art ~ spirit ~ transformation
e*lix*ir

e*lix*ir   #9, Special Bicentenary Issue
autumn 2019
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Editorial

  • This Holy Land of Persia by Sandra Lynn Hutchison

  • Personal Reflection Piece

  • The Gate to Eternal Life by Roxana Karamzadeh

  • Sweet Fruit

  • A Small Window on the Big Blue Sky by Mahtab Rezvani
  • Planting Seeds by Shadi Saadat
  • Broken Dreams by Roxana Karamzadeh
  • * Reading Anne Frank in Isfahan by Sahba
  • * Sweet Fruit by Anisa Bahamin

  • In the Land of Persia

  • An Alley Called Golestan by Nabil Zarei
  • Culinary Sisters-in-Law by Neda Akhavan
  • My Grandfather’s Library by Siavash Haghighat
  • * A Small Piece of Heaven on Earth by Saba Shadabi
  • * Riding a Purple Bicycle in the City of Isfahan by Sahba

  • Holy Places and People

  • Maku and the Muslim Man by Shadi Saadat
  • Fort Tabarsi and The Courage of the Brave Bábís by Negin Rezghi
  • The Cloak by Shadi Sadaat
  • The Mysterious Box by Sara Shakeri
  • Haji Assad, the Great Teacher of Seysan by Shadi Saadat
  • * A Glimpse of the Glorious Landscape by Rojin Ghavami

  • Through a Child’s Eyes

  • The Grief of War by Tanin Azadi
  • An Earthen House by Nava Habibi
  • A Cherished Dream by Elmira G.
  • The Golden Crown by Shaghayegh Rashedi
  • A Dream of Childhood by Basir Samimi
  • * The Love Bird by Zarrin Kasiri

  • Comic

  • Ruhi & Riaz
    by Eira

  • From Yazd to New Delhi

  • A Weekend in a One Hundred Star Hotel by Saba Shadabi
  • The Long Journey from Yazd to Tihran by Ali F.
  • The Road at the End of the World by Tanin Azadi
  • My Soul Dances in New Delhi by Roxana Karamzadeh
  • The Turkish Girl by Nava Habibi

  • The Left Hand of an Artist

  • The Left Hand of an Artist by Sara Shakeri
  • To Sing or not to Sing by Ellie
  • A Sympathetic Friend by Farina Shafei
  • Taraneh Alidoosti, My Hero by Nava Habibi

  • * asterisked works appeared in previous issues of e*lix*ir.

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    Planting Seeds

    by SHADI SAADAT

    I have been working at a medical equipment company for four years. The company was established forty years ago by the same family who owns it today. During my interview for the job, I told the manager I was a Bahá’í. I wanted him to know right from the start in case he had a problem with my beliefs. There were many people at the company who were Muslim, some of them who did not practice very seriously, but I was the only one in the whole company who was a Bahá’í.

    At first it was a bit difficult to work in the company because whatever I spoke about my religion, my colleagues became confused, and I didn’t know how to handle it. Some of them had never heard about the Bahá’í Faith and others had gotten false information from government propaganda. One of them asked whether or not Bahá’ís believe in God. Another asked if the Bahá’í Faith was a sect of Islam. One person even asked me if Bahá’ís marry their siblings!

    After a while, I built up the courage to talk to my colleagues frankly about my religion and tried to correct their misperceptions about the Bahá’í Faith and its teachings. At the same time, I tried to demonstrate the truth of my words through my actions. No matter what the situation, I never told a lie. I tried always to be of service to my colleagues and to offer support when they were facing difficulties. I avoided any kind of argument, and I always shared my knowledge with those who would benefit from it.

    Whenever I could, I introduced Bahá’í beliefs and principles into the conversation, presenting them as the real solution for the world’s problems. For example, we talked about the importance the Bahá’ís place on the equality between men and women and how to solve problems by relying on God and praying. Most importantly, I explained that attaining peace and world unity are the main aims of the Bahá’í Faith.

    During my four years of working at the medical supply company, I have tried my best to eliminate my colleagues’ prejudice towards the Bahá’í Faith and clear up any misunderstandings about it, based on ideas formed in childhood as a result of the instruction of prejudiced teachers and the exposure to government propaganda. I introduced the principles and social teachings of my faith to my colleagues; and by being kind, patient and trustworthy, I tried to demonstrate the qualities of a true Bahá’í. These days I feel hopeful that I have planted some seeds that might someday grow into the beautiful flowers of true understanding.