“Tweaking the...”

In your Editorial Viewpoint titled "Tweaking the Punchayet” (Parsiana, May 7, 2005), you state, "Had the Federation (of Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India) followed the same norms of democracy and transparency as the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) does, we may have had a world body by this June.”

The above assumption regarding democracy and transparency extended to the Zarathushtis of North America is wrong. I would like to inform you that the Zarathushtis living in Toronto, Ontario are still very much unaware of this world body’s soon to be existence! The Zoroastrian Society of Ontario (ZSO) is a member organization of FEZANA but the 5,000 plus membership of ZSO has not been consulted, briefed or asked to cast votes, to date, by its president, at any annual general meeting or at any other informal or formal meetings! So, who can call it a "World Body of Zoroastrians” if the world’s Zarathushtis have never been asked to cast their votes regarding its formation or agreeing to its constitution? The decision taken by a few is far from "democracy” or "transparency” as claimed!

Many Parsi-Irani Zara-thushtis living in North America who are members of FEZANA associations are automatically counted as supporters of this proposed cosmopolitan world body whereas the reality is different. Has any survey been taken as to how many Parsi-Irani Zarathushtis in North America (and worldwide) oppose this world body? No. Then how is such a body democratic or representative of the world Parsi-Irani Zarathushti community? Perhaps only the executives of all the member associations of FEZANA know about this world body and what it truly represents, besides the officials of the World Zoroastrian Organisation, the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet and the 10 office bearers of the International Zoroastrian Organization (IZO), which is the main arm of the proposed world body.

This is not to deny the fact that we do need a representative world body but we need one that is geared to protect and preserve the religion and our ancient community; not this proposed cosmopolitan body which is meant to please and include the converts and the renegades.

The fact why this world body has failed so far is precisely because no democratic process or transparency has been followed either by FEZANA or by the Indian Federation. This world body is the work of only a few members of the community who are bent on "modernizing” our religion, religious scriptures, rituals, institutions, our unique life-style to make way for the converts classified as "neo-Zarathushtis.” If these converts have not been faithful to their own religion of birth, will they find faith, devotion and spirituality in an alien faith? No! These converts are already altering our scriptures and rituals for their convenience and surely the world community is amply aware of these happenings through the cyber and other media.

The real danger lies when these converts are recognized as "Zarathushtis” and are accepted into the proposed cosmopolitan world body en masse from the "new emerging regions” such as Brazil, Mexico, Africa, etc. The words Parsi-Irani designating a Zarathushti is prominently missing from the definition of a "Zarathushti” in the constitution of this proposed world body. The definition of a Zarathushti for the purpose of this world body stands as "anyone who professes the faith!”

To uphold accountability and transparency, please, let the world Parsi-Irani Zara-thushti community know that the so-called converts posing as "Zarathushtis” are even transformed into "ratus” through a six-month "ratu training” course as evidenced through the e-mail posted by "ratu” Ali Akbar Jafarey himself dated April 26, 2005 to the xsatra networks, subsequently copied to various other networks that are specifically targeted to spread conversion and churn out "ratus.” This is where our Zarathushti community is heading post-haste through the ill efforts of such a proposed cosmopolitan world body! Is the world community made aware of these factual pitfalls? No! Why not? Only the few officials know the reasons!

So far, no attention is paid to the informed decision arrived at unanimously by the seven Vada Dasturjis who have categorically stated that this proposed world body will be disastrous for the Parsi-Irani Zarathushti community and also for our Zarathushti religion!

PERVIN J. MISTRY

Canada

The Editors reply

The decision has to be taken by the elected representatives of the associations, not necessarily the general body. Each citizen did not vote on whether his/her country should join the United Nations.