Dr. Dahesh
Dr. Dahesh (Arabic: الدكتور داهش) (June 1, 1909 – April 9, 1984) was the title and pen name of Salim Moussa Achi (Arabic: سليم موسى عشّي), a writer, poet, philosopher, and the founder of the spiritual doctrine referred to as Daheshism.
Dr. Dahesh الدكتور داهش | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Salim Moussa Achi June 1, 1909 |
| Died | April 9, 1984 Greenwich, Connecticut, United States |
| Nationality | Lebanese |
Early life
Salim Moussa Achi was born in Jerusalem on June 1, 1909. He was born to Syriac Orthodox parents Moussa Elias Achi and Shmouneh Hanna Kanun hailing from the villages of Esfes and Azekh in Tur Abdin.[1] Shortly after his birth the family moved to Beirut, Lebanon.[2] In Beirut, Salim's father Moussa worked at the American University printing press until he was drafted to fight in the First World War. He returned in 1918 with a deteriorated health and died on January 25, 1920, leaving Shmouneh alone with five children. Most of Salim's siblings had to be raised elsewhere, whereas he himself was sent to live at the orphanage in Ghazir where he also attended school. However, health issues made him soon join his mother in Tripoli. In 1921, Salim was made to move to his relatives in Tur Abdin, where he lived until moving back to Beirut in 1924.[3]
Life Work
He was a prolific Lebanese author and purported worker of miracles.[4] By the age of 21, he had adopted the name Dahesh, Arabic for "Astounder" or "Astonisher."
Dr. Dahesh proclaimed Daheshism on March 23, 1942. The spiritual message of Daheshism can be summarized in a belief in the existence and immortality of the spirit; reincarnation; the intrinsic correlation between all the major religions; spiritual causality and just reward (i.e., karma). His publishing career included essays, poetry, short stories, novels, and an autobiography, and exceeded 150 works.[5]
Dahesh was imprisoned on September 9, 1944[6] and later on stripped of his Lebanese nationality and exiled from Lebanon in 1944 during the reign of Lebanese President Bechara El Khoury. In 1953, Lebanon, the newly elected President Camille Chamoun restored his citizenship.
Later life
In 1975, Dr. Dahesh immigrated to the United States. He died on April 9, 1984, in Greenwich, Connecticut.[7]
Art legacy
Dahesh began collecting works of art around 1930 and continued to do so for the rest of his life. Today, his art collection belongs to New York City's Dahesh Museum of Art.[8]
He also formed the Dahesh Library, the largest private library in the Arab world, known for its literary, scientific, and artistic holdings, and for its periodical collections. The Dahesh Heritage Center, also includes the offices of the Daheshist Publishing Company, on Broadway, New York.
References
The Daheshist Theory of Reincarnation
- "Süryani Beyt Zebdeden", 2000, Hanna Murad Hannouche.
- "La Revue du Liban", N° 3954, June 16, 2004.
- "Astarte", issue 5, September 2, 1947, by Pierre Rufayel.
- OneFineArt: Biography of Dr. Dahesh
- Dahesh Heritage & The Daheshist Publishing Co.
- Letter from Dahesh to Noon, his Attorner at Law
- "Connecticut Death Index, 1949–2001," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZG4-D6V : December 9, 2014), Salim M Achi, April 9, 1984; from "Connecticut Death Index, 1949–2001," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2003); citing Greenwich, Connecticut, Connecticut Department of Health, Hartfort.
- Dahesh Museum of Art website
Further reading
- For a comprehensive review, please refer to Lutfi Radwan, the former Chief Editor of the Egyptian Magazine "Al Moussawar" and his book "The Miracles & Wonders of Dr. Dahesh", 1997, ISBN 0-935359-44-3, The Daheshist Publishing Co., NY.
- And other works by Dr. Iskandar Shaheen's book:, "Dr. Dahesh: A Man of Mystery", 2001, ISBN 1-931126-01-1, both published by The Daheshist Publishing Co., NY.
