“Zoroastrianism enjoins...”

You deserve to be thanked for publishing a two-page write-up "Zoroastrianism enjoins conversion,” (Parsiana, October 2001) by Kaikhosrov D. Irani and Farrokh Vajifdar.

This controversy is as old as the hills. In fact, there need not be any controversy because the scriptures are replete with references to conversion. Haptan Yasht has a specific reference to conversion: in that prayer, we wish the Zoroastrian missionaries success in converting the aliens to the Mazdayasni faith (see last paragraph of the Yasht).

Zarathushtra saw a lot of evil around him, and brought back to the Mazda­yasni fold both the Mazdayasnis and the non-Mazdayasnis who had gone astray. He converted the infidels to our great religion, apart from the royal convert, King Vistasp.

The Gathas are replete with references to weaning away the bad from the wrong path and bringing them to the straightest path in which He dwelleth.

In protohistoric times, no man or woman was born with a religious label. When we rely so much on our scriptures, why are we blind to those when it comes to conversion? This controversy is a controversy of convenience and even deception.

BEHRAM T. DASTUR