Posted on 10/12/2006 5:40:31 PM PDT by freedom44
Flicking through photographs of immigrant Zoroastrian friends in sunny California, 40-year-old Farzad Dehnavizadeh sighs and wishes the young people of his faith would stop leaving Iran for the west.
His 40,000-strong Zoroastrian community has survived centuries of conquest, oppression and forced conversion to keep their 3,200-year-old monotheistic faith alive and guard ancient traditions in Shiite Muslim majority Iran.
Having withstood the ravages of history, the community is now threatened by emigration, which is day by day robbing the Zoroastrians of their precious youth.
Precise figures on the scale of the exodus are not available but sources in the community estimate that at the very least hundreds of young Zoroastrians are leaving Iran for the United States or Canada every year.
Some of the resettlement has also been encouraged by a US programme for religious minorities -- the HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) -- which originally facilitated the immigration of Jews.
"I am very sad that they are leaving, their second generation will have no idea of Iran and Zoroastrian culture," said Dehnavizadeh, a successful engineer and an active member of the Zoroastrian community.
"I do not like the term 'religious minority' for us. Iran can be home to all world Zoroastrians," he said of some 200,000 followers of the Zoroastrian prophet Zarathustra.
GGG?
I feel sorry for this guy, but I would still encourage, Zoroastrians to come west.
In Iran
Zoroastrians in Iran have, like other religious minorities, survived centuries of persecution. Communities exist in Tehran, as well as in Yazd and Kerman, where many still speak an Iranian language distinct from Persian. They call their language Dari (not to be confused with the Dari of Afghanistan). Their language is also called Gabri or Behdinan (literally "Of the Good Religion"). Sometimes their language is named for the cities in which it is spoken, Yazdi or Kermani. Iranian Zoroastrians were historically derogatorily called Gabar (roughly translated as 'infidel') by Muslim neighbours. The term is still used but has lost much of its derogatory meaning.
In India
Parsi Navjote ceremony (rites of admission into the Zoroastrian faith)Main article: Parsis, the Zoroastrians of the Indian subcontinent.
Subsequent to the fall of the Persian Empire, after which Zoroastrianism was gradually supplanted by Islam, many Zoroastrians fled to other regions in the hope of preserving their religious tradition. Among them were several groups who migrated to Gujarat, on the western shores of the Indian subcontinent, where they finally settled. The descendants of those refugees are today known as the Parsis.
In contrast to their co-religionists elsewhere, in India the Zoroastrians enjoyed tolerance and even admiration from other religious communities. From the 19th century onward, the Parsis gained a reputation for their education and widespread influence in all aspects of society, partly due to the divisive strategy of British colonialism which favored certain minorities. As such, Parsis are generally more affluent than other Indians and are stereotypically viewed as among the most Anglicised and "Westernised" of Indian minority groups. They have also played an instrumental role in the economic development of the country over many decades; several of the best-known business conglomerates of India are run by Parsi-Zoroastrians, including the Tata, Godrej, and Wadia families.
Famous Zoroastrians
Famous Parsis include the founder of Indian Civil Aviation and legendary industrialist J. R. D. Tata; Indian freedom fighters Pherozeshah Mehta, Dadabhai Naoroji and Bhikaiji Cama; musicians symphonic conductor Zubin Mehta and rock icon Freddie Mercury (Farrokh Bulsara); nuclear scientist Homi J. Bhabha, the similarly-named philosopher Homi K. Bhabha; the first field marshall of India Sam Manekshaw, screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala (of the films Salaam Bombay and Mississippi Masala), both directed by Mira Nair, as well as author of a photography book on the Parsi community entitled Parsis: The Zoroastrians of India: a Photographic Journey); and authors Rohinton Mistry, and Bapsi Sidhwa. Indian industrial families Tata family, Godrej family and Wadia family are also of Parsi Zoroastrian background.
Famous Zoroastrians from the more recently arrived Irani community include legendary Bollywood director Ardeshir Irani, the actress Aruna Irani, the cricketer Ronnie Irani, the comedian-actor Boman Irani, the Indian TV actress Smriti Irani (famous for playing Tulsi on Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi), the famous Indian spiritual master Meher Baba and the actress Perizaad Zorabian.
One of the most famous Iranian Zoroastrians is Dr. Farhang Mehr, former deputy prime minister of Iran, Boston University professor emeritus, longtime activist for religious freedom, and subject of the biography "Triumph Over Discrimination" by another Zoroastrian (of Parsi and Haitian descent), Lylah M. Alphonse.
I'd bet that if they opened the borders that Zoroastrians aren't the only people who would flee Iran. The country would probably empty out.
Zoroastrians were historically derogatorily called Gabar (roughly translated as 'infidel') by Muslim neighbours. 
"I am very sad that they are leaving, their second generation will have no idea of Iran and Zoroastrian culture," said Dehnavizadeh
I disagree. Although I empathize with his view/sentiments, it is also easy to be reminiscing about the faith & what is happening in Iran while sitting in “sunny California”.
About the second quote: If anything, by leaving IR ruled Iran, the current and new generation of Zoroastrians will be able to maintain their culture much more freely.
The exodus of Zoroastrians is nothing new (look at the Parsis and Iranis). By leaving the first Arab-Islam invasion of Iran, they were able to preserve their culture much more effectively. And, I have no doubt that the “second generation” will have every idea and knowledge about Zoroastrian culture and Iran. But, perhaps, not of Islamic Republic of Iran.
As one Zoroastrian community leader, Mr Dehnavizadeh will have a role to play in contributing to the process of cultural maintenance and promotion of this faith including among current and new generations of Zoroastrians outside of Iran.
I am also certain that once IR is permanently gone from Iran, Iran will be the true home for all Zoroastrians from around the world, as it has always been.
What about the great Freddie Mercury?
I assume you got the above from wikipedia? A minor point to clarify is that "Gabar" or "Guebre" was a term originally used for Zoroastrians, after the Arab-Islam invasion of Iran in the 7th Century, and it means "fire-worshippers".
Perhaps, a derogatory term, but mostly a term used by the Bedouin Muslim Arabs in ignorance, since they really didn't understand nor cared to understand the philosophy behind the faith.
Meant to include you on posts # 8 and 10.
About the spoken language: In Iran, they, mostly, speak Parsi/Farsi (standard Persian language of Iran) not Dari. Though, there are some differences in dialect & accents in Yazd and Kerman.
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I'd like to see more Zoroastrian immigrants to this country. They really seem like cool folks.
"You got a funny profile page. I know it's completely off topic. ;>P"
lol, thanks! :-)
Can we get a rim shot...? :>P
Very Funny!
I have met a couple of California Zoros. One of their beliefs is that the Magi mentioned in the Gospel account were Zoroastrians.
"the Magi mentioned in the Gospel account were Zoroastrians."
The Magi = Zoroastrian Priests, originally Medes in ancient Iran, adopted Zoroastrianism when the faith spread throughout Iran (Persia). They were also known as early Astrologers/Astronomers. Apparently, they predicted the birth of Christ before it happened.
They were the 3 wise men who travelled to Bethleham for the birth of Jesus Christ.
Typo correction:
Bethleham = Bethlehem
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