Tahereh Berjis Missaghi’s passion for service to humanity ran as a thread through varied pursuits: as a pediatrician in Tehran, caring for many regardless of ability to pay; as an educator in the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education, mentoring Iranian students barred from formal university study; as a champion of women’s rights and conflict resolution, in family counseling and seminar settings; and as a promoter of the Bahá’í Faith, in personal teaching and in media presentations.
She passed away on September 19, 2016, at age 72 in Scottsdale, Arizona. She lived all but a few years in Iran.
In a letter of tribute, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States wrote, “[S]he served in the Cradle of the Faith for many years, resolutely and enthusiastically, in the face of grave and constant difficulties. Upon moving to the United States, she also contributed to the defense of the Bahá’ís in her homeland through participation in Persian media, most notably as a featured commentator in a series of documentaries; and as a valued speaker at various conferences.” That letter also praised “her warm and cheerful disposition, her wise counsel, her keen intelligence and above all her steadfast devotion to the Cause of God.”
A family tribute notes, “She was an iconoclast who bridged the transition from tradition to modernity, who championed the cause of women and children, and who was unfazed by adversity in her native Iran.”
Born to Monireh and Mirza Amir Berjis in 1944, Tahereh was brought up in the midst of afflictions touching many Bahá’ís in Iran. Her uncle, the noted physician Solayman Berjis, was murdered in Kashan when Tahereh was 5, but this sparked a resolve to become a physician herself and carry on his legacy. Graduating high school with honors, she was one of a few women admitted to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, where she earned her doctorate despite encountering resentment of her iconic family name, Berjis.
After she married Ziaollah Missaghi in 1970, one of their first ventures together was a six-month sojourn in Kenya, where she provided medical services in remote villages. After a significant period of studying and passing licensing examinations, they moved to the United States so that Tahereh could pursue a residency program in pediatrics in 1973. Their two children were born here.
On their return to Iran in 1976, Tahereh was named director of pediatrics at Missaghieh Hospital in Tehran, where her practice grew and flourished. Amid the 1979 Islamic Revolution, she was dismissed from her hospital post as part of a wave of repression against Bahá’ís; still, she continued her medical practice within her humble apartment. “Her service proved indispensable especially to the families of Bahá’í prisoners and those who were executed and had limited means,” the family tribute notes. “Tahereh became a pillar of comfort and support for these families, caring for the young children and their single parents physically, emotionally, and materially. To this day, when we come across the descendants of those executed, they share with us the story of her motherly affection at that heroic post-revolution time in the 1980s.”
Counseling of families on the application of rights and virtues also became part of her service. According to the family, “she educated women and girls about the importance of family, of relationships, of their inalienable rights, and of raising responsible children and adolescents. She also provided counseling sessions for many families on the principles of conflict resolution and the concept of equality of men and women as a prerequisite for sustainable relationships.”
Witnessing the march of systematic injustice against young Bahá’ís seeking to advance their education — which impacted the family when their school district refused to enroll the children and she had to transport them to a distant school — the couple became involved at the inception of the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) in 1987 as an alternative path for students barred from the university system. Tahereh’s roles in this complex undertaking included designing a curriculum, teaching a variety of courses, and taking part in several committees. She offered her home office as a venue for classes, a testing center and a meeting place for faculty. Tahereh’s daughter, Shahrzad, graduated from BIHE and later earned a doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences at Temple University.
On a visit to the United States in 2010 Tahereh fell ill with a heart condition and decided to stay in this country, settling in Arizona with her husband. Her desire to be of service found a channel in the Hamzaban Cultural Foundation, through which she moderated seminars on a variety of cultural, social, scientific, and historic topics in conjunction with a range of guest speakers. “Through her service and her kind character, she united Arizona’s Persian speaking community of all backgrounds, creeds, and political stripes. She elevated their conversations and provided a venue for meaningful and loving exchange,” the family shares. She continued this service until she was incapacitated by metastatic breast cancer. At her passing Tahereh was surrounded by loved ones.
Her survivors include her husband of 46 years, Ziaollah; a daughter, Shahrzad Missaghi Shirmohammadi of Pennsylvania; a son, Nizam Missaghi of Arizona; and five grandchildren.
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