Died: Dr Abtin Sassanfar, 89, co-founder of the World Zoroastrian Council (WZC) and the Centre Culturel Zoroastrien (CCZ) de Paris; on August 23, 2017 in Geneva.
"Sassanfar’s interest in preserving and understanding the culture of ancient Iran in general and of Zoroastrianism in particular is clearly reflected in two majestic achievements that lay at the center of his later life: the establishment of a center for the study of Iranian history, culture and Zoroastrianism on the one hand, and the completion of an extraordinary book containing a translation and commentary of Zarathushtra’s Gathas in Persian on the other hand,” remarked professor emeritus Stanley Insler of the linguistics department at Yale University, adding, "Both projects mirror the core features of Abtin’s spirit — a limitless generosity and a limitless intellectual curiosity.”
"Not only did he dream big and think big, but he also laid the foundation for realizing his dreams,” summed up Shahpur Captain, chairman of the World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO), acknowledging Sassanfar’s generous donation of £ 500,000 (Rs 4.30 crores) that kick started the process of WZO acquiring its own premises, the World Zoroastrian House, that will be inaugurated this year. For 15 years until his demise Sassanfar had served as director of WZO and the board considered him "inspirational and a visionary,” noted Captain, appreciating that both the WZO and WZC "shared the same views and values… that Zoroastrianism should be open to all.”
As Sassanfar had conveyed in an interview with the US based Persian Heritage magazine eight years prior to his demise, "Outside of Iran there are many Zoroastrians and all of them need a center in order to unite them. Once united, they can help, assist and reach others, and that is one of our primary goals.”
His munificence had resulted in the creation of CCZ in Paris that hosts the Association d’Etude Mondiale du Zoroastrisme (AEMZ) and the Association Culturelle d’Heritage Iranien (ACHI). The structure that includes a darbe mehr, is open to people of all faiths and nationalities interested in Zoroastrian philosophy and Persian culture. The well equipped building has multiple conference halls, a lecture hall with a seating capacity of 200 people, rooms for seminars, a classroom for Persian language education, a Persian exhibition room and a library with over 6,000 books on Iran, Sassanfar had described in his interview with Persian Heritage.
Top: Dr Abtin Sassanfar; above: Centre Culturel Zoroastrien that he co-founded in Paris
Sassanfar with wife Mehrafzoun Firouzgar: perpetuating Zoroastrian values
Besides Paris and London, he also contributed towards the construction of Arian Cultural Center in Istroshan in Tajikistan. "The people of Tajikistan have the same roots and language, history and culture as we do… but they speak Persian with a different dialect… Tajiks have preserved their Persian traditions and have a strong national pride,” Sassanfar informed Persian Heritage.
Born in Tehran, his schooling was at Jamshid-e Jam and Firooz Bahram in Tehran. After graduating from Tehran University’s Law School and completing a two-year course in banking, he worked at the National Bank of Iran. At the age of 25 he entered the legal profession and was chosen as a member of the Regulatory Court of the Association of Iranian Lawyers. Subsequently he traveled to Geneva to study international law and later earned his doctorate in law from Paris before returning to Tehran to continue his legal practice. For eight years he taught administrative and international law at the National University in Tehran. He relocated to Zurich when the Iranian government appointed him international referee in matters of transport, and he was also made economic advisor to the European Union. After the 1979 revolution in Iran he chose to settle in Paris and became a member of the Lawyers Association of France, as notes his life profile on the website of Encyclopaedia Iranica. With his interest and research in his Persian roots and religious scriptures, for several years he served as a trustee and vice president of the Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation, with the 15th volume of the Encyclopaedia Iranica being dedicated to him.
His wife Mehrafzoun Firouzgar with a group of Zoroastrians founded the Association Zoroastrien de France that sought to keep alive Zoroastrian traditions and rituals, noted Captain, relating how it led to the formation of WZC after the Sassanfars had discussions with scholars like Dr Ali Jafarey and Prof Farhang Mehr. Despite several attempts at fund-raising they were not able to create a corpus for a permanent meeting place until the Sassanfars used their personal savings to create CCZ. The educator’s eloquence and wit, the globetrotter’s vast knowledge of the world and the food and wine connoisseur’s hospitality were legendary.
Regarded as "a pillar of Persian culture,” he was keen to allocate a budget and finance the cost of design, development, management and maintenance of a website to continue his legacy on the digital portal. The newly launched website that bears his name carries three of his video clips in Persian. "He was one of the leaders who presented profound principles in simple terms for all to understand and choose with their good mind, free will and decision,” mentions the website further recommending, "Whether you knew this great man or not, at this time the best we can do is to continue to respect him… by following the path he was leading.”
The gracious scholar is survived by his wife Mehrafzoun Firouzgar and daughters Archia, Yassaman and Mandana.