Twice within a span of three weeks, gunshots were fired at the Bhandara Atash Kadeh in Houston. "We feel it is important to inform our community, so everyone is vigilant and to assure you that proper security precautions have been taken and that the Zarathushti Heritage and Cultural Center and Atash Kadeh are both safe to visit,” noted a communiqué addressed to the members of the Zoroastrian Association of Houston (ZAH) on October 11, 2023.
On the morning of October 7, it was discovered that the previous night someone had fired two shots at the Atash Kadeh window, by the kusti rooms. The shots were reportedly fired at an angle from the roadside pavement. A similar incident had occurred on September 14 with another window, more accessible from the roadside. On both the occasions police complaints had been filed.
When Parsiana sought feedback from Feroze Bhandara who had endowed the two million dollar (Rs 16.64 crores) Atash Kadeh that was inaugurated in 2019, he responded, "Thank you for your concern and inquiry. There is no reason for alarm or panic. We are safe here. Both incidents of gunshots at the Atash Kadeh appear to be random acts of unbalanced persons firing at night from the sidewalk (outside of our fenced compound). The Atash Kadeh vicinity is much safer during daylight and we have experienced no random firing during daytime.”
Bhandara Atash Kadeh in Houston
Located on West Airport Boulevard, "our Atash Kadeh is in a rough part of Houston. Also, the problem is made worse in Texas by easy access to guns,” stated Bhandara who being the public safety director for part of West Houston works closely with the Houston Police. He shared videos with the police. "Upon receiving my text message about the recent firing and broken glass at the Atash Kadeh, my friend, Yasir Bashir, assistant chief of police in the USA, who in the past has been a frequent visitor to the Atash Kadeh and our Center, immediately got involved. Several police cruisers were dispatched to our Atash Kadeh and detectives assigned to the case. They were able to find a bag and tag shell casings for evidence. The assistant chief has put our Atash Kadeh under ‘special watch’ which means that police will increase patrol frequency around our perimeter. Police have also promised to add their own camera on the roadside to deter these acts in the future. From the Atash Kadeh side we are planning to add extra lighting near the roadside as a deterrent,” reported Bhandara.
Earlier they used to leave the property gate open during the day but recent incidents have compelled them to keep them locked. "It is sad that we had these incidents; but we continue with our ceremonies and visits to the Atash Kadeh. Necessary action has been initiated,” confirmed Percy Behramsha who is tasked with providing fob keys (a small security device with built-in authentication) to members that allows access to the entry gate as well as the ZAH Center and the Atash Kadeh when there is no event at either venue. In 2019 ZAH had started issuing fob against a payment of $ 15 (Rs 1,248) to members requiring access to the premises as a volunteer for community events or for prayers. If the fob holder happened to be the last person exiting the premises, it was his/her responsibility to ensure that all doors and windows were locked and the alarm system was armed.
To ascertain whether other associations in North America feel vulnerable following these stray incidents, Parsiana sought the views of Arzan Wadia, president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA). He wrote, "Across North America, our dar-e-mehers have never faced any safety threats. Each association works closely with their local community and government and police agencies and follows their guidelines. Community outreach goes a long way in creating awareness about the faith and the members. FEZANA also participates actively in the White House Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership Engagement Program. This is via a weekly Zoom call that shares information and resources for faith based communities in North America. And relevant information is passed on to our member associations as necessary.”