RESOURCE SITE

 A New Dress for Mona is a play about the young Bahá'í martyr, Mona Mahmudnizhad. Mona was a beautiful and innocent 16 year old, full of life and promise, when, in 1983, she and 9 other women were unjustly executed by authorities in Iran. But Mona was more than a victim of oppression—she faced hatred with love, hardship with perseverance, and death with astonishing courage. Read her story, ponder her example, see if she doesn't change your perspective on the possibilities inherent in humanity.

This resource site includes information about Mona's real life as well as the play based on it. You can learn about productions of the play and see photos of them. You may also view photos of Mona, her family, friends and fellow martyrs on this site. Information about her religion, the Bahá'í Faith, and about the subject of martyrdom are also provided along with some related links.

THE PLAY

  A country in revolution
          A dream of three dresses
             16 year-old Mona is finding out
                         the meaning of love.

     Shiraz, Iran. 1982.  Fanaticism runs rampant in the streets, and Mona, as a Bahá’í – a member of Iran’s largest religious minority – is the fanatic’s prime target. One night, she has an important dream. It is a dream of three dresses, each representing a different direction her life might take. In her dream and in her waking life, Mona makes her choice – a choice that will lead her straight into danger’s path. Based on a true account, this full-length drama raises fundamental and challenging questions about life, faith and sacrifice for all to consider.

PRODUCTION PHOTOS

THE LIFE OF MONA MAHMUDNIZHAD

“I wish I had not only one but a thousand lives
to give in the path of God.” - Mona

There are several ways to read more about Mona's life. A full biography on Mona is now available. It is called "Our Friend Mona" by Azadeh Rohanian Perry and Mark Perry, published by Circle of Spirit Publications (an imprint of Drama Circle).

Our Friend Mona by Azadeh Rohanian Perry and Mark Perry is the only complete biography of Mona available, and it was published in 2017. It is written in a compelling manner and is accessible to youth and junior youth, as well as adults. Our Friend Mona pulls together content from English and Persian sources, published and unpublished, including highly detailed accounts of Mona and her father left by Mona's mother, Mrs. Farkhundih Mahmudnizhad. This book continues her attempt to share with the world the stories of their unbelievable heroism and love.

There are also a number of other accounts available. We are happy to include two on this website: "The Story of Mona: 1965-1983" (in English and Spanish) and "Mona's Life."  

English Translation | Traduccion Española

The Story of Mona: 1965-1983. A fairly detailed account of Mona's life, it also includes short biographies of the other women executed with Mona. Published in Canada, it accompanied the release of the song & music video, "Mona with the Children" by Doug Cameron, which imparted the story to many people. "The Story of Mona" is posted on this site with permission. The copyright is held by Baha'i Canada Publications, under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada.

"La Historia de Mona: 1965-1983" Mona Mahmudnizhad fue una adolescente Bahá'í que, en 1983, junto con nueve mujeres bahá'ís, fue condenada a morir, ella fue ejecutada en Shíráz a la edad de 17 años, por no renegar de su fe. "La historia de Mona: 1965-1983", fue publicada en 1985 y se encuentra en este link con el permiso correspondiente. Los derechos de autor son propiedad de Baha'i Canada Publications, bajo los auspicios de la Asamblea Espiritual Nacional de los Bahá'ís de Canadá. Traducción Realizada por Alicia (Argentina)

Mona's Life.  This is an effort at compiling Mona's story undertaken by a Baha'i in Iran. This unpublished account has been fully authenticated by Mona's family. It was written with a Baha'i audience in mind, so there are certain expressions or references that may be unfamiliar to a general audience. The English translation is provisional.

PHOTOGRAPHS

We have the blessing of having received some photographs of Mona, of her family and friends, and of her home. It's an honor to share them with you. 

THE BAHA'I FAITH 

"So powerful is the light of unity       
   that it can illuminate the whole earth"
Bahá'u'lláh

The reason Mona was executed was simple: she cared more for her religion than she did for her own physical life. Mona was by no means alone in this. The Bahá'í Faith, since its inception in 1844, has seen thousands of its brightest lights extinguished by the intolerance of fundamentalists. The Bahá'í Faith is not, however, a religion of fatalists, fanatics or cowards. It is a life-affirming Faith with a rich literature and history. Its members are actively concerned with the world they live in and they strive to bring unity to different races, religions and nationalities. 

For more information about the Baha'i Faith, visit www.bahai.org.

MARTYRDOM & THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH

The Bahá'í Faith, in its brief history, has seen over 20,000 of its brightest lights extinguished by the intolerance of fundamentalists... 

LINKS

Here are some other resources (online, print or other media) about Mona, the persecution of the Bahá'ís of Iran, or the Bahá'í Faith more generally.

PRINT RESOURCES

ONLINE RESOURCES

"Mona and the Children" Music Video (1985)