One of the primary theme’s of Baha'u'llah’s teachings is achieving world peace and specifically advocating for racial unity, gender equality, universal education, and harmony of science and religion.

Despite the importance placed on education by Baha'is, universities in Iran refuse to admit Baha'i students. 

Baha'is are nonetheless subjected to persecution, as some Muslim clerics perceived their faith to be false, and as a result, many have fled their home for a better life. 

Archived copies of The Daily Advertiser provide a snapshot of the year Ferdows Khazei arrived in the Riverina. 

“The road between Wagga and Sydney was improved even further when the Federal Minister for Transport, John Sharp, officially opened the $52 million Tarcutta Range diversion, a 9.5 kilometre upgrade of the Hume Highway between its junctions with the Snowy Mountains and Sturt Highway.” – The Daily Advertiser, May 3, 1996.

“Unusually the biggest story of the year was the opening of the $40 million Wagga Marketplace shopping centre. The opening of the region’s largest shopping complex generated more public excitement than any other event in 1996. 

“The Marketplace opened with 28 speciality shops, a Big W discount department store and a new Woolworths supermarket as well as undercover parking for about 800 vehicles.”  – The Daily Advertiser, October 28, 1996. 

Feri, fondly known as Feri, came to refugee cottage Eugene Ave San Isidore from Iran with her husband Shah, who passed away in 2017. 

As members of the Baha`i faith, they suffered persecution and sought refugee status.

“My daughter was living in Australia and she asked me to come to visit her and see the family, but in Iran, they wouldn’t give me a passport,” she said.

“I said please write that down for me because my daughter didn’t believe me that the embassy wouldn’t give me a passport.

“After that, they called me and said ‘come here, we want to talk to you’.”

After arriving at the embassy Feri was informed that she would be allowed a passport, but her husband wasn’t allowed one.

“I told them no thank you if my husband couldn’t have one,” she said.

“They called him and kept asking ‘why do you want to go there’ and we said ‘we are going to visit my daughter and this is the only reason’.

“We want only visit visa and then we will come back.” 

When they finally arrived in Australia, Feri’s daughter told her parents they were not safe in Iran and they should stay here. 

“We are Baha`i and they want only Muslims, so they made many problems for us,” she said. 

”Our country was disturbed by war. We had no security during the day or night. There were economic problems and life was hard.

“For this reason, my daughter said we should stay here.” 

Feri said she did not want to stay and she wanted to go home to Iran, despite the persecution she and her husband faced. 

“My daughter begged us to stay so we didn’t have to face those problems,” she said.

“My daughter hired a lawyer to find a case for us to stay and we were waiting for more than one year the visa, but in San Isidore called the church and asked if they had room for us.

“They did and offered us a place.” 

Feri and Shah Khazei moved to San Isidore in 1996 while they waited for their application for refugee status to be processed by the Department of Immigration.

“They had three houses for refugees and we were there for one year,” she said.

“After one year we got approval and we were allowed to stay, so we did.” 

Another one of Feri’s daughters was waiting in Pakistan with her family for their refugee status to be approved, a fact they agonised over while they waited. 

Feri said when she arrived in Australia she spoke no English. 

Feri’s initial impression of Australia was that it was “all very new”. 

“For this reason, I wanted to go back, but there were more reasons to stay,” she said.

“It was hard, but everyone in Australia is so happy, friendly and always helping people.

“People were always asking ‘how can I help you, what do you need?’.” 

 Feri has worked at the local op-shops and for years has volunteered at the Wagga Base hospital.

“After one year, the op-shop was sold so I found a place at the hospital,” she said.

“I have been working there for 14 years now and I love working there.

“I go into the rooms and freshen their flowers, change the water and see if the patients need anything.”

Feri loves working there because it gave her a way to contribute to the community.

“It is very important for me to have that because I don’t like to just sit at home and do nothing,” she said. 

“I am happy when I am busy and it is some kind of service and I can give back to the community. 

Feri has also been a keen student for the past year at Wagga’s Language Cafe. It was started at the library in an embrace of the city’s cultural diversity.

Feri said she was so grateful to the cafe for improving her English skills and her confidence.

“They help me to find books and practise with the language, which is important for me,” she said. 

Feri said if she met any refugees who were new to Wagga, she would welcome them with open arms.

“If I can help them, I will do this,” she said.

“I would talk to them and tell them they have found a home because they would be sad that they had to leave their country.

“When you come here for the first time, it is hard for them as it was hard for me.” 

Feri said she was extremely grateful to her those who welcomed her with open arms.

“Thank you to everyone and thank you to Australia,” she said. Feri said a special thank you to Joan, Peter, Brian and Noreen who helped her settle.

Over the next two weeks, The Daily Advertiser will continue to share the stories of some of those who have moved to Australia in search of a new home, one from each decade. 

Some to escape war and devastation, and some for love.