Sunday, June 9, 2013

A Martyr's Gift

27 years ago today, on June 10th, 1986, the day that I was born, a man named Farid Bihmardi was martyred in Iran. He was imprisoned for 22 months, 9 of which were spent in solitary confinement, he was not allowed access to his family or friends, was tortured, kept in horrible conditions and brutally murdered simply because he was a member of the Baha'i Faith and was serving at the time on a body of nine individuals charged with keeping track of the administrative affairs of the community of believers in Iran. 

His martyrdom though an immensely important event in my own life, was not a singular occurrence, since the Iranian Revolution in 1979 the Baha'is of Iran have been intensely persecuted. There are currently over 100 Baha'is imprisoned in Iran, some because they were striving to provide education to the Baha'i Youth in Iran who are being systematically kept from obtaining university degrees, some because of their efforts to be a part of the social transformation of their communities, and seven individuals for doing exactly the same thing that Farid was martyred for - for administering the social and religious affairs of the Baha'i Community in Iran. 

These seven individuals were imprisoned five years ago and two years later were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. The longest sentence of any prisoners of conscience currently held in Iranian prisons. 

I am inspired by their strength and perseverance, and I pray with all my heart that their trials and tribulations be lifted soon. And I pray that they know that their sacrifices have not been for nothing, that their strength and courage have inspired millions of people around the world, of which I am just one. 

I wrote the following song to honor a man, whom I have never met, a man who brought joy and radiance to his fellow prisoners, who was a light and a beacon of love and Faith to all who met him. A man who has impacted my life in ways far beyond the range that my small song can express. 


A Martyr’s Gift

[verse 1]
As a baby I was taken to His shrine
On the threshold I was lain as a silent prayer
A prayer that His protection would be mine
That His guidance and love would always be there
And it has been all through my life
For you have always been with me
A calming strength in times of strife
A guide and friend endlessly

[chorus 1]
O Farid, O Farid
Your selflessness and grace
Has brought me to this place
You’ve been my light in the darkest night
My eyes when I had lost my sight
You gave me strength to do what was right
With the love you released as your soul took flight

[verse 2]
Walking down the path tonight
You take each step as I do
All that has passed and all that might
Has been and will be done for you
As your joyous soul was set free
On that radiant and blessed morn
It forever connected you and me
For that was the day that I was born

[chorus 2]
O Farid, O Farid
Your selflessness and grace
Has brought me to this place
You’ve been my light in the darkest night
My eyes when I had lost my sight
You gave me strength to do what was right
For I was born as your soul took flight

[bridge]
Taken before your time was through
For His Cause you lived and died
My life and death I give to you
O Martyr, watching from on High

[chorus 2]

Here are a few links in relation to the persecution of Baha'is in Iran and specifically in relation to Farid Bihmardi:



Thank you to Sepher Fanaeian for playing the flute in the song.
All the pictures in the video are mine, except for the two with captions which are from the Baha'i World News Service website (http://news.bahai.org/human-rights/iran/iran-update/) and the last one (http://www.iranrights.org/english/memorial-case-15312.php).

1 comment:

Praveen said...

Dear Shira !!!

Happy Birthday to Us from India!!!

Praveen