Resolution refrain

If one good thing has surfaced from the fatwa of the High Priests it is the sudden serious thinking by young and old Parsis about our religion and community. People like Rhea Dhanbhoora and Kimi Dangor are the future of this community so when we hear or read what they say we better take note. There is hope that when this younger generation grows up they will be on the right track.

There is only one God Ahura Mazda. He is only called by different names. Period!

We Parsis have been pioneers in a million things. It’s time we showed the world that religion is too personal. In fact it’s up to us to show that we can still be a true Zoroastrian wearing the sudreh kusti, visiting the agiary and doing the diva-batti and loban daily and at the same time visiting a church or the Siddhi Vinayak temple or fasting on Thursday to venerate Sai Baba. This comes naturally to folks like me and I personally feel I am a true Parsi who is expected to be tolerant, not dogmatic, religious, but not fanatic.

RODA D. HAKIM

Vadodara

It breaks my heart when I notice that some well-meaning folks take a controversial decision and force our small community into a tailspin. What irks me is the recent decision taken by some of the dasturs in India.

Why do we do these things and make a spectacle of ourselves or why do we let these things be done to us in the name of religion?

Are we Parsis a "pure” breed? Does a fair-skinned Parsi consider himself more of a Parsi than a dark-skinned one? If that be the case where did these dark-skinned folks come from? And what is this "genetic distinctness?” Only in India is this nonsense being perpetuated and tolerated.

Why do we continue to think on these terms rather than what should we be doing to change the course of current events and how should we welcome and accept our loved ones back into our faith? What should we be doing to spread this wonderful and simple religion? It seems that our egos have got a hold upon us and clear thinking has gone astray. Frustration has set in and the common folks are abdicating their responsibilities and authority to the dasturs who, in my humble opinion, are taking us backwards with not a care of the future. We’re the smallest minority in the world (on the brink of extinction) and about to become a "tribe”... let history not record us as "a race of good and decent people that let go of a noble heritage.”

Here are some suggestions to remedy the situation: The trustees should meet with the dasturs and find out what really caused them to take this decision. Meet with them once again after a "cooling off period” and suggest some "face-saving” alternatives. Convince them that it’s in their interest to keep the community together rather than to create dissension. I would encourage the young folks to take command and force, if necessary, the changes. Push aside those who tend to stick to these "outdated” ideas and try to save what little is left... Remember this is your future.

Go forward and think how you want the community to grow and prosper. Be creative and don’t let the "nay-sayers” hold you back. Have some conviction in yourselves and "lead” this good community, without malice to anyone, and let our religion survive. We owe this to ourselves and to those who come after us.

On the other side of the globe, we are flourishing and multiplying. We welcome everyone and especially non-Parsi spouses and their children. We even have special get-togethers to determine how the community can help them feel more comfortable, etc. It’s this type of thinking that will create the right atmosphere for survival.

KHUSHRU HAKIM

New Jersey, USA

As a child, I was taught that my religion was one that did not demand much from its followers. I was told that all it asked of its followers was that we lead a life of honesty and love. A life in which we were to speak good words, think good thoughts and carry out good deeds.

One aspect, however, that I could never understand was that our religion did not allow non-Parsis to enter our fire-temples, and did not allow non-Parsis to pray to our Lord. I always wondered how a religion that stressed on loving all beings as children of God, demanded that most of their children be kept out of the House of God.

I asked many older Parsis as to why our religion did so, one of whom was my late grandfather, Shiavax Vakil, who was a navar himself, and trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet. He told me that it was our Lord Zarathushtra who himself converted non-Zoroastrians into Zoroastrians. Then why is it that we do not allow conversions now?

As a young Parsi I am very sorry to hear about this news, as are most of my Parsi friends. I feel ashamed that we have to use bullying tactics to ensure that our faith goes on. We have reached a stage whereby we are forcing our own boys and girls to choose between true love and their religion, a religion that preaches just that, true love.

What kind of religion would this be, if I were to give up the girl I love, just because she was not born a Parsi? Would it make me less of a Parsi if I spent my life loving a girl, keeping her happy, being honest and faithful to her, even if she was a non-Parsi? No. By doing so, I have ensured that I have led a life of honesty and love. And that makes me a good Parsi.

What the Priests say is their opinion. Not mine. This new rule would not deter me from marrying outside my community. I would love my children to be Parsis and follow this lovely religion that till today was free of any fanatic rituals.

NEKZAAD N. VAKIL