“An inconvenient truth”

Jamsheed Kanga’s article "An inconvenient truth” (Parsiana, December 7, 2008) is an exercise in self-deception. His real aim is to create a new crisis, this time about the falling population, when any serious observer knows that increases and decreases in population have been going on for many years. Under the umbrella of the defeated Adult Franchise for Progress (AFP) Kanga hopes to start a new debate about this "grave threat,” thereby thrusting himself into the limelight.

Kanga, the AFP and the ARZ (Association for the Revival of Zoroastrianism) have only one solution for this self created problem of falling population — conversion, invalid navjotes and invalid marriages with non-Zoroastrians. Have they ever cared to consult our scriptures or any of our recognized religious scholars qualified in Avesta, Pahlavi, Pazand and Sanskrit in these matters? If so, they would know that in the first three lines of Jashame Avanghe Mazda in the kusti prayer, the devotee solemnly confirms that he/she is a Mazdayasni Zarathushti twice and the entire Ashirwad prayer is addressed to and the benediction is for Mazdayasni Zarathushtis alone. As such, navjote and wedding ceremonies, when performed for non-Zarathushtis, would be invalid. Further, they are sins against all the Ameshaspands and Yazads as represented in the alats misused in such invalid ceremonies — Karda 8 Patet Pashemani.

In Vendidad Faragard 18 Zara­thushtra asks, "Who causes greatest pain (sin)?” and Ahura Mazda replies, "He who mixes the seed of the good (Mazdayasni) with the non good (non-Mazdayasni).” Kanga, as a Zoroastrian should know this, unless he has never read or recited these prayers. Why is he trying to force a Margarzan sin (a sin of the highest category) on the whole Zoroastrian community? Kanga and his group of "enlightened” associates have been in effect proposing for years that, in order to "increase the population,” the community must commit sacrilege.

Even if Kanga is a "Gathas only” reformist, the following references from the Gathas should open his eyes:

Gatha Ha 32.7 to 32.13 admonishes not to teach false doctrine, distort the sacred verses to destroy the wisdom of men, as such persons who do so are considered wicked.

Gatha Ha 32.2 "freedom of choice,” which when correctly understood is a choice only between two paths of life — good and evil. There is not even a hint of conversion as in the Prophet’s time there was no other religion (din) except the Mazdayasni Zarthoshti din.

Gatha Ha 30.3 explains that good and evil are Spenta Mainyu and Angre Mainyu.

Patet Pashemani Karda 7 explains "mediosast” as one who tells lies and points to the wrong direction.

Patet Pashemani Karda 6 and 7 explain clearly "sins of both commission and omission.”

For Kanga and other "enlightened” Parsis, there is a message here. Gatha Ha 45.3 says, "For those who do not follow the holy word (our religion and religious laws), unto them will be woe till the end of life.”

The community must collectively and forcefully reject Kanga’s repeated calls to the community to commit sins in this matter, by a formal statement by the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) board and the high priests which should be publicized in the Parsi Press. As Gatha Ha 32 says, "It is the responsibility of the Zoroastrian community, not to allow misguided, incomplete and false information about our religion to go unrefuted, as it would be a collective sin of commission and omission by the community.”

For a Zoroastrian, there is only one paramount factor in decision-making — the religiously correct course according to our sacred scriptures, long standing ancient practices and traditions (having the force of law under the Indian Constitution Articles 25 and 26). Decisions cannot be based only on the trustees’ subjective "knowledge and judgment” as Kanga suggests, which will always be subject to human failings.

The so-called "broad-mindedness” that Kanga advocates, without the moral anchor of religious consciousness and faith and deep religious education, has led to the aping of transient western ideas of "freedom of choice” without responsibility and irreligious misinterpretations and editing of our scriptures. The present orthodox BPP board is the reflection of the will of the majority of our community which is still guided by traditional religiosity.

In view of the confusion in some Zoroastrian minds, the Patet Pashemani and the religious classic Zoroastrianism — Ancient and Modern by Ervad Phiroze Masani, a religious savant and distinguished scholar of Avesta, Pahlavi and Sanskrit (the languages of our scriptures) should be required reading for all Zoroastrians including past and present trustees, would-be trustees and their advisors.

Kanga asks, "What will we preserve if we are doomed to die?” Every traditional Zoroastrian knows that our religion or community can never die. Those of us who have the faith and have studied our scriptures know that we have nothing to fear. Our religion is one of the five great religions (daenao) of the world, divinely created, and can never die out.

MEHLLI NARIMAN BHAGALIA

San Diego, California

mehlli@roadrunner.com