Embellished by the Empire

Whilst UK is celebrating the diamond jubilee (60th anniversary) of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) is rejoicing that its 60-year-old former president and current honorary treasurer and external relations interfaith officer Dorab Mistry was named Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List announced in June 2013. The honor recognizes "his services to the Zoroastrian community and to interfaith relations,” noted an e-mail communique from ZTFE president Malcolm Deboo, adding, "For the ZTFE and the Zoroastrian faith in UK, Dorab has been one of our prominent ambassadors who has brought us recognition, acceptance and participation in the wider interfaith community and in public life. The ZTFE is overjoyed that Dorab has been awarded the OBE…It is justly deserved!”
"This award is really a recognition for our small but most wonderful community here in the UK, our work and what we stand for. I believe we are recognized as being fiercely loyal, tremendously successful and ultra royal,” declared an unassuming Mistry who was flooded with congratulatory messages.
During his tenure as the 24th president of ZTFE, the oldest Asian religious voluntary organization in the UK and the oldest Zoroastrian association in the West, Mistry was instrumental in spearheading community effort to purchase a disused grade II cinema, refurbish and convert it to the Zoroastrian Centre that was inaugurated in 2005. It was also during his presidency that the ZTFE was successful in organizing the first Royal visit in 2002 of Prince Edward and Sophie, Earl and Countess of Wessex as also in establishing the Zartoshty Brothers Lectureship in Zoroastrian Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies at London University. "I have to thank my friends and colleagues at the ZTFE for all their hard work and their unstinted support over this period. Nothing would have been possible without their efforts,” stated Mistry in his Thank You message.

Dorab Mistry greeting Queen Elizabeth II at an interfaith event

He further expressed his tribute to the late Mehraban Zartoshty, "the greatest Zoroastrian philanthropist of our times… who always inspired me and supported ZTFE and me… This humble self-effacing man had an enormous influence on me and was a father figure. I was very privileged and fortunate to enjoy his trust and confidence.”
Since 1977 Mistry has been in London handling the vegetable oil buying and trading portfolio for Godrej and being India’s representative on the managing committee of the International Association of Seed Crushers. When the respected price analyst "makes his speeches on palm oil forecast, international traders take note!” stated Deboo. Director of Godrej International Limited and vice president of Godrej in charge of the Far East who is required to travel extensively, Mistry remarked, "I am also most indebted to my employers – the Godrej family and in particular Adi Godrej and his brother Nadir Godrej – for their kindness to me and for giving me the latitude to undertake so much community work side by side with my company duties.”
Active on several interfaith organizations since 1997 where he represents the Zoroastrian community, he is one of the directors of the Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom and currently its co-vice chair. Besides being vice chair of the Faith Based Regeneration Network, Mistry offers his honorary service as treasurer here as also at the Council of Dharmic Faiths. He is a qualified chartered accountant from India who won the President’s gold medal.
"I owe a lot to the man in whose footsteps I followed – Jehangir Sarosh OBE and who is even today a mentor and a guide,” states Mistry, adding, "Zoroastrians in the UK have carved a unique niche and amongst many who have toiled to achieve this profile, Lord Karan Bilimoria stands the tallest.”
The dutiful son also acknowledged the cooperation and sacrifices made by members of his family, his late parents Tehmina and Erach "who let their only child go abroad to London in the interests of his career,” his maasi who later became his mother-in-law, the late Silloo Rustom Dalal (she was widowed over 30 years ago), and wife Shenaz for never complaining whilst extending a helping hand in community work. Their elder daughters Tina and Sherie have already served as elected chair of the Young Zoroastrians and represented ZTFE at interfaith gatherings in the UK and abroad. Youngest Roxanne has many role models in the family whom she can emulate, particularly her father who whilst yet a student at the Bombay University was recognized as a leader of the Indian National Congress I Youth Section and was well known to the then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay.
In 2001 as ZTFE president Mistry "had the opportunity to welcome Sanjay’s son Varun (then a student in the UK) to a Navroz function. His mum Maneka stressed that Sanjay and she had made a special effort to give him a Persian name Varun (meaning "worthy of the faith reposed in him” in Persian and god of sky, rain, celestial ocean in Hindu mythology) to emphasize his Zoroastrian heritage,” wrote Mistry.

Representing the Zoroastrian faith at the service to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on June 4, 2013 ZTFE president Malcolm Deboo considered it "an honor and a privilege... to be seated in such close proximity to Her Majesty and the Royal family.” Whilst the Queen, Prince Philip and other members of the Royal family were seated on one side of the altar, facing them were the religious representatives of the eight minority non-Christian faiths, notes a detailed report of the event by Deboo who had representatives of the Buddhist and Jain faiths on either side of him.
Making the occasion even more momentous was David Dimbleby, veteran news reporter for the BBC who was the live commentator during the Service. Deboo who was congratulated by Dimbleby for being conferred the pride of place reminded him of the Queen’s words last year when she declared that the Church of England "has created an environment for other faith communities and people of no faith to live freely.” This was an official endorsement of the freedom of religious practice in Britain.
A day prior to the service, Daily Telegraph’s video journalist Philip Green’s interview with Deboo was broadcast under the head, "Why will the Zoroastrians be praying for the Queen?” The video recording of the interview showed Deboo stressing on monotheism in the Zoroastrian religion and why it was incorrect to refer to the community as fire worshipers when in actuality they only prayed to the creator through His creations.
In response to the Queen’s first Christmas broadcast in 1953 when she had entreated listeners of all faiths to pray for her, the ZTFE requested its priests, Ervads Rustom Bhedwar, Marazban Dastoor and other younger mobeds to recite prayers seeking blessings for the Queen, Prince Philip, the House of Windsor, the UK and the Commonwealth. "In this realm may obedience smite disobedience. May peace smite discord. May generosity smite stinginess. May reverence smite pride. May truthfulness smite falsehood. May the glory giving comfort and ease, happiness, offspring and innate wisdom never leave the House of Windsor,” was the essence of the prayer.

On May 22, a joint statement was issued by representatives of the Faiths Forum for London (FFL) to "deplore the terrible attack that has taken place today in Woolwich. All our religions exalt the sanctity of human life and no grievance could justify such a barbaric assault that has cost a young man his life. Terrorism has no place on our streets… We will redouble our efforts to work for peace, love, understanding and hope.”
In the aftermath of the brutal murder of a soldier in cold blood on a street in London by two self-styled maverick jihadis, "the British Government has gone out of its way to calm the situation and avoid the right wing extremist groups (attempting) to foment hatred and trouble. The government is frantically involving communal and religious community and interfaith support in their endeavor not to let the incident get out of control in terms of communal retaliation,” conveyed erstwhile ZTFE president Rusi Dalal, adding, "Needless to say the authorities are fully aware of the Zoroastrian presence and their influence in UK’s affairs.”
FFL representatives had earlier met Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister, and other political leaders to request the government to ban extremist speakers being interviewed on TV. Besides funding mono faith Islamic groups, it is important for the government to support and fund existing groups with interfaith credentials, stressed Deboo. Projects such as Inter Faith Week and Year of Service deserve continued funding as they bring people of different faiths together and help break barriers, he added.