Speech By Helen

Nazi was my friend.

 I first met her over 20 years ago, soon after she, Nader and the children had arrived in this country after a long and difficult journey from Iran.  Nazi’s first home was in Holborn – not very far from where she was that fateful Thursday morning two weeks ago.

 I remember her sitting with  Saeed on her knee.  He was just a toddler.  Suddenly, Saba,who was not much bigger bounced into the room and said in a very loud voice “Salam”.  It was so loud that she frightened herself and burst into tears.  Nazi and I both laughed and then she comforted her daughter.  A young mother in a strange land.  I liked her immediately and we remained friends ever since.

 I have watched the family progress.  The children settled in and did well at school.  Nader and Nazi worked hard to make a new life in England.  They made lots of new friends and joined in everything that was happening in London.

 Nazi worked for the National Health Service, in the laboratories at The Royal Free Hospital, then for a few years for the Save The Children Fund where she worked with traveller children.  Not an easy job but one where she came into contact with a very difficult and socially deprived group of people.  Nazi rose to the challenge.  She even went with them to their annual Horse Fair in Appleby in North Yorkshire. – something that I would love to do myself one day.  Latterly, she worked again for the NHS at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

 Over the years, with a group of Persian friends, we did a lot of happy things together.  One year we all went to Wales and stayed in caravans on a farm.  The caravans were full of spiders and not atall clean – but we had a great time making a barbecue under the stars at night.  Another time we all went to Greece for a holiday and spent a blissful week in the sunshine, eating water melons and fresh figs to remind us of being in Iran.  Very happy memories.

 When Persians get together at a party there is often singing and poetry reading and, of course, dancing.  Sometimes we would persuade Nazi to sing for us.  She had a lovely voice.  She was a true Shirazi.  As we know, Shiraz is famous for its vitality  optimism and the Arts, - and that was Nazi.  She was always ready to laugh and smile.  She was also very good at “Beshkan Zadan”.

 Nazi was a very special person.  I will always remember how thoughtful and kind she was.  I have a very personal memory of that.  Three years ago Nazi went on a fleeting visit to Iran to see her parents who were elderly and had not been well.  She hardly left their home for the 2 weeks  that she was there because she wanted to see as much of them as she could.  However, she knew that I had a ‘big’ birthday coming up so she found the time to go out and buy me a beautiful handbag,  I shall always treasure that bag.

 Once a month for the past 2 or 3 years we ladies have had a kind of “doreh”.  We meet up and spend a pleasant evening together.  Our husbands have nicknamed us “Generalha” – The Generals.  Anyway, it was Nazi’s idea.  She thought it up and  got it going.  We will all miss her terribly at our “doreh” but we shall not  forget her.  I  know that we will be talking about her all the time.

 That’s Nazi.        A very dear friend,

                            A wonderful wife and mother.

                            I shall always think of her and remember her lovely smile.

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