Sayyed Bozorg "Moody" Mahmoody[1] (Persian: سيد بزرگ محمودى; c. 1939 – August 23, 2009) was an Iranian professor, engineer, and anesthesiologist, best-known for taking his American ex-wife Betty and their daughter Mahtob to his native country and keeping them hostage there for a period of eighteen months during the mid-1980s.[2][3]
Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody | |
|---|---|
| سيد بزرگ محمودى | |
| Born | 1938 or 1939 |
| Died | (aged 70) |
| Occupation | Anaesthesiologist |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Mahtob |
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody news interview |
Early life
editMahmoody was born to a prominent family in Shushtar. Mahmoody's father, a doctor, died when Mahmoody was a toddler, and he had few memories of him. His mother, also a doctor, died when he was eight years old, and he was raised by his older sister.[4][5][6]
Mahmoody left Iran at the age of 18 to study English in London. He moved to the United States in 1961,[7] where he became a university mathematics professor and an engineer. He worked for NASA during the 1960s, then went to medical school and became an anesthesiologist.[8]
Marriage and fatherhood
editMahmoody met Betty Lover in 1974. They dated for three years and Betty referred to him by the nickname, "Moody". After officially becoming a licensed anesthesiologist based in the U.S., Moody married Betty in Houston in 1977.[7][9] Moody claimed Betty proposed to him, converted to Islam and took a lively interest in Persian culture.[9] They resided in Texas.[1] "He was so affectionate and considerate. He would send me flowers, books, music boxes, with beautiful inscriptions."[citation needed]
Their daughter, Mahtob, which means "moonlight" in Persian,[7] was born in 1979.[9] It was Moody who named her that, after he looked at a full moon.[9] The Mahmoodys later moved to Michigan.[1]
Family's tenure in Iran
editWith assistance from one of his nephews,[10] Moody was able to convince his wife that their daughter deserved a visit "on holiday" for two weeks in Iran. They left on August 4, 1984. However, after 2 weeks, Moody then told them they would not be returning to the U.S. When she protested, Moody struck Betty. It was the first time Mahtob had seen her father hit her mother.
After Moody broke the news to Betty, she got extremely sick with dysentery. Mahtob sat at her side day after day, watching her fade in and out of consciousness. Betty asked Mahtob to make sure Moody didn’t give her a shot. Mahtob sat there to make sure her mother was safe.[11]
Betty once quoted her husband in her 1987 book, Not Without My Daughter, telling her, "If you try to leave this house again, I will kill you!"[12]
Life since estrangement
editAfter returning home, Betty filed for divorce.[1] According to Betty Moody, "The night before September 11, 2001, I was informed that (Moody) had a green card and was not only back in the U.S., but he was just a few blocks away from my house in Michigan. After he was eventually placed on a terrorist list, he was never allowed back to the U.S."[13]
A 2002 documentary was made by Alexis Kouros and Kari Tervo titled Without My Daughter. The documentary depicted Moody defending his actions and telling the story through his perspective. It also depicted his attempts to contact Mahtob.[9][14] Mahmoody also authored a book called Lost Without My Daughter (2013) in which he counterattacks Betty's claims against him.[15]
Media portrayal
editMoody was portrayed by English-American actor Alfred Molina in the 1991 film, Not Without My Daughter, adapted from Betty's book of the same name. Reacting to the film and Molina's portrayal of him, Moody said, "I asked, is this supposed to be me? As you can see, I am short, bald on top, and I wear glasses: no resemblance at all, which tells a great deal about how realistic the whole movie is."[14] Molina was once assaulted by a man who apparently hated his brutal portrayal of Moody in the film.[16]
Death
editMahmoody died in Tehran on August 23, 2009, at age 70.[1][13][17] The cause of death was given as renal disease.[17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e Potempa, Philip (19 February 2011). "OFFBEAT: Here's your chance to catch up with Betty Mahmoody". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Evertz, Mary (12 April 1993). "Kidnap expert to share her story". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ Golden, Marita (27 December 1987). "Her Husband's Captive". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
- ^ Hoffer, William; Mahmoody, Betty (1987). Not Without My Daughter. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-01073-7.
- ^ Kouris, Alexis, Without My Daughter (documentary, 2002)
- ^ "Sayed Mahmoody". Andrew Lownie Literary Agency. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- ^ a b c Wilson, Jean Sprain (8 November 1987). "Celebrity In Hiding: Going Public With Her Story Creates A Private Dilemma". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ O'Callaghan, Billy (16 April 2016). "Book Review: My Name Is Mahtob". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Nesselson, Lisa (10 April 2003). "Review: 'Without My Daughter'". Variety. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Wilson, Jean Sprain (8 November 1987). "Celebrity In Hiding: Going Public With Her Story Creates A Private Dilemma". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Potempa, Philip (19 February 2011). "OFFBEAT: Here's your chance to catch up with Betty Mahmoody". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Hoffer, William; Mahmoody, Betty (November 27, 1987). "No Escape for American Wife Trapped in Iran : Mother, Daughter Kept Imprisoned in Patriarchal Middle-Eastern Society". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ^ a b Potempa, Philip (6 March 2011). "'Daughter' author recounts Iran ordeal aftermath". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
- ^ a b Ervamaa, Tomi (19 November 2002). "Father left alone in Iran: new film tells other side of Not Without my Daughter story". Helsingin Sanomat.
- ^ "Andrew Lownie Literary Agency: Lost Without My Daughter".
- ^ Snook, Raven (14 March 2010). "The Hot Seat: Alfred Molina". Time Out. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- ^ a b "'Not Without My Daughter' dad dies". Iran Times International. Washington, D.C. 2009-08-28. Retrieved 2023-06-08 – via The Free Library.