Revival of ancestral links between Iranians and Kurds and Parsis picking up pace around the world

[Cliftonite]

@padamchen Doc your people should work out a British Mandate for Palestine kind of an arrangement with the Western powers.

 

[padamchen]

Tata and Shapoor Paolunji Should Invest In Iran Since It Is The Land Of Their Ancestors

We are ready to flood Iran with infrastructure, technology, and money and global cutting edge training and industry.

But not an overtly Muslim Iran.

Cheers, Doc

@padamchen Doc your people should work out a British Mandate for Palestine kind of an arrangement with the Western powers.

Will happen.

Don't count your Hindu brothers out with their growing heft either.

Cheers, Doc

 

[Cliftonite]

Don't count your Hindu brothers out with their growing heft either.

Not worried about that. Hindus will destroy themselves. Inherently divisive and fragmented people. Just let the right-wing Hindus take full control of India.

 

[OldenWisdom...قول بزرگ]

Well they moved to India centuries ago and are kinda Indian now with still Persian blood in them. They are also very successful in Indian society.

Well they're a gift that keeps on giving... Ardeshir Reporter?
But more than ancestral land or people they're gravitated towards money and power... I mean in service off, and doesn't matter which order.

 

[letsrock]

Stupid blood line obsession by a magi. Iranians are happy being muslim.

 

[padamchen]

Kurdish Muslims abandoning Islam for Zoroastrianism

THE MIDDLE EAST MAGAZINE

No Comments
The small, ancient religion of Zoroastrianism is being revived in northern Iraq. Followers say locals should join because it’s a truly Kurdish belief. Others say the revival is a reaction to extremist Islam.
One of the smallest and oldest religions in the world is experiencing a revival in the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. The religion has deep Kurdish roots – it was founded by Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, who was born in the Kurdish part of Iran and the religion’s sacred book, the Avesta, was written in an ancient language from which the Kurdish language derives. However this century it is estimated that there are only around 190,000 believers in the world – as Islam became the dominant religion in the region during the 7th century, Zoroastrianism more or less disappeared.
Until – quite possibly – now. For the first time in over a thousand years, locals in a rural part of Sulaymaniyah province conducted an ancient ceremony on May 1, whereby followers put on a special belt that signifies they are ready to serve the religion and observe its tenets. It would be akin to a baptism in the Christian faith.
The newly pledged Zoroastrians have said that they will organise similar ceremonies elsewhere in Iraqi Kurdistan and they have also asked permission to build up to 12 temples inside the region, which has its own borders, military and Parliament. Zoroastrians are also visiting government departments in Iraqi Kurdistan and they have asked that Zoroastrianism be acknowledged as a religion officially. They even have their own anthem and many locals are attending Zoroastrian events and responding to Zoroastrian organisations and pages on social media.
Although as yet there are no official numbers as to how many Kurdish locals are actually turning to this religion, there is certainly a lot of discussion about it. And those who are already Zoroastrians believe that as soon as locals learn more about the religion, their numbers will increase. They also seem to selling the idea of Zoroastrianism by saying that it is somehow “more Kurdish” then other religions – certainly an attractive idea in an area where many locals care more about their ethnic identity than religious divisions.
As one believer, Dara Aziz, said: “I really hope our temples will open soon so that we can return to our authentic religion”.
“This religion will restore the real culture and religion of the Kurdish people,” says Luqman al-Haj Karim, a senior representative of Zoroastrianism and head of the Zoroastrian organisation, Zand, who believes that his belief system is more “Kurdish” than most. “The revival is a part of a cultural revolution, that gives people new ways to explore peace of mind, harmony and love,” he insists.
In fact, Zoroastrians believe that the forces of good and evil are continually struggling in the world – this is why many locals also suspect that this religious revival has more to do with the security crisis caused by the extremist group known as the Islamic State, as well as deepening sectarian and ethnic divides in Iraq, than any needs expressed by locals for something to believe in.
“The people of Kurdistan no longer know which Islamic movement, which doctrine or which fatwa, they should be believing in,” Mariwan Naqshbandi, the spokesperson for Iraqi Kurdistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, observed. He says that the interest in Zoroastrianism is a symptom of the disagreements within Islam and religious instability in the Iraqi Kurdish region, as well as in the country as a whole.
“For many more liberal or more nationalist Kurds, the mottos used by the Zoroastrians seem moderate and realistic,” Naqshbandi explains. “There are many people here who are very angry with the Islamic State group and it’s inhumanity.”
Naqshbandi also confirmed that his Ministry would help the Zoroastrians achieve their goals. The right to freedom of religion and worship was enshrined in Kurdish law and Naqshbandi said that the Zoroastrians would be represented in his offices.
Zoroastrian leader al-Karim isn’t so sure whether it is the Islamic State, or IS, group’s extremism that is changing how locals think about religion. “The people of Kurdistan are suffering from a collapsing culture that actually hinders change,” he argues. “It’s illogical to connect Zoroastrianism with the IS group. We are simply encouraging a new way of thinking about how to live a better life, the way that Zoroaster told us to.”
On local social media there has been much discussion on this subject. One of the most prevalent questions is this: Will the Kurdish abandon Islam altogether in favour of other beliefs?
“We don’t want to be a substitute for any other religion,” al-Karim replies. “We simply want to respond to society’s needs.”
However, even if al-Karim doesn’t admit it, it is clear to everyone else. Committing to Zoroastrianism would mean abandoning Islam. But even those who want to take on the Zoroastrian “belt” are staying well away from denigrating any other belief system. This may be one reason why, so far, Islamic clergy and Islamic politicians haven’t criticised the Zoroastrians openly.
One local politician, Haji Karwan, an MP for the Islamic Union in Iraqi Kurdistan, said he doesn’t think that so many people have actually converted to Zoroastrianism anyway. “But of course, people are free to choose whatever religion they want to practise, Islam says there’s no compulsion in religion.”
On the other hand, Karwan disagrees with the idea that any religion – let alone Zoroastrianism – is specifically “Kurdish” in nature. Religion came to humanity as a whole, not to any one specific ethnic group, he argues.
This article by by Alaa Latif appeared via the Niqash.organisation, courtesy of Juan Cole’s Informed Comment

 

[Baibars_1260]

Images of Kurdistan
(Erbil)

 

[Baibars_1260]

@padamchen Doc your people should work out a British Mandate for Palestine kind of an arrangement with the Western powers.

Nope.
They can't find a Gujarati speaking region in the Middle East. Jews spoke Hebrew and Arabic ( and every other Middle Eastern language, from Farsi to Levantine Arabic) . No connection with Mr. Pestonji from Uduwada.
Maybe Mota Bhai can give them an island off the Saurashtra coast.
After all the Rohingyas got one in the Bay of Bengal and their population was just about the same.

Interesting tidbit:

List of converts to Islam from Zoroastrianism - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This is a list of notable converts from Zoroastrianism to the Islamic faith.

• Abu'l Hasan Mihyar al-Daylami - Persian poet from Daylam.
• Abdullah Ibn al-Muqaffa - author and translator of Kalīla wa Dimnafrom Middle Persian.
• Abu-Mansur Daqiqi- Persian poet.
• Saman Khuda - forefather of the Samanid dynasty, one of the first native Persiandynasties in the Middle East and Central Asia after the collapse of the Sassanids.
• Naubakht - Pahlavitranslator of the Abassid court.
• Fadl ibn Sahl - Persian vizier of the Abassid era.

 

[Baibars_1260]

@Cliftonite ;
1000 years of interaction between Hindus and Persians where the Farsi culture found refuge from the Mongol hordes. The culture was preserved and the seed transported back to Iran to rejuvenate. Thanks to the Hindu Rajputs who supported the Khilji sultanate defending India from the Mongols. Iran owes much to India for saving its heritage.The Arabs were not so lucky.
A beautiful Farsi nasheed by Jami
@aryobarzan ; @Dariush the Great

 

[Baibars_1260]

@Cliftonite
Curious,if you have noticed that the Pakistani National Anthem is 99% Persian and perfectly intelligible to any Iranian, Kurd, Azerbaijani, There is only one "Urdu-Hindi" article کا ( Ka ) in the whole anthem. The anthem is so secular that only the last line mentions a generic pre-Islamic "Khuda" instead of the more conventional term for the latter.
Check:

 

[padamchen]

The Zoroastrians and their religion are between perseverance and strict negligence
March 22, 2020
271 4 minutes read

Mountainbiken, E-Biken und Rennradfahren in Gstaad, Berner Oberland. ©DavidBirri
Dyab Ghanem – Ezidi 24 – Particular
Translation: Tahseen Alhaskany

Zoroastrianism is an old religion, it’s believers believe in the existence of one God, Who’s Ahura Mazda, and they have a book called (Avesta) and their prophet is so-called (Zoroaster).
This religion appeared, 1756 years before Jesus’ birth in the regions of Kurdistan (present Iran), (Aryan Fegg) and in the region of Urmia, the present Hawraman’ regions and the plains of Sharazur and Zamua, under the reign of Pasha-Kustassep in Balkh City. In the Balkh city (present Hauraman), the Prophet Zoroaster died at the age of 77. “His little daughter, Pourucista took his place” According to what the Zoroastrians are deliberated.

In Iran and India, the number of Zoroastrians approximates 200,000 , but in Kurdistan there are more than 200,000, thus making up the majority of the world’s Zoroastrians are in Kurdistan region of Iraq.
Shrines and holy places of Zoroastrian in Kurdistan,in general are a lot, in Kermanshah, Sulaymaniyah, Urmia, Erbil, Duhok, Sari kani, Afrin, Koy Sanjaq, Darbandikhan, Khanaqin, Halabja, kari, and many other regions. The most prominent of them is a temple so-called (Kesen Qaban) in Sulaimaniya and (Taq-e Bostan) in Kermanshah, and all the graves and temples that date back to Albier in Kurdistan, date back to Zoroastrians, In particular, (Kesen Qaban), where there are the Shrines of the three Medes gods (Diaku, Farfdch, Kikkhosro) and there are other temples, including the Temple of Darbandikhan.

Holidays and ceremonies for Zoroastrians depend on natural changes and calendar, the most important of the Zoroastrians’ holidays start on the first day of the year, Kurdish New year, Newroz. Zoroastrians consider Newroz a religious and nationalist holiday for Kurdish Zoroastrian, and the year begins in Newroz, the first day of the spring, as they believe.
The Forty and the hundred (the name goes back to one hundred year), and Canaheparian (ancient holidays related to agriculture and animal husbandry),the Benga, and the Covenant (payman) are the most prominent Zoroastrian holidays, in particular the Forty and Covenant (payman) holidays.
the Covenant (payman) is also so-called Khermanan holiday, and Zoroastrian celebrating in September 1, which they so-called (Khemanan), in (Kesen Qaban) temple in Dokan region which located near the Sulaymaniyah governorate.

According to their beliefs, the lives are the same as those that have died, People are being welcomed to the ground with set fire, cleaning their homes, wearing new clothes, celebration, and serving food.
“Pir Loqman”, the head of the Zoroastrian Supreme Council, spoke to “Ezidi 24,” and said, “the people of our religion have been subjected to many attacks and in the history of empires (Medes, Achaemeni, Kaccham, Huriya, Sassaniya). Even Muslim’ attacks targeted Zoroastrian religion, and, after the Islamic attack, those carrying the ideas of Zoroastrian religion were subjected to Genocides, including Kurdish nationalism.
“1437 years after the deny and prohibition of this religion, in February 2015 I revived it again, and four centuries later, I promoted and publicized this religion. Within five years, hundreds of thousands returned to their religion and grew it again”, he added.
“We celebrate some of our religious and nationalist observances publicly and others privately, this is because the Kurdish community in general has been influenced by Islam, and they could not keep their history and Kurdish religions humanely and their kurdish beliefs before that, On the contrary, they were deceived by an Arabic dictionary, they were not intelligent, aware of their history, and were removed from their ideas”, he contacted.
“If we notice that most Kurds have knowledge of the battles of Badr and Ahad, and know where and when they were, and they are, in fact, another national history that belongs to the Arabs, while the majority of Arabs do not know their language, history, battles, heritage and literature, which caused 78 Anfal and Genocide to us”, he said.
And he kept saying, “the Zoroastrian appear silent and show them signs of silence, this is due to the leadership and religion that has a Ministry of Endowments, more than 7,000 mosques, 35,000 clerics, Sharia’a University, thousands of religious schools and the state constitution allowed to do so, all of them are against Zoroastrians, and that is why our movement is few, and the parties are also looking for their interests and this is what does not allow us to move, for example, three Zoroastrian centers in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah were closed, and we did not speak about that for fear or were unable to claim the appointment of a representative, they chose a non-Zoroastrian partisan person without returning to us, after that they said that he was Zoroastrian and thus silenced the Zoroastrians in the government and the Ministry of Endowments, they were not willing to open a temple from our temples and that was what we were disturbed by”.
“We rented a house where to open a temple for Zoroastrians (a house of worship) and we pay the expenses of it and the ministry did not agree on that and in return they opened a temple for the representative who chosed by them, who had nothing to do with the Zoroastrians. We do not know why we are neglected by Kurdistan, and despite, we do our work in complete freedom”, he said.
“We are the ones who gave freedom to ourselves, for example, in 2015 and at the time we publicized, we met the Constitution writing Committee and proved in the fifth paragraph on civil and personal freedom and rights and in the religion section that religion is optional and we have included the Zoroastrian religion in the constitutional draft”, he mentioned.

“We have not supported any party and have paid all the costs of our jobs and holidays (feasts), so our work has become easier and we have been better accepted by the world but, we were attacked by Islamic clerics from the pulpits and media and spoke of dozens of lies about us, including insults and moral attacks, and so far continues”, he also added.
“Bir Ashna”, Zoroastrian temples’ responsible and the relations official also spoke to “Ezidi 24” and said, “We must have the right as Zoroastrians like other religions and have the right to propagate this ancient religion, we need the support of the Ministry of Endowments, as well as the Parliament, according to the law and the constitution, and we must have the same laws and legislations that they have enacted for other religions with regard to religious freedom.”
“So far, the government has not supported us in any way, however, we practice our own religious rites, and we have no problem with this by the government, and they have not prevented us from doing so”, She added.
“We ask the government and the Ministry of Endowments to open a (House of worship) to practice our religious ceremonies and to show the world the right of our existence, we have opened a small temple and asked to approve it several times, but the ministry did not care about it and did not give us approval”, She said.

 

[aryobarzan]

The Zoroastrians and their religion are between perseverance and strict negligence
March 22, 2020
271 4 minutes read

Mountainbiken, E-Biken und Rennradfahren in Gstaad, Berner Oberland. ©DavidBirri
Dyab Ghanem – Ezidi 24 – Particular
Translation: Tahseen Alhaskany

Zoroastrianism is an old religion, it’s believers believe in the existence of one God, Who’s Ahura Mazda, and they have a book called (Avesta) and their prophet is so-called (Zoroaster).
This religion appeared, 1756 years before Jesus’ birth in the regions of Kurdistan (present Iran), (Aryan Fegg) and in the region of Urmia, the present Hawraman’ regions and the plains of Sharazur and Zamua, under the reign of Pasha-Kustassep in Balkh City. In the Balkh city (present Hauraman), the Prophet Zoroaster died at the age of 77. “His little daughter, Pourucista took his place” According to what the Zoroastrians are deliberated.

In Iran and India, the number of Zoroastrians approximates 200,000 , but in Kurdistan there are more than 200,000, thus making up the majority of the world’s Zoroastrians are in Kurdistan region of Iraq.
Shrines and holy places of Zoroastrian in Kurdistan,in general are a lot, in Kermanshah, Sulaymaniyah, Urmia, Erbil, Duhok, Sari kani, Afrin, Koy Sanjaq, Darbandikhan, Khanaqin, Halabja, kari, and many other regions. The most prominent of them is a temple so-called (Kesen Qaban) in Sulaimaniya and (Taq-e Bostan) in Kermanshah, and all the graves and temples that date back to Albier in Kurdistan, date back to Zoroastrians, In particular, (Kesen Qaban), where there are the Shrines of the three Medes gods (Diaku, Farfdch, Kikkhosro) and there are other temples, including the Temple of Darbandikhan.

Holidays and ceremonies for Zoroastrians depend on natural changes and calendar, the most important of the Zoroastrians’ holidays start on the first day of the year, Kurdish New year, Newroz. Zoroastrians consider Newroz a religious and nationalist holiday for Kurdish Zoroastrian, and the year begins in Newroz, the first day of the spring, as they believe.
The Forty and the hundred (the name goes back to one hundred year), and Canaheparian (ancient holidays related to agriculture and animal husbandry),the Benga, and the Covenant (payman) are the most prominent Zoroastrian holidays, in particular the Forty and Covenant (payman) holidays.
the Covenant (payman) is also so-called Khermanan holiday, and Zoroastrian celebrating in September 1, which they so-called (Khemanan), in (Kesen Qaban) temple in Dokan region which located near the Sulaymaniyah governorate.

According to their beliefs, the lives are the same as those that have died, People are being welcomed to the ground with set fire, cleaning their homes, wearing new clothes, celebration, and serving food.
“Pir Loqman”, the head of the Zoroastrian Supreme Council, spoke to “Ezidi 24,” and said, “the people of our religion have been subjected to many attacks and in the history of empires (Medes, Achaemeni, Kaccham, Huriya, Sassaniya). Even Muslim’ attacks targeted Zoroastrian religion, and, after the Islamic attack, those carrying the ideas of Zoroastrian religion were subjected to Genocides, including Kurdish nationalism.
“1437 years after the deny and prohibition of this religion, in February 2015 I revived it again, and four centuries later, I promoted and publicized this religion. Within five years, hundreds of thousands returned to their religion and grew it again”, he added.
“We celebrate some of our religious and nationalist observances publicly and others privately, this is because the Kurdish community in general has been influenced by Islam, and they could not keep their history and Kurdish religions humanely and their kurdish beliefs before that, On the contrary, they were deceived by an Arabic dictionary, they were not intelligent, aware of their history, and were removed from their ideas”, he contacted.
“If we notice that most Kurds have knowledge of the battles of Badr and Ahad, and know where and when they were, and they are, in fact, another national history that belongs to the Arabs, while the majority of Arabs do not know their language, history, battles, heritage and literature, which caused 78 Anfal and Genocide to us”, he said.
And he kept saying, “the Zoroastrian appear silent and show them signs of silence, this is due to the leadership and religion that has a Ministry of Endowments, more than 7,000 mosques, 35,000 clerics, Sharia’a University, thousands of religious schools and the state constitution allowed to do so, all of them are against Zoroastrians, and that is why our movement is few, and the parties are also looking for their interests and this is what does not allow us to move, for example, three Zoroastrian centers in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah were closed, and we did not speak about that for fear or were unable to claim the appointment of a representative, they chose a non-Zoroastrian partisan person without returning to us, after that they said that he was Zoroastrian and thus silenced the Zoroastrians in the government and the Ministry of Endowments, they were not willing to open a temple from our temples and that was what we were disturbed by”.
“We rented a house where to open a temple for Zoroastrians (a house of worship) and we pay the expenses of it and the ministry did not agree on that and in return they opened a temple for the representative who chosed by them, who had nothing to do with the Zoroastrians. We do not know why we are neglected by Kurdistan, and despite, we do our work in complete freedom”, he said.
“We are the ones who gave freedom to ourselves, for example, in 2015 and at the time we publicized, we met the Constitution writing Committee and proved in the fifth paragraph on civil and personal freedom and rights and in the religion section that religion is optional and we have included the Zoroastrian religion in the constitutional draft”, he mentioned.

“We have not supported any party and have paid all the costs of our jobs and holidays (feasts), so our work has become easier and we have been better accepted by the world but, we were attacked by Islamic clerics from the pulpits and media and spoke of dozens of lies about us, including insults and moral attacks, and so far continues”, he also added.
“Bir Ashna”, Zoroastrian temples’ responsible and the relations official also spoke to “Ezidi 24” and said, “We must have the right as Zoroastrians like other religions and have the right to propagate this ancient religion, we need the support of the Ministry of Endowments, as well as the Parliament, according to the law and the constitution, and we must have the same laws and legislations that they have enacted for other religions with regard to religious freedom.”
“So far, the government has not supported us in any way, however, we practice our own religious rites, and we have no problem with this by the government, and they have not prevented us from doing so”, She added.
“We ask the government and the Ministry of Endowments to open a (House of worship) to practice our religious ceremonies and to show the world the right of our existence, we have opened a small temple and asked to approve it several times, but the ministry did not care about it and did not give us approval”, She said.

Sad to see that Iraqi Kurdistan has not taken steps to protect this religious minority...In contrast in Iran the birth place of Zoroastrian religion and culture, Iranian parliament has a permanent Seat reserved for the representative of the zoroastrian community and it is also considered as one of the official religions of the Islamic Republic.

@Cliftonite
Curious,if you have noticed that the Pakistani National Anthem is 99% Persian and perfectly intelligible to any Iranian, Kurd, Azerbaijani, There is only one "Urdu-Hindi" article کا ( Ka ) in the whole anthem. The anthem is so secular that only the last line mentions a generic pre-Islamic "Khuda" instead of the more conventional term for the latter.
Check:

I was actually surprised to know about the anthem. What can explain this..

 

[padamchen]

Sad to see that Iraqi Kurdistan has not taken steps to protect this religious minority...In contrast in Iran the birth place of Zoroastrian religion and culture, Iranian parliament has a permanent Seat reserved for the representative of the zoroastrian community and it is also considered as one of the official religions of the Islamic Republic.

I was actually surprised to know about the anthem. What can explain this..

As of our last meeting with their groups in Seattle early last year before the pandemic, there are currently about 5 million Zoroastrian Kurds in the Kurdish Autonomous Region.

How many Zoroastrian Iranians are there in Iran?

Cheers, Doc

 

[Raghfarm007]

There are just 5 million ZarTorshi in Kordestan?!!! Sad

We had our last Anjomane ZarTorshi in Ghazvin last year.... just before before covid...... and there were at least 85 million zarTorshi in Iran..... but they keep their zarTorshi at home.

 

[Baibars_1260]

@aryobarzan
Bibi Sanam Janam
This sung by Pakistani girls :