Tajik Zoroastrian killed

Well-known playwright and filmmaker of Tajikistan Rudaki Behdin (Samadov), 37, was gunned down by two unidentified assassins who appeared at his door as he was leaving for work on July 4, informs a write-up in Humata (Fall 2001). Leader of the Zoroastrian community of Tajikistan, Rudaki had been busy adding the final touches to his latest play The Message of Zarathushtra, scheduled to open in early September 2001 in the largest playhouse in Dushanbe when he fell prey to the bullets. "The assassination appears to be a hate crime motivated by religious fanaticism,” notes Humata.

An acclaimed literary figure, Rudaki had won the national literary prize for the year 1996. Resourceful and innovative, he used to organize popular theatrical group performances of patriotic plays dealing with the rich Tajik culture and identity in national parks. At the end of each play, he would conduct group discussions for the public’s enlightenment. Charismatic, loved and admired by the populace, he had also organized classes in Avesta and Pahlavi, and was instrumental in transcribing the Gathas in the Cyrillic alphabets.

The World Zoroastrian Organisation (WZO) has requested President Rahma­nov of Tajikistan to order a thorough and speedy investigation to identify the culprits, ascertain the real motive for the assassination, and to take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such terrorist activities in future, adds the Humata report.