Amin with daughters Anna and Soraya , Leek Reservoir, 1995
After the Iranian revolution in 1979 Amin moved to Oxford to study English and then to Stoke-on-Trent to study O & A Levels at Cauldon College, “I’ve never thought of moving to another city.” he says.
In 1981 the Iranian government stopped money from being sent abroad, Amin was no longer able to receive money from his parents. “For some reason the Iranian government thought I was working and helping the people against the government. They went to my house in Iran trying to find me to arrest me.[..] So at that time because I wasn’t studying and had no means of income. The Home Office gave me 28 days to leave the country.“ Thankfully his local MP Bob Kant and successor Mark Fisher helped Amin and he was given permission to stay in 1983.
Amin married his wife Charlotte in 1989. They have three children, Anna, Soraya and Ali Raza. Since then Amin has acquired a degree in Applied & Analytical Chemistry, a Masters in Forensic Science and a masters in Toxology.
In 2015, Amin started to find lumps around his body. He visited his GP 12 times in the next 16 months and was told he was fine.
On the 17th January he received a diagnosis that he had stage 4 cancer of the lymph nodes, which is curable at Stage 1 & 2, but not 3 & 4. Despite this Amin persevered and passed his exams. “One of the crowning moments of my life, I can tell you that. When I start something I like to see it through, I want to get to the end. When I got my results in June I was really chuffed.”
