THE
NORTH AMERICAN MOBEDS COUNCIL
c/o Mehrban
Guiv Dare Mehr Zoroastrian Temple
3590 Bayview Avenue, Willowdale,
Ontario
M2M 356, Canada
January 30, 2000
Homi Davier/Dolly Dastoor
Co-Chairs, WZC2000
8787 West Airport Blvd
Houston, Texas 77071
Subject: Participation of Mr. Ali Jafarey in WZC2000
Dear Homi and Dolly:
It is the second time in five years that NAMC is forced to
write about this issue. The first time was at the Kansas AGM in 1995, when due
to the protest by both our Mobed bodies, Dolly canceled the entire educational
event where Mr. Jafarey was due to take part. At that time NAMC had pointed to a
resolution passed in its earlier meeting to urge FEZANA and all North American
Zoroastrian Associations to refrain from inviting Mr. Jafarey for lectures or
having any dealings with him or with similar individuals or organizations such
as his Zarathushtrian Assembly (ZA).
The reason we had taken this stand at the time was the fact
that Mr. Jafarey was actively involved in performing Navjotes of Moslems and
that was likely to have serious repercussions for Zoroastrians now living in
Iran under the Islamic regime. We believe this risk is still present today and
we urge VVZC2000 to heed our warning, despite what Mr. Jafarey would have us
believe.
In addition, Mr. Jafarey continues to undermine the faith
and religious beliefs of our community members by proclaiming that the Avesta
prayers that we have recited with devotion through the millennia are now
suddenly of dubious authenticity and only good for historical and geographical
interest. Similarly, he proclaims that the rituals we conduct for the benefit of
the souls of our dear departed are of no value and have been concocted by our
mobeds for their own benefit. No other religious community would ever tolerate
an outsider going and preaching such an outrageous message to them at their
religious meetings and we strongly protest against WZC2000 allowing Mr. Jafarey
to interfere with our religious beliefs in this way.
We believe that the WZC2000 is due to consider a move,
later this week, to include Mr. Jafarey as a speaker or active participant in
Houston at its Congress in December. We strongly advise against any such move to
include either Mr. Jafarey, or another person from his ZA or other similar
organizations in the Congress this year, due to the reasons given above.
We hope Dolly will stand by her earlier decision taken at
Kansas and that the two Co-Chairs of WZC2000 will not allow a situation to
occur, which will harm our fragile community in the long run.
I thank you for a favorable consideration.
In service to the community,
Ervad Jal N. Birdy
President, NAMC.
Corresponding address: 3371 Skyview Lane Corona, CA 91720
cc. Framroze
Patel, President, FEZANA
Mobed
Mehraban Zartoshty, President, CIMNA
NAMC Executive Committee
* * * * * *
LINKS:
To read the Relevant Reply, CLICK
Analysis
of the 26-page "Global Protest"
TABLE OF CONTENTS and Their Links
Introduction & the Gist of "The Plain Reality Behind The Intricate Falsity"