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ZOROASTRIANS in BIRMINGHAM the Zoroastrian Community in the City Is Small and Numbers Only a Handful of Families

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ZOROASTRIANS IN BIRMINGHAM The Zoroastrian community in the city is small and numbers only a handful of families. Nonetheless they gather regularly on auspicious Zoroastrians occasions such as Persian New Year and the birth of the Prophet Zarathustra. Zoroastrians in Birmingham have in the past Post: Birmingham Council of Faiths, organised landmark national events, such as the c/o BVSC, 138 Digbeth, Zoroastrian Day, co-sponsored by BCF, held in Birmingham B5 6DR Birmingham Council House in 2010 and the Email: [email protected] inauguration of the Parsi Faith Hill by the Hindu www.bhamfaiths.org.uk community at the Shri Venkateswara (Balaji) http://www.facebook.com/bcf.bhamfaiths Temple in 2013. In addition to local events which are organised by public spirited individuals, there Originally founded in 1974, are also events organised by the Zoroastrian Birmingham Council of Faiths' faith organisations within the United Kingdom. objective is to promote knowledge and mutual understanding of the beliefs Jimmy Suratia is the and practices of the city’s many Zoroastrian representative and former Chair religious faiths. on the Birmingham Council of Faiths Its belief is that through greater email: [email protected] understanding of each other, a more The Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe harmonious and cohesive society can (based in London) be created. one of web-site: http://www.ztfe.com An additional strategy is to act as an email: [email protected] interfaith hub, networking between the diverse faith organisations in the city Birmingham’s The World Zoroastrian Organisation and to serve as a focal point for (based in London) web-site: http://www.w-z-o.org information about their activities. faith email: chairman@w-z-o. This brochure is one of ten covering the Council’s affiliated faiths, which The North West Zoroastrian Community currently include Baha’is, Buddhists, (based in Manchester) communities Christians, Confucians, Hindus, Jains, web-site: http://www.nwzc.org.uk email: [email protected] Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Zoroastrians. ZOROASTRIAN BASICS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE SOCIAL PRACTICE Zoroastrianism was the religious doctrine first As a rule, Zoroastrians are born into the faith. There are no consecrated places of Zoroastrian taught in Persia (modern day Iran) Parsi Zoroastrians in particular would not worship in the United Kingdom. However, there is a approximately 3500 years ago by the Prophet convert any person as this was one of the prayer room at the Zoroastrian Centre in London Zarathustra, after whom the faith is named. promises made when they first settled in India. which is the focal point nationally for worship and It was among the first monotheistic religions Furthermore, only the children where the father events. The Zoroastrian Trust Fund of Europe and worships the creator god, Ahura Mazda is a Parsi would be allowed into the faith. These (ZTFE) has also recently secured the services of a (Lord of Wisdom). issues are a point of controversy for the Parsis. full-time priest from India. Nonetheless, other than the full-time priest at the ZTFE, all the other priests Worship is predominantly undertaken at home The Zoroastrian holy book is the Avesta, which in the form of the daily prayers. Other celebrations, (approximately two dozen in total in the United is written in an early form of Iranian, closely especially family ceremonies and marriages, Kingdom) accommodate their religious duties with related to Vedic Sanskrit. The oldest and most are mostly organised at home or at appropriate their full-time careers. sacred part of the scriptures are the Gathas, venues. Some families opt to go to India to hymns composed by Zarathustra himself. conduct them. Zoroastrians believe that at death the soul leaves the body but remains on earth for three days, after Zoroastrians believe that for every individual, Generally, the Zoroastrian child learns about which it departs to the spiritual world, accompanied life is a constant battle between Good and their faith and prayers through the family. Prior by its guardian spirit. Arriving at the Chinvat bridge Evil. Each person has a guardian angel and is to reaching adolescence, the child formally of judgement, if a person has lived a virtuous life the religious symbol known as the Faravahar commits to the faith in a ceremony called the the soul will cross the bridge to heaven. Where one or Farohar, which is depicted on the front of Navjote, where he or she wears the sacred vest has lived a life of evil, it will be dragged to hell. this brochure. Both the angel and the and thread for the first time. These items will Zoroastrian mantra of “Good Thoughts, Good then be worn daily whilst reciting prayers. On death, traditionally Zoroastrians expose the Words and Good Deeds” help in the fight body in the open in Towers of Silence, where they between Good and Evil. Only the children born into a priestly family can decay and are consumed by nature. As the only become priests. The children go to India, where Towers of Silence exist in India, most Zoroastrians Zoroastrianism was the religion followed by they are initiated as priests in the Navar Murtab in the United Kingdom are either cremated or the rulers and many of the people of the ceremony. They learn the prayers that buried in ceremonies presided over by a priest. Persian Empire and the faith declined with its accompany events such as Navjotes, There is a small Zoroastrian cemetery at downfall. As Zoroastrians faced persecution Marriages, Deaths and the Jashan ceremonies. Brookwood in Surrey. and forced conversion to Islam, some fled and settled in India about 1385 years ago. There The Jashan ceremonies are conducted to Globally, the Zoroastrian community congregate at these settlers are called Parsis and are today, commemorate good occasions but can also be congresses around the world. The 6th Youth one of India’s most respected and successful conducted to remember those departed. The Congress was held in 2015 in Auckland, New communities. In the former Persian territories Jashan is a ceremony of offerings where the Zealand. The next full congress of believers will be there, a diminishing minority of Iranian Priest(s) pray and tend a fire of sandalwood in Zoroastrians still remains. the presence of fruits and flowers. in 2018 in Perth, Australia..
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