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1983 25 Jun
198- |
The passing of Reginald "Rex" Collison (b. 3 May 1884 in Ohio). He was buried in Oak Mound Cemetery, Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California, USA. [BW19p595-596]
Rex accepted a position in plant research on the staff of Cornell University and held this post for thirty-three years, retiring in 1945 as Chief of Research and Professor Emeritus.
Rex and Mary were married in 1920 and in 1924 learned of the Faith from Howard and Mabel Ives.
In 1952 he and Mary pioneered to Uganda. When the Ten Year Crusade was launched in 1953, the Collisons were the first American believers to arise. Accompanied by Mr. Dunduzu Chisiza, a young Nyasaland African who served as their interpreter and shared their home for over a year, they settled in Ruanda-Urundi. (Today,known as Rwanda and Burundi.) For their service in opening Ruanda-Urundi to the Faith the trio were named by Shoghi Effendi Knights of Baha'u'llah. Returning to Kampala in 1955, the Collisons were later appointed custodians of the Mother Temple of Africa and they served the Faith in this capacity with great devotion until 1966 when they found it necessary to return home to Geyserville.
See CG66-67 for their services while in Uganda.
Find a grave.
On August 11, 1970, Rex lost his wife Mary (b. 13 Nov 1892 in Adelaide, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada). [BW15p486]
Find a grave.
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Rex Collison; - In Memoriam; Mary Collison; Dunduzu Chisza; - Knights of Bahá'u'lláh; Healdsburg, CA; California, USA; United States (USA); Biography |
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1983 16 Jun
198- |
Six Bahá'ís were executed by hanging:
Dr. Bahrarn Afnan, aged 50, a prominent physician specializing in heart and internal diseases;
Mr. Bahram Yalda'i, aged 28, who had studied to obtain his doctorate in economics;
Mr. Jamflid Siyavushi, aged 39, who owned a clothing shop;
Mr. 'Inayatu'llah Ifiraqi, aged 61, who had worked for the Iran Oil Company and was retired;
Mr. Kurug Haqqbin, aged 34, an electrical technician specializing in the repair of radio and television sets; and
Mr. 'Abdu'l-Husayn Azadi, aged 66, a veterinarian who had been an employee of the Ministry of Health.
Of this group, all save Mr. Igraqi and Mr. Yalda'i were members of Local Spiritual Assemblies in Shíráz or surrounding communities.
[BW19p178] |
* Persecution, Iran; Shíráz, Iran; Biography |
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1983 18 Jun
198- |
In Shiraz, ten Bahá'í women ranging in age from 17 to 57, were hanged. All of the women had been tortured and interrogated in the months prior to their execution. The youngest of these martyrs was Mona Mahmudnizhad, a 17-year-old schoolgirl who had been beaten on the soles of her feet, kissed the hands of her executioner and placed the hangman's rope around her own throat. The names of the others executed were Zarrin Muqimi-Abyanih, 28, Ruya Ishraqi, a 23-year-old veterinary student, Shahin Dalvand, 25, a sociologist; Izzat Janami Ishraqi, 57, a homemaker and mother of Roya; Mahshid Nirumand, 28, who had qualified for a degree in physics but had it denied her because she was a Bahá'í, Simin Sabiri, 25; Tahirih Arjumandi Siyavushi, 30, a nurse; Akhtar Sabet Sarvestani, 25, also a nurse; Nusrat Ghufrani Yalda'i, 47, a mother and member of the local Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly. [Hanged for teaching "Sunday school"]
For the story of the martyrs see BW19:180–7 and VV56.
See the story of the arrest and execution of Simin Saberi.
For their obituaries see BW19:596–607.
For pictures of the martyred women see BW19:240–1.
See World Order magazine Vol 4 Issue 3, 1986 for an article on Zarrin Muqimi-Abyanih written by her sister Simin Khavari.
See Bahá'í Teachings for the story of Nusrat Yalda'i, a mother of four children, three sons and one daughter, who was executed for her hospitality.
See Track Persia dated 25 January 2020 for an account of how female prisoners have been treated in Iranian prisons since the Islamic Revolution.
See the NYTimes story in which Khomeini attacks Reagan for supporting Bahá'ís.
In 1985 a 45-page booklet entitled The Story of Mona: 1965-1983 was published by Bahá'î Canada Publications, under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Canada.
Also in 1985 a music video called Mona and Children was made by Douglas John Cameron and friends.
In 2003 a play, A New Dress for Mona by Mark Perry was produced by the Drama Circle.
Lenz Entertainment produced a screenplay entitled Mona's Dream. It was written by Houshang Touzie and Jack Lenz and won the 2010 Female Eye Audience Choice Screenplay Award. Facebook.
In June of 2017 the book, Our Friend Mona: The Remarkable Life of a Young Martyr by Azadeh Rohanian Perry and Mark E Perry (with the assistance of Mona's mother, Mrs. Farkhundih Mahmudnizhad) was published by Circle of Spirit.
Further details about the lives of the ten women as well as the history of their arrest and public execution can be found here.
The Revolutionary Prosecuter in the execution of all 22 Bahá'ís during that period was Farshad Seyyed Zia Mir-Amadi. iiiii
See Iran Press Watch 21 June 2023 for the article Who Were the Perpetrators of the Mass Execution of 10 Baha'i Women in Shiraz?. The article also delineates the measures taken by the families of the prisoners to appeal their sentences and mentions the intervention by President Ronald Regan.
See Olya's Story: A Survivor's Dramatic Account of the Persecution of Bahá'ís in Revolutionary Iran by Olya Roohizadegan. It is an account of a young woman imprisioned at the same time as the 10 martyrs. It was published by Oneworld Publications 1 June 1993.
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Martyrs, Shiraz 1983; Mona Mahmudnizhad; * Persecution, Iran; - Persecution, Deaths; - Persecution; Youth; - Persecution, Education; Shahin Dalvand; Izzat Janami Ishraqi; Mahshid Nirumand; Simin Sabiri; Tahirih Arjumandi Siyavushi; Akhtar Thabit; Nusrat Ghufrani Yaldai; Zarrin Muqimi-Abyanih; Ruya Ishraqi; Shíráz, Iran; Iran |
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1983 24 Jun
198- |
In response to the hanging of 10 Bahá'í women in Shíráz, the Universal House of Justice addressed a cable to the Bahá'í youth throughout the world, urging them to re-dedicate themselves to the Cause. [BW19:187–8, 297] |
Youth; - Bahá'í World Centre |
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Canada
