Reply to Parsiana's article "Conflict on the Internet"


To:

The Editor, Parsiana Magazine

E-mail: Parsiana@yahoo.com, parvo@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in

Dear Sir,

This is with reference to "Conflict on the Internet", (May '99, Pages 21/22c). We are members of the governing Board of the Traditional Zarathushtris Mailing List (TZML) and would like to make a few comments which we hope you will publish.

This article quotes one Y. Rustomjee referring to our founder/ co-administrator Porus Homi Havewala as "ultra-conservative"/ "mulla". This apparently seems to be due to the fact that Porus does not believe in inter-marriage, and is a follower and preserver of our time-honoured rituals and traditions as are many other Zarathushtris. Our parents also believe in preserving rituals, traditions,"boonak-pasbaani", as did our grand-parents and their forefathers before them for countless centuries. Are we then all justifiably labelled "ultra-conservative" and "mulla", because we have faith in our religion and wish with all our hearts to practise and preserve it as our forefathers did?

Our sacred scriptures unequivocally oppose intermarriage; whether man to non-Zoroastrian woman, or woman to non-Zoroastrian man. Unfortunately, Rustomjee, being intermarried, will never accept scriptural authority or tradition regarding inter-communal marriage! The act of discarding the important injunction against "boonak-pasbaani" unhappily sets him against the religion and his own Zarathushtri brothers and sisters who believe in their religion.

As a matter of fact, Rustomjee himself is one of the reasons the mailing list run by Mehrdad Khosroviani exceeded the bounds of propriety and decency, while still shamelessly calling itself a "Zoroastrian" list. In that list, this man launched vicious personal attacks on Dasturji Dr. Kotwal, Khojeste Mistree and Roni Khan. These personages were not even around to defend themselves! But the worst act of Rustomjee was to write a shocking pornographic poem linking Porus's name to that of a middle-aged Parsi lady in Canada whom Porus has never met; almost old enough to be his mother. Rustomjee sent this pornographic poem to the 500+ members in Mehrdad's list with gross suggestive words such as "parts furiously intertwining", "love shack", and "get high on Hoama".

The reason? Both Porus and the Parsi lady had written articles against inter-marriage. Unable to write a rebuttal, Rustomjee launched a dirty, vicious smear campaign. When the lady's son protested and this matter of the porno poem was brought to the attention of the alias administrator Mehrdad Khosroviani, he supported Rustomjee by declaring the poem as "nice poetry"! Is this the "freedom of expression" we hear so much about? Is this Zoroastrian good thoughts, good words, good deeds in action, as defined by the heterodox? If this is the way these people smear the names of our religious folk who do not believe in inter-marriage, it is shameful indeed.

It is of grave concern that Dolly Dastur, ex-president of FEZANA, praised the efforts of Meherdad and lamented the alias' closing. Mrs. Dastur seems to have conveniently glossed over the fact that shameful attacks such as Yashts and Vendidad are not "sacred"; Hormazd Yasht is a "forgery"; Meher Yazad is a "sneak"; Zarathushtra was not an Athravan nor a Prophet; Shah Faredun a "bhang drinker"; ancient fire-temples were prostitute parlours; Adarbad Marespand a stuntman and his act of pouring metal on his chest a "trick"; etc., were perpetrated on this list These abhorrent and radical views of the infidel Muslim , Ali Akbar Jafarey (founder of a Gatha-alone cult organization in North America), were circulated on this alias, causing grave concern to religious Zarathushtris worldwide. Homosexual and Bisexual clubs were being announced in the name of Zoroastrianism whereas our religion is against these perversions, and young Iranis easily misled by Jafarey were publicly pronouncing the Holy Vendidad as "bull-shit" and the Parsis to be worshipping "holy shit". All this resulted in the two petitions signed by 559+30 Zarathushtris seeking the closure of this list.

In final analysis, we would like to conclude that the person responsible for this fiasco on the internet was none other than Jafarey due to his repeated and vicious attacks on our religion on this alias, and the continual open encouragement given to such attacks by Mehrdad and other heterodox followers of Jafarey's cult. At the very outset, the alias was planned as a propaganda tool by this cult organization, indeed the next location vohuman.org mentioned in your article is also comprised of non-Zoroastrian and Zoroastrian supporters of this Muslim person.

We are amazed that such so-called "Zoroastrians", and Muslims are being given undue importance in your magazine. Although circulation is important, are profit and monetary gain higher than the principles of our ancient religion? Is cash more important than truth and righteousness? Is Parsiana becoming a mere tabloid by encouraging attackers of the very religion it is derived from?

In your article, Arnavaz Mama has dubbed as "self-righteous" Zenobia's signature message ("There is only one path ..... "), probably not aware that this closely reflects the Colophon to the Book of Yasna (Y. 72-11) and is the perfect summing up of the essence of the religion of Zarathushtra. Zenobia has rightly quoted from our sacred scriptures.

Ms. Mama has also given the heterodox alias' new list.bot address in inviting people who may want to be part of it, but she has not reciprocally given the TZML's address. For the benefit of the Zarathushtris who honour and cherish their religion and want to be part of a group that is upholding it's time-honoured beliefs and traditions, the address to write to is: TraditionalZarathushtris-subscribe@egroups.com with your full name, and ask to be added.

The members of the "Traditional Zarathushtris Mailing List (TZML)" are not ultra-conservative/Mullas, but ordinary Mazdayasni Zarathushtri men and women who have full faith and pride in the sacred tenets of our ancient religion as handed down to us by our forefathers. This is a place where the religion will be protected on the internet, and not attacked as it was in the unhappy heterodox list.

This letter in its entirety will be placed on the Traditional Zoroastrianism Home Page at http://www.zoroastranism.com under the title "Reply to Parsiana", for the reference of the worldwide Zarathushtri community.

Yours Sincerely,

Board Members,

Traditional Zarathushtris Mailing List (TZML)
To subscribe: TraditionalZarathushtris-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
(A FREE Mailing list with hundreds of born Zarathushtri members on the internet)

E-mail of Board: tzml-owner@yahogroups.com


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