The editorial "Faith and the future” (Parsiana, June 21-July 6, 2024) contained good suggestions.
One small correction I would like to mention is that not all North American community centers are open to non-Zoroastrian relatives for entry to prayer rooms. A member of the Zoroastrian Center of California mentioned to my daughter that her non-Zoroastrian relative was not permitted by the officiating priest to attend the prayers she had requested to be done in the prayer room (which is part of the Zoroastrian Center) in the City of Orange, Southern California. And when she as well as one of the founding members of the association sent messages to the executive committee about it, they received no response.
Recently, an ad hoc committee of five or so ervads sent a proposal to the executive committee that the priests cannot be forced by the community to change their decisions regarding who can be allowed to attend prayers in the prayer room. This proposal was applicable to all their decisions related to religious matters at the Zoroastrian Association of California.
My daughter, who is a partner in a law firm in Los Angeles, informed the executive committee as well as the community that the proposal was in violation of the constitution of the Association and, if allowed, could result in loss of tax exempt status for the Association. However, with a few changes in the wording, the proposal was put to a vote by a raising of hands and passed at the annual general body meeting. Some members who sided with those priests made personal attacks on my daughter but she did not stoop to their level and held her ground. Several members who were not intimidated by the opposition at the meeting voted against it or abstained.
Mobedyar MANECK BHUJWALA
Huntington Beach, California
mbhujwala@socal.rr.com
Parsiana inquired from the Zoroastrian Association of California regarding the issue but received no response till the time of going to press.