Iran's Zoroastrians celebrate Persian roots

[manlion]

CHAK CHAK, Iran (AP) — Adherents of the Zoroastrian religion from around the world gathered at a mountain shrine in central Iran this week to celebrate their Persian roots, praying in remembrance of a princess who fled the seventh century Arab invasion.

At Chak Chak, some 600 kilometers (370 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran, believers gathered to remember Nikbanou, a heroine of the faith who according to tradition took shelter in the mountain and prayed for help. Miraculously, the mountain was said to have opened up and given protection to the princess, the youngest daughter of the last king of the Persian Sassanian empire.

A spring slowly drips from the ceiling of the shrine, built into a cliff-side cave, giving the site its name, which means "drip drip" in Persian.

Tradition says the spring is the mountain shedding tears in remembrance of Nikbanou. An immense tree stands nearby, which is said to have grown from Nikbanou's cane.

"We've all gathered here to remember Nikbanou and celebrate our deep Persian roots," said priest Ardeshir Khorshidian who was dressed in white to symbolize purity.

Many pilgrims stay overnight at pavilions set up at the base of the mountain. Families sitting on rugs had picnics while children played.

Dariush Tirandazi, an Iranian-American Zoroastrian, brought his 22-year-old daughter Nadia so she could experience the faith in the land where it was born.

"She wanted to learn and this was our chance to come here and show her the temple, to give her the chance to be with Zoroastrians and understand Zoroastrian culture and values."

Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion predating Christianity and Islam founded some 3,800 years ago by Zoroaster. It was the dominant religion in Persia before the Arab conquest.

It stresses good deeds, and fire plays a central role in worship as a symbol of truth and the spirit of God.

Thousands of Zoroastrians, like many other Iranians, immigrated abroad under former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad because of social restrictions and a worsening economy. But now a dozen have returned to live in Iran this past year, the government said.

President Hassan Rouhani has appointed former intelligence chief Ali Yunesi as his top aide to specifically address the concerns of Iran's religious minorities.

"The trend of (Zoroastrian) immigration abroad stopped after last year's presidential elections. It has even reversed," Yunesi said. "We are listening to their demands in order to find legal solutions to their problems."

Esfandiar Ekhtiari, the only Zoroastrian lawmaker in Iran's parliament, said his fellow believers have been denied top government jobs because of their religion.

"We are talking to the government to find a legal solution for some of our concerns. However, we do enjoy freedom to practice our own religion, customs and ceremonies," he said.

Yunesi said the Rouhani administration will support demands to establish an international Zoroastrian news agency in Iran.

Ekhtiari urged Zoroastrians living abroad to return to Iran and join the 25,000 fellow believers who live there today.

"Return to your motherland, and rest assured that we welcome you with open arms," he said.

.Iran's Zoroastrians celebrate Persian roots - Atlantic Broadband

 

[MOHSENAM]

They are very good people.

 

[hussain0216]

How many fire worshippers still live in iran and how many are there in the world

 

[raptor22]

How many fire worshippers still live in iran and how many are there in the world

The don't worship fire, their God is Ahura Mazda. Fire simply is the best gift from God.

Fire is by far the most central and often used symbol of purity. While Ahura Mazda is generally viewed as a god without form and a being of entirely spiritual energy rather than physical existence, he has at times been equated with the sun, and certainly the imagery associated with him remains very fire-oriented. Ahura Mazda is the light of wisdom that pushes back the darkness of chaos. He is the life-bringer, just as the sun brings life to the world.​

 

[The SiLent crY]

Zoroastrians are very nice people .

I saw some of them in a temple in Kerman city .

@hussain0216 ,

Hey .

It would be better not to comment about things you don't have enough info . Zoroastrians believe in God and for them fire is symbol of purity .

The don't worship fire, their God is Ahura Mazda. Fire simply is the best gift from God.

Fire is by far the most central and often used symbol of purity. While Ahura Mazda is generally viewed as a god without form and a being of entirely spiritual energy rather than physical existence, he has at times been equated with the sun, and certainly the imagery associated with him remains very fire-oriented. Ahura Mazda is the light of wisdom that pushes back the darkness of chaos. He is the life-bringer, just as the sun brings life to the world.​

Hi bro .

Their religion is divine .

I don't see any difference between Ahura Mazda and Allah .

 

[raptor22]

Zoroastrians are very nice people .

I saw some of them in a temple in Kerman city .

@hussain0216 ,

Hey .

It would be better not to comment about things you don't have enough info . Zoroastrians believe in God and for them fire is symbol of purity .



Hi bro .

Their religion is divine .

I don't see any difference between Ahura Mazda and Allah .

As I know you are right, we are on the same page.

 

[hussain0216]

Zoroastrians are very nice people .

I saw some of them in a temple in Kerman city .

@hussain0216 ,

Hey .

It would be better not to comment about things you don't have enough info . Zoroastrians believe in God and for them fire is symbol of purity .



Hi bro .

Their religion is divine .

I don't see any difference between Ahura Mazda and Allah .

Ahura Mazda is NOT god, they do not worship Allah, lets make this clear

there equating God with Sun and fire is akin to Paganism not as bad as monkey or cow worship amongst hindus but not far off

 

[The SiLent crY]

Ahura Mazda is NOT god, they do not worship Allah, lets make this clear

there equating God with Sun and fire is akin to Paganism not as bad as monkey or cow worship amongst hindus but not far off

Lets agree that we can't continue this discussion .

Have fun .

 

[Sandstorm]

Nothing but Respect comes first from my heart when I think of Parsis(as they are known in India)..

 

[hussain0216]

Lets agree that we can't continue this discussion .

Have fun .

Matey as long as you don't go calling them divine or akin to islam or worshipping Allah were good

on a strange note I am sure one of my first cars was called a Mazda ahura or something similar

 

[MOHSENAM]

Ahura Mazda is GOD.

1. The estimated number of Zoroastrians in the world is around 200,000. The homeland of Zoroastrianism is Persia, now Iran. More than half of the Zoroastrians live in India, where they are known as "Parsees" (people of Persia). About 2,000 reside in Canada.

2. The ancient religion of Zoroastrianism, also known as Parseeism, is based on the teachings of Zoroaster, which is the Latin name of the Persian Prophet Zarathustra, "the Golden Light". He lived probably between three to four thousand years ago, in the second millennium B.C.E., among tribes around the Caspian Sea who had a common belief system based on myths that were related to Greek, Roman and Celtic religions. Early in his life he became concerned about the lack of morality, about poverty and the mistreatment of animals and nature, as well as about the oppressive rule of the priests. At approximately age twenty he left home and dedicated his life to serve the poor and to meditate. At age thirty he received divine revelation. He composed the content of his revelation into holy songs, the "Gathas". Zarathustra travelled the country, preached and taught. In the beginning he faced much resistance and threats of death, but when he died at the age of seventy-seven his teachings had become the accepted religion of a large region of ancient Persia.

3. The teachings of Zarathustra caused a revolutionary transformation, because it overcame the saRÙV+entalism and prescriptivism of his time (communications with spirits, fertility rites, rituals for protection from natural disasters etc. and rules that regulate the relations between humans and divinities and their demands etc.). He taught religion as purely reflective, as a view of the world and a way of life, as metaphysics and ethics joined together.

4. "Ahura Mazda" is the voice of Wisdom, "the Wise Lord". God is incomprehensible, without form, infinite, all-knowing, all-seeing and all-loving. Ahura Mazda created the World in two phases: the creation of spirit (idea, truth) was realized in the creation of the physical world.

5. The good world that God created became contaminated. Good and evil are ingrained attitudes, mentalities. The evil attitude or opposition to God was later personified as an "evil" spirit, "Ahriman".

6. The earth is the battlefield between the force that promotes "Asha" (Truth) and the force that resists Asha. Through the three truths, "Manasmi", "Gavasmi" and "Kunisni", Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds, humans fight on God"s side and win eternal life in heaven. Those who do evil deeds support Ahriman and are awaited by an eternal hell of many levels, which include a purgatory where a soul can cleanse itself.

7. The six divine attributes:

(1) Truth or the natural and moral laws of God;
(2) Good thinking or God"s good mind;
(3) The spirit of benevolence or the divine power to do good;
(4) Transformation of the social order or love of all creation;
(5) Wholeness or the total integrity of the person;
(6) Eternal bliss or the immortality of the soul.

The divine Truth can be understood and accepted, realized in every day life through the selfless use of divine power, to transform all God"s creation to spiritual and physical wholeness, which holds out eternal reward. These six attributes were, at a later date, personified as archangels. Also strict rules about purifications and separations between clean and unclean, rituals and liturgies were established after Zarathustra.

8. The Gathas are the oldest and the most revered of the many sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism. They are the only scripture written in the vernacular spoken by Zarathustra. They are hymns of service to God, because it is service - good thoughts, good words and good deeds - that overcomes evil. Many other scriptures, originating in the two millennia B.C.E., were written when the Gathas were not available and are sometimes at variance in their message from the early hymns. These scriptures are also written in other dialects and languages such as Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit. All the preserved and gathered scriptures form the "Avesta".

9. Zoroastrians worship in temples, where fire is the central symbol of purity, transformation, victory over darkness and yearning for the higher life. The human torso clothed in a pair of wings (see the picture above) symbolizes the "Farohar", the divine spark that is present everywhere, enabling the soul to evolve.

10. Zoroastrians do not missionize or proselytize. Children are initiated into the faith between the age of seven and nine at the "Navjote" ceremony by reading a Charter of Faith and making a covenant with Ahura Mazda. Zoroastrians pray five times a day and study the scriptures. They expect a saviour who will banish evil forever and transform the earth into a paradise.

11. The two Persian kings, Cyrus and Darius, who are mentioned in the Bible, were probably Zoroastrians. And so, probably, were the three wise men in the Gospel story of the birth of Jesus. Zoroastrianism has had a strong influence on Judaism and thereby on Christianity, as seen in the concepts of heaven and hell, angels, archangels and Satan.

12. Zoroastrians have been called "fire worshippers" because of the centrality of the symbol of fire in the act of worship. This description is as incorrect as calling Christians "cross worshippers".

 

[The SiLent crY]

Matey as long as you don't go calling them divine or akin to islam or worshipping Allah were good

Neither you nor me are in a position to judge whether that is a divine religion or isn't , we just can post our personal views .

on a strange note I am sure one of my first cars was called a Mazda ahura or something similar

Mocking a religion is not going to help , it just shows 1 thing that Muslims think they're the chosen ones and God is their property .

For me These people are far better and more human than most of the Muslims in the world , They at least don't kill or behead others for their religion .

 

[Charon 2]

I like Ahriman. He is badass

 

[Abii]

Nothing but Respect comes first from my heart when I think of Parsis(as they are known in India)..

Parsi literally translates to Persian. It's not a religious term, but as you said, in India that's what they're known as.

 

[ranjeet]

Ahura Mazda is NOT god, they do not worship Allah, lets make this clear

there equating God with Sun and fire is akin to Paganism not as bad as monkey or cow worship amongst hindus but not far off

If I am not wrong ... worshiping 5 times a day was really a Zoroastrian custom. So don't degrade a religion which has enriched Islam in a way.