‘Abbás Katirai
‘Abbás Katirai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 5, 1923 Hamadán, Iran |
| Died | May 3, 2001 Ashiya City, Hyogo, Japan |
| NSA member | Northeast Asia 1965 - 1974 Japan 1974 - 1988 |
| Counsellor | Asia 1990 - 2000 |
‘Abbás Katirai (May 5, 1923 - May 3, 2001) was a Persian Bahá’í who pioneered to Japan and assisted in the early development of Bahá’í institutions in Northeast Asia. He later served as a Continental Counselor for Asia and pioneered to Sakhalin Island with his wife, Rezvánieh, resulting in them being named the last Knights of Bahá’u’lláh.
Biography[edit]
Katirai was born into a Bahá’í family in Hamadán, Iran, in 1923. He married Rezvánieh Alizadeh in 1947 and they had three children.[1]
Katirai and his wife Rezvánieh pioneered to Japan from Iran in 1953 with their first two children Foad and Farzad. As there were no flights directly from Iran to Japan they had to fly to Pakistan first and then went to Tokyo.[2][3] He was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Northeast Asia in 1965,[4][5] and in 1967 he was elected vice-chairman of the body.[6] After the independent National Spiritual Assembly of Japan was established in 1974 he was elected to it and served until 1988.[7][3][1]
The Katirai's pioneered from Japan to Sakhalin Island in 1990, arriving on March 24,[8] which was then part of the Soviet Union and the last virgin territory named as a goal of the Ten Year Crusade resulting in them being named Knights of Bahá’u’lláh.[3] Katirai was appointed as a Continental Counselor for Asia by the Universal House of Justice in October 1990.[9] The Katirai's efforts resulted in the establishment of a Local Spiritual Assembly on Sakhalin in 1990 and Katirai reported that an additional five Local Spiritual Assemblies were established in 1991.[10]
At Ridvan 1995 Katirai visited Armenia where he attended the Convention at which the National Spiritual Assembly of Armenia was established,[11] and in October 1995 he was reappointed as Counselor for another five year term.[12] In 1995 the Katirai's returned to Japan from Sakhalin and in 1996 they pioneered to Georgia to assist the newly established National Spiritual Assembly of the country.[3]
Katirai completed his final term as Counselor in 2000,[13] and passed away in Japan the following year.[3]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2003). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 30 (2001-2002), Pg(s) 300. View as PDF.
- ↑ Ellen Sims, Traces That Remain, Bahá'í Library Online, 2000, p 127
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Earl Redman, The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press: London. p 405
- ↑ Baha'i News (1965). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 413, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1967). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 430, Pg(s) 11. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1967). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 439, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1990). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 710, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1990). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 710, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
- ↑ 25 October 1990 message from the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the World
- ↑ American Baha'i, Vol. 22, No. 8, p 11
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1997). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 24 (1995-1996), Pg(s) 47. View as PDF.
- ↑ 29 October 1995 message from the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the World
- ↑ 29 October 2000 message from the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the World
