Readers' Forum
Genocide in Iraq
In Iraq jehadis are mercilessly slaughtering the Yazidis. In Mumbai Mirror of August 13, 2014, columnist Pritish Nandi referred to the Yazidis as being people of Zoroastrian origin. Two days earlier the Hindustan Times had referred to Yazidis as being people who were influenced greatly by the ancient Zoroastrian religion of Persia.
The newspapers have claimed that if US President Barack Obama does not act in time, the Yazidis will be wiped out. Earlier, women and children, some of them still alive, were buried in mass graves on the pretext that the Yazidis are devil worshippers. I dare say that the barbaric jehadis are devils themselves — all in the name of religion. This is nothing but genocide since the victims refused to be converted.
My sincere feelings, which should resonate in every Zoroastrian’s heart, are that if we have survived today as a race, a community and as practitioners of Zoroastrianism, we owe gratitude to the Hindus of India and the secular democratic traditions of the country that are to be admired.
It is a shame that WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis), Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta and the orthodox clergy have got their priorities wrong, pursuing matters involving Doongerwadi and the dead. The living are now being killed, and the question: "What could have been done to raise the world’s consciousness?” becomes irrelevant. I feel a lot could have been done. Former BPP chairman Minoo Shroff had protested against a Hollywood propaganda movie which showed how the Persian army in pre-Islamic days was conquered by a handful of Roman/Greek fighters. Shroff called this a distortion of history.
Leaders choose to parade as holy humbugs to disguise their avaricious propensity to procure position, power, pecuniary gain — the Yazidis be damned, the Zoroastrian population in India be damned. And the World Zoroastrian Congress along with the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India will cease to be of consequence and remain congregations of foodies.
RASHID G. KHOSRAVI
The newspapers have claimed that if US President Barack Obama does not act in time, the Yazidis will be wiped out. Earlier, women and children, some of them still alive, were buried in mass graves on the pretext that the Yazidis are devil worshippers. I dare say that the barbaric jehadis are devils themselves — all in the name of religion. This is nothing but genocide since the victims refused to be converted.
My sincere feelings, which should resonate in every Zoroastrian’s heart, are that if we have survived today as a race, a community and as practitioners of Zoroastrianism, we owe gratitude to the Hindus of India and the secular democratic traditions of the country that are to be admired.
It is a shame that WAPIZ (World Alliance of Parsi Irani Zarthoshtis), Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) chairman Dinshaw Mehta and the orthodox clergy have got their priorities wrong, pursuing matters involving Doongerwadi and the dead. The living are now being killed, and the question: "What could have been done to raise the world’s consciousness?” becomes irrelevant. I feel a lot could have been done. Former BPP chairman Minoo Shroff had protested against a Hollywood propaganda movie which showed how the Persian army in pre-Islamic days was conquered by a handful of Roman/Greek fighters. Shroff called this a distortion of history.
Leaders choose to parade as holy humbugs to disguise their avaricious propensity to procure position, power, pecuniary gain — the Yazidis be damned, the Zoroastrian population in India be damned. And the World Zoroastrian Congress along with the Federation of the Parsi Zoroastrian Anjumans of India will cease to be of consequence and remain congregations of foodies.
RASHID G. KHOSRAVI
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