“Tenets and traditions”

A reading of Rustom Jamasji’s letter "Tenets and traditions” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, May 21, 2008) seems to indicate that he thinks that the anti-dakhmenashini group is anti-Zoroastrian. This is his misconception. Strangely, Jamasji’s idea of strengthening dakhme-nashini means under the present circumstances consigning the corpses to rot in non-functional dakhmas.

Secondly, Jamasji believes in the so-called Mazda’s philosophy of "temporary victory over evil” in death, a belief also held by Khojeste Mistree of Zoroastrian Studies. It is unfortunate that these mavericks don’t believe in the natural process of ageing and instead conjecture that Ahura Mazda temporarily loses omnipotence to allow Ahriman to indulge in nefarious activities.

Dr P. D. SUNAVALA