Mona Mahmudnizhad
Encyclopedia
Mona Mahmudnizhad was an Iranian
Bahá'í who, in 1983, together with nine other Bahá'í women, was sentenced to death and hanged in Shiraz
, Iran
because of her membership in the Bahá'í Faith
. The official charges ranged from “misleading children and youth” because she was teaching children who had been expelled from school for their beliefs and serving in an orphanage to being a ‘Zionist’ because the Bahá'í World Centre
is located in Israel.
. She was the second child in the family; the family's first daughter, Taraneh, was seven years old at the time of Mahmudnizhad's birth. Mona spent her first four years in Yemen
; at age two, she was hit by a car and thrown to the sidewalk, but sustained no serious injury.
In 1969 the government of Yemen expelled all foreigners and the Mahmudnizhad family returned to Iran. They spent two years in Isfahan, six months in Kirmanshah and three years in Tabriz
before finally settling in Shiraz in 1974. During this time her father repaired small appliances for work and served the Bahá'í community as part of various Bahá'í administrative
bodies.
in Iran, the Islamic Revolution
of 1979 refocused the persecution. At 7:30pm on October 23, 1982, four armed revolutionary guards, sent by the public prosecutor of Shiraz, entered the Mahmudnizhad household and ransacked the home in search of Bahá'í material. When they were finished they took Mona and her father into custody. The two were blindfolded and taken to Seppah prison in Shiraz, where they were placed in separate quarters; Mahmudnizhad was detained in Seppah prison for a total of 38 days.
On November 29, 1982, she and five other Bahá'í women were transferred from Seppah prison to Adelabad prison, which was also in Shiraz. After some time in Abelabad she was transferred to the Islamic Revolutionary Court where she was interrogated and then returned to prison. A few days later, she was once again taken from the prison and interrogated in front of an Islamic Revolutionary Judge. After these series of interrogations which involved physical torture by the use of a cable being whipped of the sole of the women's feet, Mahmudnizhad was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. At the time of her sentencing, the President of the United States
, Ronald Reagan
, made a plea for clemency; despite this, the sentence of the 10 women was carried out on the night of June 18, 1983, in a nearby polo field.
The names and ages of the other women who were hanged with Mahmudnizhad were:
In September 2007 the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
published a case study on the subject.
professor, wrote that the executions went against Iran, the concept of a Republic
and Islam
. Specifically he cited Qur'an:
Pop culture
Mahmudnizhad's story is the subject of several art works; music artist Doug Cameron
recreated Mahmudnizhad's story in a music video, Mona with the Children, which made the pop charts in Canada
(#14 for the week of October 19, 1985). The video was distributed throughout the music scene and was effective in bringing the human rights situation of the Bahá'ís in Iran
to the attention of the public. More recently a play, A Dress for Mona has been produced and currently Jack Lenz
is working on a movie called Mona's Dream. Her pictures are also featured in Mithaq Kazimi
's Quenching The Light
video.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
Bahá'í who, in 1983, together with nine other Bahá'í women, was sentenced to death and hanged in Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
because of her membership in the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
. The official charges ranged from “misleading children and youth” because she was teaching children who had been expelled from school for their beliefs and serving in an orphanage to being a ‘Zionist’ because the Bahá'í World Centre
Bahá'í World Centre
The Bahá'í World Centre is the name given to the spiritual and administrative centre of the Bahá'í Faith. The World Centre consists of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh near Acre, Israel, the Shrine of the Báb and its gardens on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, and various other buildings in the area...
is located in Israel.
Childhood
Mahmudnizhad was born on September 10, 1965 to Yad'u'llah and Farkhundeh Mahmudnizhad, who had left their home in Iran to teach their religion in YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. She was the second child in the family; the family's first daughter, Taraneh, was seven years old at the time of Mahmudnizhad's birth. Mona spent her first four years in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
; at age two, she was hit by a car and thrown to the sidewalk, but sustained no serious injury.
In 1969 the government of Yemen expelled all foreigners and the Mahmudnizhad family returned to Iran. They spent two years in Isfahan, six months in Kirmanshah and three years in Tabriz
Tabriz
Tabriz is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals of Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Situated at an altitude of 1,350 meters at the junction of the Quri River and Aji River, it was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s, one of its former...
before finally settling in Shiraz in 1974. During this time her father repaired small appliances for work and served the Bahá'í community as part of various Bahá'í administrative
Bahá'í administration
The Bahá'í administration or Bahá'í administrative order refers to the administrative system of the Bahá'í Faith.It is split into two parts, the elected and the appointed...
bodies.
Arrest, interrogation, and sentencing
While Bahá'ís regularly faced persecutionPersecution of Bahá'ís
The persecution of Bahá'ís is the religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries, especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and the location of one of the largest Bahá'í populations in the world...
in Iran, the Islamic Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
of 1979 refocused the persecution. At 7:30pm on October 23, 1982, four armed revolutionary guards, sent by the public prosecutor of Shiraz, entered the Mahmudnizhad household and ransacked the home in search of Bahá'í material. When they were finished they took Mona and her father into custody. The two were blindfolded and taken to Seppah prison in Shiraz, where they were placed in separate quarters; Mahmudnizhad was detained in Seppah prison for a total of 38 days.
On November 29, 1982, she and five other Bahá'í women were transferred from Seppah prison to Adelabad prison, which was also in Shiraz. After some time in Abelabad she was transferred to the Islamic Revolutionary Court where she was interrogated and then returned to prison. A few days later, she was once again taken from the prison and interrogated in front of an Islamic Revolutionary Judge. After these series of interrogations which involved physical torture by the use of a cable being whipped of the sole of the women's feet, Mahmudnizhad was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. At the time of her sentencing, the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, made a plea for clemency; despite this, the sentence of the 10 women was carried out on the night of June 18, 1983, in a nearby polo field.
The names and ages of the other women who were hanged with Mahmudnizhad were:
- Mrs. Nusrat Yalda'i, 54 years old
- Mrs. 'Izzat Janami Ishraqi, 50 years old
- Miss Roya Ishraqi, 23 and daughter of 'Izza
- Mrs. Tahirih Siyavushi, 32 years old
- Miss Zarrin Muqimi, 28 years old
- Miss Shirin Dalvand, 25 years old
- Miss Akhtar Sabit, 19 or early 20's
- Miss Simin Saberi, early 20's
- Miss Mahshid Nirumand, 28 years old
In September 2007 the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
The Iran Human Rights Documentation Center is a registered non-profit organization based in New Haven, Connecticut. HRDC was founded in 2004 by a group of human rights scholars, activists, and historians to document the patterns of human rights abuse in Iran and to promote accountability, a...
published a case study on the subject.
Reaction
Roy Mottahedeh, a Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
professor, wrote that the executions went against Iran, the concept of a Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Specifically he cited Qur'an:
If it had been your Lord's will, they would have all believed, all those who are on earth. Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe? Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
10:99
Pop culture
Mahmudnizhad's story is the subject of several art works; music artist Doug Cameron
Doug Cameron (musician)
Douglas John Cameron is a Canadian musician and composer best known for writing and performing a protest song entitled "Mona with the Children" about a Persian Bahá'í woman, Mona Mahmudnizhad, who, in 1983, together with nine other Bahá'í women, was sentenced to death and hanged in Shiraz, Iran,...
recreated Mahmudnizhad's story in a music video, Mona with the Children, which made the pop charts in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(#14 for the week of October 19, 1985). The video was distributed throughout the music scene and was effective in bringing the human rights situation of the Bahá'ís in Iran
Persecution of Bahá'ís
The persecution of Bahá'ís is the religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries, especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and the location of one of the largest Bahá'í populations in the world...
to the attention of the public. More recently a play, A Dress for Mona has been produced and currently Jack Lenz
Jack Lenz
Jack Lenz is a Canadian Bahá'í composer. He has written, performed, and produced music for film, television, and theatre, along with working on non-soundtrack album ventures. He is also the founder of Live Unity Enterprises, an organization devoted to the production of music for the Bahá'í...
is working on a movie called Mona's Dream. Her pictures are also featured in Mithaq Kazimi
Mithaq Kazimi
Mithaq Kazimi is a film director and producer, mostly known for his documentary film 16 Days in Afghanistan and founding member of Dawn Breakers International Film Festival...
's Quenching The Light
Quenching The Light
Quenching The Light is a PSA that highlights the persecutions of Baha'is in Iran. It is produced by Mithaq Kazimi and features the paintings of Bahá'í martyrs by Mahmehr Golstaneh mixed with live video footage of the decedents of the martyrs...
video.