Readers' Forum
Voluntary conversion
Parsis blame late marriage, intermarriage and persons who choose to remain single for our declining population, but we do not talk about the elephant in the room — accepting voluntary conversion.
It is my view that our current stance on voluntary conversion has been influenced more by history than by religious edict.
When the Arabs invaded Iran in 651 AD they began forcibly converting Zoroastrians to Islam. It would not have been practical for Zoroastrian priests to convert people to the religion as they would have been killed had they done so. Even today in Iran if a Zoroastrian converts a Muslim to our religion, both the person who converts and the new initiate would be put to death.
When the Zoroastrians came to India circa 936 AD they promised Jadi Rana, the Hindu ruler of Sanjan that they would practise their own religion and not convert any of the locals to the Zoroastrian faith. The Zoroastrian elders must have exhorted their flock to marry within their faith and thus continue the lineage. This promise and tradition has continued in India till today.
Zarathushtra meditated in the mountains for 10 years. When he attained enlightenment and came to preach our religion, very few people listened to him. He spent months asking people to accept and follow the faith. Indeed, in the Gathas, (Yasna 46.1 and 46.2) he is frustrated when very few people chose to follow the good religion preached by him. It was King Vistasp who converted to Zoroastrianism when Zarathushtra cured his beloved horse and gave all assistance to the Prophet so that the faith could be spread far and wide.
King Cyrus who made Iran into a super power of its time stated in his declaration that he would respect all other faiths and not forcibly convert anyone. This implied that if the other people wanted to convert of their own free will there would be no objection.
In the Gathas translation (Yasna 31.3, 31.6, 47.6) one finds Zarathushtra repeatedly asking man (and woman) to spread the good word about his teachings. The Gathas were written by Zarathushtra himself and are very clear on this point.
Why then are we stopping voluntary conversions? By doing so we are shooting ourselves in the foot. The new converts will never be Parsis but they can be Zoroastrians. Parsis in India need to change their thinking, otherwise our community will dwindle perhaps to about 20,000 to 25,000, after which it may stabilize.
However, in Iran there will be a renaissance of our faith. Through the Internet young Iranians are beginning to rediscover their heritage and their roots. Once the Islamic regime falls — and it will definitely fall one day — the tide will turn and the Zoroastrian religion will again be a major religion.
Will our Parsi leaders, scholars and high priests discuss this matter based on proper facts and use their good minds in coming to a conclusion on this very important matter of continuing our religion?
ASPI BULSARA
Carlingford, New South Wales, Australia
aspibulsara@bigpond.com
It is my view that our current stance on voluntary conversion has been influenced more by history than by religious edict.
When the Arabs invaded Iran in 651 AD they began forcibly converting Zoroastrians to Islam. It would not have been practical for Zoroastrian priests to convert people to the religion as they would have been killed had they done so. Even today in Iran if a Zoroastrian converts a Muslim to our religion, both the person who converts and the new initiate would be put to death.
When the Zoroastrians came to India circa 936 AD they promised Jadi Rana, the Hindu ruler of Sanjan that they would practise their own religion and not convert any of the locals to the Zoroastrian faith. The Zoroastrian elders must have exhorted their flock to marry within their faith and thus continue the lineage. This promise and tradition has continued in India till today.
Zarathushtra meditated in the mountains for 10 years. When he attained enlightenment and came to preach our religion, very few people listened to him. He spent months asking people to accept and follow the faith. Indeed, in the Gathas, (Yasna 46.1 and 46.2) he is frustrated when very few people chose to follow the good religion preached by him. It was King Vistasp who converted to Zoroastrianism when Zarathushtra cured his beloved horse and gave all assistance to the Prophet so that the faith could be spread far and wide.
King Cyrus who made Iran into a super power of its time stated in his declaration that he would respect all other faiths and not forcibly convert anyone. This implied that if the other people wanted to convert of their own free will there would be no objection.
In the Gathas translation (Yasna 31.3, 31.6, 47.6) one finds Zarathushtra repeatedly asking man (and woman) to spread the good word about his teachings. The Gathas were written by Zarathushtra himself and are very clear on this point.
Why then are we stopping voluntary conversions? By doing so we are shooting ourselves in the foot. The new converts will never be Parsis but they can be Zoroastrians. Parsis in India need to change their thinking, otherwise our community will dwindle perhaps to about 20,000 to 25,000, after which it may stabilize.
However, in Iran there will be a renaissance of our faith. Through the Internet young Iranians are beginning to rediscover their heritage and their roots. Once the Islamic regime falls — and it will definitely fall one day — the tide will turn and the Zoroastrian religion will again be a major religion.
Will our Parsi leaders, scholars and high priests discuss this matter based on proper facts and use their good minds in coming to a conclusion on this very important matter of continuing our religion?
ASPI BULSARA
Carlingford, New South Wales, Australia
aspibulsara@bigpond.com
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