Iran's Zoroastrians remember Arab conquest of Persia

AP ^ | 6/18/07 | AP

[freedom44]

CHAK CHAK, Iran (AP) - Dressed in white to symbolize purity, a priest recited from the Zoroastrian holy book at a shrine as members of this ancient pre-Islamic religion marked what they see as one of the most bitter events in Iran's history: the 7th century Arab conquest of Persia.

The Arab invasion changed history for Persia, the ancient name for non-Arab Iran: Islam was imposed as the new religion, replacing Zoroastrianism, whose followers were dispersed.

Thousands of Zoroastrians from Iran's small remaining community and from India, the United States and other countries gathered at this mountain shrine this week for five days of ceremonies that ended Monday, commemorating the event.

Priest Goshtasb Belivani addressed the gathering, standing at the tall bronze doors of the shrine, built into a cliff-side cave where a heroine of the faith, Nikbanou, is said to have fled from the Arab assault. «We have all gathered at this sacred place to pray Ahura Mazda,» he said, using the Zoroastrians' name for God. «We are also here to remember Nikbanou and what happened to our ancestors by the Arab invaders.

Belivani spoke to the crowd in modern Farsi, before reciting the verses from the Avesta, the faith's holy book, in an ancient version of the language.

According to legend, Nikbanou, the youngest daughter of the last king of the Persian empire, took shelter in the mountain and prayed to Ahura Mazda for help from the attackers. Miraculously, the mountain opened up and gave her protection.

Near the shrine, a slowly dripping spring emerges from the mountain, giving the site its name _ «Chak Chak» means «drip drip» in Persian. The legend says the spring is the mountain shedding tears in remembrance of Nikbanou. An immense tree stands nearby, said to have grown from Nikbanou's cane.

The legends regretting the invasion that brought Islam to this country highlight the unusual status of Zoroastrians in today's Iran ruled by an Islamic government headed by clerics.

Since coming to power in the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Republic has tolerated the sect, giving it official status and guaranteeing a Zoroastrian seat in parliament. It also allows its members to practice their rites. For example, while the law forbids mixed dancing, Zoroastrian men and women are permitted to dance together and play music as part of their worship in special places like temples or covered buildings.

Still, the Zoroastrian community's numbers have dwindled to around 50,000, down from 300,000 in the 1970s, with many emigrating to the U.S.

Human rights reports say Zoroastrians like members of Iran's small Jewish and Christian minorities suffer some discrimination, kept out of some jobs. But many Zoroastrians left simply because of the general restrictions on all Iranian society imposed by the Islamic government.

Still, Zoroastrian traditions remain embedded in Iran, where the population of 70 million overwhelmingly Shiite Muslim take deep pride in their pre-Islamic civilization.

Every year, Iranians of all religions mark Chahar-Shanbe Suri, or the Wednesday feast, part of celebrations for the Persian New Year, in March. During the rites, Iranians light bonfires in the streets and jump over them and dance, hoping to put failures behind them and the rite has persisted despite attempts by the ruling clerics to discourage it as un-Islamic.

Zoroastrians are not a big population in Iran but our rituals remain widely respected not only in Iran but other parts of the world, said chief Zoroastrian priest Ardeshir Khorshidian.

At Chak Chak also known by the name Pir-e Sabz, 550 kilometers southeast of the capital Tehran the pilgrims crowded into pavilions set up at the base of the mountain, below the shrine in the cliff. Families sitting on rugs had picnics, while children danced and their parents attended prayers in the shrine.

For many Zoroastrians, summer begins with a pilgrimage to Pir-e-Sabz, said Pedram Soroushpour. This event is a symbol of Zoroastrians remaining loyal to their manners and rituals.

[Plutarch]

Persia was the name the Greek, Romans and later other foreigners called the Country/Empire, referring to the people of the Fars province.

Iran (previously Aryanam), meaning "Land of the Aryans" has been the natives' name for their country since ancient times, long before Islam appeared.

Well that is something I had wondered about that you've explained. That Herodotus, he calls you something, the name sticks.

[wideawake]

I'd be careful with this description.

I was, which is why I did not mention fair hair.

At the time of his conquests of these areas, Alexander's armies did not have a very large Greek contingent any more - his invasion of India was undertaken with a force consisting almost entirely of Asian-born troops.

Hence the carping about how he had "gone native" with his Persian dress, Asian troops, Bactrian wife, etc.

I don't buy into the theory that Alexander's Greek troops had a significant impact on the gene pool - there were many more of Alexander's troops stationed in Egypt than there were in India and Egyptians don't look like Punjabis.

[borntoraisehogs]

My gardener says Zorro means fox in mesican.

[docbnj]

The Aryans that were the center of Nazi ideology were not “blond, blue-eyed” exclusively, or even primarily. You are thinking perhaps of Nordics, who were favorites; but even they had hair and eyes of various colors.

Nazi beliefs have been stereotyped by movies and other media. In the interests of historical accuracy, we should make an effort to get record straight.

The Nazi racial theorists did believe that various physical types and ethnic strains had different psychological characteristics. They lamented the scarcity of Nordics in Germany, and wished to promote and expand their numbers, a policy they call “Aufnordung.” We might roughly translate that as Nordic promotion. Nordics were thought to be adventurous, and with good leadership qualities. Official propaganda also had good things to say about other groups, which was only good politics, because many Germans are not Nordic.

Aryan is often called a linguistic term, equivalent to Indo-European. Just where the original Indo-Europeans originated is still a subject of debate. The Capsian area is favored by one theory; the Iranian Plateau by another. The Baltics is favorite, and North Germany and Poland have been suggested.

[SolidWood]

there were many more of Alexander's troops stationed in Egypt than there were in India and Egyptians don't look like Punjabis.

Following Alexanders demise, during the Diadoch and Roman time, the people (at least the upper class) certainly had a strong Greek influence. But anyway, todays Egyptians are to the vast majority descendants of the invading Arabs.

I don't buy into the theory that Alexander's Greek troops had a significant impact on the gene pool

I'm ambivalent on this. The Graeco-Baktrian Kingdom in the Punjab region, following Alexander, had an evidently greek culture. Artworks show European features. There had to be Greeks among them, at least at the top. Today, as you said, there are people with bright eyes, light complexion and fair hair. I won't totally rule out an influence by Greeks in the region.

However your position is being corrobated by the fact that the Mazanderani and Gilaki people (North-Iranians living at the south coast of the Caspian) who are natives and had little intercourse with other people, have lighter complexion, eyes and hair.

Prominent example of a Mazanderani is the Ali Larijani, the Iranian regime's nuke negotiator:

[wideawake]

Prominent example of a Mazanderani is the Ali Larijani, the Iranian regime's nuke negotiator

Thanks for that tidbit. I had no idea.

[Vigilanteman]

The Zoroastrians followed one of the most logical and civilized of Pre-Christian religions. They beleived life was a struggle between good and evil and held hope that the birth of Jesus would move the needle in the direction of good. This is the key reason the Persians kings were so anxious to visit the Christ child. This would be a logical step for the Modern Persians to get back to when he comes again, as he surely will.

[SolidWood]

You are correct.
The point I was trying to make was a distinction between the Nazi “Aryan” and the historical Indo-Iranian Aryans.

[SolidWood]

Persians kings were so anxious to visit the Christ child. This would be a logical step for the Modern Persians to get back to when he comes again, as he surely will.

My wife (Persian), did exatly this, and has embraced Jesus Christ as her Lord.

[Enosh]

Hallelujah!

[sasportas]

“Zoroastrianism, unlike Judaism, is a dualistic system in which two powers of either equal or almost equal strength vie for mastery over the world.

Some cultural anthropologists say that the Jewish concept of the yetzrim - the good and evil impulses in each person - is a cultural borrowing from Zoroastrianism during the Babylonian captivity, since there is evidence of Zoroastrian presence in Babylon.”

From the fall of Jerusalem to about 1000 AD, the largest population of Jews lived in Babylon. They were there certainly long enough to, as you say, borrow from Zoroastrianism. Strong evidence of their “borrowing” appears in the two sides of the Kabbalistic sephiroth.

[fatez]

Egyptians are to the vast majority descendants of the invading Arabs.

Actually the Arabs were and are a minority in all so-called Arab lands except in Arabia. The Egyptians are native (Copts). They adopted the Arab language and Islam over centuries. Syria was still a Christian majority nation until the First Crusade. In fact the crusades backfired when the Latin west went on rampages against there Christian brethern in the near east. This drove lots of Christians to embrace Islam. It has been estimated that the whole Arab empire for the first hundred years was ruled by about 1% of the population (meaning Arab Muslims).

I personally think the US could exploit some of the latent nationalism in Iran and Egypt. Most Egyptians think of themselves as Egyptians first, Arabs second. The rest of the Arab world looks at them that way also. The US should be playing up the Persian aspect of the humilating loss to the Arabs. The Persians do not like the Arabs overall.

[fatez]

Keep in mind I mean genetically “pure” Arabs are a minority in the so-called Arab lands. Culturally and lingulistically and religously, they are Arabs now.

[parisa]

By and large a good, positive, and accurate account of the Zoroastrians of Iran, and coming from AP that's a great achievements.

One becomes nostalgic for all those beautiful IRANIAN names. I wish our American friends here could understand how much sublime, pictorial, meaning, history and culure they carry behind them:

Nikbanau -- the lady of purest heart

Chak Chak -- drop by drop

Pir-e Sabz -- the GREEN Grand Elder/ The Ancient Pasture

Pedram and Goshtasb and Ahura Mazda!

Iranians yearn their past as they regret their present ever more.

Thank you for posting this. It brought a tear to my eyes.

[SolidWood]

Interesting.
I made some quick research and you are of course right about the Egyptian population. Didn’t know that.
I was under the impression that only the Coptic Christians were the remaining native Egyptians, while Muslim majority are of mixed Arab-Egyptian descent.

[FARS]

Your info is good. FYI the non-Arab or Pakistan spelling is Pahlavi not Pahlevi. Yes, nitpicking but not in a mean way.

[FARS]

Beg to differ on the connotation of “dark hair” etc. - while not generally blond, they acquired their dark side (so to speak) not their blue and green eyes from the Greeks whose Mediterranean darker skin and eyes “congtminated a very light skinned people with lots of blue eyes. For example the nomadic Bakhtiari tribes who avoided “pollution” have a huge number of blue eyed members.

[FARS]

The Zoroastrian primary triple tenet is a great way to live:

Good Thoughts (lead to ) Good Words (which combine into) Good Deeds. This is all any religion needs.

By contrast Islam is a personification of evil and Allah derives from a wooden idol in Mecca.

For a good sense of islam check out the article and link to a video on AntiMullah: NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED

http://noiri.blogspot.com/2007/06/gentle-stoning-of-islam.html

[SolidWood]

the non-Arab or Pakistan spelling is Pahlavi not Pahlevi.

You are of course right. Actually I always write Pahlavi, but I am currently reading an old german book on Reza Shah, and they call him (germanized) "Resa Schah Pahlewi" and so the e stuck in my mind.

[nativist]

Similar, I guess, to our term Caucasian to describe whites in the US. My Russian friend from Moscow said that Caucasians are Asian in appearance and are not like by white Russians, especially Western white Russians.