Every year, as spring approaches, the small remnant of Iranian Zoroastrians gathers to celebrate the rituals of the world’s oldest monotheistic faith. For many years now, I have been hearing stories about a substantial Zoroastrian movement, and I’ve met some Iraqi Zoroastrians, whose patience and resolve greatly impressed me. I have an ongoing fantasy that some day, after we are rid of the Islamic Republic, we will witness a rebirth of the religion that gave us Cyrus the Great, the author of the world’s first proclamation of human rights, and the liberator of the ancient Jews. The regime greatly fears this, and they have removed “Persian Empire” from the curriculum.
I thought you might welcome a peek at the Zoroastrians, so here’s a good video, and some useful background, here and here. Notice that MSNBC reports that this year, for the first time in recent years, Muslims participated in the ritual. To which I would add, the regime did not try to quash it. Let’s hope it’s an augury.
Meanwhile, I was struck by the remarkable good will and discipline demonstrated by Green protestors against the regime’s man in France. “Homylafayette” provides a very entertaining account here, complete with videos and great photos. The Iranian Ambassador to France totally lost it, and got a lesson in good manners from the gendarmes. How sweet it is!
Think of the confrontation as a Zoroastrian-style crowd against a furious fundamentalist who knows his world is burning…ironically just as Persia’s ancient community is kindling the ritual flame of new life.
The theofascist regime in Iran will have to resume clamping down again against Zoroasterianism, because the religion’s dualism of the forces of Light against the forces of Darkness will resound against the regime. Any tolerance of Zoroasterianism will feed Iranian nationalism, and the one thing Khomeini was certain would kill his Islamic Revolution was any manifestation of Persian nationalism.
“I have an ongoing fantasy that some day, after we are rid of the Islamic Republic, we will witness a rebirth of the religion that gave us Cyrus the Great, the author of the world’s first proclamation of human rights, and the liberator of the ancient Jews.”
In time for Purim, too, in which Cyrus played a significant role. [Note: the name Cyrus has been around for quite a long time. Shows up variously Cyrus, Xerxes, Ahashueras, Jersey, George, Jorje, Georg et ales.]
“the world’s oldest monotheistic faith”
Er, how’s that again? Even if one assumes the outside dating for Zoroaster ca. 10th-11th c. BCE, Judaism still has him beat.
Thank you Michael for posting this very important story.
In Iran at the present time there are many many CLOSET Zoroastrians, closeted for the fear of being killed by the fascist Islamic regime. Iranians now are embracing their ancestors old faith of Zoroastrianism and the regime fears that their Islam is losing legitimacy in the eyes of the populace every passing day. But who can blame them?
The regime does not know what to do about it, so it goes and starts their own “cultural revolution” Islamic style by taking out the “Persian Empire” phrases from school’s history books.
Oh by the way news came out that Mousavi yes Mousavi some time ago mentioned that the mere mention of the Persian Empire, and the fascination over Cyrus the Great are all attempt of the “West” to diminish Islam for Iranians.
Ha… that is the same Mousavi!!! There is no hard Islamist, soft Islamist!!! They are all from the same fabric!!!
Power and control is their aim and that’s the only truth!
Iraqi Zoroastrians? It is like you say you’ve seen some Eskimo Jews in North Pole!! LOL!! Most Zoroastrians are either in Iran, India or for sure LA and Northern California.
If you ask Zoroastrians, they say our “Mobeds”, like current mullahs were so corrupted that caused people to get sick of religion and that’s when Prophet Mohammad politely asked Iranians to convert to Islam or get killed—very politely though.
So I think NO RELIGION should be looked at as “exotic” or making it sounds like the Promised Land to heaven. If Israel gives few millimeters more to the right wing Jews, you’ll see what will happen there.
Now I wonder what happened to rightwing readers of this site that no matter what you write, they drool over to attack P. Obama! Come on guys! Let it out!
Weren’t the Magi who showed up in Bethlehem to give Yeshua ‘nzaret gifts of gold, frankincense & myrrh, Zoroastrians?
The saying is still true: Wise men still seek him.
David W., yes the 3 “Wise men” or “Magi’s” were Persians and of course Zoroastrians. Persians of the time were all Zoroastrians. It seems like Persians or Iranians of today are all seeking their old faith and many are closet converts now. May the day come soon when our people can believe in or not to believe in other faiths and not be persecuted and killed for it.
Omen!
shiraz: are you sure? can one convert to Z’ism? I thought not. But still…
Zoroastrians are almost like Jews; they don’t go out to bring people to convert. On the contrary they do all sorts of things that people mind their own faith.
100% of what Iranians do for the Norooz and so many other related things are ALL driven from the Old Persian time. This regime did SO MUCH including Karubi and YES Mousavi and YES everyone with beard in Iran to melt and evaporate Norooz from Iran and their success rate was 0%. So then they decided the strategy of “If you can’t beat them, join them”. Now from Ahmadinejad and everyone else they add more Persian gravy to every crappy thing they do, including wanting to send archeologists to Egypt to bring the remains of Persian soldiers that were recently discovered.
Zism is like a philosophy and less like a traditional religion.
Zarathustra never claimed to be from god and in fact all of his teaching concerns the life here on earth. It tells us how we can live good here and now. There is no after life recepies or what you can do or dont. Z ism is way of life and in contrast to the religions if you dont follow it there is no punishment in terms of going to hell or…
Micheal you can convert to Z´ism. In Europe there is massive convertion among Iranians and the Mobeds even travel to places like Belarus in order to meet the demand.
Here is video of a Polish national converting to Z´ism:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tajik2009tajik
http://www.youtube.com/user/tajik2009tajik#p/a/u/1/JH4hOkRhZLA
thanks very much, MPG. good to know, lovely to see, lucky we are to live in the age of youtube.
I see this resurgent interest in Zoroastrianism………I am building a blog with info on this ancient religion-very much alive amongst it’s few adherents, and now attracting many throughout the world. I am a born Zarathushtrian. Please visit my blog http://thusspakezarathustra-geven46.blogspot.com/2009/12/gathas-of-zarathustra.html (for the first post) and http://thusspakezarathustra-geven46.blogspot.com/ for reading the full blog.
Dear Bohemond,
Judaism was not a monotheistic religion untill it came into contact with Zoroastrianism during the Babylonian captivity; still later, the Persian king Artaxerxes had to “drill” monotheism into their beliefs by sending his courtier and Jewish leader Ezra to Jerusalem. The Israelites were henotheist, believed in their God as above other gods whose ‘awkward’ existence had to be rejected by renouncing them! After Ezra, the Bible clearly speaks of one God with no mention of false gods!
see this link http://www.sullivan-county.com/news/mine/jud_zor.htm