IN 1865, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata – a one-time opium trader and scion of a sparkling line of Parsee priests, Zoroastrians who had fled to western India from persecution in Iran – attended a lecture in Manchester given by Thomas Carlyle. Carlyle, a cantankerous Scot, was known for his historical and philosophical essays, but he also… Continue reading Rolling in gold but still poverty-stricken
Category: Opinion
LAHORE LAHORE AYE: The Parsis of Lahore
As the sun is about to set, a group of pale tall men in spotless white can be found on the beach, the sacred Zorastrian belt knotted around their waists. They stand at the edge, bend down and immerse both their hands into the water, which they then raise to their forehead, touching it briefly.… Continue reading LAHORE LAHORE AYE: The Parsis of Lahore
Lose the vultures, and lose the soul
By Bachi Karkaria As an Indian Parsi Zoroastrian, I’m proud to belong to a tiny minority widely admired for its material success and its philanthropy. But I feel a closing sense of siege. The vicissitudes of modern life are threatening our group’s ethnic identity and ancient ways. The vulture, our main accomplice in death for… Continue reading Lose the vultures, and lose the soul
Zoroastrianism dying out in modern times
Many young boys being trained as priests will instead follow other careers Like most 12-year-old boys, Rayan Dastoor watches movies, goes to school and surfs the Internet for the latest tunes by Linkin Park. But Rayan also spends five hours a day in prayer sessions and religious studies. His homework includes memorizing sacred scriptures in… Continue reading Zoroastrianism dying out in modern times
A war is but a loser’s game
by Farrukh Dhondy I can’t remember which teacher it was who ventured to tell us about the Battle of Thermopylae all those years ago. Three hundred Spartans held the pass at the aforesaid place against the invading hordes of the Persian Emperor Xerxes. The 300 of the title faced a million Persians. Our class was… Continue reading A war is but a loser’s game
Microphones, Planes, and Stereotypes: Those behind the Making of 300
Microphones, Planes, and Stereotypes: Those behind the Making of ‘300’ By Touraj Daryaee and Warren Soward, California State University, Fullerton I have been following reactions to the movie ‘300’ and to my article which appeared on Payvand and in the Orange County Register. Of course each of these venues has their own constituency and so… Continue reading Microphones, Planes, and Stereotypes: Those behind the Making of 300
The Islamization of Europe
Excerpt from a longer article here Mary Boyce, Emeritus Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of London, has confirmed the external validity of Bat Ye’or’s analytical approach in her description of how jihad and dhimmitude (without the latter being specifically identified as such) transformed Zoroastrian society in an analogous manner. Boyce has written definitive… Continue reading The Islamization of Europe
