"You used to be my father. Now, you're my architect; the man who designed a better son to replace the "defective" one he was given."

Richard Bashir was the husband of Amsha Bashir, and the father of their son, Julian Bashir. Richard was something of a dreamer with large goals that he never seemed to accomplish.

Around 2348, Richard and Amsha, concerned about their son's great difficulties in school, took Julian to Adigeon Prime to undergo genetic engineering just before his seventh birthday. The treatment was illegal, but Julian's skills were greatly improved afterwards. Julian did not learn what his father had done until 2356, and was not on friendly terms with his father for several years afterward because of this. (DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")

In 2351, Richard was a Federation diplomat on Invernia II. He and Julian were once trapped in a remote region by an ionic storm. While they were waiting out the storm, they found an Invernian girl, about Julian's age, who was sick. After the storm cleared, Richard left to get help while Julian stayed with the girl. Unfortunately, he did not return in time and Julian watched the girl die. (DS9: "Melora")

He was also once a third-class steward on a shuttle run. He claimed to have resigned from the position after six months, though Julian was under the impression that he had been been dismissed.

By 2373, Richard claimed he had become involved in landscape architecture, designing parks and public spaces. He asserted that he took pride in doing such projects, because he knew they would be enjoyed by thousands of people long after he was gone. He said that it was his legacy; his gift to succeeding generations. (DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")

That year, Richard and Amsha were invited to Deep Space 9 by Doctor Lewis Zimmerman, who was judging their son's suitability as a template for the Long-term Medical Holographic program. While there, they unwittingly revealed their son's genetic background to Zimmerman, who in turn reported his findings to Starfleet. Richard initially intended to fight the matter in court but later made a deal with Rear Admiral Bennett. In exchange for allowing Julian to remain in Starfleet, Richard plead guilty to charges of illegal genetic engineering of his son and was sentenced to two years in a minimum security penal colony in New Zealand. He predicted he'd certainly have time to work on his architecture designs there. (DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume")

Appendices

Background information

Richard Bashir was played by actor Brian George.

Richard was presumably released by mid-2375, though neither he nor his wife were ever mentioned in any subsequent episodes, although Bashir did allude to them in "Prodigal Daughter".

Bashir's profession of landscape architect was chosen because that was what one of writer Ronald D. Moore's college roommates studied to be. (AOL chat, 1997) About his stint as a diplomat Moore remarked that he probably was only briefly in the diplomatic service in some capacity before he quit or was fired and then moved on. (AOL chat, 1997)

Jimmy Diggs compared himself to Bashir and his long résumé of jobs in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion.

External link