Date: Feb 18, 2008 8:38 PM
Subject: Dasturjis meeting against Conversion/Acceptance- A Grand Success
To: Working Zoroastrians <working_zoroastrian@yahoogroups.com>
Dear Friends
The Public Meeting of the Dasturjis and Scholar Priests held on 15th
February 2008 at Framjee Cawasjee Hall was a THUMPING SUCCESS!
A Success :
- not just in terms of the attendance of community members (It was a
HOUSEFUL with over 800 attendees, some standing throughout the
meeting) but also because the community members present UNANIMOUSLY
passed a Resolution REJECTING CONVERSION/ACCEPTANCE as sought to be
propagated by the likes of ARZ, AIMZ and their cohorts.
- because it received the support and blessings of ALL THE PRESENT
VADA DASTURJIS. Those of them who could not attend for reasons of
sickness/old age/pre-occupation, sent in their messages of support to
the meeting and the Resolution passed thereat.
- because ALL THE TRADITONALS GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY PITCHED IN AND
ENSURED THAT THE MEETING ACHIEVED ITS OBJECTIVES.
- because TRUTH prevailed and MISINFORMATION was shown the door.
- because NOT A SINGLE POLICEMAN HAD TO BE DEPLOYED FOR FEAR OF A BACKLASH!
Gracing the function were Dasturjis Peshotan Hormuzdyar Mirza of
Udvada and Cyrus Noshirwan Dastoor of Surat, Scholar Priests Ervads
Rooyintan Peer, Ramiyar Karanjia, Parvez Bajan and K N Dastoor. The
meeting was compered by Mr Adi Doctor. Mrs Pervin Mistry, who
initiated and spearheaded this whole show was also present on stage.
In the audience were present amongst others, BPP Trustee, Dinshaw
Mehta, three ex-Trustees, Ms Nellie Noble, Mr Eruch Desai and Mr
Rustom Tirandaz, three Trustees of WAPIZ, Mr Khojeste Mistree, Mr
Hoshang Wania and Mr Yazdi Desai. A handful of people from the
opposition were also present but obviously decided that discretion was
the better part of valour and chose to maintain a discrete silence
rather than expose their irreligious leanings.
Both the Dasturjis, with great fervour and eloquence, forcefully
decried the attempts made to legitimise Acceptance/Conversion and gave
very lucid explanations and references from the scriptures for the
same. This was in stark contrast to the charade made a fortnight ago
by Kersey Antia, who chose to promote conversion but COULD NOT OFFER
EVEN ONE AUTHENTIC REFERENCE FROM THE EXTANT SCRIPTURES for the same.
Their talk was accompanied by several rounds of thunderous applause.
The Scholar Priests too gave very effective rebuttals to the
pro-conversion theories of ARZ, AIMZ and others. Ervad Ramiyar gave
references to show that conversion never formed part of the Gathas or
other scriptures.
Ervad Peer gave a historical perspective of the community's stay in
India and how over the centuries the community had acted to save its
religion and traditions rather than succumb to the evil of conversion.
Ervad Bajan gave references from the works of Late Dasturji Hormuzdyar
K Mirza to show that conversion was a myth and never formed a part of
the scriptures.
Ervad K N Dastoor explained the scheme of things in nature and why it
was spiritually harmful to indulge in conversion. He also indicated
that legally every community had a right to practise its own religion
and no court of law had the authority to intervene in these beliefs or
grant any reliefs to persons who sought to go against these practices.
He also debunked the various claims made by Antia in his earlier talk.
The Resolution passed UNANIMOUSLY at the said meeting is attached.
The whole event was a success thanks to the untiring efforts of those
involved in it, premier amongst them being Mrs Pervin Mistry, who
conceived the whole idea of this meeting, Anahita and Yazdi Desai for
their wholehearted administrative support and inputs and all the other
co-religionists who pitched in with their time, money and efforts to
make the event a MEMORABLE ONE.
Hanoz M Mistry
