Ruhi Arbab
Ruhi Arbab | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1914 |
| Died | May 5, 1975 |
| NSA member | Iran ???? - 1975 |
| Spouse(s) | Furúgh |
| Children | Farzam, Haleh |
Ruhi Arbab (1914 - May 5, 1975) was a Persian Bahá’í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran.
Biography[edit]
Arbab was born into a Persian Bahá’í family in Ishqabad as his family had moved to Russia due to persecution of the Bahá’í community in Iran. He studied at a Bahá’í school in Ishqabad and enrolled in the University of Leningrad but was expelled before graduating due to being a Bahá’í. He wrote to Shoghi Effendi about his expulsion and received a letter in reply encouraging him to not feel discouraged.[1]
In 1931 Arbab moved to Iran after being expelled from his university in Russia and he initially settled in Mashhad where he sold a gold watch his father had given him to pay for a move to Tehran. He began working for a newspaper office in Tehran and later began working for the Ministry of Finance. He was also an active member of the Tehran Bahá’í community and established teacher training and character forming classes for youth and children. In 1941 he married Furúgh and in 1943 he moved to a homefront pioneering post within Iran but returned to Tehran after a short time.[2]
After returning to Tehran Arbab returned to university and completed a law degree in 1950. He then studied Russian and secured employment with the Persian Ministry of Agriculture and a Veterinary College. He was later transferred to the Ministry of Water and Power and worked at a college in Tehran. At some point he was fired from his college position due to being a Bahá’í and he occupied himself with translating literature into Persian.[3]
In 1955 he was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Tehran as secretary. The year he was elected to the Assembly was also the year persecution of the Bahá’í community intensified with the Tehran Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds being destroyed and the Bahá’ís of the city frequently visited him for protection and advice. The stress of the situation caused Arbab's health to deteriorate and he moved to the United States for a brief period to recuperate before returning to Iran.[2]
After returning to Iran from the United States Arbab was re-elected as the secretary of the Tehran Local Spiritual Assembly and also served on several Bahá’í committees.[3] As of 1967 he had been elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Iran,[4] and in 1968 he was elected secretary of the body. He served as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly until his passing in 1975. The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after his passing:
PROFOUNDLY SADDENED GRIEVOUS LOSS STEADFAST DEVOTED SERVANT PROMOTER FAITH RUHI ARBAB STOP HIS TREMENDOUS EFFORTS TEACHING ADMINISTRATIVE FIELDS CULMINATING IN HIS OUTSTANDING SERVICES AS SECRETARY NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY UNFORGETTABLE HIGHLY MERITORIOUS[3]
References[edit]
- ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 547. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 548. View as PDF.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 549. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1967). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 439, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
