Símín Sábirí

Símín Sábirí

Símín Sábirí (March 2, 1959 - June 18, 1983) was a Persian Bahá’í who was martyred in Iran.

Biography

Sábirí was born into a Bahá’í family in Dahbid in 1959. Her mother, Tavús Pampúsiyán, was from a Jewish family who had become Bahá’ís and her father was a Muslim who had joined the Faith. Her family served at several pioneer posts across Iran in her childhood ultimately settling in Shiraz where she completed high school.

After completing her schooling Sábirí pursued higher education learning secretarial skills and typing and she began working for an agricultural corporation in Marvdasht. She was also an active Bahá’í and was among the youngest people in Iran to be appointed as an assistant to the Auxiliary Board. On November 16, 1978, violence broke out against the Bahá’í community of Shiraz and the Sábirí family home had its windows smashed.

After the Iranian Revolution in 1979 Sábirí was dismissed from her job due to her beliefs and on October 24, 1982, she was arrested. While imprisoned she was subjected to four indoctrination sessions in which she was pressured to recant her Faith and convert to Islam which she refused to do. She was executed by hanging on June 18, 1983, with her body not being returned to her family for burial.