Readers' Forum
“Concourse at the…”
It was abhorrent to read of Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) trustee Khojeste Mistree rebutting attorney general of Maharashtra Darius Khambata’s observation at the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress in Bombay that ours was and is a universal religion.
In his long clarificatory letter Ervad (Dr) Kersey Antia of Chicago has also rejected Mistree’s contention that Zoroastrianism is not a universal religion ("Concourse at the congress,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, March 7, 2014).
Mistree believes he alone has the right to interpret our religion and that the rest are renegades preaching apostasy.
Let me catalog here our scriptures which emphatically state the universality of our religion: Aiwisruthrem gah, Ha 20 of Yazeshene (Framraota no Ha), Moti Haptan Yasht, prayers recited to remember the departed souls (two references), Dua Tandarosti (in Pazand), Din no Kalmo, the nirang to follow a nyaish/yasht, In Praise of Zarathushtra, Fravardin Yasht (eight references) and the Gathas.
Should we believe a propagandist who wants to upturn our scriptures or trust the scriptures themselves? Let us reject all such doctrinaire persons out of hand and not vote for them at the next BPP trusteeship elections.
B. T. DASTUR
In his long clarificatory letter Ervad (Dr) Kersey Antia of Chicago has also rejected Mistree’s contention that Zoroastrianism is not a universal religion ("Concourse at the congress,” Readers’ Forum, Parsiana, March 7, 2014).
Mistree believes he alone has the right to interpret our religion and that the rest are renegades preaching apostasy.
Let me catalog here our scriptures which emphatically state the universality of our religion: Aiwisruthrem gah, Ha 20 of Yazeshene (Framraota no Ha), Moti Haptan Yasht, prayers recited to remember the departed souls (two references), Dua Tandarosti (in Pazand), Din no Kalmo, the nirang to follow a nyaish/yasht, In Praise of Zarathushtra, Fravardin Yasht (eight references) and the Gathas.
Should we believe a propagandist who wants to upturn our scriptures or trust the scriptures themselves? Let us reject all such doctrinaire persons out of hand and not vote for them at the next BPP trusteeship elections.
B. T. DASTUR
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