Under the azure dome, before Islam's arrival in the 7th Century, the Persians, in what is today's Iran, began battling evil with fire. Despite Islamic traditionalists' dislike of "superstitious" ritual, the practice of purifying one's body and soul has survived in Iran and thrived into the present-day Festival of Fire. The annual celebration is the one secular event — probably beside national soccer victories — that is celebrated by every Iranian regardless of religious affiliations. Last night, instead of leaping over bonfires, Toronto's 100,000-strong Iranian Canadian community ushered in the festival with fireworks at Sunnybrook Park and Mel Lastman Square,...