Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Habib Habibi

From Bahaiworks

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HABIB HABIBI

(Habib Habibi) 1912—1989

Habib Habibi was born in Hamadan, Persia, in 1912. His father, Mashiya, was of the J ewish Faith but became a Bahá’í at the age of 94. His mother, Shamsi, was a Bahá’í. Habib was very active as a young man of 17 or 18 years in Tihran, serving on the National Youth Committee and the Social Service Committee.


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Habib Habibi

In the early 19403, the House of Baha’u’llah in Ṭihrán was purchased for the Faith. Habib was the principal contributor, and his contribution was made under great financial stress.

Habib went to Manchester, England, which was a very active community. He was soon elected to serve on the Local Spiritual Assembly, and gave his valued support to the many activities upon which the Manchester community ventured, not the least of these being the 1953 Bahá’í Centenary Exhibition staged at the Manchester Bahá’í Centre.

In another area of service, Habib supported the move of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust from the warehouse of Jacob and Ibrahim Youseph (Jeff and Albert Joseph), to larger premises.

The Assembly spent a great deal of time discussing the letters received "‘from the beloved Guardian, which included plans to set up goal areas. One goal area was an adjacent town, Stockport, and Habib volunteered to pioneer there for a short time.

The development of the Guardian’s Plans called for more goals to be established and

THE Bahá’í WORLD

many pioneers went out from Manchester. Habib was one of these; he rented a small flat in Chester, where he spent some time each week, together With his son Jimmy. Business commitments did not permit full time residence there, but their sojourn was sufficient to establish Assembly status.

Habib always wanted the Manchester Local Spiritual Assembly to have its own Bahá’í Centre, and he was one of the initial instigators to bring that dream to fruition. A large Victorian house was purchased in Wihnslow Road, Fallowfield, the ground floor was converted, and the National Assembly granted permission for this to be designated as the Manchester Bahá’í Centre. He was proud that the Centre has been used most fully over a great many years.

His services to the Faith continued throughout the British Isles until, in September 1971, Habib went on his first extended teaching trip for four months in Africa. A year after his return, he again 1eft England, this time for about six months in Africa and Portugal.

He served the Faith with distinction in Belgium and Malta, then for the last 10 years of his life pioneered to India. In Himachal Pradesh, he attracted many dignitaries to the Faith, and in 1983, he launched the first medical eye camps in India—Mysore and Mandya—in the State of Karnataka. These were the beginnings of service efforts Which treated thousands of people, and which successfully operated on hundreds of others.

He served on many Local Spiritual Assemblies and one State Bahá’í Council in India. His last pioneering post was Goa, in which he donated two Bahá’í Centres.

Because of ill health he was forced to go back to Karnataka to a more temperate climate. Then, he passed away suddenly on 21 November 1989 while in England for one of his regular medical checks.

Of his loving devotion to the Faith and its many needs there is ample confirmation; at no time did a call for help go without response. This service was fully reflected

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in the following cable received from the Universal House of Justice:

GRIEVE PASSING STEADFAST STALWART SERVANT CAUSE GOD HABIB HABIBI. HIS UNTIRING EFFORTS RELATED ACQUISITION ONE OF THE HOLIEST SITES IN IRAN, HIS DEVOTED Bahá’í ACTIVITIES ENGLAND, HIS PIONEERING TO MALTA AND INDIA, HIS GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CAUSE OF GOD, ARE FONDLY REMEMBERED. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. KINDLY CONVEY OUR LOVING CONDOLENCES ALL MEMBERS FAMILY.

PAULINE SENIOR AND WILMA HABIBI