Wednesday, January 30, 2008

ARZ push "Acceptance" and "Conversion" - now inviting Kersey Antia from Chicago, of all people

From: TZML Admins
Date: Jan 30, 2008 8:26 PM
Subject: ARZ push "Acceptance" and "Conversion" - now inviting Kersey
Antia from Chicago, of all people
To: TZML <TraditionalZarathushtris@yahoogroups.com>

OUR COMMUNITY AND RELIGION ARE IN DANGER OF BEING SWAMPED BY
SOME IRRELIGIOUS IDEAS.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ALL GOOD ZARATHUSHTIS YOU KNOW OF SO
THAT THEY REALISE THE TRUTH AND DO NOT FALL IN FOR THE EXPENSIVE
ADVERTISEMENTS IN PARSI PAPERS.

BEING ARMED WITH THE TRUTH YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SPOT THE REAL FROM THE UNREAL

HUMATA HUKHTA HAVARASHTA!

30 January 2008

Dear Zarathushti humdins,
cc: Vada Dasturjis,
cc: Ervad Sahebs,
cc: The Parsee Voice,
cc: Zoroastrian Studies,
cc: Parsi Pukar,
cc: Dini-Awaz,
cc: Prominent Zoroastrians,
cc: TZML
cc: TMYZ officials


Subject: ARZ CONTINUE THEIR "ACCEPTANCE" MISTAKE - NOW INVITE KERSEY
ANTIA FROM CHICAGO, OF ALL PEOPLE

Subject: ARZ CONTINUE THEIR "ACCEPTANCE" MISTAKE - NOW INVITE KERSEY
ANTIA FROM CHICAGO, OF ALL PEOPLE

A Happy New Year to all of you.

Lets pray that the New Year brings the best for the Zoroastrian community.

Lets pray that our community comes back to its traditional roots and
not be misguided by groups who do not know the ABCs of the complex and
ritual based Zarathushti religion.


One such group is ARZ - who have been aptly called the Association of
Ruination of Zoroastrianism.

Over the last many months ARZ has been pouring money into expensive
adverts in the Jame Jamshed weekly - money which could well be spent
on more important essentials like the Kathi Funds for Agiaries - in
launching a campaign to spread "Acceptance" in our community.

By "Acceptance", them mean full-frontal "conversion" of
non-Zoroastrian spouses of intermarried Zoroastrians.

For the information of dear readers, "conversion" or proselytism as
such does not exist in the Zoroastrian religion. When people ask
"Didn't Zarathushtra convert people into Zoroastrians?". The answer is
a categorical "No".

When Prophet Zarathushtra was born, the people were already in the
Mazdayasni faith. Zarathushtra just re-revealed the religion and
rooted out all the wrong practises that had crept in it, and lo and
behold, the Mazdayasnis were henceforth called "Mazdayasni
Zarathushtis". That is what we Parsis today are.

Then why ARZ are so keen on spreading the bogey of "Conversion" amidst
the community members. The answer is simple. ARZ believe that by
making "Acceptance" acceptable, the spouses of intermarried couples
can be brought into the community. Also, ARZ has now openly associated
itself with "The Association of Intermarried Zoroastrians (AIMZ)".
This group has inter-marrieds like Meher Amersey and others who in
spite of marrying outside the community, want to be regarded as
Zoroastrians.

No Vada Dasturji of India agrees with the mis-truths propounded either
by ARZ or AIMZ.

Hence ARZ have now invited what we call a "irresponsible priest" from
USA, Kersey Antia. Surely, not that Antia, who went against the Vada
Dasturjis in 1983 and performed a "naojote" of an American white
Christian by the name of Joseph Peterson. Yes, the very same Antia who
unnecessary caused controversy in our community way back in 1983. Now,
Kersey Antia who was severely chastised by the real Vada Dasturjis for
his acts of 1983 is called a "Vada Dasturji" in the ARZ ad. It just
shows the desperate measures which desperate and misguided people
take.

We wish to thank our Vada Dasturjis from the bottom of our hearts for
guiding us on the correct position on these matters.

Highly respected Vada Dasturji Dr Hormazdayar K Mirza, Vada Dasturji
Dr Kaikhushroo M JamaspAsa and Vada Dasturji Dr. Firoze M Kotwal had
released a paper in 1983 called "Conversion in Zoroastrianism - A Myth
Exploded".

In this paper, the respected Vada Dasturjis (High Priests) start as:
"We have read with grave concern reports appearing in a certain
section of the press regarding some irresponsible members of our
priestly class residing in North America having performed the
so-called Navjot of a 27 year old American of Christian faith, Mr
Joseph Peterson, on Saturday, 5 March 1983, at New York." (emphasis
ours)

The Dasturjis write: " The so-called Navjot of Mr Peterson is against
the Zoroastrian religion, tradition and long-standing customs, manners
and practises. In their long and chequered history, even during the
days of their empires, the Zoroastrians had never adopted a policy of
conversion or proselytism. A lot has been said and written from the
Zoroastrian view-point, against this 'conversion', 'proselytism' or,
as it is euphemistically called 'acceptance'.

The Vada Dasturjis also guide us about how the Yasna 30.2 which talks
about "freedom of choice" should be properly interpreted. The
Dasturjis say that the "freedom" spoken to in the Gathas is the
freedom of "moral choices", meaning man has to choose between "the
Righteous Path or the evil Path". No where it is mentioned that
"freedom of choice" means 'converting' people of other religions.

It is so simple, yet both Zoroastrians like Kersey Antia and
non-Zoroastrians like Ali Jafarey twist the real meaning.

Incidentally, Kersey Antia's brother Burjor Antia based in Mumbai, had
mentioned in a Jame interview years ago something to this effect: "If
you marry outside then there will be nothing left of the Zoroastrian
community". Hope Kersey Antia listens to the more sensible and
traditional voice of his brother Burjor.

If ARZ are interested in boosting the number of Zarathushtis in India,
then they should encourage youngsters to marry within the community
only and at an early age, and begetting at least 2-3 children per
couple.

Anything else is putting the cart before the horse.

Fellow Zarathushtis, let us remain traditional and united and not be
misled by the weekly false adverts put in by ARZ.

Please forward this email and others sent along with it to all good
Zarathushtis you know.

That is the only way our community will be kept aware and be able to
chose between the RIGHT and wrong!

Ushta Te,

- TZML Admins

[ PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO ALL GOOD ZARATHUSHTIS YOU KNOW OF]

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