Persian Language and Culture Program Hosts Symposium on Abdolhossein Sardari
April 22, 2019 鈥�聽This Friday, the聽聽at Georgetown 海角论坛 will host a daylong symposium titled聽Shelter and Shield: the Persian Schindler, the Polish Refugees, and the Story of Jewish and Christian Refuge in Iran during WWII.
Shelter and Shield, organized in conjunction with the Jalinous Endowed Fund for Persian Culture and Language Studies, examines the life of Abdolhossein Sardari, an Iranian diplomat living in Paris in 1942 who saved hundreds of non-Iranian Jewish refugees from the Nazis by issuing them Iranian passports. The discussion will also highlight the story of hundreds of thousands of Christian and Jewish Polish refugees who were welcomed to Iran in 1942 and there found refuge and aid from the Iranian people.
鈥淔riendship and hospitality have been a part of the Persian culture鈥檚 key values, especially in times of crisis, for 3000 years,鈥� said , Founder and Director of the Persian Language and Culture Program. 鈥淭his symposium is a significant proof.鈥�
The symposium will begin with a screening of the 2017 Iranian film , a documentary on Sardari鈥檚 activity during the Holocaust by Iranian-British director Mahdieh Zardiny. Following lunch, a panel will discuss the film, Sardari鈥檚 place in the history of the Holocaust, and the story of the Christian and Jewish Polish refugees who found refuge in Iran.
NPR鈥檚 Tom Gjelten will serve as panel moderator. Panelists include Zardiny, who directed the film; Professor Atina Grosman of the Cooper Union; Professor Abbas Milani of Stanford University; Professor Fariborz Mokhtari of the University of Vermont; and Professor Nahid Pirnazar of the University of California-Los Angeles.
“This program, featuring the selflessness and bravery of a single Iranian 鈥� as well as the welcoming, open and inclusive attitude of the Iranian people during a time of war and cruelty 鈥� will hopefully lead to a greater conversation about how people do step forward to help one another, freely and without reserve, and to remembering our shared history and shared humanity,鈥� said Shahrzad Jalinous (C鈥�92, L鈥�95) of the Jalinous Endowed Fund for Persian Culture and Language Studies. 鈥淢y hope is that the program will continue to build these bridges and to demonstrate that Persian culture and traditions are historically rich in friendship and connectedness to their fellow human beings.”
The Shelter and Shield symposium will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 26, in the ICC Auditorium. It is open to the Georgetown community, the public, and the media. Guests can register on , and press are encouraged to contact persian@georgetown.edu for more information.