My family and I want to say thank you for the very accurate and sensitive reporting in the In Memoriam piece ("Enjoining equality,” Parsiana, February 7-20, 2021) you did about my father, Sammy Bhiwandiwalla (pictured).
My father was very much an advocate of leading by example and once he retired he threw himself into working for the World Zoroastrian Organisation, of which he was chairman, with the same determination and effort as he had adopted in his business. His greatest wish was to see the religion grow and flourish. He believed that to stem the tide of the ever decreasing gene pool we should embrace conversion to Zoroastrianism. After all, what greater honor and privilege could there be than to allow someone to join us and secure the continuation of the noble principles of Ahura Mazda?
As the husband of a non-Zoroastrian it was of paramount importance to him that spouses and their families should be welcomed in and afforded the same dignities as the rest of us. Ever aware of those who disagreed with him, he sought a deeper understanding of the religion through education. He was always very excited to receive the distinguished scholars and experts who came to lecture at the seminars which were open to anyone who was interested. We hope that his efforts for greater inclusivity within the community will continue. He would be delighted to know that this was his lasting legacy.