What really happened at Antia's talk on 2nd Feb

From: TZML Admins
Date: Feb 7, 2008 7:52 PM
Subject: What really happened at Antia's talk on 2nd Feb
To: TZML <TraditionalZarathushtris@yahoogroups.com>

HUMATA HUKHTA JHAVARASHTRA

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
forwarded to you is a very informative report by Mrs. Pervin J Mistry
on what actually happened at the Antia talk on 2nd Feb.

We are glad that Parsis made a dignified protest on what is a
non-issue in the Zoroastrian religion, viz "Acceptance" / "Conversion"

Conversion is a big "Con" played on trusting people. If
non-Zoroastrians like the teachings of our Prophet, they can always
read our Scriptures and put its lofty message in their daily life to
help them become better human beings. But formal "conversion" or
proselytism is not sanctioned.

And please do not forget - on 15th Feb, the Vada Dasturjis are going
to give a press statement. They will be giving a public rebuttal to
Kersey Antia's "Acceptance in Zoroastrianism"

Date: Friday, 15h Feb 2008
Time: 6 pm
At: The Framjee Cowasjee Institute (Hall), Opposite Metrolabs, Dhobhi
Talao. Mumbai.

Meanwhile, please read below for what happened on 2nd Feb.

Sincerely
TZML Admins.

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: pervin mistry
Sent: Thursday, 7 February, 2008 12:33:11 PM
Subject: Antia gets a dose of his own medicine

Dear Friends,

There are some false rumors going around re the event of February 2,
2008 when Kersey Antia gave his speech.

First of all, there were no 'hooligans' present at this meeting on
February 2, at the Y.B. Chavan Auditorium. If anything, it is Kersey
Antia who got a dose of his own medicine and he should know this
better than others, being a psychiatrist himself!

At one of the North American Zoroastrian Congresses that FEZANA
organizes every 2 years, in Houston, when one of the Guest Speakers,
one of the learned Dasturjis who was invited from India to speak, was
giving his speech from the podium, it was this same Kersey Antia who
started shouting derogatory words to the Dasturji Saheb! Was he a
hooligan then? This time, he got a dose of his own medicine from those
who came to listen to him.

Besides, the 'hooligan' community in North America (there are many
polite and civil ones too) has always treated speakers who hold
traditional views with contempt. Shall we say the entire heterodox
community in North America is full of 'hooligans'? In North America ,
opposition has not been amicably tolerated. Often, in the past,
individuals have written their views in the FEZANA Journal as to how
these Congresses held and supported mainly the one sided view, the
heterodox view!

These are facts.

Here, on February 2, 2008, when Kersey Antia was delivering his
speech, the traditionalists did not disrupt his talk! In fact, when he
was speaking, everyone clapped when he correctly said that in the
Gathas, Ha 30, the choice is between the two Paths! After stating
this, he went directly into propagating 'acceptance'/conversion! It is
only when the questions were not being addressed that those who wanted
to ask about the choice between the two Paths as opposed to the choice
between the two religions ('acceptance'/conversion), and the refusal
to answer these, that some in the audience started shouting that the
questions must be answered, as promised at the start of the speech.

It was then that Antia was visibly shaken. Also, no one was thrown
out!!! People who wanted to ask questions themselves got up and left
because they did not want to see the video promoting conversion.

So, in the end, I would say that Kersey Antia got a dose of his own
medicine for himself behaving like a hooligan with a Dasturji at
Houston , in the past! And, no one was held, taken into custody as
falsely reported. Even the trustees of ARZ/AIMZ, Dr. Grant, Mr.
Jeejeebhoy, Mrs. Meher Amarsee and the Guest Speaker, Mr. DaCunha left
as soon as the question-answer session was over! And, it took 15
police to escort on so-called "Vada Dastur", Kersey Antia to his car?
This is unbelievable!

Sincerely,

Pervin J Mistry.