Chinese Name (Taiwan)
Quran Gate, Shiraz
( دروازه قرآن Darvāzeh Qur’an)


Baha'i Pilgrimage Details
Travels in Iran (Persia)
Brief Background.
Born 17 April 1923 in Shiraz, Iran (Father: Habibollah A. Afnan/Mother: Aghabigom A Afnan), named Seyed Hassan Afnan Alaei at birth, and underwent the following name changes after immigrating to the United States in 1981 – 20 Mar 1981: Name listed as Seyed Hassan Afnan Alaei; 03 Oct 1985: Name listed as S. Hassan Alaei Afnan; 07 Jun 1989: Name listed as Hassan Assan Alaei Afnan; and 30 Jun 2004: Name listed as Hassan Afnan.
Follow this link to read his response to my inquiry concerning his brother, Abulqasim Afnan:
Letters received from Hassan Afnan (2003)
Note: 4 Oct 2018 – I’m still trying to determine the date of death of Abulqasim Afnan, and exactly where each of the brothers are buried.

- Member, Baha’i Faith, since 26 May 1965
- Board Member, Baha’i Administrative Body, Washington, DC, 1966-81 (non-concurrent)
~Chairman, 6 yrs.
~Vice-Chairman, 1 yr.
~Treasurer/Financial Manager, 6 yrs.
- · Baha’i District Convention Planner/Organizer, Washington DC/Maryland Region, 1967-75
- · Baha’i State Goals Committee, Washington DC/Maryland Region, (Treasurer, 3yrs) 1968-75
- · Delivered Welcome from LSA to Shah of Iran, Blair House, Washington, DC 1967
- · Liaison, Baha’i Administrative Board to United Nations Association, Washington, DC, 1967-71
- · Officiated Baha’i Marriages, Washington, DC/Northern Virginia, (12 officiated), 1967-80
- · Delegate, Baha’i National Convention for Washington, DC/Maryland District, 1968 & 1969
- · National Assembly Special Projects (South Carolina), 1969
- · Local Spiritual Assembly Trainer (Maryland/Virginia), 1970-74
- · Observer, US Congressional Hearings, Plight of Baha’is in Iran, 1970 & 1972
- · Project Manager, Restoration of fire ravaged Baha’i Center, Washington, DC, 1977-79
- · Board Member, LSA/Treasurer, Seoul, South Korea, 1986
- · Assistant, Auxiliary Board for Protection, Michigan, 1992-96
- · Board Member, LSA, Taipei, Taiwan, 1997
- · Baha’i International Pioneer:
~West Germany, 1980-85
~South Korea, 1985-91
~Taiwan, 1996-97
~Philippines, 1997-2000
~Kenya, 2001-02
~South Africa, 2002-04
~Malaysia, 2004-06
- · Baha’i Travel Teacher, 1968-78
~United States: Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky,
Appalachia, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Colorado, Arizona
~Mexico, 1976
~United Soviet Socialist Republic (Russia), 1983
~Malaysia, 1987
~Singapore, 1987
~Myanmar (Burma), 1988
~Philippines, 1986 & 1997
~Hungary, 1981
~Australia, 1992 (Social & Economic Development Project: Aborigine Education and Teacher Funding)
~Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, and Mauritius, 2000-04
- · Baha’i Home Front/Committees/Projects/Special Events
~Librarian, Baha’i Community, Washington, DC, 1965-70
~Archivist, Baha’i Community, Washington, DC, 1967-69
~Local Spiritual Assembly Trainer, 1967-70
~Baha’i National Special Projects Committee, South Carolina, 1968
~Official Photographer, local/national/international Baha’i meetings/conferences/events, 1966-76
~Public Speaker, International forums, conferences, meetings, schools, colleges, universities, 1966-Current
~Attendee: US Congressional Hearings on Religious Persecution of Baha’is in Iran, 1974 & 1975
~Home-Front Pioneer, Michigan, 1991-1996
- · Interviewed by
~NBC News, Washington, DC, Religious Persecution of Baha’is in Iran, 1974
~NGO News, Taipei, Taiwan, Baha’i Office of the Environment for Taiwan, 1996
~Radio Talk Show, Taipei, Taiwan, Environmental Assessment of Taiwan, 1996
- · Major Baha’i Events Attended
~Laying of Cornerstone, Baha’i House of Worship, Panama, 1967
~Dedication, Baha’i House of Worship, India, 1985
~Baha’i World Congress, New York City, 1992
- · Baha’i Pilgrimage
~House of the Bab, Shiraz, Iran, 1970
- · Baha’i World Centre
~Baha’i Holy Places, Haifa/Acre, Israel, 1973
~Baha’i Holy Places, Haifa/Acre, Israel, 1976
~Baha’i Holy Places, Haifa/Acre, Israel, 1996
- · Other Visits
~House of the Two Martyrs, Isfahan, 1970
~House of Baha’u’llah, Tehran, 1970.
~Shoghi Effendi, Grave Site, London, England, 1973
~‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Village’, Myanmar (Burma), 1986
- Baha’i Temples Visited
~Panama Temple Site, 1967; Germany 1981-85; United States numerous 1965-96
~India 1985 & 1987; Australia, 1992; Uganda, 2001
- Conferences Attended
~Baha’i Youth Conference, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1973
~Esperanto Conference, Budapest, Hungary, 1983 (UHJ encouraged Baha’i participation)
~Black Mens Conference, Louis Gregory Baha’i Institute, South Carolina, 1992
~Social & Economic Development Conference, Miami, Florida, USA, 1993 & 1994
- Baha’i Schools Attended
~First Baha’i Winter School, Green Acre, Maine, 1965
~Louis Gregory Baha’i Institute, South Carolina, 1969
~Baha’i Summer School, Massanetta Springs, Harrisonburg, Virginia, 1978
~Landegg Baha’i Academy, Switzerland, 1982
~Baha’i Winter School, South Korea, 1985
~Louhelen Baha’i School, Michigan, numerous occasions, 1992-1996

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