Dr. Alimorad Davoudi

Behrooz Sabet

2026

Dr. Alimorad Davoudi was an Iranian philosopher, professor, writer, translator, and the Secretary General of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’i of Iran, the governing body of the Bahá’í community in that country. He was a scholar of Greek and Islamic philosophy, Baha’i and Islamic theology, and modern intellectual thought on subjects such as the philosophy of materialism and the science-and-religion dialogue. He was fluent in Persian, French, Arabic, and Azeri.

Born in 1922 in the small village of Shams-Abad in Iranian Azerbaijan, Davoudi spent his youth in Tabriz, where his family embraced the Bahá’í Faith. Unlike many of his peers, he dedicated much of his adolescence to study and research.

After graduating from high school, he moved to Tehran to enroll in a teacher-training college. While working full-time as a schoolteacher, he pursued doctoral studies in philosophy at Tehran University. In 1964, he earned his Ph.D. His dissertation was based on the comparative analysis of the philosophies of Aristotle and Descartes. His scholarly contributions quickly gained recognition. He was subsequently invited to join the university's faculty, where he rose to the position of full professor and became the chairman of the philosophy department.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Davoudi wrote and published extensively on philosophical themes. He translated numerous French-language philosophical works into Persian, many of which were published by Tehran University Press and became essential textbooks for students. He also wrote and spoke extensively on Baha’i topics, principles, and theological themes. His writings and speeches on Baha’i topics have been compiled in several volumes.

In addition to his scholarly activities, after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Dr. Davoudi’s work as secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Iran placed him at the forefront of defending the rights of the Baha’i community amid escalating persecution. He wrote articles refuting accusations and attacks and maintained correspondence with Baha’i communities across the country, offering encouragement and coordinating relief efforts.

As the persecution of Baha’is intensified, Dr. Davoudi became a visible target. The Society of Muslim Students labeled him "anti-Islamic" and "anti-revolutionary." Members of militant Islamic groups frequently gathered outside his home, making it impossible for him to continue his work as a professor. Despite these threats, he remained steadfast in defending justice, urging Baha’is to remain patient and resilient in the face of oppression. His prominence made him a marked figure in the new regime’s crackdown on religious minorities.

On November 11, 1979, while taking his daily walk in Laleh Park near his home in Tehran, Dr. Davoudi was kidnapped. He never returned. His disappearance became one of the first cases of enforced abduction and execution of intellectuals and religious minorities in post-revolutionary Iran, a practice that later expanded and involved dissidents and became known as the "chain murders."

Dr. Davoudi was more than a philosopher; he was a man profoundly dedicated to truth, freedom of thought, and uncompromising intellectual integrity. As a university professor, he never spoke publicly of his religion, maintaining a clear distinction between his scholarly responsibilities and his personal faith. He was committed to teaching and writing on philosophy, as well as being a devoted scholar of the Baha’i worldview.

Throughout his life, he remained respectful toward authorities, but, as both friends and colleagues acknowledged, he never surrendered his conscience to power, nor did he seek fame or material gain at the expense of integrity. A genuine advocate of intellectual and personal freedom, he cautioned against the dangers of Stalinist-style dictatorship, whether clothed in religious or political form. Unlike those who bent philosophy to serve power, he sought to preserve its noble spirit: a disciplined pursuit of truth, an affirmation of independent thought, and a steadfast defense of human dignity.

To this day, no information has surfaced regarding his fate. His abduction remains a haunting reminder of the persecution faced by intellectuals and religious minorities in Iran.

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