Where might be your cognizance, empathy/sympathy and respect, that without our deceased valiant Mazdayasni Zarathushti Ancestors having the intestinal fortitude to withstand (and die fighting) the attempts of 2 proselytizing religions, Catholicism & Islamisation, you would not even be on this planet as Parsi or Irani, wherein some are thoughtlessly repaying our ancestors’ sacrifices via treachery to their Ancestral principles?

Do you realize...

...that had Rome not fused its barbaric greed and slave ‑ driven expansion with Emperor Constantine’s appropriations at Nicaea and had Rome not attempted to subdue long ‑ established Zarathushti Iran to cede to Christianity, neither Romans, Europeans, nor our ancestors would have so weakened to then succumb to subsequent Islamic invasions – an issue whose ramifications run rife even today across Europe, America, Africa, India, Iran, etc.

Might it be...

...that our genuinely worldly-wise Ancestors sacrificed their lives in invaded Iran and voluntarily suffered indescribable hardship upon becoming refugees in Gujrat, because they knew from what was happening around them, that Religio-Cultures die; and Endogamy, the discipline of marrying within one’s own Ethno-Religio-Spiritual Culture is the solution?

Did you know...

(in comparison to them), how many ancient Religio-Cultures completely disappeared from this planet on account of assimilation, complacency, conversion, cross-cultural marriage and cultural suppression of a minority by larger cultural, martial or political majority?

Might till date your actions...

...behaviors, comments or decisions also have been abating or duplicating the above as did people from the following cultures?

Might our Ancestors have had such foresight so many centuries ago, that several dozens of academics and scholars quoted herein (after this cross-questioning part), more or less say the same as our wise Ancestors?

Conversely, would you laity, trustee (and some clergy) like to reach old age and regret that versus foresight, you overlooked what terms like Parsi, Irani, Mazdayasno Ahmi, Mazdayasno Zarathushtrish, etc., represent?

Might world news have ever caught your eye to see how Druze, Kurdish and Yazidi peoples across the Middle-East are still suffering horrific atrocities and that even women, along with their men have to fight just to be able to live? Don’t let your privileged life be your barometer.

Alongside attempted extermination by the Germans, might you know how Turkey just about exterminated the Armenians, and is till trying to exterminate Kurdish people?

Where is your conscientiousness if you promote conversion or cross-cultural fusion when our very own noble & valiant ancestors died fighting such transgressions to protect the integrity of our Zarathushti-Iranian-Persian Religio-Cultural Heritage? Our Ancestors were certainly more than wise (compared to pampered Parsi-Irani) to recognize that the processes of cultural conquest, cross-cultural fusion or conversion are detrimental to our own Sacred Ancestral Religio-Cultural values, as has been for even less fortunate other ancient cultures.

Where is realization (let alone remorse), that whilst not by sword as it was in the past, but by stealthy misconduct & language, such current day transgressions essentially tantamount to the same violations of our Religio-Culture which our Ancestors rejected?

How is contradicting such Ancestors and doing an about-face opposite to their valiant endeavours even remotely showing your decency or integrity as their descendant?

If anything, does such contravening not display defiance & disregard against the very principles our Ancestors’ sacrificed and endeavoured to uphold?

Has it ever occurred to you that neither at the zenith of the Persian Empire nor when as genocidally-savaged refugees seeking shelter in Hindustan, that neither our Kings nor our warrior monk-type Mobeds or Laity, converted others into our Religion nor convert out?

Do you know for how many centuries and over how many peoples did the Persian Empire reign, where it could have widely enforced/encouraged other cultures to embrace Zarathushtrian Religion, and yet chose not to?

Do you know how many “Terms & Conditions of Refuge” were imposed by King Jhadi Rana on our Ancestors, what those conditions were, and the one “counter-condition”, our staunch Ancestors stood steadfast upon? I will give you part of the answer. Our Ancestors accepted what could be deemed as some rather marginalizing conditions (freedom-restrictive), in exchange for “sole autonomy” over our Religious matters and exclusive access to our yet-to-be-built “Places of Worship”. (see points 28 & 29 if hoity toity arises).

King Jhadi Rana (spelling variations acknowledged) was right to keep his people safe and hence be vigilant on us foreigners, whilst our Ancestors were right in becoming willing to accept restrictions because they valued so much more, the sole autonomy & exclusivity for Religio-Cultural matters they could retain. There is more to the milk & sugar story than the lullaby story its been diluted down to. Nonetheless, the above is caveated that gratitude to Hindustan and Gujrati peoples in particular, remains eternal.

Do you know with what attention, care, and cosmic/spiritual (Vastu Shastra/Feng Shui type) precision our “Places of Worship” such as Agiaries, Adaarans, Atash-Behrams and Dokhmaa are constructed?

Considering that historical pact by our ancestors with unparalleled foresight, how is it ethical for descendants to do the opposite and demand/permit/promote the entry of non Parsi-Irani into our Places of Worship?

Considering that all our Places of Worship are honoured hosts to conventional (for laity) as well liturgical prayers under the auspices of sacred ritual purity centering largely around ‘invocations in memory of ancestral spirits’, how are non Parsi-Irani (with nil concept or connection to customary purity), compatible to enter and be present? In other words, Our Places of Worship are where Ancestral spirits are being invoked daily and when our ancestors died protecting such sanctity, who/what authorizes present day descendants to overrule their memorable principles and violate their memories as well as values?

What did our Ancestors appreciate so well, that they were willing to give up their lives and everything they possessed to protect our Religio-Culture along with its customs and traditions, and what do you clearly appear to not appreciate?

Have you read the book “Two Centuries of Silence” by A. Zarrinkoub? If I were face to face with you and asked you, it is likely you wouldn’t even know which two centuries I may be referring to, let alone what is in the book.

Have you read the “Shahnameh”? Again, if I were face to face with you and asked you that question, would you know who wrote it?, when?, under what circumstance, what for? Except perhaps by now, known the authors’ name since I mentioned it earlier.

What effort might you have made to read any of our scriptures, or even relatively recent histories such as Qissa-e-Sanjan and Jung-e-Variyawa?

Do you know what the ‘Rivayats’ were about and why warrior-monk type resolute Mobeds & their support teams hazarded the difficult journey on horseback from Gujrat to Yazd and back under conditions you would not even survive a day?

By comparison, did it occur to you to pilgrimage to our Holy sites in Iran and attempted to find out just how our brethren there are still trying to retain their original identity despite severe adversity and coercion to convert out?

Similarly, have you cared to think, how hard-working “Keepers of our Faith”, i.e. sincere Mobeds are making do economically whilst keeping our Places of Worship open for us?

What commitment or help have you given to our community, be that funding economically disadvantaged Parsi-Irani in India/Iran, unaffordable medical expenses, funding a Navjote of an economically compromised Parsi-Irani couple, or helping a beleaguered Agiary’s maintenance? Or might President John F Kennedy words “Ask not what the country can do for you. Ask what you can do for our country” be poignant for you to think about?

If you haven’t done much, what makes you feel entitled to present opinions, or feel empowered that your expectations should override those conservative Zarathushtees who are actually committed to our Religio-Culture?

Why is it that a country or its armed forces, employers/employees, clubs/societies, sport teams/sports fans expect loyalty, but some Parsi-Irani think a time-honored, academically acclaimed Religio-Culture cannot expect loyalty & reverence from their own?

Why is that you would expect fidelity from your spouse, when your Religio-Culture cannot expect fidelity from you?

Why is it that after being disloyal to intergenerational responsibilities incumbent on you as a Parsi-Irani descendant, that you insist on arguing with those who diligently want to uphold loyalty to the tenets of our Ancestral Faith and values?

Why is it that for mix-faith matrimony that some of you seek Payvandh-Nameh (for Irani) Ashirwaad benedictions (for Parsi), when most of our people do not know the Religio-Cultural commandments embedded in Zarathushti wedding blessings?

When, despite your assumable birth to both Parsi-Irani parents, you did not uphold Culturally encoded ‘Duty of Care’ to ensure intergenerational Religio-Cultural Values-Transfer, then on what basis can it be trusted that the subsequent half of the progeny carrying part of another Religio-Culture can truly develop alignment with the essence of being a Zarathushti?

When global conservation efforts to “save the crocodile, hippo, rhino, tiger, etc.” are grounded in preserving the originality of each species and its genus, how are we to preserve and authentically transfer across generations, the ancestral fidelity, originality, and unique fabric of our Religio ‑ Cultural History and Values?

Clothing you wear, however fine it may appear, is no longer pure cotton, nor pure linen, nor pure silk, nor pure wool, once blended. Think of this next time you don clothes.

When Fidelity to ancestry, clan, country, or to ethnic, indigenous culture, faith, religion, Prophet and scriptures are deemed as bedrock of expected CODE OF CONDUCT as evident in various Religions & Cultures ranging from Aboriginal, American Amish, Coptic, Druze, Exclusive Brethren, Hindu Brahmin, Jain, Jew, Kurdish, Māori, Muslims, Sikhs, Yazidi, etc., through the practice of doctrines varying from Evangelical virginity pledges, abortion ban, compulsory circumcisions, contraception, haka, hair-shaving, periodic abstinence from sex, commerce, restrictions on alcohol, foods, meats, halal, kosher, Holi, Diwali, Lent, Haj, Ramadan, Sharia, Tikanga, Tirthyatra pledges, etc., then how fair is it to critique the relatively benign Endogamy practice of highly-endangered Zarathushtees to marry within our own Faith to ensure organic Ethnic-Religio-Cultural transfer of intergenerational values?

What, precisely, do you imagine you signal when you fail to maintain coherence across the foregoing questions (and the points that follow), yet nevertheless incite discord within a community rendered vulnerable through generations of apathy, disregard, and historical incognizance on the part of its own members like you?

What conception of conscience do you claim, when despite presently witnessing Iranians within Iran once again sacrifice themselves, as our Ancestors did, to reclaim their Original Iranian Identity after fourteen centuries of repeated usurpation, you, a Parsi ‑ Irani living in comfort outside Iran, opinionate on our Religio ‑ Culture while having yourself willingly either abandoned or breached its tenets?

Whilst conservative Zarathushtees clearly know what’s in it for those that rile against our own Religio-Culture, do the latter know what’s in it for conservatives who are protecting that same Religio-Culture for no personal gain whatsoever?

Will it trouble you, or will you ever become mindful, that you have been remiss in not giving any consideration to some or all of the above & below?

Had any of the above considerations ever emerged in your mind? Have you ever bothered to find out our collective history or your personal family’s footprints in the sands of time?

Might you be now gracious enough to think that deepening and strengthening education in understanding of our Religio ‑ Culture and appreciating the purpose behind our ancestors’ sacrifices, is essential for future generations to proudly carry forward?

Would your place of employment appoint a casual, not-fully-committed part-timer, or ‘always work-from-home’ individual to senior/managerial roles to lead you and your employer? And for how long would you entrust your employment prospects under such individual lacking wherewithal and full commitment?

If not, then what gives a casual, part-timing, not fully-committed Parsi-Irani or their non-Parsi spouse without Religio-Cultural-Historical-Spiritual wherewithal the right to comment or opinionate overriding time-honored Ancestral wisdom and customs?

Had any of the above considerations ever emerged in your mind? Have you ever bothered to find out our collective history or your personal family’s footprints in the sands of time?

Had you realized that at whatever age you are today, you happen to be the product of 4,096 Forebearers in just 12 generations previous to you. Each of whom endured, sacrificed, and persevered so that you as Parsi-Irani could exist?

Considering the devoutness of those days, how many noble Mothers gave their everything to their children, so that they may thrive better than them? How many Mothers died whilst giving birth? How many Fathers perished outside their homes in work accidents whilst trying to bring home some food?

Can you imagine what type of disappointment you could be being with your attitude and behaviour, if you were unappreciative, ungrateful, uninformed and unthoughtful to be doing the opposite of such Forebearers?

Still want to congratulate/support misinformed Parsi-Irani when they do the opposite of all that our historical precedent, rationale, customs and traditions show us? Is that not like a slap in the face to our Ancestors’ sacrifices?

As such questions sink-in, it cannot be emphasized any further that it is the unmatched sacrifices of our Ancestry which earned our community the liberties that some people are now abusing under the illusions of free speech and freedom of choice.

Worse, this abuse is done without recognition or responsibility of downline ramifications, i.e. what if contrary to our Ancestors wisdom, those that are promoting conversion and cross-faith matrimony are proven wrong and end-up doing more damage to the already delicate and damaged ecosystem of our Religio-Culture, as evident from other cultures who disappeared?

Given that the purpose of the education is to encourage cohesion via improved understanding on the part of the rebellious, various types of other references are also provided as backdrops to the questions raised on those who have been unreasonably questioning our Religio-Culture’s ways.

Footnote on your personal ancestry (ref point 47)

Herewith is how you came about on this planet as Parsi-Irani:

• You as Parsi or Irani had 2 parents, likely both Mazdayasni Zarathushti (hope you know its meaning).
• They each had two parents → 4 grandparents of the same Ethno-Religio-Cultural extraction.
• Those needed 8 great ‑ grandparents as above.
• And so on, doubling every generation.
• If you only go back a dozen generations, you will compute out to a few thousand Ancestors:
• Ancestors who consciously chose Parsi-Irani spouses.
• All of whom went through economic struggles and yet performed their children’s Navjotes, Naavurs, Weddings so as to continue the Ethno-Religio-Cultural-Spiritual chain which gave birth to you.

Now you ask yourself HOW DO YOU STAND TO honour your Ancestral chain with your actions?

Will your marriage produce children of the same ORIGINAL combinations as your Ancestors?