Dr. Peter Jamel Khan
With the passing
of Dr. Peter J. Khan, the worldwide Baha'i community has lost a
"distinguished servant."
"By any
measure, his was a remarkable life, one of earnest striving, of unbending
resolve, of unflinching dedication to principle, and of constancy of
effort," wrote the Universal House of Justice, on learning of Dr. Khan's
sudden passing on 15 July.
Dr. Khan – who
was 74 years old when he died – was a member of the Universal House of Justice
for 23 years, until his return to Australia in May last year.
Peter Jamel Khan
was born in New South Wales on 12 November 1936 to Fazal and Hukoomat Khan from
Khassi Kalan in the Punjab region of India. Four years before their son's
birth, they were among the first Indian immigrants to settle on Australia's
eastern coast.
When he was 12
years old, Dr. Khan, his parents and sister, became the first Muslims in
Australia to join the Baha'i Faith. From that time onwards, he dedicated his
life to promoting the Baha'i teachings, starting his life of service as an
active youth member of the Yerrinbool Baha'i community.
At the age of 21,
he was elected a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Australia, on which he served until 1963.
Dr. Khan became
an electrical engineer, receiving his BSc (1956), his BE (1959), and his
doctorate (1963) – all from the University of Sydney. From 1963 to 1967, he
lived in the United States as a Fulbright postdoctoral fellow at the University
of Michigan, and remained there as a professor of electrical engineering until
his return to Australia in 1975. He became a visiting professor at the
University of New South Wales and an associate professor at the University of
Queensland from 1976 until 1983. He was also a fellow of the Institution of
Engineers Australia, a senior member of the Institution of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers, and a member of the editorial board of its journal, Transactions on Microwave Theory.
During his stay
in the United States, Dr. Khan served as a member of the Auxiliary Board for
Propagation of the Baha'i Faith. Later, on his return to Australia, he served
as a Continental Counsellor for Australasia until his appointment in 1983 to
the International Teaching Centre, when he and his wife, Janet, transferred
their residence to the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, Israel.
Dr. Khan was
first elected to the Universal House of Justice in 1987, serving until April
2010 when he relinquished his position owing to advanced age and the heavy
burden of work involved in membership.
"His
considerable intellectual gifts manifested themselves in every aspect of his
service," noted the Universal House of Justice, recalling in particular
Dr. Khan's commitment to the education of young Baha'is, the "exemplary
manner in which he discharged his manifold administrative duties," and his
championing of the Baha'i principle of the equality of men and women.
In this latter
respect, he co-authored Advancement of Women – A
Baha'i Perspective
(1998) with his wife, Janet, who was described by the Universal House of
Justice as Dr. Khan's "collaborator and devoted companion."
An engaging
public speaker, Dr. Khan's "uncommon eloquence and endearing humour"
inspired audiences around the world, "lifting hearts, stimulating minds,
galvanizing spirits," wrote the Universal House of Justice. (Baha’i World
News Service)
