Editorial Viewpoint
A lost opportunity?
With relations between Iran and the world thawing due to the more pragmatic approach adopted by the new president Hassan Rouhani, this would be a good time to strengthen ties between those residing in the cradle of Zoroastrianism and elsewhere, especially India.
At the 1978 Second World Zoroastrian Congress (WZC) held at Bombay’s Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Hall (now the National Gallery for Modern Art), the Iranian delegation was in full force. Iran was flush with petro dollars, the Shah was much revered and so the Iranians at the Congress were accorded pride of place. Those attending included philanthropists Arbab and Madame Rustam Guiv, former deputy prime minister of Iran Dr Farhang Mehr and scholar Ali Jafarey. Thanks to the pro-Zoroastrian tilt of the then Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, many Parsis and Iranians from India shifted to the ancient homeland of Zoroastrianism in search of greener pastures.
A year later Iran was in turmoil with the tyrannical Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini unleashing a reign of terror. The fundamentalist sway of the mullahs remained for decades. In the former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the ayatollahs found a kindred soul who appeared bent on cocking a snook at the rest of the world, especially the USA. Iran became an international pariah. But now the country appears to be emerging from those dark days.
In strengthening ties with the Iranian Zoroastrians the North American community has an advantage due to the considerable migration over the last 30 years of many Iranians to the West. Initially dissimilarities in language, culture, religious practices and food preferences led to strained relations. The Iranians had lived under dictatorships all their lives. The Parsis from India had resided in a maturing democracy. Zoroastrian associations split, with the Iranians often forming their own body. As USA based journalist Porus Cooper commented in his article "The ZAGNY (Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York) split” (Parsiana, June 1985), "cultural differences magnified by personal incompatibilities” led to the Iranians forming their own association, the Iranian Zoroastrian Association (IZA). As Dr Rostam Sarfeh, who introduced Guiv to the New York Parsis in need of a community center, commented at the time, "Don’t think that these fellows have split for the fun of it. They have been deeply hurt. The Parsis have a poor opinion of the (Iranian) Zoroastrians. These are not the same Iranians who clean tables in Bombay chaikhanas (tea stalls). These Iranians are highly educated.”
But at the 16th North American Zarathushti Congress held in New York in 2012, both, ZAGNY and the IZA, worked in tandem to host the memorable meet. The occasion also marked the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA).
The Indian Parsis traditionally viewed the Iranian Zoroastrians with condescension. Minorities were repressed in Iran, treated as second class citizens, denied their rights and condemned to a life of deprivation. This led to Parsi philanthropists such as Pestonji Marker, Petit and other families extending aid to their brethren in Iran with people such as Maneckji Hataria fighting for their upliftment. The gratitude of the Iranians was demonstrated by the vast fortunes given by people like Guiv and the Zartoshty brothers, Faridoon and Mehraban, in financially assisting the Parsis in India, North America and elsewhere.
Through dint of hard work, perseverance and intelligence the Iranian migrants to India slowly emerged as a strong economic force. Today the Bombay based Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman assists more Parsis than Iranis.
Thus the Tenth WZC to be held in Bombay this December would be the ideal opportunity for Indian Parsis to revive the bonds with their Iranian brethren and even to make amends for the slights of the past. There is much the two communities can gain from mutual interaction. After the Rivayets exchanged between India and Iran in the 15th century and later years, there has been little religious dialog between the two peoples. The Indian high priests and some others have been dismissive and even disparaging about the religious rites of their Iranian counterparts. Having lived in a highly repressive Islamic society, restrictions are inherent on religious practices, madressas, the pursuit of scholarship...
Despite that drawback, today we find the Zoroastrians in Iran taking the lead in religious matters. Aside from their fire temples being open to all — as they should be, Zoroastrianism being a universal religion — they have also initiated women into the priesthood as was the custom in ancient times. It is the Indian Parsis that appear to be fundamentalists.
There is every chance that the opportunity the Congress proffers to improve ties between the two communities may be lost. When Parsiana inquired from Mobed Mehraban Firouzgary of Iran whether he would be attending the Congress he replied, "the Congress authorities have refrained from replying to mine and, especially, to other Iranian community leaders’ request for advice as to whether either of us could be of any help or would be allowed any time slot during the Congress proceedings. With that kind of (slight) I have decided to spend the majority of my 10-day trip (December 24 to January 3) with my son’s family.”
We forwarded Firouzgary’s lament to Bombay Parsi Punchayet chairman Dinshaw Mehta who termed the allegations "shocking” and asked his colleagues for feedback. On being informed of the correspondence Firouzgary replied to Parsiana: "I am highly grateful for your taking up, so promptly, the case of the WZCongress organizing committee’s silence on indicating any set programs or time slots about formal participation of Iranian personalities like (the) present Member of Majlis Dr Esfandiyar Ekhtiyari, the Tehran Zoroastrian Anjuman President Dr Rustam Khosraviani (both of them have registered as ordinary participants) and their likes. Besides such considerations Iranian participants had missed a great deal of benefits from previous WZCongresses due to their difficulty in communicating in English. Dire requests for Farsi interpreters had been raised during the London and the Dubai Congresses. My earlier query as to any arrangement that may have been envisaged for such a facility and my subsequent request on behalf of a lady who had offered her services as such, have both remained unanswered. As a consequence when a team of our youth with cultural (leaning) approached me to write on their behalf, if they would be given a chance to participate, I excused myself for obvious reasons and told them to look for other approaches.
"I would not consider that my emails may not have been reaching them for, to almost every one of my emails a reply indicating the terms and conditions of registration, including concessions in the terms and mode of payments would be sent in reply.”
Parsiana must also admit that we have been amiss in not giving adequate coverage to the Zoroastrians in Iran. Michael Strausberg, professor of religion at the University of Bergen in Norway on a visit to our office inquired why we did not write about our Iranian brethren when they too had an anjuman, fire temples, a priesthood, dakhmas/aramgahs, dwindling population, etc. There is no doubt a language barrier exists but there are Zoroastrians in Iran who are conversant with English. We have been lax but promise to make amends. The Congress, however, should not be a lost opportunity to strengthen bonds.
At the 1978 Second World Zoroastrian Congress (WZC) held at Bombay’s Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Hall (now the National Gallery for Modern Art), the Iranian delegation was in full force. Iran was flush with petro dollars, the Shah was much revered and so the Iranians at the Congress were accorded pride of place. Those attending included philanthropists Arbab and Madame Rustam Guiv, former deputy prime minister of Iran Dr Farhang Mehr and scholar Ali Jafarey. Thanks to the pro-Zoroastrian tilt of the then Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, many Parsis and Iranians from India shifted to the ancient homeland of Zoroastrianism in search of greener pastures.
A year later Iran was in turmoil with the tyrannical Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini unleashing a reign of terror. The fundamentalist sway of the mullahs remained for decades. In the former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the ayatollahs found a kindred soul who appeared bent on cocking a snook at the rest of the world, especially the USA. Iran became an international pariah. But now the country appears to be emerging from those dark days.
In strengthening ties with the Iranian Zoroastrians the North American community has an advantage due to the considerable migration over the last 30 years of many Iranians to the West. Initially dissimilarities in language, culture, religious practices and food preferences led to strained relations. The Iranians had lived under dictatorships all their lives. The Parsis from India had resided in a maturing democracy. Zoroastrian associations split, with the Iranians often forming their own body. As USA based journalist Porus Cooper commented in his article "The ZAGNY (Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York) split” (Parsiana, June 1985), "cultural differences magnified by personal incompatibilities” led to the Iranians forming their own association, the Iranian Zoroastrian Association (IZA). As Dr Rostam Sarfeh, who introduced Guiv to the New York Parsis in need of a community center, commented at the time, "Don’t think that these fellows have split for the fun of it. They have been deeply hurt. The Parsis have a poor opinion of the (Iranian) Zoroastrians. These are not the same Iranians who clean tables in Bombay chaikhanas (tea stalls). These Iranians are highly educated.”
But at the 16th North American Zarathushti Congress held in New York in 2012, both, ZAGNY and the IZA, worked in tandem to host the memorable meet. The occasion also marked the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA).
The Indian Parsis traditionally viewed the Iranian Zoroastrians with condescension. Minorities were repressed in Iran, treated as second class citizens, denied their rights and condemned to a life of deprivation. This led to Parsi philanthropists such as Pestonji Marker, Petit and other families extending aid to their brethren in Iran with people such as Maneckji Hataria fighting for their upliftment. The gratitude of the Iranians was demonstrated by the vast fortunes given by people like Guiv and the Zartoshty brothers, Faridoon and Mehraban, in financially assisting the Parsis in India, North America and elsewhere.
Through dint of hard work, perseverance and intelligence the Iranian migrants to India slowly emerged as a strong economic force. Today the Bombay based Iranian Zoroastrian Anjuman assists more Parsis than Iranis.
Thus the Tenth WZC to be held in Bombay this December would be the ideal opportunity for Indian Parsis to revive the bonds with their Iranian brethren and even to make amends for the slights of the past. There is much the two communities can gain from mutual interaction. After the Rivayets exchanged between India and Iran in the 15th century and later years, there has been little religious dialog between the two peoples. The Indian high priests and some others have been dismissive and even disparaging about the religious rites of their Iranian counterparts. Having lived in a highly repressive Islamic society, restrictions are inherent on religious practices, madressas, the pursuit of scholarship...
Despite that drawback, today we find the Zoroastrians in Iran taking the lead in religious matters. Aside from their fire temples being open to all — as they should be, Zoroastrianism being a universal religion — they have also initiated women into the priesthood as was the custom in ancient times. It is the Indian Parsis that appear to be fundamentalists.
There is every chance that the opportunity the Congress proffers to improve ties between the two communities may be lost. When Parsiana inquired from Mobed Mehraban Firouzgary of Iran whether he would be attending the Congress he replied, "the Congress authorities have refrained from replying to mine and, especially, to other Iranian community leaders’ request for advice as to whether either of us could be of any help or would be allowed any time slot during the Congress proceedings. With that kind of (slight) I have decided to spend the majority of my 10-day trip (December 24 to January 3) with my son’s family.”
We forwarded Firouzgary’s lament to Bombay Parsi Punchayet chairman Dinshaw Mehta who termed the allegations "shocking” and asked his colleagues for feedback. On being informed of the correspondence Firouzgary replied to Parsiana: "I am highly grateful for your taking up, so promptly, the case of the WZCongress organizing committee’s silence on indicating any set programs or time slots about formal participation of Iranian personalities like (the) present Member of Majlis Dr Esfandiyar Ekhtiyari, the Tehran Zoroastrian Anjuman President Dr Rustam Khosraviani (both of them have registered as ordinary participants) and their likes. Besides such considerations Iranian participants had missed a great deal of benefits from previous WZCongresses due to their difficulty in communicating in English. Dire requests for Farsi interpreters had been raised during the London and the Dubai Congresses. My earlier query as to any arrangement that may have been envisaged for such a facility and my subsequent request on behalf of a lady who had offered her services as such, have both remained unanswered. As a consequence when a team of our youth with cultural (leaning) approached me to write on their behalf, if they would be given a chance to participate, I excused myself for obvious reasons and told them to look for other approaches.
"I would not consider that my emails may not have been reaching them for, to almost every one of my emails a reply indicating the terms and conditions of registration, including concessions in the terms and mode of payments would be sent in reply.”
Parsiana must also admit that we have been amiss in not giving adequate coverage to the Zoroastrians in Iran. Michael Strausberg, professor of religion at the University of Bergen in Norway on a visit to our office inquired why we did not write about our Iranian brethren when they too had an anjuman, fire temples, a priesthood, dakhmas/aramgahs, dwindling population, etc. There is no doubt a language barrier exists but there are Zoroastrians in Iran who are conversant with English. We have been lax but promise to make amends. The Congress, however, should not be a lost opportunity to strengthen bonds.
◆ ◆ ◆
From the archive