Our Friend Mona: The Remarkable Life of a Young Martyr - Softcover

Rohanian Perry, Azadeh; Perry, Mark E

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0983470146 ISBN 13: 9780983470144

Publisher: Circle of Spirit, 2017

Synopsis

Our Friend Mona tells the true story of Mona Mahmudnizhad, a 16-year-old girl who sacrificed her life for unity and peace in the world. Mona grew up in Shiraz—a city famous for its poets and roses. Shiraz is also a city sacred to Baha’is, for it is where their Faith began. And it was in that holy city, after revolution swept through Iran in 1979, where the persecutions against the peaceful Baha’is grew most fierce. The violence reached a peak in June of 1983 with the hanging of ten women, lovely and innocent souls that the people named “The Brides of the City.” The youngest of these was last to go, and Mona kissed the rope that would end her earthly life.

Azadeh Rohanian Perry was blessed to also grow up in Shiraz. She and her family were touched by the lives of many of the martyrs and heroic souls of that period. Among them, Azadeh got to know Mona and her saintly father, Yadu’llah. This book provides Azadeh’s first-person perspective along with detailed accounts of Mona and her family shared by Mona’s mother and sister—Mrs. Farkhundih and Taraneh Mahmudnizhad, both of whom survived that period of persecution. Reading Mona’s story, and the stories of those other wonderful souls who suffered with her, brings us closer to a secret they uncovered: How can you turn fear into courage, anger into calm, and despair at the darkness and injustice in the world into a hopeful vision of humanity’s bright future?

FROM THE PREFACE:
"My husband Mark and I decided to put this book together because there is no single volume available on Mona’s life. There are several important books that share the stories of the persecution of the Bahá’ís of Iran, and some of them provided important source material for this work. We could see that Mona’s life, although brief, would easily fill a book of its own. We especially felt moved to share the story in a manner understandable to youth and junior youth . . .

"[W]e must credit a third contributor. That is Mona's mother, Mrs. Farkhundih Mahmudnizhad, who told the stories of her famous daughter and saintly husband tirelessly for 28 years until her passing in 2011. Her writings about Mona and her father, both published and unpublished, have provided a large amount of the material in this book. This book is a continuation of her attempt to share with the world the stories of their unbelievable heroism and love."

About this title

About the Author:

Azadeh Rohanian Perry works at the UNC School of Dentistry as a clinic manager. Her husband, Mark Perry, is a playwright and teaches in UNC's Department of Dramatic Art. They serve together in their community, working with children, junior youth and youth, and joining with others in learning about community building.

Mark Perry's plays include "A New Dress for Mona" and "The Will of Bernard Boynton." Both are available on Amazon, as is the compilation of Mark's plays, "The Lover at the Wall: 3 Plays on Baha'i Subjects." All are published by Drama Circle.

Review:

This earnest remembrance from Perry tells the life story of Mona Mahmudnizhad, a 16-year-old girl hanged in Iran in 1983 for her Bahá'í faith. Perry grew up in Shiraz, Iran, and was a childhood friend of Mona's throughout the persecutions that swept the country and led to Mona's death alongside nine other teenage girls. Mona's father, a religious scholar and Bahá'í Faith leader with whom she shared a deep spiritual connection, was also executed. With copious quotes from Mona's high school essays on her burgeoning spirituality, Perry, writing with her playwright husband, seeks to educate readers about Bahá'í Faith, which was created by Iranian Bahá'u'lláh in 1863 and takes an all-encompassing view of faith traditions with a focus on service and prayer. Her perspective as a fervent adherent enlivens the lessons. Though Perry is a passionate storyteller, the narrative of Mona's life--her early education, the shock of the revolution, and her outspoken public support of Bahá'í Faith--sometimes relies on mystical anecdotes, such as Mona's visions that warn her "capacity for empathy" will one day lead to suffering. However, for those with limited knowledge of the Bahá'í Faith, this book will be of great service explaining the tenets of a religion practiced by five million people worldwide. Perry luridly illustrates the intolerance and cruelty of Iranian religious authorities after the Revolution of 1979 while also paying homage to a brave young woman killed for her faith. (BookLife) -Publishers Weekly, Feb 12, 2018

About this edition

• Publisher: Circle of Spirit
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0983470146
• ISBN 13: 9780983470144
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 300