Jafarey's Counter Questions
to
Birdy's on "Doctorate in Persian Language and Literature"
Traditional Mazdayasni Zoroastrian Anjuman is so
concerned to know the truths that for the first time in its history, it has
opened a Homepage and that too only to know the truth about my doctorial
credentials! The reason is simple. It has had no Message, about what it
considers the "Traditional Mazdayasni Zoroastrian" religion, to offer
to the faithful. All that we have had from its Vice-President Jal N. Birdy has
been a campaign of distortion, falsification and misinterpretation of my
writings. Has the Anjuman any other duty than spending all its time on the
Internet to attack me?!?!?!
If the Anjuman has A QUEST FOR TRUTH, then CHARITY
SHOULD BEGIN AT HOME. Find the truth behind:
1. Jal N Birdy writes himself as Ervad. How did
he get ordained as a priest? The full course for a priest is six years for Navar,
two years for Martab, and a total of eleven years to get the Secondary
School Certificate from the Athornan Madressah. There are, of course, two 'very
very' short cuts: It takes a candidate just between 18 to 28 days to be ordained
as priest. In the short cut the candidate does not recite the entire Yasna but a
part of it. There are some who recite only eleven sections (hās) and
there are others who do only seven "hās." One is called "Eleven-hā"
Ervad and the other "Seven-hā" Ervad. The remaining the
61 or 65 sections of 72-ha Yasna is recited by the accompanying "gewra"
priest. Could the Ervad Saheb tell those 'concerned' as to which of the three
categories he belongs?
2. Has he, as a priest for almost now 40 years,
written any guiding books for the Parsi Zoroastrian community in North America?
Has he a series of essays that have enhanced the knowledge of community,
particularly the younger generation, to ensure the future of the Parsi
Zoroastrians in North America? When did he have his first essay published and on
what subject? Did it teach religion or was it an uproar against me? Has he all
along been a mere incanting priest by rote who does not understand
the meaning of what he incants with the audience habitually and monotonously
hearing without understanding it?
3. Do the answers to the above two points make Ervad
Birdy QUALIFIED to be the President of the North American Mobeds Council,
a body definitely formed to lead the Parsi Zoroastrian community in North
America into a religiously bright future? Does it qualify him to be the
Vice-President of the Traditional Mazdayasni Zoroastrian Anjuman to keep the
Traditions alive in the multinational melting pot of North America? How did the
elections of the Council and Anjuman take place? There are Parsi priests in
North America who are far more qualified for the position than Ervad Birdy is.
Why have they been kept at bay? How many of some 80 Parsi priests in North
America took part in the last three elections in which Ervad Birdy has emerged
as the winning person? How many of the absentees, as report says, sent their "proxy"
votes through a non-priest informally attending the elections?
4. Ervad
Jal Birdy started his campaign against me in 1990. In his three-page letter of
November 11, 1990, distributed as a flier in the London hall in which I was
going to speak at a function arranged by WZO, he writes: "
. Ali A.
Jafarey, a Muslim who has published his own interpretations of the Gathas and
now considers himself a Zoroastrian, has started an organization called the
Zarathushtrian Assembly which is actively engaged in the process of converting
anyone into our faith. Its aim is to enroll some 20,000 converts of all races
within the next five to ten years in this country alone.
"
Six misleading allegations in the first paragraph
alone of the letter of 13 paragraphs! (1) "a Muslim," (2) "now
who considers himself a Zoroastrian," (3) "published his own
interpretations of the Gathas," (4) "has started an
organization," (5) "converting anyone into our faith," (6)
"Its aim is to enroll 20,000 converts of all races within the next five to
ten years in this country alone."
(1-2) The Truth: I have chosen the Good Religion after
full comprehension and with full freedom for more than 60 years, and my Navjote
was performed 30 years ago in Tehran and was witnessed by a number of what the
Traditionalists call 'born' Zoroastrians. I am a Zarathushtrian-by-Choice,
not by an incidental birth and fostering by blindly following parents. I have
never approached any 'born' Zoroastrian person whosoever to recognize me as
Zoroastrian and yet am recognized as such by the majority of Iranians and Parsi
Fundamentalists and Reformists.
(3) I have not interpreted but very carefully and conscientiously translated the
Gathas. I challenge any Traditionalist scholar to point out a single personal
interpretation. The Persian edition was published by the Zoroastrian Youth
Organization (Sāzemām-e Javānān-e Zartoshti,
Faravahar), Tehran and is still sold by their bookshop along my other
books.
(4) The Assembly was founded by seven persons, six of them well known leading
'born' Zoroastrians in North America.
(5) Where did he get the false statement that the Assembly converts anyone? The
Assembly does not. It only accepts those who of their competent knowledge and
free will choose the Good Religion, and after their Initiation is performed by a
qualified officiant.
(6) The aim "to enroll some 20,000 converts of all races within five to ten
years" is a fabrication either by the Ervad or an associate who passed it
on to him. The Assembly is a true Zarathushtrian missionary movement for
globally conveying the Universal Divine Message of Zarathushtra to Mankind
through proper Gathic enlightenment. The choice belongs to the listeners.
With the above misleading statements, the Ervad Saheb
started a campaign against me on the Zoroastrian Alias Internet. He was joined
by Mr. Sarosh Maneckshaw, Dr. Pallan R. Ichaporia, Mr. Rohinton Aresh (for a
short period), and Ervad (Dr.) Hoshang J. Bhadha (also for a short period).
Their 'cry wolf' shouting and occasionally the so-called scholarly postings
failed to win them any supporters. They, then, employed Mr. Porus Havewalla and
Mr. Behram Atashband to attack me in person with insults and foul language. It
continues, particularly on TMZL and the relevant Homepage www.zoroastrianism.com.
The Birdy flock had one job. Distort my writing, misplace and misinterpret it, falsify it and spread it. A good example of their falsification and spreading lies may be seen in the 26-packet they presented to the WZC Congress Executive Board to bar me from speaking at it. It is available in its scanned complete copy at my Homepage of PLAIN TRUTH BEHIND INTRICATE FALSITY -- www.jafarey.com.
My responses to each of the distortions and lies were more than effective. The tactic was changed. This time the false alarm sounded that the life of the Zoroastrians in Iran was in danger. The reaction by Iranian Zoroastrians, especially in their support to have me included as a speaker at the Congress, and the very favorable policy of the Islamic Government of Iran towards its Zoroastrian nationals negated that. The next was the life of the Parsis in Pakistan. Ervad Godrej Sidhwa of Karachi was misinformed to give in writing of such a danger. Again the reaction among other Karachi Parsis nullified this move. Then, prompted by Dr. Ichaporia, who has completely gone behind the scene because of the allegations made against him on the two Zoroastrian Internet groups, prompted a new recruit, Mrs. Charlotte Daroga Kharas, to forward, in her own name, an allegation that I have distorted Avestan texts. She was highly commended by Ervad Birdy. When the alleged 'distortions' were exposed to be only 13 typographical mistakes against several hundreds of such mistakes in Ichaporia's less-than-half "Gathas," the shouting disappeared.
Meanwhile e-mails by anonymous 'Muslims' (sic) from Pakistan and Iran (sic) threatening me or talking about the days I was in the university with them and attended prayers with them, or even relating dirty jokes began coming. They have been all traced to come from one source in Austin, Texas.
Then a very cheap shot by a false name was FORWARDED
by Ervad Jal N. Birdy to a long list of Zoroastrians here and abroad: As
reported by "Ali Bozorg Sabzi" (any Iranian would know that it is a
punning translation of my name and no Iranian has such a name at all) who had
escaped from a notorious high security Iranian prison from which no one has ever
been able to escape, with the great news learned inside the prison (sic) that I
was an agent of the Islamic Government of Iran employed for destroying
Zoroastrianism! The cheapest shot stuck straight to the discredit of the cheap
shooters and the lauding shouters. And now the popgun of the credentials of my
education! This has, in spite of the FEZANA response that it does not relate to
my Speaking at the Special Event, driven the Ervad Saheb and his TMZL to raise
uproar and even have a special Homepage (http://frontpage.netropolis.net/scottcom/
).
Time has proved that the Traditionalist zealots have
made for themselves many a foxhole. Close one, and they emerge from another. It
has been continuing for the last ten months and will surely last until the
Congress is over. It reminds me of my native Kermani joke. A clown, thinking his
end was not very far, prepared a grave for himself with several outlets. When
asked, he said the two angels who would come to judge him in the grave, would
not be able to punish him for his sins because "az īn kotū beh ūn kotū,
tā mishvad ghiyāmatū - I'll keep running from hole to hole until the day
of resurrection!"
5. My responses have proved that the Traditionalists
and their Allies are far from Truth. If so, the question arises as why the
'concerned Zarathushtis' have not begun the 'cleansing' from within. All those
who have distorted and falsified, spread rumors and lies, and raised false
alarms SHOULD BE BARRED from taking any part in the Congress. If not then
they are only after the wrong person. It reminds me of an Indian proverb: "Chor,
chor, pakro pakro chor - Thief, thief, catch the thief" being shouted
by the very person who is THE thief to divert the attention and get away!
6. Ervad Jal Birdy is the President of the North
American Mobed Council for the past several years. With him at the helm, one
would have expected a barrage of protests by the Mobeds. Why have other Ervads
have not joined him in his crusade? Perhaps that is the reason that he avoids
writing these protest letters on behalf of the Council. The way he desperately
jumps from one allegation to another and depends on new mouthpieces, whom the
community does not know, shows that he does not enjoy the confidence of the
majority of the member Mobeds. Would he explain his position vis-ą-vis other
Mobeds? And would he also explain as to why the President of a continental
organization (NAMC) has squeezed himself small to represent a comparatively
small Zoroastrian association (TMZL), which has no headquarters but carries the
address of a private residence with personal telephone and fax numbers?
7. If the Ervad Birdy and his flock are telling the TRUTH,
why are they attempting so hard to stop me from facing the Congress audience?
The easiest way to expose me would be to let the audience hear me. It would have
saved them all the frantic attempts they have made and save those they are still
making. Or is it that he and his flock are REALLY AFRAID that such a
face-to-face meeting would expose their false allegations and cost them their
credibility and integrity for ever? Is this not the ONLY and ONLY
reason they want the audience not to face and hear me???
8. FEZANA has, after winning the
clear majority of votes in favor of the Inclusion, arranged the Special
Event to have Ervad K.N. Datoor and I speak. It is a FEZANA event and the
TMZA is a member association. Are Ervad Birdys attempts now director to
scuttle the FEZANA Event or stop me, out of context, from speaking? Would he
clarify his position and that of his associations vis-ą-vis FEZANA?
9. Some allegations against Dr. Pallan Ichaporia,
Master of one the Congress tracks, have appeared on the Internet, especially
about his career in Karachi, Pakistan. If true, they are grave enough to have
him removed from the Track. He should be asked to give a full account of his
residence in Karachi with certified proofs. What was he doing? Why did he leave Pakistan? Why he has
been mentioned as Dr. in certain Parsi publications, particularly the books
published by a Parsi scholar of Karachi during his residence in that city?
The list of alleging persons includes all those who have given their names in the above-mentioned 26-page packet (fully reproduced in my Homepage www.jafarey.com), particularly Ervad Birdy, Mr. Khojeste Mistree, and Noshir Dadrawalla plus Dr. Pallan R. Ichaporia. They will have to prove themselves as truthful and not blasphemers before they can raise a finger against me.
It will be after these very persons, who have been
involved in making mounting allegations against my person for the last eleven
years, prove themselves as "the truthful who have made true statements"
and have legal evidences for the same, that I will come out with my
credentials.
To give my side of the picture, I have my Doctorate's
Degree but that has got nothing to do with my Zarathushtrian scholarship.
Although an author of 14 books in English and 15 in Persian and hundreds of
published essays in the two languages that outnumber, in quality and
quantity, any Parsi and Iranian Zoroastrian scholar, living and passed away, for
the last 40 year, I do not have even a primary school certificate for my
scholarship. My writings are my best credentials. Most of my books and
essays have been published by Zoroastrian organizations in Tehran and Los
Angeles, and many of books in Iran continue to be among the best sellers. So far
no one has come out to scholarly criticize me for any of them. No adverse
reviews. My translation and annotation of the Gathas and Supplements in Persian
and English are going through their third editions. It is I who author my
writings and have never ever clung myself junior-wise to European giants to
'co-author' books the way 'certain' Parsi scholars have done,. In spite of all
my name and fame, I have never 'prefixed' my unrelated Degree to my name. I, as
an author of any book or writing, am simply 'Ali A. Jafarey' in English and
"'Ali Akbar Ja'fari" in Persian.
Awaiting those who are passionately after A QUEST
AFTER TRUTH to start their quest from within their own ranks by realizing
the BIG BEAM in their own eye instead of looking for a mini mote in
someone else's,
Ali A. Jafarey
* * * * * *
LINKS:
To Return to the Relevant Original
Allegation, CLICK
Doctorate in Persian Language and Literature
TABLE OF CONTENTS and Their Links
Introduction & the Gist of "The Plain Reality Behind The Intricate Falsity"
Analysis of the 26-page "Global Protest"