‘Abdu’l-Majíd Mutahhar
‘Abdu’l-Majíd Mutahhar (1919 - December 15, 1983) was a Persian Bahá’í who was martyred in Iran.
Biography[edit]
Mutahhar was born into a Bahá’í family in Shahreza, Isfahan Province, in 1919. He completed high school then joined the Iranian Army serving for a few years before resigning as he felt his values were incompatible with a military career. He instead pursued a career in education and after marrying pioneered to a remote village in Isfahan Province in the late 1940's.[1]
In his career Mutahhar secured a permit to establish primary schools and upgrade primary schools to high schools in villages. In 1961 Mutahhar moved to Isfahan with his family where he was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of the city. He later moved to Shahinshahr and was also elected to its Local Assembly.[1]
On December 4, 1983, Mutahhar's home was raided by Revolutionary Guards and he was arrested alongside one of his sons who was visiting at the time. His son was released after one day but Mutahhar remained imprisoned without visitors being permitted for four months. He was also denied medication resulting in him falling seriously ill. Doctors at the prison infirmary advised he required hospitalization however the authorities denied him hospitalization and his condition deteriorated.[1]
Another prisoner advised the Bahá’í prisoners where Mutahhar was being held that the Revolutionary Guards had offered to reduce the sentence of any prisoner who murdered Mutahhar and the Bahá’ís made sure to carefully guard him, however all Bahá’í prisoners were transferred out of the prison and Mutahhar was found dead one day later. A prisoner stated he had been strangled however his official death certificate claimed he had passed due to leukemia. He was buried in accordance with Bahá’í law in Najafabad on December 19, 1983.[1]
