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Zoroastrians in U.S. celebrate 25 years of growth

NATION'S FIRST ZOROASTRIAN RELIGIOUS CENTER FINDS NEW HOME NEW YORK IRANIAN ZOROASTRIANS AND PARSIS CELEBRATE OVER 25 YEARS OF COMMUNITY GROWTH

Contact: Tamina Davar
Taminadavar@yahoo.com

Pomona, NY, June 17, 2001 ­ A landmark ceremony bringing together an unprecedented ten priests began a day-long celebration for over 300 members of New York's Zoroastrian religious community. Braving torrential rainstorms, they came from throughout the tri-state area to say farewell to their 25-year old center in New Rochelle, New York ­ North America's first Zoroastrian religious center ­ and to inaugurate a new, bigger facility in Pomona, New York. Zoroastrians are said to be a dwindling religious community; however, this flourishing and growing community had long ago outgrown its crowded New Rochelle center. The new facility, formerly a Jewish Center, will finally meet their needs.

"We're moving from our first house to our new house," declared Shirin Kiamanesh, president of the Iranian Zoroastrian Association, to thunderous applause. Sunday's two-part event, celebrating over 25 years of community-building, was emotional for New York's Zoroastrians ­ both those of Iranian origin, as well as those of Indian/Pakistani (Parsi) origin. The day began in New Rochelle with a "jashan" ceremony marking farewell to the center; a group pilgrimage ­ 30 minutes by car ­ to the newly-purchased center in Pomona; and a group prayer event at the new center. At both centers, community elders spoke emotionally about pioneering and witnessing this bi-cultural community's extraordinary growth over the past 30 years ­ despite outside prejudice, predictions of extinction, and limited resources. The event was accompanied by poems in Farsi and prayers by children's religious classes.

Pervez Patel, a Parsi priest from Queens, New York, lead the ten dasturs (priests), from New York and the northeast, in the ceremonies and group prayers ­ including nine-year old Porus Khambatta. Ironically, until just several years ago, many major metropolitan areas lacked even one Zoroastrian priest. Patel still travels nationwide to communities who lack Zoroastrian priests, performing weddings, confirmations, funeral prayers, and blessing ceremonies.

New York's Zoroastrian community encompasses two peoples ­ South Asians (known as Parsis), and Iranians. Each have their own association: the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY, with mostly Parsi membership) and the Iranian Zoroastrian Association (IZA). But in a unique synthesis of religious pluralism, the two organizations collaborate for children's religious instruction and holiday gatherings, and also maintain their own cultural activites.

ZAGNY was founded by by a small group of Indian Parsis in 1965, who held meetings and celebrations at Columbia University's International House, later moving their events to the United Nations International School. The Parsi community grew and was supplemented by a smaller but growing Iranian Zoroastrian immigrant community. The two communities eventually decided to operate separate organizations, recognizing the unique cultures but common religion of both. The new Zoroastrian center, like the old one, is the joint home of both associations, and is managed by a board of trustees.

Zoroastrian leaders initially faced tremendous opposition and prejudice from the predominantly white neighborhood residents, who attempted to block their purchase of the original center in 1975. Prevailing over these obstacles for 25 years, the center soon became a hub of ceremonies, celebrations, religious classes, a even a nationwide conference in the late 1970s; and played a vital role in identity-formation of its youth, many of whom now hold leadership positions within the organizations. But it soon became too small ­ the growing number of religious classes or meetings had to be held in halls and stairwells; and major holiday celebrations had to be held in outside rental spaces.

The new Pomona center has classroom facilities and a spacious main hall which can hold major events. The several-year effort to raise money, search for, purchase, and renovate the new center was a community effort involving hundreds of volunteers, both old and young. Both old and new centers are named "the Arbab Rustom Guiv Darbe Mehr," in honor of Arbab Rustom Guiv, the Iranian philanthropist who funded the old center, as well as most other Zoroastrian centers in North America. "Darbe Mehr" (meaning "door of justice" or "door of peace") denotes a temple without a permanently consecrated devotional fire. Although most Zoroastrian temples in South Asia have constantly-tended fires, U.S. fire codes and the expense and scarcity of full-time priests necessitate a more limited arrangement.

Parsis have emigrated to the U.S., Canada, and Britain in the past several decades. Joined by a wave of Iranian Zoroastrians after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, the two communities have together founded thriving Zoroastrian organizations in urban areas throughout North America - many, like New York, with religious centers. Today, the combined Zoroastrian community is estimated at 250,000 worldwide, including 25,000 in North America. The greater New York area's Zoroastrian population (including both Parsi and Iranian, but the majority Parsi) is estimated at almost 1000.

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