Bijan Pakzad's memorial: Fingerpointing and empty seats
Sadly, the late Bijan Pakzad's memorial service, held last Saturday at UCLA, attracted a crowd significantly smaller than expected, leading to fingerpointing and disappointment by Bijan's family and the organizers of this expensive event.
The organizers (Bijan's family and Mr. Amirghassemi of Ti Persian TV) had dedicated half of the seats - the premium ones - to celebrities, Bijan's clients, and the rich and famous among Iranian-Americans and Americans, and the other half (back of the Hall) to ordinary fans of Bijan, hand picked from email requests.
Among those present were Iranian-American celebrities such as pop singers Googoosh, Leila Forouhar, Sattar, Andy, KamyR, Martik, as well as Emmy award winner Shohreh Aghdashloo and former Mayor of Beverly Hills, Jimmy Delshad, a close friend of Bijan. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former California governor and Hollywood actor was also present, but the Bushes (George the father and George the son) sent their condolence messages remotely.
But reportedly only less than half of the venue was filled. Many celebrities were absent. For example, former Iranian Queen, Farah Diba, sent her video message from Paris. This was puzzling to some, given Bijan's close ties to the Queen and former royal family, and Farah's personal appearance at Yves St. Laurent's funeral and other major events in the world of fashion. Also, a large number of seats assigned to Persian (Iranian-American) celebrities in the world of media and arts, were vacant.
Mr. Amirghassemi of Los-Angeles based Ti TV, a friend of Bijan who assisted Bijan's family in organizing the event, complained, on his TV program, of tardiness and late arrival of several celebrity guests. He also blamed the colder-than-expected reception on last minute invitation tickets sent to Bijan's fans, and on the boycott by some Iranian-American media personalities and artists. On the other hand, several TV personalities, such as Mr. Nader Rafiee of Omid Iran TV, and Mr. Masoud Amini, famed Iranian lyricist, attributed the boycott by the Iranian American community in Los Angeles, to the aristocratic way the event was handled, from seat assignments to guest invitations, VIP receptions and exclusion of ordinary fans of Bijan. They also criticized the choice of English as the language of the entire program, honoring a man who took pride in being Persian and spoke English with difficulty and a thick accent.
The event speakers talked about Bijan's congenial and warm personality, business acumen, vision and courage, and also about his expensive designs. Unfortunately, however, there were no major references or testimonials to any philanthropic or charitable projects initiated or supported by Bijan.
Among the speakers, was Benny Hinn, the televangelist and miracle crusader who claims he heals through power of Jesus. Hinn, a close friend and spiritual mentor for Bijan, now (thanks to a connection made by Bijan) has his own preaching programs in Farsi on Ti TV (formerly Tapesh). Hinn has been accused of moral and financial corruption and chicanery. His wife of thirty years filed for divorce last year amidst news of Hinn's extramarital affairs. Hinn's lavish lifestyle, Corporate Jet (worth $36 million) and expensive suits (many bought from Bijan) have cost the Ministry and donors millions of dollars. Unfortunately, Hinn's miraculous healing power could not help his close friend and confidant Bijan.
Blog by R. Bazargan
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