Cover (from l): Astad Clubwala, Homi Gandhi, Meher Bhesania, Mahrukh and Firoz Pestonji, and Farzana Khambatta with the World Zoroastrian Congress trophy Photo: Jasmine D. Driver ...
The World Zoroastrian Congress was merry get together party with no discussions on the problems facing the community and actions to overcome these problems. Among the most important problems are inter religious marriages, children of inter religious marriages, rights of spouse of inter religious marriages, integration of ethnic Zoroastrians living in Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Russian, Kurdistan, Afghanistan and other places. No attempt was made to demarcate the distinction between Parsi race and Zoroastrian a religion. It is also disheartening to note that no mention was made why hundreds of aged parents, mothers and fathers are left to fend on their own in old age by off springs well settled in the North America and Australia. Many of these off springs never take time off to attend the funeral ceremonies of their parents. Causes of increase in divorces and separate living of spouses a common problem were also ignored. In North America 100s of divorced or separated Zoroastrians live. - Shapour B Badri - 17-Sep-2018