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Edoardo Agnelli

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Edoardo Agnelli
Full NameEdoardo Agnelli
Religious AffiliationShi'a Islam
Well-known RelativesGianni Agnelli
BirthJune 9, 1954
Place of BirthNew York
DeathNovember 15, 2000
Burial PlaceFamily cemetery (Christian style)
ActivitiesManager of Juventus FC • Manager of Fiat


Edoardo Agnelli (1954–2000) was an Italian Mustabsir and the son of Gianni Agnelli, a prominent Italian industrialist. He converted from Christianity to Shi'ism after being influenced by the Qur'an, maintaining his faith despite facing significant pressure and threats. His death has been viewed by some as suspicious, with allegations attributing his murder to Zionist elements.

Several books have been written in Persian regarding Edoardo Agnelli, including Hadiya-yi Masih (The Gift of Christ), which recounts his conversion to Islam, his martyrdom, and the surrounding circumstances.

Biography

Edoardo Agnelli was born on June 9, 1954, in New York.[1] His father, Gianni Agnelli, was a renowned Italian industrialist and the proprietor of Fiat (Italy's largest automobile manufacturer), several private banks, multiple fashion design firms, the Ferrari racing team, and the Juventus football club.[2] His mother, Marella Caracciolo, was also a princess of Jewish heritage.[3]

Following the completion of his primary education, Edoardo attended Atlantic College in England. Upon obtaining his diploma, he enrolled at Princeton University, where he graduated with a PhD in Philosophy and Eastern Religions. Subsequently, he traveled to India to pursue further studies in Eastern mysticism.[4] Edoardo briefly oversaw the management of the Juventus club in 1986.[5]

Conversion to Shi'ism

In 1974, at the age of 20, Edoardo encountered the Qur'an. After studying and researching the text, he was inspired by its teachings and recited the Shahada (testimony of faith) at an Islamic center in New York. His associates gave him the name "Hisham Aziz".[6] In April 1980, following a meeting with Mohammad Hassan Ghadiri Abyaneh, the then-press attaché of the Iranian embassy in Italy, he converted to Shi'a Islam and adopted the name Mahdi.[7] In April 1981, he met with Imam Khomeini at the Jamaran Husayniya[8] and subsequently traveled to Mashhad for the Ziyara of the shrine of Imam al-Rida (a).[9]

According to some of Edoardo's close associates, he faced considerable adversity from his family following his conversion.[10] His father removed him from the management of Fiat and confined him to a private villa for a period.[11] It is alleged that he was admitted to a psychiatric facility staffed by Jewish personnel but escaped, fearing he would be subjected to brainwashing.[12] Nevertheless, Edoardo continued to promote Islam and Shi'ism. Under his guidance, his close friend Count Luca Gaetani Lovatelli, the son of Italy's "King of Wine," became a Muslim.[13] He also produced a documentary concerning Islam for Italy's Channel 1.[14]

Death

Edoardo:

"When I was in New York, one day I was walking in the library and looking at books... My eyes fell on the Qur'an... I became curious to see what was in it. I picked it up and started turning the pages and read its verses in English. I felt that these words were luminous and could not be the words of a human. I was very impressed; I borrowed it and studied it more, and I felt that I understood and accepted it."[15]

Edoardo Agnelli at Tehran Friday Prayer, April 1981

Edoardo Agnelli died on November 15, 2000, at the age of 46 in Italy. His body was discovered on the Turin-Savona highway beneath the "General Franco Romano" bridge. Contrary to standard Italian protocol requiring autopsies for such cases, the investigation was closed without an Autopsy.[16] Certain media outlets and public figures, including Italian journalist and author Giuseppe Puppo, have cited documents and evidence to declare his death a murder and Assassination.[17] The Islamic Association of Iranian Graduates in Italy also characterized Edoardo as a revolutionary Shi'a and identified Zionists as the perpetrators of his Martyrdom.[18]

According to Mohammad Hassan Ghadiri, Edoardo had predicted that Zionists would assassinate him for becoming a Muslim and would stage his murder to appear as a suicide.[19]

Following Edoardo's death, numerous media and literary works were produced regarding his life, including:

TV Documentary

The documentary *Edoardo Agnelli*, directed by Siavash Sarmadi and produced by Habibollah Kasehsaz, chronicles Edoardo's life, his conversion to Islam, and his suspicious death in Italy.[20] This film has been broadcast on several television channels, such as the Ofogh Network[21] and Jam-e Jam Network, and has been screened at various Iranian universities.[22]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Who was Edoardo Agnelli and how did he convert to Islam?"
  2. ↑ "Documentary of the Martyr "Edoardo Agnelli": A Narrative of the Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr of the 20th Century", AhlulBayt News Agency.
  3. ↑ "Edoardo Agnelli ke būd wa chigūne Islām āvard?"
  4. ↑ Bandiyān, The Life Story of Martyr Edoardo Agnelli, Rahyafteha website.
  5. ↑ Bandiyān, The Life Story of Martyr Edoardo Agnelli, Rahyafteha website.
  6. ↑ Zamānī, Āshnāyī bā istishrāq wa Islām-shināsī-yi gharbiyān, p. 175; Bandiyān, The Life Story of Martyr Edoardo Agnelli, Rahyafteha website.
  7. ↑ Zamānī, Āshnāyī bā istishrāq wa Islām-shināsī-yi gharbiyān, pp. 175-176.
  8. ↑ Zamānī, Āshnāyī bā istishrāq wa Islām-shināsī-yi gharbiyān, p. 176.
  9. ↑ Bandiyān, The Life Story of Martyr Edoardo Agnelli, Rahyafteha website.
  10. ↑ Bandiyān, The Life Story of Martyr Edoardo Agnelli, Rahyafteha website..
  11. ↑ Zamānī, Āshnāyī bā istishrāq wa Islām-shināsī-yi gharbiyān, p. 176.
  12. ↑ Bandiyān, The Life Story of Martyr Edoardo Agnelli, Rahyafteha website.
  13. ↑ The story of the martyrdom of Edoardo Agnelli; the Italian billionaire prince, Tasnim News Agency.
  14. ↑ Bandiyān, The Life Story of Martyr Edoardo Agnelli, Rahyafteha website.
  15. ↑ Bandiyān, The Life Story of Martyr Edoardo Agnelli, Rahyafteha website.
  16. ↑ "Edoardo Agnelli, the one whose forehead Imam Khomeini (ra) kissed", YJC.
  17. ↑ Bandiyān, The Life Story of Martyr Edoardo Agnelli, Rahyafteha website.
  18. ↑ Edoardo Agnelli's Journey to Mashhad
  19. ↑ Edoardo Agnelli's Journey to Mashhad.
  20. ↑ "Documentary of Edoardo Agnelli".
  21. ↑ "The life story of Edoardo on Ofogh Network", Ofogh TV Network.
  22. ↑ Documentary filmmakers were threatened and even imprisoned for making the Agnelli documentary.

References

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