Mehdi Samandari
Dr. Mihdí Samandarí | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | c. 1911 Iran |
| Died | 2008 |
| ABM | Africa 1965 - 1968 |
| Counsellor | Central & East Africa 1968 - 1975 Western Africa 1975 - 1980 Africa 1980 - 1990 |
Dr. Mehdi Samandari (c. 1911 - 2008) was a Persian Bahá’í who pioneered to Africa. He was the Knight of Bahá’u’lláh for Italian Somaliland and served as an Auxiliary Board member and Continental Counselor for Africa.
Biography[edit]
Samandari was born into a Bahá’í family in approximately 1911. His father was Ṭaráẓu’lláh Samandarí and his mother was Tarázíyyih Khánum. In 1927 the family moved to Azerbaijan Province in Iran. Around this time, when he was sixteen, his father began traveling extensively to support the Bahá’í community of Iran and they were unable to spend much time together,[1][2] although in the late 1930's Samandari was able to accompany his father on a three month trip to visit the Bahá’í communities of Qazvín, Hamadán, and Kirmánsháh.[3]
Samandari studied medicine and became a doctor,[4] and at some point moved to Belfast in Northern Ireland where he met Ursula Newman in 1949.[5] In 1951 he married Ursula and they pioneered to Nairobi, Kenya,[4] and in 1952 he was appointed to the newly established Africa Teaching Committee formed by the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles.[6]
In 1953 the Samandari's pioneered to Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland, to achieve a goal of the Ten Year Crusade,[4] and in a letter from around this time Leroy Ioas noted that Shoghi Effendi was saying prayers on Samandaris behalf.[7] Samandari secured a job with the Ministry of Health and began learning Italian and his teacher and interpreter, Abdullahi Abdi, became a Bahá’í in early 1955.[4]
In 1965 Samandari was appointed to the Auxiliary Board for Africa.[8] In 1967 he accompanied his father on his international travels as Hand of the Cause serving as his translator,[9] and in 1968 the Universal House of Justice appointed him to the newly established Continental Board of Counsellors for Central and East Africa which was an institution formed to assume some of the responsibilities of the Hands of the Cause.[10] In 1971 he pioneered to Cameroon with his family,[11]and in 1975 he was transferred as Counselor to the newly formed Continental Board for Western Africa as the borders for the Boards in Africa were changed.[12] In 1980 he was appointed to the newly constituted Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa for a five year term and he was appointed for a second term in 1985.[13][14]
Samandari's wife Ursula passed away in Cameroon in 2003,[11] a few months before the celebration of the Jubilee of the Bahá’í Faith in Cameroon which Mihdi was able to attend.[15] He continued to serve the Bahá’í community of Cameroon into his old age and passed in 2008.[16]
References[edit]
- ↑ Baha'i News (1968). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 445, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1976). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 15 (1968-1973), Pg(s) 414. View as PDF.
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1942). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. Wilmette, Ill. Volume 8 (1938-1940), Pg(s) 191. View as PDF.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 49
- ↑ Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 48
- ↑ Baha'i News (1952). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 258, Pg(s) 14. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i World In Memoriam: 1992 - 1997, p 263
- ↑ 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 (1968). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 445, Pg(s) 6. 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.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Redman, E. The Knights of Bahá’u’lláh, George Ronald Press, London. p 50
- ↑ 6 January 1975 message from the Universal House of Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies
- ↑ Baha'i News (February 1981). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 599, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (December 1985). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 657, Pg(s) 3. View as PDF.
- ↑ https://bahai-library.com/bjuk/bjuk_2004_jan-feb_v20_n5_7_Jubilee_Celebration_in_Cameroon.pdf
- ↑ http://jay-ash.blogspot.com/2008/05/developments-in-fako-good-and-sad-news.html
