondary school and in favour of the Bill, pointing out Highlight finally attained a place at Univer- that it is not a matter for Canada or sity in Kampala where she gained The highlight of the trip for me England. However this cuts both a teaching degree. From the first was to finally meet Olive and to ways because many in the Church childish pictures, through to letters see things come full circle! As she of Uganda have been far from slow and eventually on to emails, our has received help herself, so she’s in condemning the Church in North relationship with Olive developed. been enabled and equipped to help America. We are mutually account- From a distance, we shared in the others. Olive is now 28 yrs old and able within the body of Christ. ups and downs of each other’s is working as a project leader for Some Ugandan church lead- lives and many prayers have flown a small Ugandan Christian charity ers have been more prepared to between the UK and Africa over the called Youth With A Vision. Tudor Griffiths, from Hawarden, sheds some light put their heads over the parapets past years. I never thought I would YWAV works with some of on this difficult subject regarding this legislation. One is actually meet Olive, let alone travel the most disadvantaged children Canon Gideon Byamugisha, who is out to Africa, so you can imag- and young people in the Masaka S someone who spent six years traders. So homosexual practice the founder member of an organi- ine my surprise and joy when in region, many of them orphans due Ain Uganda from 1989, and who has long been associated with anti- sation of religious leaders in Africa October 2009 I had the amazing to the ravages of HIV/AIDS, which has taught ethics to a number of Christian persecution, power abuse who are HIV positive. He is well opportunity to visit Uganda and has claimed so many lives in this church leaders, I am grateful to be and malign foreign influences.