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"At times I have wondered if I was not born into this religion would I have the bravery to search and find the amazing and timeless message of Zarathushtra? And even if I did, would I have the strength to tell my family and friends and all of the community I grew up with that I no longer believe what they believe?” writes Fariba Pirghaibi of converts to Zoroastrianism in her editor’s note in the June 2023 issue of Chehreh Nama, the bilingual quarterly publication of the California Zoroastrian Center (CZC). She dedicated the issue to "all the courageous men and women of all ages, nationalities and cultures who have been enlightened by the Gathas (hymns of Zarathushtra addressing the Divinity, Ahura Mazda, as also his followers) and made a clear choice” to follow in the prophet’s footsteps.
Eighteen pages in the English section of Chehreh Nama have given space to 13 voices, nine male and four female, to express their underpinning and spiritual quest that ultimately led them to accept the message of Zarathushtra. All of them conveyed directly or indirectly that they were drawn to the philosophy of good thoughts, words and deeds, as also the freedom to choose wisely that is enshrined in this faith.
Chehreh Nama was started in the late 1980s at the inception of the CZC by Mobed Shahbahram Shahzadi, the Center’s full-time mobed. The magazine was named Chehreh Nama to represent the face and vision of the organization, stated Pirghaibi who has been the co-editor for the last 15 years. While members of CZC are sent a free printed copy of the quarterly, there is also an online edition.
Around 20 pages of the issue are devoted to its Persian section edited by Jamshid Jamshidi and an almost equal number of pages to the English section. Over the years, the magazine has carried news on the local and global Zoroastrian community, reports on the 12th World Zoroastrian Congress in New York last year, and the 7th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress that CZC co-hosted with the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) in 2019. Articles on Zoroastrianism by scholars like Prof Kaikhosrov Irani, Prof Stanley Insler, Ali Jafarey, Dina McIntyre and Ervad (Dr) Jehan Bagli have regularly featured in the quarterly to show that the message of Zarathushtra is for all humanity.
"CZC is FEZANA’s largest association,” stated FEZANA president Arzan Wadia in response to queries from Parsiana. Between 2008 to 2015 they were not active at FEZANA but "as a result of hosting the Youth Congress and the subsequent involvement, we have a whole new cadre of young adults from there who are now involved at FEZANA.” These include FEZANA secretary Khodaram Partovi and co-chair of the Zoroastrian Youth of North America Parshan Khosravi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"For the last few years CZC has had a program to initiate those who want to choose the faith. FEZANA has no say in what an individual association can or cannot do. We are of course supportive of this initiative and when queries regarding the same come to us, we send them over to CZC,” clarified Wadia.
In the June issue of Chehreh Nama, some of the Zoroastrians by choice acknowledged the help and guidance they had received from Artemis Javanshir, co-chair of FEZANA’s religious education committee. When Parsiana sought her inputs she replied that she and Pirghaibi serve on the Public Relations (PR) committee of CZC constituted three years ago. She described the PR team as "a group of dedicated individuals with strong belief in educating those who would like to learn more about Zarathushtra’s teachings.” While there have been differences in opinion regarding accepting Zoroastrians by choice, "as a whole CZC has been a welcoming community,” she stated.
Any enquiry regarding Zoroastrianism received by CZC gets referred to the PR committee. "If an individual chooses Zarathushtra’s teachings as a way of life and would like to have the sedreh pooshi ceremony then we help them. There is a process that we need to consider before their sedreh pooshi: a minimum of six months with PR and a good understanding of the basic principles of the Gathas are a must. We have regular Gatha discussions and fellowship gatherings (where) we benefit from our like-minded, loving community on virtual Zoom sessions,” clarified Javanshir who considers it "an honor to work with these amazing individuals.” Shahram Bastani from Toronto too has served as a mentor for a few converts.
Of the 13 neo Zoroastrians featured in Chehreh Nama, nine are from the USA, two from Canada and one each from the Philippines and the UK. Five of them were born in Iran or showed pride in their Iranian heritage. Whether raised as Christian, Protestant, Jew, Muslim or atheists, considerable soul searching, extensive reading and guidance from community stalwarts led them to accept Zarathushtra’s teachings.

 

 

 

 

What appealed to Arvin Diaz, a senior high school teacher who takes courses in research and social science, was Zarathushtra’s message that "attunes to my sentiments of compassion and social justice, and that there is no meaning in life if there is no free choice.” He mentioned that three years ago when Covid-19 brought "confusion to my conscience, this melancholy kindled a fire in my heart which led me to contact any known Zoroastrian organization in the world.” He believes he is "the first Filipino ever received into the faith” when his sedreh pooshi was performed online after the sacred vestments were delivered to him. "Offer at least one Ashem Vohu and one Ahunawar prayer so that Ahura Mazda will help me to bring (His) message to my fellow Filipinos,” he urged his coreligionists.
"Zarathushtra was perhaps the first teacher who allowed me to question and evolve which involves being truthful, just and compassionate towards others and striving to make a positive difference in the world around us,” wrote Divya Kaur who works as a support worker in surgical theaters in the National Health Service in the UK. "Reading the Gathas, having a community, attending Zoom sessions as well as reading religious scholarly material has really helped me to get where I am today,” she added.
For Ottawa based Roxana Clark, interest in Zoroastrianism was created by her sister-in-law who was raised in Iran. Clark, who works in finance for a web development firm and other private clients, and additionally plays the piano in several bands, was inspired to see equality granted to Zoroastrian women of yore and is pained to see the plight of Iranian and other women today. Having found fulfilment in the "beauty of song and the peace it can bring,” the young grandmother who was initiated into the faith last November looks forward to hearing "the music of the Gathas.”
"I felt the songs of Avesta are coming from my heart and practicing Ashem Vohu, protecting righteousness and spreading Ushta (happiness) in the universe is my true philosophy,” commented Manijeh Pouliot, director of medical hematology-oncology at Pfizer Inc, based in California. Born in Tehran, she refused to be considered a second-class citizen whose rights are dictated by men. Familiar with Zoroastrianism since her days in Iran, she joined the CZC discussions and started studying the Gathas last year.
Having learnt about Zartosht from her partner, two years ago Sharona Rafaeloff decided to join the Zoroastrian religion. Born a Jew in Iran, "My search was always about awakening and being more in touch with the truth,” she wrote. Running a medical spa with her family in California, she helps clients to adopt a healthy lifestyle. "It is my passion in life to help others and that is why the Zoroastrian religion is perfect for me,” she added.
Describing his spiritual journey from evangelical Christianity to Zoroastrianism, Florida resident Caleb Goodfellow related, "This wasn’t because I couldn’t stay in one religion for long. It was instead because I had a burning desire in my soul to know the truth…” He was impressed with a religion that had "an all-wise god that made a universe on the path of perfection we either help or hinder.”
Born into a Muslim family where dogma was not enforced, Mahmood Naraghi had been studying different faiths from a young age. "There were incredible things that I found in different religions about God” which he could not accept. While studying Avestan he realized that Ahura Mazda can be  explained as "Existing Wisdom.” What also appealed to the landscape architect living in southern California with a PhD from Kyoto University in Japan is the Zoroastrian guideline that respecting nature and preserving the environment is an obligation.
"When I read the Gathas it felt like I had won the jackpot; I was glued to it and amazed by its message,” commented historian and entrepreneur Robert Jean Croix St Thomas who hails from a non-denominational Protestant background and experimented with other faiths before he ultimately found meaning in Zoroastrian scriptures. What resonated with him was the message in the Gathas to question and use the Vohu Mana (good mind) to make a righteous choice. "Everything you need to live a moral, purposeful, wholesome and happy life is in the Gathas and the message of it is universal and timeless for everyone,” he realized. He mastered the basic Avestan prayers and applied them in his daily life that brought him "inner peace and happiness never felt before!”
"As a scientist I value critical thinking, so it is remarkable to see a philosophy that is founded on venerating wisdom and asking questions,” acknowledged California based Arya Parsa whose study of Zoroastrianism convinced him it was "an appropriate and worthy ideology for myself...being relatable and practical.” Born in Tehran and having settled in the US for over two decades he takes a detached view: "The more I contemplate the current situation in Iran the more I find Zoroastrian principles to be empirical and necessary for peace and prosperity.”
"When you keep telling yourself every day that you will do righteousness for the sake of righteousness alone, without fear of punishment or expectation of reward, it builds your courage and decreases anxiety,” realized Kenneth Christensen of California for whom the daily chanting of Ashem Vohu was a transformative experience. Working as a comic book scriptwriter, his study of Zoroastrianism helped him understand Spenta Mainyu (beneficent spirit) as the "progressive mentality,” while Angra Mainyu (malevolent spirit) is "the stagnant mentality.”
Reading the Gathas was "one of the greatest blessings of my life,” remarked Kaveh Arbab, an architect who has been designing luxury homes in Los Angeles. Zarathushtra’s message provided him "a grounding and guidance” that encouraged him "to embrace and love the living world instead of trying to transcend it. He helped me realize that even when I may feel alone in this distant land, I can always turn to Ahura Mazda as a friend who will help me learn the riches of good mind through righteousness.”
"Zoroastrianism places a very strong emphasis on ethical behavior for its adherents, based on certain core values… (that) provide guidance… (and) a very strong moral compass as we navigate life around us,” declared Jacob Bressman, a civil servant working for the federal government, who has been trying to incorporate Zoroastrian precepts into his spiritual practice. "The teachings of Zarathushtra are universal, they are a way of life which we all can live for the good of humanity at large,” he stated.
One of the turning points in the life of Sina Rahimi was his initiation on November 6, 2022 "when all the dots in my life were connected. On that day I became a Zoroastrian,” he wrote. Born in North Iran but compelled to migrate in 1979, he now works for the Canadian government as an enterprise architect and concurrently advises clients on ways to establish effective data architecture on cloud platforms.
The English section of the Chehreh Nama ended with the words of Nahid Dashtaki who has completed her masters in dispute resolution and public policy. She commented that while some Zoroastrians by birth fear that a person coming into the religion may result "in the dilution of our practices or principles, in reality it is an influence of another culture and another view that can only make us better… This religion is inclusive and progressive.”