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.
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Background and Family
Munib Shahid was born in 1908 in Acre, Palestine to a prominent Bahá'í lineage. His parents were Mírzá Jalal, an Afnán, and Rúḥá Khánum. His paternal grandfather was Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan, titled "King of the Martyrs," while his maternal grandparents were `Abdu'l-Bahá, the successor to the Bahá'í founder-prophet Bahá'u'lláh, and Munirih Khánum. As a prominent member of the Bahá'í Faith, Munib Shahid worked diligently to promote his faith. As a medical student at the American University of Beirut, his friends included such prominent Bahá'ís as future Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qásim Faizi. After graduating from medical school, Munib Shahid would continue to promote the Bahá'í Faith, and in 1937 he visited Bahá'í communities in Europe.
In 1944, Munib Shahid married Serene Husseini, the daughter of Jamal al-Husayni. Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith and Munib's cousin through `Abdu'l-Bahá's eldest daughter Ḍíyá'íyyih Khánum, labeled this marriage a "treacherous act" and excommunicated Munib Shahid as a Covenant-breaker. Shoghi Effendi sent the following cable to the Bahá'í world in November 1944:
Monib Shahid, grandson of both `Abdu'l-Bahá and the King of Martyrs, married according to the Moslem rites the daughter of a political exile who is nephew of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. This treacherous act of alliance with enemies of the Faith merits condemnation of entire Bahá'í world." (Bahá'í News, No. 172)
Munib and Serene Husseini would continue to live in Beirut, where he pursued his academic career, and she promoted cottage industries among Palestinian refugees. Serene Shahid would author a critically acclaimed autobiography of her childhood, titled, Jerusalem Memories. The couple had three daughters, Maya, Zeina, and Leila. Leila Shahid is married to the Moroccan writer Mohammed Berrada and has served as a prominent Palestinian diplomat, including as General Delegate of Palestine to the European Union.
Munib Shahid passed away in 1973.