“Vada dastur rap”

I refer to Sarosh Dastur’s poem "Vada dastur rap” (Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, December 7, 2008). Entire chapters, not mere pages have been written on a majestic mystery called Khojeste Mistree. In the not too distant past Jam-e-Jamshed and people like Ervad (Dr) Kersey Antia have called him a "dhongi” and referred to him at kusti time as "shekaste-Khojeste.” Yet Dastur naively asks who he is!

Mistree is no angel elected to deliver us. We require little advice from a vada dastur or priest in expectation of wisdom nor from a messiah having a taint and described in the past as a "saint with paint.” If guidance is what people need, we should search among the truly enlightened in our community and not a messiah who hates, not a man who maligns those who choose to cremate their dead, who misleads in a desperate bid to pontificate. As I have quoted earlier in these columns, "The world is ruled by two great schools/ Religious rogues and bigoted fools.”

The truth is that many orthodox persons are orthodox only in name. Their contradictions remind us of the wily fox for the mischief they can do can put even the liberals to shame.

RASHID G. KHOSRAVI