Munib Shahid (1908-1973) was Chairman of Hematology and Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine of the American University of Beirut. He built the hematology laboratory at the Faculty of Medicine, a development that increased research output significantly. The Dr. Munib Shahid Award is presented annually at the American University of Beirut to the fourth year medical student demonstrating the best performance in internal medicine and a mature character. Munib Shahid was born in 1908 in

Acre, Palestine Acre ( ), known locally as Akko ( he, עַכּוֹ, ''ʻAkō'') or Akka ( ar, عكّا, ''ʻAkkā''), is a city in the coastal plain region of the Northern District of Israel. The city occupies an important location, sitting in a natural harb ...

to a prominent Baháʼí lineage. He was the great-grandson of

Baháʼu'lláh Baháʼu'lláh (born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Persia, and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Bábí Faith. In 1863, in I ...

, the founder-prophet of the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...

. His parents were Jalal, an Afnán, and Rúḥá, a daughter of

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: ‎, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was later canonized as the la ...

. His paternal grandfather was Muhammad-Hasan, titled " King of the Martyrs". In 1944, he married Serene Husseini according to the Muslem rites. She was related to the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, an enemy of the Baháʼís.

Shoghi Effendi Shoghí Effendi (; 1 March 1897 – 4 November 1957) was the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, appointed to the role of Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957. He created a series of teaching plans that over ...

, Munib's cousin and then head of the Baháʼí Faith, labeled this marriage a "treacherous act" and excommunicated Munib Shahid as a

Covenant-breaker Covenant-breaker is a term used by Baháʼís to refer to a person who has been excommunicated from the Baháʼí community for breaking the ' Covenant': actively promoting schism in the religion or otherwise opposing the legitimacy of the chai ...

. Munib and Serene Husseini continued to live in Beirut, where he pursued his academic career, and she promoted cottage industries among

Palestinian refugees Palestinian refugees are citizens of Mandatory Palestine, and their descendants, who fled or were expelled from their country over the course of the 1947–49 Palestine war (1948 Palestinian exodus) and the Six-Day War (1967 Palestinian exodus ...

. Serene Shahid wrote a critically acclaimed autobiography of her childhood, titled, ''Jerusalem Memories.'' The couple had three daughters, including Leila Shahid.

Selected publications

Among Shahid's publications were: * (with H.A. Yenikomshian) "Typhoid Fever in Inocculated and Noninocculated Persons," ''Journe'es Medicales Libanais de Beyrouth'' (May 1938) 241–247. * "The Use of Nitrogen Mustard in Neoplastic Diseases of the Bone Marrow," ''Rev. Med. Liban.'' I (1961?): 45–51. * (with E. Stephan) "Perarterite noueuse-Maladie de Kussmaul." ''Rev. Med. Moy. Or.'' VI (1949): 295–303. * "ACTH et cortisone en hematologie." ''Rev. Med. Moy. Or.'' XI (1954): 279–291. * "Quelques considerations sur le favisme au Liban." ''Rev. Med. Moy. Or.'' (1960): 83–86. * (with N.A. Abu-Haydar) "Sickle Cell Disease in Lebanon and Syria." ''Acta Haemat., Basel'' XXVII (1962):268-273. * (with G.I. Abu-Haydar and N.A. Abu-Haydar) "Thalassemia Hemoglobin E. Disease. A Case Report from Quatar." ''Persian Gulf, Man.,'' CLV (1963):129. * "Hemoglobinopathies in Lebanon and Arab Countries." ''Proc. IXth Congr. European Soc. Haemat.,'' II (1963):496-500. * "Iron Absorption in Thalassemia." ''Abstr. IXth Congr. Int. Soc. Haemat.'' (Stockholm, 1964.)

Notes

{{reflist Family of Baháʼu'lláh American University of Beirut faculty 1908 births 1973 deaths People from Acre, Israel