Gulistan Shariff

Obituary for Gulistan Shariff

Gulistan Shariff passed over the threshold on February 24th 2009 at 4 am. She was born in Nairobi into an Ismaili family devoted to the Aga Khan stream of the Moslem faith. She joined the Anthroposophical Society at the Annual General Meeting in 2008.
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A strong individual already at 14, Gulistan decided to go to England to study medicine and persuaded her well-to do-uncle to come with her. For three years she lived in a Nairobian family, but she did not follow her own culture and traditions. She wanted to be
free and dress and act like every other western school girl. She attended University and proceeded with her medical studies. When she met her future husband Amir, she left her own career. Later in life she shared: “We all carry a burden, we carry our own cross, and we need to change it into joy, but not many can do this.”

I have known Gulistan for over thirty years and have admired her deep sense for an all-embracing, all-supporting brotherhood. Gulistan was one of the founding members of ISIS Cultural Outreach International Society. She pursued a career as a healer through herbs and healthy living. In the early days of our friendship she wanted to take me to the Hunza valley in the Northern Pakistani mountains to which she had traveled in the hope of helping villagers. This introduced me to the early Zoroastrian cultures for which I was
grateful.

Gulistan will be missed by her husband Amir, her two children, Shaheeda and Ismail, as well as by many other family members and friends.

Monica Gold