Accept reality

The time has come for the community to accept the simple and clear fact that the religion of Zarathushtra is universal and, like all universal religions not only does it "permit conversion but also enjoins it.”

To help maintain a perspective on the matter, what better source to quote from than that of Zarathushtra’s own words from the Gathas:

Yasna 31.3: Explain to me O Mazda all of the said facts and enlighten me with thy inspiring words so that I may convert all the people onto the right path.

Yasna 34.7: Where are thy faithful devotees O Mazda who... will use those teachings with intellect and will try to spread thy message.

Yasna 31.6: The wise man who propagates the true religion and makes the people aware of my holy message, which leads them to perfection and immortality shall enjoy the highest bliss (Tr. Dastur Firooz Azargoshasp).

As a community, we have to face the reality that more of our numbers (of both sexes) are marrying non-Zoroastrians. This is a fact of life and we cannot just wish it away. In days gone by, interfaith marriages were few. Presently, a third to half of our youth, outside India, marry outside the fold and in the next 10 to 20 years this proportion is bound to increase.

Such interfaith marriages affect families and the community in two ways. They entail consequences that are social and religious. Both these aspects of interfaith marriages are so important that they are a source of continuing debate and discussion at conferences, seminars and private gatherings.

Social effects

It is only natural for a Zoroastrian to want his/her non-Zoroastrian spouse and children to be made welcome into the community. If the non-Zoroastrian spouse is ill-treated or badly received, the family will feel rejected and may turn its back on the community and religion. Due to the increase of interfaith marriages, there are now more Zoroastrians (individuals and communities) who accept and welcome non-Zoroastrian spouses and children to our social and religious functions. There are, however, some Zoroastrians who oppose any attempt at integration and who, by their actions, make it impossible or difficult for non-Zoroastrian spouses to come and feel welcome at our communal and religious gatherings.

Religious effect

For well over 70 years, it has been the accepted practice to have the navjote performed of children of Zoroastrian fathers and non-Zoroastrian mothers. Recently, and for no apparent reason, some of our mobeds have refused to perform the navjote and initiate these children into the Zoroastrian faith. On the other hand, in the West as well as the East, some of the enlightened mobeds do perform the navjote ceremony of children of mixed marriages, regardless of whether mother or father is a Zoroastrian. It is hoped that such children are made welcome into the local communities.

In Iran, adopted children, usually of Muslim parentage, have long been accepted, initiated into and eventually married according to the principles and ceremonies of our faith.

Normally interfaith marriages are registered under the civil law of the land. However, there is a gradual increase in the number of Zoroastrian wedding ceremonies for interfaith marriages taking place in the West. As we know, there are many mobeds in the West and the East who have recognized it as their duty to satisfy the religious needs of Zoroastrians in the matter of interfaith marriages. Iranian mobeds have performed marriages and initiations (navjote/sudreh pushi) of mixed married couples and their children respectively. Iranian mobeds have also converted non-Zoroastrians to the faith after being convinced that the convertees have adequate knowledge of our religion and sincere commitment to uphold its principles. Similar conversions have also taken place in India, North America and Europe.

We should reconsider with more open minds the attitude of the Iranian mobeds. Their High Priest, the late Ardeshir Azargoshasp, strongly formulated this view of our religion: "We must persevere to propagate it. We must accept persons who want to embrace the Zoroastrian religion. In fact we should follow those who set an example for us.”

As a general rule, non-Zoroastrian spouses are encouraged to attend and are welcomed at ceremonies performed by families in their homes. This is certainly the practice in the West, though, not in all locations.

This view was endorsed many years earlier in 1903 by a panel of renowned Parsi priests as well as a number of outstanding Parsi figures and western scholars.

A letter dated September 14, 1903 written by Kaikhushru Dastur Jamaspji to Ervad Jivanji Jamshedji Modi, secretary of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet clearly shows that the religion of Zara-thushtra is universal:

"I have to state that there is no bar in our religion to accept non-Zoroastrian converts. Every Zoroastrian reciting his obligatory daily prayers, such as Khor-shed and Meher Yashts, prays that our Mazdayasni religion may spread to all the haftakeshwar zamin (i.e. the seven regions of the earth). The athornans of days gone by did not just sit around wishing this (spread of religion) to come true, but traveled to distant lands to spread the Zoroastrian religion (refer to Yasna 41.6). Such athornans met with opposition from many people (see Yasna 9.24). We have referred to only two passages from the innumerable in the Zoroastrian scriptures confirming that the conversion of juddins to Zoroastrianism is permitted.

"The second edition of Ervad Tehmu-rasp Dinshahji Anklesaria’s Treatise on the Conversion of Juddins into Mazda-yasni Religion has just been published in which this able Ervad Saheb has quoted examples from Avesta, Pahlavi and Persian texts — and we totally agree with the quotations/examples.

"In the second edition of Pashoke Nirange Javit Dinan published in 1252 by our dear departed Dastur Jamaspji, further examples/quotations have been given concerning the conversion/acceptance of juddins into the Zoroastrian religion. From the writings of Ervad Tehmurasp (Anklesaria) and our dear departed Dastur Jamaspji, it can be said that there is hardly any material left on this matter for further research by any scholar...”

Despite such views, past and present, our community remains divided between those who strenuously oppose interfaith marriages and those who accept it. The latter group recognizes that changes are required in our communal thinking and religious practices. They understand that such changes are imperative and will enhance and enrich our community, and that they certainly will be beneficial in slowing down the erosion of our dwindling population.

Nor is a change anything radically new in our religion. As a community we must accept the fact that there have been changes in our religious observances and practices over the past 100 years, e.g. the non observance of the Bahman month. In the preface to his book The Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the Parsees, Dr Jivanji Jamshedji Modi states: "The times are rapidly changing. The new has been springing rapidly upon the old. As often said, the heresy of today becomes the orthodoxy of tomorrow; the liberalism of this year, the conservatism of the next. The reader will find that many a ceremony, ritual or custom has been spoken of as having become obsolete or as being more honored in the breach than in the observance. Many more will be obsolete in the course of a few years. Customs are often as despotic as fashions, but they also change as fashions. So this work will, it is hoped, serve, to an extent, as a record of what was once, and what is now prevalent.”

Bearing Modi’s quotation in mind, we venture to suggest that:

•We should impart the true principles and history of our religion to children throughout their formative years in order to instill pride in our Zoroastrian way of life.

•Non-Zoroastrian spouses and their children be invited to and made welcome at all our social functions and religious ceremonies without any reservations.

•The navjote ceremony of the children of interfaith marriages should be performed and these children integrated into our community.

•Non-Zoroastrian spouses should be encouraged to learn about the Zoroastrian religion and bring up their children in the Zoroastrian way of life. If, as a result of such a study, the non-Zoroastrian spouse wishes to embrace Zoroastrianism, the community should facilitate this. This will help intermarried families bind themselves strongly and further into the community.

•The Zoroastrian marriage ceremony should be performed, if requested, for interfaith couples.

We urge all anjumans/associations and all members of the community, wherever situated, to debate and discuss the contents of this document. Let us all seriously consider these recommendations with an open mind on how they can best be implemented for the good of the community locally and worldwide. These issues are particularly urgent for the younger generation which faces the issue of interfaith marriage more frequently now than ever before. Indeed it was our Zoroastrian youth at the 1993 Los Angeles Youth Conference that called for a more open discussion of these sensitive matters, a request sadly forgotten and buried at the subsequent youth conference in London. As we face the new millennium, let us cast aside our prejudices and make enlightened progress that will bring renewed strength and vigor to our ancient faith.

As a final stimulus for thought, we close with the comments of the well respected Gathic scholar, Professor Stanley Insler: "The restriction concerning initiation into your religion arose at a time when other religions threatened its existence. In the free world, such threats hardly exist today. Zoroastrianism is a religion that honors the freedom of choice among its most important principles, and in essence this consists of the individual and personal choice of each human being to ally himself on the side of good or evil in the world. Because choice is a primary concept of the religion, it must also be extended in an equally effective manner to the question of acceptance into the faith of those people not born as Zoroastrians. If a person sees the benefits of the religion and chooses of his own free will to enter it, it is a demonstration in itself of that person’s decision to support the forces of good in the world. It was exactly that way when Zarathushtra first founded the faith, because we see in his great hymns how he urges people to follow the path of righteousness by choosing to follow the principles of Ahura Mazda. Should it be any different today? The freedom to join the faith should be an option left to every person’s choice.”

Thirty-six signatories to the statement: S. H. Amrolia, K. H. Antia, H. Arsiwalla, V. Banaji, K. Bengali, P. Bhan­dara, S. Bhandara, S. Bhiwan­diwalla, S. F. Captain, N. Contractor, R. Contractor, R. Doctor, N. R. Driver, K. D. Irani, P. K. Irani, C. K. Madon, F. Madon, S. K. Madon, K. N. Magol, N. B. Magol, N. N. Magol, S. N. Magol, F. Master, S. P. Master, R. P. Mehta, M. M. Postwalla, K. D. Rivetna, D. Rustomji, F. Sapurji, S. Shahriari, F. Shahriari, K. Sodhi, M. D. Surty, S. Vafadari, F. J. Vajifdar, F. J. Vapiwala.