Fereydoon Hoveyda ( fa, فریدون هویدا ''Fereydūn Hoveyda'', 21 September 1924 – 3 November 2006) was an Iranian diplomat, writer and thinker. He was the Iranian ambassador to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

from 1971 until 1979.

Early life and education

Hoveyda was born in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

on 23 September 1924 where his father, Habibollah Hoveyda, was the

Consul-General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

of Persia. His mother was Afsar-ol-Molouk Fatmeh, a

Qajar Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

princess. Upon marriage his father was given the title of Ayn al-Molk (Eye of the Kingdom) by the Qajar ruler of the country. His brother,

Amir Abbas Hoveyda Amir-Abbas Hoveyda ( fa, امیرعباس هویدا, Amīr 'Abbās Hoveyda; 18 February 1919 – 7 April 1979) was an Iranian economist and politician who served as Prime Minister of Iran from 27 January 1965 to 7 August 1977. He was the l ...

, a former prime minister of Iran under the

Shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

, was executed after the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

in 1979. They were nephews of

Abdol Hossein Sardari Abdol Hossein Sardari ( fa, عبدالحسین سرداری; 1914–1981) was an Iranian diplomat. He is credited with saving thousands of Jews in Europe, He has since been known as “The Iranian Schindler” or "The Schindler of Iran". Ear ...

, who is known for saving many

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Fereydoun Hoveyda was raised in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

, and Iran. He completed a Ph.D. in international law and economics at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in 1948.

Career

Hoveyda joined the foreign ministry in the early 1940s. A participant in the final drafting of the

Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the Human rights, rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN Drafting of the Universal De ...

, he worked in

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

from 1951 to 1966. In the late 1960s, he returned to Iran and worked in the Iranian Foreign Ministry as the undersecretary for international and economic affairs. He was also deputy foreign minister. From 1971 to 1979 he represented Iran at the United Nations. Having been forced out of the Iranian Foreign Ministry following the 1979 revolution, Hoveyda became a senior fellow and member of the Executive Committee of the

National Committee on American Foreign Policy The National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) is an American nonprofit, nonpartisan activist organization dedicated to the resolution of conflicts that threaten United States interests. Founded in 1974 by Hans Morgenthau, the orga ...

(NCAFP). Apart from politics, he was active in the field of cinema and was a founding member of the editorial board of the celebrated film magazine ''

Cahiers du cinéma ''Cahiers du Cinéma'' (, ) is a French film magazine co-founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca.Itzkoff, Dave (9 February 2009''Cahiers Du Cinéma Will Continue to Publish''The New York TimesMacnab, Ge ...

''.

Works

Hoveyda was a well-known author of 18 novels and non-fiction books in French,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

. * ''HISTOIRE DU ROMAN POLICIER'', 1965 * * ''Dans une terre étrange'', 1968 * ''Les quarantaines'', 1962 (French Edition) * ''Les Neiges du Sinai'', 1973 (French Edition) * * ''Que Veulent les Arabes?'' (What do Arabs Want?), 1991 (French Edition) * ''L'islam bloque?'' (French Edition), 1992 * ''The Sword of Islam'' * ''Le Glaive de l'Islam'' * ''War and American Women : Heroism, Deeds and Controversy'', 1997 (Co-authored with William Breuer) * ''The Broken Crescent: The Threat of Militant Islamic Fundamentalism'', 1998 (Co-authored with Loustaunau, Martha O) S * ''The Hidden Meaning of Mass Communications'' (2000) * ''The Shah and the Ayatollah: Islamic Revolution and Iranian Mythology'' (2003) * ''Dead End Islam'' He was also the cowriter of the screenplay for

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...

's 1959 film

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Personal life and death

Hoveyda wed twice. His first spouse, Touran Mansour, with whom he married in the 1940s was the daughter of

Ali Mansur Ali Khan Mansur ( fa, علی خان منصور, also known as ''Mansur ul-Mulk'' ()‎; 1886 – 8 December 1974) was the Prime Minister of Iran for two terms between 1940 and 1941 and in 1950. Biography Born in Tehran, he served as Govern ...

, one of the prime ministers of Iran. Hoveyda died in

Clifton, Virginia Clifton is an incorporated town located in southwestern Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 282 at the time of the 2010 census, up from 185 at the 2000 census. Incorporated by the General Assembly on March 9, 190 ...

on 3 November 2006 at age 82 after a long fight against cancer. He left behind his second wife Gisela and two daughters Mandana and Roxana.

References

External links

Hoveyda Fereydoon's list of published books

Fereydoon Hoveyda IMDb

An interview with Fereydoun Hoveyda

Fereydoun Hoveyda, The Washington Post

Fereydoon Hoveyda at the United Nations Digital Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoveyda, Fereydoun 1924 births 2006 deaths Iranian writers Iranian diplomats Permanent Representatives of Iran to the United Nations UNESCO officials Iranian emigrants to the United States People of the Iranian Revolution Deaths from cancer in Virginia Exiles of the Iranian Revolution in the United States Rastakhiz Party politicians Iranian officials of the United Nations Iranian expatriates in Syria