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.CAIS NEWS© LATEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF THE IRANIAN WORLD |
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Iran's Small Zoroastrian Community Remembers 7th Century Arab Conquest of Iran
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18 June 2007 |
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LONDON,
(CAIS) -- Dressed in white to symbolize purity, a
priest recited from the Zoroastrian holy book at a shrine as members of this
ancient pre-Islamic religion marked what they see as one of the most bitter
events in Iran's history: the 7th century Arab conquest of Persia.
The Arab invasion changed history for
Persia, the ancient name for non-Arab Iran: Islam was imposed as the new
religion, replacing Zoroastrianism, whose followers were dispersed.
Thousands of Zoroastrians — from
Iran's small remaining community and from India, the United States and other
countries — gathered at this mountain shrine this week for five days of
ceremonies that ended Monday, commemorating the event.
Priest Goshtasb Belivani addressed the
gathering, standing at the tall bronze doors of the shrine, built into a
cliff-side cave where a heroine of the faith, Nikbanou, is said to have fled
from the Arab assault.
"We have all gathered at this
sacred place to pray Ahura Mazda," he said, using the Zoroastrians' name
for God. "We are also here to remember Nikbanou and what happened to our
ancestors by the Arab invaders."
Belivani spoke to the crowd in modern Farsi, before reciting the verses from the
Avesta, the faith's holy book, in an ancient version of the language.
According to legend, Nikbanou, the
youngest daughter of the last king of the Persian empire, took shelter in the
mountain and prayed to Ahura Mazda for help from the attackers. Miraculously,
the mountain opened up and gave her protection.
Near the shrine, a slowly dripping
spring emerges from the mountain, giving the site its name — "Chak Chak"
means "drip drip" in Persian. The legend says the spring is the
mountain shedding tears in remembrance of Nikbanou. An immense tree stands
nearby, said to have grown from Nikbanou's cane.
The legends regretting the invasion that
brought Islam to this country highlight the unusual status of Zoroastrians in
today's Iran — ruled by an Islamic government headed by clerics.
Since coming to power in the 1979
revolution, the Islamic Republic has tolerated the sect, giving it official
status and guaranteeing a Zoroastrian seat in parliament. It also allows its
members to practice their rites. For example, while the law forbids mixed
dancing, Zoroastrian men and women are permitted to dance together and play
music as part of their worship in special places like temples or covered
buildings.
Still, the Zoroastrian community's
numbers have dwindled to around 50,000, down from 300,000 in the 1970s, with
many emigrating to the U.S.
Human rights reports say Zoroastrians
— like members of Iran's small Jewish and Christian minorities — suffer some
discrimination, kept out of some jobs. But many Zoroastrians left simply because
of the general restrictions on all Iranian society imposed by the Islamic
government.
Still, Zoroastrian traditions remain
embedded in Iran, where the population of 70 million — overwhelmingly Shiite
Muslim — take deep pride in their pre-Islamic civilization.
Every year, Iranians of all religions
mark Chahar-Shanbe Suri, or the Wednesday feast, part of celebrations for the
Persian New Year, in March. During the rites, Iranians light bonfires in the
streets and jump over them and dance, hoping to put failures behind them — and
the rite has persisted despite attempts by the ruling clerics to discourage it
as un-Islamic.
"Zoroastrians are not a big
population in Iran but our rituals remain widely respected not only in Iran but
other parts of the world," said chief Zoroastrian priest Ardeshir
Khorshidian.
At Chak Chak — also known by the name
Pir-e Sabz, 550 kilometers southeast of the capital Tehran — the pilgrims
crowded into pavilions set up at the base of the mountain, below the shrine in
the cliff.
Families sitting on rugs had picnics,
while children danced and their parents attended prayers in the shrine.
"For many Zoroastrians, summer
begins with a pilgrimage to Pir-e-Sabz," said Pedram Soroushpour.
"This event is a symbol of Zoroastrians remaining loyal to their manners
and rituals."
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Extracted From/Source*: International Herald Tribune
*Please
note
the above-news is NOT a "copy & paste" version from
the mentioned-source. The news/article above has been modified with
the following interventions by CAIS:
Spelling corrections; - Rectification and correction of
the historical facts and data; - Providing additional historical
information within the text; -Removing
any unnecessary, irrelevant & repetitive information.
All these measures have been taken in order to ensure that the published news provided by CAIS is coherent, transparent, accurate and suitable for academics and cultural enthusiasts who visit the CAIS website.
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"History is the Light on the Path to Future" |
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Encyclopaedia Iranica
The British Institute of Persian Studies "Persepolis Reconstructed"
The British Museum
The Royal Asiatic Society
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