Dr. Hossein Ziai Passes Away

Our deepest condolences, especially to Dr. Mahasti Afshar and the family for the great loss of Professor Hossein Ziai. He will be deeply missed. May he rest in peace.

On the occasion of the sad passing of Dr. Hossein Ziai on August 24, 2011, a funeral service will be held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Hollywood Hills, on Saturday, September 3rd. The program will begin at 2:30pm with a eulogy at the Old North Church, followed by the burial. A reception will be held at the Hall of Liberty at about 4:15pm.

Dr. Ziai was a professor of Islamic and Iranian Studies, the Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Chair in Iranian Studies, and Director of Iranian Studies at UCLA where he had taught since 1988. He received his Ph.D. in Islamic Philosophy from Harvard University in 1976 and had previously taught at Tehran and Sharif universities, Harvard, Brown and Oberlin College. Dr. Ziai published widely on Islamic philosophy, the Illuminationist School of thought, and the “Persian Poetic Wisdom”.

Dr. Ziai is survived by his wife Mahasti, his son Dadali, his daughter-in-law Stephanie and his grand-daughters Malia, 6 and Acacia, 3.