Aziz Yazdi
Aziz Yazdi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1909 Alexandria, Egypt |
| Died | April 19, 2004 |
| NSA member | Central & East Africa 1956 - 1961 Kenya 1964 - 1965 |
| ABM | Africa 1954 - 1964 1965 - 1968 |
| Counsellor | Central & East Africa 1968 - 1973 |
| ITC member | 1973 - 1988 |
| Spouse(s) | Soraya Khamsi (d. 1997) m. 1941 |
| Children | Vida, Mona, Jamileh, Aziz |
Aziz Ismayn Yazdi (1909 - April 19, 2004) was an Egyptian Bahá’í who served as one of the the inaugural Counselor members of the International Teaching Centre from 1973 to 1988.
Yazdi was raised in Syria, the Holy Land, and Egypt and then worked in Iran. He pioneered to Kenya in the 1950's where he assisted in the development of Bahá’í institutions in Africa serving on National Spiritual Assemblies and as an Auxiliary Board member and Counsellor. He served in the Holy Land from 1973 to 1988 and then retired to Canada, traveling internationally to support Bahá’í communities in his later years.
Biography[edit]
Yazdi was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1909 into a Bahá’í family with both his father, Hájí Muhammad Yazdi, and his grandfather having met Bahá’u’lláh. Yazdi was given the name Aziz by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá when He visited Egypt in 1910. Between 1914 and 1918 Yazdi's family pioneered to Damascus, Syria, remaining in the country until 1919 when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá invited them to live in the Holy Land allowing Yazdi to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá regularly from 1919 and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's Ascension in 1921.[1]
After completing his schooling Yazdi studied banking in Egypt and then moved to England where he studied electrical engineering. After completing his studies he moved to Iran where he secured a job working in the oil industry working for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company as of 1933.[2]
In 1941 Yazdi married Soraya Khamsi, a daughter of Siyyid Ahmad Khamsi-Báqirof,[1] and later in the 1940's he co-founded the Firuz Company with his brother-in-law Habib Sabet which traded small Persian items between the United States and Iran and he served as the companies manager from Iran.[3] He pioneered to Iraq with his wife for a short period before returning to Iran.[1]
As of 1952 Yazdi was serving as the secretary of the Africa Teaching Committee of Iran and that year he settled his business affairs to pioneer,[4] and he was the twelfth Persian Bahá’í to pioneer to Africa.[5] As of September he had settled in Livingstone in Northern Rhodesia,[6] however he was unable to secure permanent residency and made arrangements to settle in Kenya.[7] By the end 1952 he had established himself in Nairobi, Kenya, and his wife and three children made the move from Iran to Africa to join him.[8]
In 1954 Yazdi was appointed to the Auxiliary Board for Africa by Músá Banání when the institution was established,[1][9] and in 1956 he was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Central and East Africa serving on the body until 1961.[10] In October 1957 he accompanied Músá Banání on a visit he made to Egypt on the instructions of Shoghi Effendi.[11]
Yazdi was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Kenya when the institution was established in 1964,[12] but was reappointed to the Auxiliary Board in 1965 rather than continuing to serve on the Assembly.[13] In 1968 the Universal House of Justice established the Continental Boards of Counsellors and Yazdi was appointed as an inaugural member of the Continental Board for Central and East Africa and as Trustee of its Continental Fund.[14]
In 1973 the Universal House of Justice established the International Teaching Center to coordinate the work of the Continental Boards of Counselors and Yazdi was appointed as an inaugural member moving to Haifa in the Holy Land to serve on the body. He served in the Holy Land until retiring in 1988.[1]
Yazdi moved to Canada from Haifa with his wife in 1988. While retired he continued traveling internationally to teach the Faith from Canada in his later years. He passed away in 2004 and the Universal House of Justice conveyed the following in a message after his passing:
"His life was characterized by an imperishable record of selfless service, steadfast action, and instant obedience."[1]
External Links[edit]
References[edit]
- "Youthful experience inspired service". Bahá’í World News Service. 19 April 2004. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- Brent Poirier (18 Jan 2004). "Baha'i Administrators". Retrieved 4 April 2010.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (2005). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 32 (2003-2004), Pg(s) 240. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1945). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 9 (1940-1944), Pg(s) 501. View as PDF.
- ↑ https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/sabet-habib
- ↑ Baha'i News (1952). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 257, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1952). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 260, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1952). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 259, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1952). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 260, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1953). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 264, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1954). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 281, Pg(s) 1. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1956). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 305, Pg(s) 9. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1957). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 322, Pg(s) 12. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1965). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 409, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1965). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 415, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (August 1968). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 449, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
