After spending the majority of his years in the Cradle of the Faith, serving in various teaching and administrative capacities, he left Iran, upon the advice of the institutions when his life was in danger, to settle elsewhere. He resided a few years in the United Kingdom, close to his daughter, before pioneering to Tajikistan where he had been a pillar of strength to that community since the inception of the National Spiritual Assembly in 1994. He was the Secretary of that institution for all but one year of his time in Tajikistan.

The manner in which he was killed leaves no doubt that the attack was carried out by fanatical elements in the country. It is significant that in 1993 one of the Iranian newspapers mentioned his name abusively, accusing him of anti-Islamic activities aimed at deceiving the Muslims in Tajikistan.

He was killed during the evening of Friday, 24th September 1999. The Bahá’í friends who participated with the authorities in the investigation of his death reported that Mr Mogharrabi’s hands had been tied behind his back, he had been gagged and was forced to lie face down; there were signs of torture over his body. He was shot in the back, the bullet piercing his heart. His room was left untouched, and the money which he held in various currencies was not taken. The front door to the house had been left open, which attracted the attention of neighbours a few hours after the incident.

His sacrifice will certainly draw fresh confirmations upon the efforts of the Bahá’í community in Tajikistan and neighbouring countries. Despite his advanced age, 88, he tirelessly served the people of this country and its Bahá’í community, providing a true example to us all of devotion to the Faith. In one of his letters to the Bahá’í World Centre some time ago, he had expressed his desire to give his last breath as a martyr of the Faith. Mr Mogharrabi’s illustrious life reminds us all of the statement made by the Blessed Beauty in the Hidden Words:

The House of Justice prays for the progress of his soul, and extends its loving sympathy to the members of his family. It will also supplicate on behalf of the believers in Tajikistan, a country in which Mr Mogharrabi was proffered the crown of martyrdom.

With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Department of the Secretariat

The exhibition on the occasion of the 50th anniversary since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany shows a model of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Langenhain

On 23rd May the great Jubilee exhibition in the Martin-Gropius building in Berlin, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany, opened its doors. Following an initiative from the German parliament, three renowned institutions joined forces to put together an overview of the period 1949-1999, reflecting the most recent part of German history and displayed on 5000 square metres. Organised thematically and chronologically in fifteen "chapters", the display gives a broad understanding of people and events, politics and the economy, and above all the realities of life in both east and west.

Under the theme "Matters of Faith", the Christian churches are displayed alongside the other world religions, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and the Bahá’í Faith. In a central display case there is an open copy of an illustrated edition of The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh, as well as a 60cm high, true to scale model of the House of Worship (all on loan from the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany).

It was perfectly natural for the Faith to be included in the context of this exhibition on the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. After the confusion and setbacks of the Second World War, the German Bahá’í community has developed continually. It is now fully integrated into German life as a religious community. The dedication in 1963 of the first Bahá’í House of Worship on the European continent, after the years when the Faith was banned under the Nazi regime, must count as an incredible achievement and a big step forward.