Minas Ayvazian (1900 – 1969) was studying at an American school in Iran to become a Protestant pastor. In a destiny’s mischief or divine will, or maybe both, he encountered the Baha'i Faith through a pamphlet written in Armenian, given to him by an illiterate Iranian cobbler who was Baha'i. At the time, as is today, it was forbidden to openly teach the Baha'i Faith in Iran. The cobbler, who knew that Minas was Armenian, smartly asked him: “Minas, I don’t know how to read, but someone told me that this is a good thing. Could you possibly read it and tell me what it is about?”. Minas took the pamphlet, read it, and became interested. He returned the following day, and asked the cobbler what this faith was. The man told him that he wouldn’t be able to explain it properly, but he knew where to find the people who could, and could also answer his questions. Minas participated in some meetings and soon declared his Faith in Baha’u’llah. His family was not happy with the fact that he had become a Baha'i. At that time, the Faith was considered a sect of Islam rather than an independent religion. Furthermore, the Armenians took pride in the fact that Armenia was the first Christian nation, making it even more difficult for him to be accepted by his family and friends.
One day his father called him and asked: “My son, people tell me you have become a dog (which was how Armenians referred to Muslims back then). Is this true?”. Minas turned to his father and replied: “Has anybody complained about being bitten by me? Father, after I became a Bahո’վ, do you think I became a better or a worse person?” His father answered: “My son, I think you became a better person”. Minas then added: “If this is the case, and nobody has complained about being bitten by me, I think it is good I have become a Bahո’վ”. After this his father respected his decision to become a Bahո’վ. Minas’s wife, Siranouch Arzumanian (her maiden name) became a Bahո’վ as well.
Siranouch’s (1914 – 1999) father died when she was a young child and from a very young age, she had become used to a life of hardship and difficulties. These experiences helped to form her iron will, her determination, and a courage she showed throughout her life. At a time in Iran when it was unusual for girls to receive an education, she went to a school, spoke with the principal, and insisted she be allowed to learn how to read and write. She was so persistent that the principal finally agreed that she could study, and in return she would sweep the school floors and help with other tasks after classes. These few years of schooling were all the formal education she ever received (equivalent to four years of primary school). However, this became the base which allowed her to keep learning throughout her life.
Besides her native Armenian and Farsi, she spoke Turkish, Portuguese, a little Russian and some Spanish. When she was 16 years old, she was already
Picture of Minas and Siranouch
married to Minas. They moved to Mianռ, near Tabriz, in northern Iran. They lived in a rural region, where they became dedicated to agriculture and apiculture. Soon after (on May 13, 1929), the couple’s only child, Gharoon, was born.
In 1936 in Iran, women were not respected and were treated as men’s property.
During that year, Minas became involved in a car accident and had to stay over a year a hospital. This hospital belonged to Protestants; knowing Minas was a Bahո’վ, they purposefully neglected his treatment, causing him to almost die due to a hospital infection. Some Bahո’վ friends learned of this situation and transferred him to another hospital against the will of the hospital’s doctors and staff. At the other hospital, Minas recovered his health, but as a consequence of the accident he would limp for the rest of his life and was not able to bend his left leg. Siranouch, who at the time was 17 years, and had an infant to take care of, looked after the family business until Minas recovered and left hospital. During that time more than once a business partner tried to take advantage of Siranouch. However, she always stood her ground, regardless of who she was dealing with. At that time the family also had a petrol station with a restaurant and a hotel for drivers, as well as owning an alcoholic beverage factory. One day they received the visit of the Hand of the Cause , Mr. Samandari. During the conversation, he mentioned the Guardian had oriented the Bahո’վs not to produce or sell alcoholic beverages, for Bahո’u’llոh had ordered the Bahո’վs to refrain from intoxicating beverages. Without a moment of hesitation, Minas and Siranouch closed the factory and put up a sign in front of the restaurant stating: “ This establishment is forbidden to sell alcoholic beverages by order of the authorities”. The police commissioner, who was their friend, saw the sign and tried to help. He asked: “Minas, tell me who is this authority prohibiting you from producing and selling beverages, for I will speak to him personally”. Minas smiled and answered: “This authority is too high for you to be able to help”. As time went by business worsened due to the closing of the factory and debt began to build. The financial difficulties of the family got to a point that one of the Bahո’վs who knew them sent word to the Guardian that the family was going through difficulties. The Guardian communicated, through the Hand of the Cause Mr. Furutոn, that he would be sending any amount of money necessary for the family to pay its debts. Minas became extremely disturbed that someone had bothered the Guardian about his financial difficulties. He sent a message to the Guardian saying: “Beloved Guardian, thou knowest that I do not wish any kind of financial help. The only thing I desire is that thou art satisfied with me and that the future generations of my family remain steadfast in the Faith”. The Guardian replied saying that he was very happy with them, and that he would pray in the Sacred Shrines for Minas’s heart’s desire to come true. In 1939, Minas and Siranouch had the privilege to go on pilgrimage, and visit the Holy Land while the Guardian was still alive.
Siranouch mentioned more than once that, looking back, she felt that she and her fellow pilgrims were all like children, because they lacked the spiritual maturity to recognize the blessing of being in the Guardian’s presence. In one of their meetings with the Guardian, Siranouch asked if he was pleased with the work that she and the other Bahո’վs of Tehran had done with an orphanage they had opened. He told her he was, but that she should try to focus on teaching the Faith to other Armenians . With this in mind, as soon as she got back to Iran, Siranouch, in her own words: “... found a job for the boys and married the girls”. She then engaged with all her heart to the mission the Guardian had entrusted to her.
Nearly fifty-five years would pass before she could teach the Faith to the Armenians in their own country . Minas and Siranouch joined their son Gharoon, his wife Seda, and their grandchildren as pioneers in Brazil where they lived for many decades. The Guardian’s request that Siranouch teach the Faith to Armenians was always at the top of her priorities.
Minas, Siranouch and Gharoon
She contacted Armenians wherever she went, visiting Armenian clubs, churches and anywhere else they congregated. Minas passed away in Brazil in March of 1969. After many years in Brazil, she began pioneering to other South American countries, particularly Uruguay and Argentina, in hopes of teaching the larger (as compared to Brazil) population of Armenians living in these places.
Family picture taken in Brazil in 1961
(Siranouch on the left and Minas on the right. On the top, Gharoon and Seda. Children: on the top, Jacob, on the left Edmond, on the right Armond and Diana sitting in the middle)
This generation of Bahո’վ pioneers who left their countries faced many challenges, and the Ayvazians, who went to Brazil as adults, were no exception. They left behind family, friends, professions, a whole life, their language and their culture, to immerse themselves in a completely alien country. As difficult as this was, they did this for the rest of their lives. The only thing that gave them encouragement was their Faith and trust in the promises that Bahո’u’llոh made to those that would rise in His name , leave their homes, and proclaim His Cause.
When Siranouch was, according to her own words, “Ready to retire and stay with my grandchildren”, she instead once more demonstrated the same courage and determination she showed more than fifty years before when she left Iran.
Siranouch’s picture in Yerevan’s Bahո’վ Center
The country, Armenia, was finally open for travelers after the fall of the Soviet Union, and without hesitation, she knew what she had to do. The only difference was that this time she went without her family, at nearly eighty years of age, and with many health issues. In Armenia, she helped to elect several Local Spiritual Assemblies, which led to the 1996 election of Armenia’s first National Spiritual Assembly. When she arrived in 1992, the country was at war with Azerbaijan, and many people wanted to leave because of the bad economic situation. The general conditions to teach the Faith also seemed unfavorable. She spent many winters, like every other resident in Armenia, without proper heating and in living condition of great discomfort for a person her age. Although she dearly missed her family, she never returned to Brazil. She passed away in April 1999 after being sick for a few months due to a stroke. When she passed away in Yerevan, capital of Armenia, the Universal House of Justice sent the following message , dated 9th of April 1999, to the NSA of Armenia:
“Dear Bahո’վ friends, we are deeply saddened to know of the passing of the tenderly loved servant of Bahո’u’llոh, Mrs. Siranoosh Ayvaziyan. She will be remembered for a long time for her courage, her persevering pioneering and her teaching work, mainly in her efforts in taking the Message of Bahո’u’llոh to her fellow Armenian compatriots in the Cradle of the Faith, in Brazil, Argentina and finally in Armenia, to where she went alone as a pioneer and in old age, helping greatly the progress of the Cause of God in that country through her constant faith and efforts to teach the Cause she greatly loved. Please send our sympathy to the members of the dejected family and friends and assure them of our prayers in the Divine Threshold for the progress of her intrepid soul in the Abhո Kingdom.
We recommend that a meeting be held in her memory.
With loving Bahո’վ greetings,
The Universal House of Justice
