By Syma Sayyah, Tehran

Late Dr. Shahidi

Payvand.com - I could hardly believe that it has already been 35 days since Dr Shahidi's passing when Shokoufeh Shahidi my friend called to invite me to his 40th ceremony at Dehkhoda, last Thursday from 3-5. Time has passed so quickly despite the cold.

So as custom has it, I put on my black frock and went there to pay my respects to the family and remember a man who may not be with us no longer but the light that he has bestowed upon us all through his work and his devotion to Iranian literature and the Persian language will always shine and the fruits of his long years of hard work as one of the most distinguished scholars in Iran in modern times will be enjoyed by many others.

Besides Dr Hassan Shahidi and Dr Shokoufeh Shahidi and two of his grandchildren and one of his daughters-in-law, there were many well known faces, among them the new Tehran University chief Dr Rahimi and his old student and friend Dr Sajadi, Ms Farideh Rahnama, as well as many distinguished people from the academic and scholastic worlds, as well as Dr Shahidi's former students were present to pay their respects.
 

Several people made speeches including Dr Javad Ayenevand from the History Department and Ustad Haj Agha Nourani from the Divinity Department of Tehran University. They mentioned his hard work and self sacrificing attitude and generous heart towards his work and his giving up his house in Narmak in the East of Tehran to become a public specialized library along with many of his books, which Mr Nourani hoped would be looked after by whoever in charge of the municipality or university in order to safeguard the many precious books there.

Then we watched two short films by Mr Moshiri in which the late Dr Shahidi had opened the library at Roudehen (near Tehran) university last year and one about ten years previously taken in Madineh where he informed the viewers of some historical site dear to Moslems there.

Dr Hassan Shahidi
 

The last speaker was Dr Shokoufeh Shahidi who read a poem and a translation by her fathers of words by Imam Ali and thanked everyone for coming and invited them to refreshments in the hall.
 

Dr Shokoufeh Shahidi

When Shokoufeh was reading her fathers poetry she did so with such deep feeling that touched many present and I simply could not hold back my own tears. His loss will not be easy on those who loved him and I am sure you join me in wishing all his loved ones health and patience to bear this great loss and hope that his works will continue to remind us of this great man and enlighten our scholarly world in Iran.

I have a few pictures to share with you from the ceremony.

... Payvand News - 02/27/08 ...