Farhang Mehr

Farhang Mehr
Dr. Mehr in London, England, 19 June 2006.
Born	11 December 1923
Nationality	Iranian
Ethnicity	Persian

Farhang Mehr is a Zoroastrian scholar and former politician.

Background

Mehr was born to a Zoroastrian family in Tehran. His father, Mehraban Mehr, was from the province of Kerman, and at the age of 14 migrated to Tehran for greater economic and social opportunities. He went on to become Chief Accountant in the Majlis Showraye Melli parliament, predecessor of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Iran). His mother, Paridokht, was a granddaughter of Khajeh Barkhordar, a Zoroastrian Yazdi immigrant to Tehran, who served as one of the farm-managers of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar. Farhang was raised as a devout Zororastrian and a patriotic Iranian.

Education

Upon graduating from the Polytechnic with a degree in mechanical engineering, he joined Tehran University and obtained a bachelor's degree from the School of Law, Economics and Political Science. Then he went to England, where he received an L.L.M. from London School of Economics, University of London, and a Ph.D. from University of Southampton. In 1975 he was awarded LL.D. (honoris causa) by the University of Pennsylvania.

Early career

Returning to Tehran in 1957, Dr. Mehr joined the National Iranian Oil Company as head of the Department of International Contracts and Industrial Relations. In this period, he also served as advisor to the Minister of Commerce. Subsequently, at the invitation of the Minister of Finance, Dr. Mehr moved to that ministry where he consecutively held the following positions: Director General of Oil and International Relations, Governor for Iran in OPEC, Director General of Economic Affairs and Monopolies, Deputy Minister in charge of finance (revenue and treasury) and economic affairs.

Higher civil service

He was then nominated by the prime minister to serve as the Minister of Finance. However, he could not become a minister under Iran’s constitutional law which preserved the ministerial posts for Muslims only. Thus, he became General Deputy Minister. During the premiership of Amir Abbas Hoveyda, Mehr served as Acting Minister for several months. Mehr then resigned to register his opposition to the relevant discriminatory provision in the constitutional law. Prime Minister Hoveyda responded by offering Dr. Mehr the position of Deputy Prime Minister with all the privileges of a minister except the title. To continue to demonstrate his opposition to the laws affecting non-Muslims, after a few months of serving in that position Mehr resigned with publicity.

Private enterprise

He then assumed the position of Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the largest insurance company in Iran, “Bimeh-ye Iran.” In this position he created a new regulatory agency for insurance, called the Central Insurance Company. He also initiated the insurance pools within the framework of the Regional Corporation for Development (RCD), as well as the College of Insurance for training of insurance staff among Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan. The building of the famous Shah Abbas Hotel in Isfahan was during Dr. Mehr’s presidency in Bimeh-yeh Iran. During this time, he continued to serve as Iranian Governor for OPEC. In addition to his governmental positions, Dr Mehr was also teaching at Iran’s Military Academy, Tehran University, National University of Iran, College of Accounting and College of Insurance. He served on the board of trustees of several universities and colleges.

Pahlavi University

Farhang Mehr’s last position in Iran, prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979, was president of Pahlavi University in Shiraz. During his presidency, the university became internationally known for its academic excellence and for instituting innovative policies that were later adopted by other developing countries. In 1973, the International Health Organization (WHO) chose Pahlavi University as the center for giving on the job training courses to the faculties of the medical schools the South Mediterranean countries. In recognition of his valuable services Dr. Mehr was the first and only non-Muslim Iranian decorated with First rank Homayoun Medallion and Second rank Taj Medalion.

Exile

In 1981, two years after the establishment of the Revolutionary Islamic Republic of Iran, Farhang Mehr immigrated to the United States. There he joined Boston University as Professor of International Relations. In 1982 on Now Ruz Doctor Mehr served as recipient of a certificate in appreciation for the contribution of Iranians to life in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from Governor Michael Dukakis. He retired in 1997 as Professor Emeritus.

Zoroastrian activism

Mehr has been very active in the Zoroastrian Communities world-wide. In his youth he, organized Sazeman-e Javanan-e Zartoshti (Persian: سازمان جوانان زرتشتی‎‎), with the goal of fostering unity and awareness amongst Zoroastrian youth, particularly in their struggle to obtain more rights in Iran. In 1949, Mehr was elected to Anjoman-e Zartoshtian-e Tehran (Persian: انجمن زرتشتیان تهران‎‎) as its youngest member. Having left for England in 1950, he joined the Zoroastrian Association of Europe in London and continued to regularly contribute articles to the Zororastrian monthly journal “Hukht”, published in Tehran.

On his return to Iran in 1957 Dr Mehr again assumed an active role in the Zoroastrian community and was elected Chairman of the Tehrani Zoroastrian Anjoman, a position he held until the Islamic Revolution of 1979. He was a founder of the “Ancient Iranian Cultural Society”. Dr. Mehr has attended all World Zoroastrian Congress es since their inception in 1960 in Iran. He is a founder of the World Zoroastrian Organization (WZO).

Career in exile

Professor Mehr has travelled extensively and given lectures in America, Canada, Europe, Australia, the Soviet Union and China. He has published twelve books in Persian and English on industrial law, social insurance, religion and international relations, including The Zoroastrian Tradition and A Colonial Legacy along with eighty articles in professional journals. In addition to his publications, he has given numerous television and radio interviews in several countries.

Personal life

Mehr is married to Parichehr Naderi and has three children: Mehrdad, Mehran and Mitra.

External links

• VoHuman: Farhang Mehr
• Iranian.com: Farhang Mehr