Zarrin Moghimi-Abyaneh - Bahá'ís of Ireland

Zarrin Moghimi-Abyaneh was born in Tehran on the 23rd of August 1954. She was the youngest of three children. Her father, Hossein, was one of the best-known stucco masters in Iran. You can still see an example of his work in Marmar Palace in Tehran which is now an art museum.

Zarrin’s older brother and sister emigrated in the mid 1970s and they always wanted her and their parents to join them, but they wouldn’t leave - they were happy in Iran their life was there. After she finished school Zarrin studied English literature at Tehran University. One of the greatest loves of Zarrin’s life was poetry. From earliest childhood she loved to read poetry, recite poetry and write poetry.

When she finished university Zarrin was hired by the Shiraz Petrochemical company as a translator so moved to live in that city. Her parents also moved to Shiraz because her father was helping to restore the House of the Báb, a building of great significance to the Baha’i community. After the Revolution the Shiraz Petrochemical company was told to fire Zarrin because she was a Baha’i. She wasn’t surprised, all the Baha’is were losing their jobs at that time. Even without work there was still a lot for Zarrin to do every day as there were many people homeless and unemployed especially after the Revolution and the war with Iraq. Zarrin was happy to be of service to people who needed help whenever it was possible.

On November 29th, 1982, the home of the Moghimi family was raided and Zarrin, her father and her mother were arrested. They released Zarrin’s mother after a few months but her father was kept in prison for almost three years.

In prison the Baha’is were all interrogated for hours on end. Once Zarrin was blindfolded and interrogated for seven hours without a break. During the interrogations they shouted at her about the charges against her - being a Baha’i, belonging to a publishing committee, not being married. As none of what they charged her with could be seriously considered crimes most of it made no sense. All they really wanted was for Zarrin to renounce her beliefs. She was clear that she couldn’t pretend not to believe something she believed, so she kept telling them that when she was interrogated.

After Zarrin’s mother was released she visited her husband and daughter whenever she was allowed. Zarrin’s mother was terrified for her daughter, so Zarrin tried to make jokes about what was happening. One of the jokes was that, except for her mother who would, naturally, be sad, nobody was to wear black or cry loudly if Zarrin was killed. Though she said these things as a joke she was also trying to prepare her mother for what she knew would happen.

Zarrin was executed by hanging on June 18th, 1983 along with 9 other Baha’i women.

She was 28 years old.

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