Hushmand Fatheazam
Hushmand Fatheazam | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 8, 1924 |
| Died | August 13, 2013 Vancouver, Canada |
| NSA member | India and Burma 1955 - 1959 India 1959 - 1963 |
| UHJ member | 1963 - 2003 |
| Signature |  |
Hushmand Fatheazam (January 8, 1924 - August 13, 2013) was a Persian Bahá’í who pioneered to India where he served on the National Spiritual Assembly of India & Burma and later served as a member of the Universal House of Justice from 1963 to 2003.
Biography[edit]
Fatheazam was born in Tehran, Iran into a Bahá’í family with his father Núri’d-Dín Fath-‘Azam being descended from Bahá’ís who had accepted the Báb in the 1840's. He was an active Bahá’í youth and in 1942 he requested permission from his father to pioneer to Iraq. His father initially declined stating that as Fatheazam was under twenty-one he would not be able to assist in the formation of a Local Spiritual Assembly due to being too young to serve. Fatheazam cited praise Shoghi Effendi had given to a youth pioneer who had assisted in the formation of Assemblies despite being too young to serve themselves which successfully convinced his father to grant him permission to pioneer.[1]
Fatheazam later studied at Tehran University completing a master's degree in arts in 1945 and in 1948 he married Shafiqih Farzar who was a granddaughter of the Hand of the Cause Ibn-i-Asdaq through his daughter Hovieh.[2] In 1950 he pioneered to Shiraz for a short time but returned to Tehran where he began working as the curator of the Library of the Tehran University Faculty of Arts. In 1952 he resigned from the university and pioneered to India initially alone with his wife and son, Shahab, joining him later and in 1954 he completed a degree in Sanskrit language and literature at Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan. Dorothy Baker visited India in the early 1950's and recommended that Fatheazam and his family settle in New Delhi and they moved to the capital after he finished his studies.[3]
In 1955 Fatheazam was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma and soon became its executive secretary. The position was unpaid and he also worked three part-time jobs which included serving as program developer for the Persian language on All India Radio and translation work at the Iranian Embassy. In 1959 he became a lecturer of Persian literature at the Punjab University in New Delhi serving in the role until he departed India in 1963.[1] In 1961 Hand of the Cause Raḥmatu’lláh Muhájir visited India to introduce mass teaching and a period of rapid expansion of the Bahá’í community began making Fatheazam's role as secretary of the National Assembly increasingly demanding.[4]
In 1963 Fatheazam was elected to the Universal House of Justice when the body was established and he and his family moved from India to the Holy Land where he served on the body until retiring in 2003. Although he lived in the Holy Land for forty years he was never able to undertake the Bahá’í pilgrimage program due to his schedule of service.[5] After leaving the Holy Land Fatheazam and his family settled in Vancouver, Canada, where he began delivering weekly talks in Persian on radio which were listened to by hundreds of thousands of listeners. He also translated several English works of Shoghi Effendi and other Bahá’í authors into Persian.[5]
On August 4, 2013, Fatheazam spoke at a Youth Conference in Vancouver and he suffered a heart attack the afternoon after giving his speech and was hospitalized falling into a coma and passing on August 13th.[6] The Universal House of Justice issued the following message after his passing:
"We have learned, with profound sadness, of the passing of our dearly cherished, greatly esteemed former colleague Hushmand Fatheazam. Tenderness of spirit, profound knowledge, noble humility, and tireless endeavour characterized his highly valued services rendered over the course of many decades, whether as a member of the Universal House of Justice for forty years beginning in 1963, as Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of India, or as an enkindled pioneer, avid proponent of teaching among the masses, and inspired author. His wholehearted and resolute defence of the community of the Greatest Name was unwavering, and his determination in the face of adversity unyielding. Gifted with a unique eloquence in Persian prose and verse, he leaves a remarkable legacy of deploying the power of that language in service to the Cause. Beyond a distinguished record of consecrated exertion in the path of the Blessed Beauty, he will also be remembered for his manifold outstanding personal qualities, for his delightful humour, and for his kindly and radiant heart that exuded an all-embracing love. We extend our deep condolences to his dear wife, Shafiqih, and to his bereaved sons and other family members and assure them of our ardent supplications at the Sacred Threshold that his illumined soul may reap a rich reward in the Abha Kingdom. The friends throughout the world are called upon to hold memorial meetings in his honour, including befitting commemorative gatherings in all Houses of Worship."
Publications[edit]
English[edit]
Persian[edit]
- Dar Shena'sa'ieye A'iene Bahá'í[8]
- Shoara Gharne Dovom[9]
- Yek Saat Tafakor: Volumes I - IV[10][11][12][13]
Talks[edit]
References[edit]
- "Members of the Universal House of Justice". Beliefnet. 2002-09-13. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- "Hushmand Fatheazam, 1924-2013". Bahá’í World News Service. 2013-08-14. Retrieved 2013-08-14.
Notes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lights of Irfan, Vol. 15, p 409
- ↑ Huviyyih Khanum Farzar at MyHeritage.com
- ↑ Lights of Irfan, Vol. 15, p 408
- ↑ Lights of Irfan, Vol. 15, p 410
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lights of Irfan, Vol. 15, p 413
- ↑ Lights of Irfan, Vol. 15, p[ 414-15
- ↑ Collins, W. P. (1990). Bibliography of English-Language Works on the Babi and Bahá'í Faiths 1844-1985. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-315-1., p 79
- ↑ http://tienda.fundacionnehal.org/gb/hard-cover/11-dar-shena-sa-ieye-a-iene-baha-i-9788461265459.html?search_query=fatheazam&results=11
- ↑ http://tienda.fundacionnehal.org/gb/hard-cover/19-shoara-gharne-dovom-8460916839.html?search_query=fatheazam&results=11
- ↑ http://tienda.fundacionnehal.org/gb/hard-cover/24-yek-saat-tafakor-vol-i-8460945634.html?search_query=fatheazam&results=11
- ↑ http://tienda.fundacionnehal.org/gb/hard-cover/25-yek-saat-tafakor-vol-ii-8461135962.html?search_query=fatheazam&results=11
- ↑ http://tienda.fundacionnehal.org/gb/hard-cover/26-yek-saat-tafakor-vol-iii-9788461211371.html?search_query=fatheazam&results=11
- ↑ http://tienda.fundacionnehal.org/gb/hard-cover/27-yek-saat-tafakor-vol-iv-9788461267187.html?search_query=fatheazam&results=11
