Who can or should be a mobed?

This is absolute nonsense!!!
The matter has not been pushed too far by Mikhail or anybody else for that matter.
To begin with: We need to get rid of the hereditary mobeds. Once and for all!
The concept of the hereditary mobed is just another part of the racist junk we need to deal with within the Zoroastrian community.
There are historically no mobeds (just like the zaotars and the magi of Zoroastrianism did not last, so the mobeds as we know them today will one day disaappear).
But a community and a faith always needs leaders.
And leaders should be those who are best suited for the job and are elected by the community to take that responsibility. Not those who inherit the job.
So if anything, this incident only hastens a long overdue debate among us what mobeds are for in the first place and who should be the best mobeds.
Please then note that if anything, we need more mobeds and not fewer. So the whole connection of heredity and faith has to go!!! We can't be for conversions and for hereditary mobeds at the same time. It's a total contradiction and makes absolutely no sense at all.
The whole idea of a CLASS or CASTE system among Zoroastrians to begin with must go!!!
Zarathushtra, the author of The Gathas, would be totally opposed to it to begin with, There are no mobeds in The Gathasm rather a strong and consequent hatred towards the conservatism of all priestly structures.
Please keep this in mind.

Ushta
Alexander

2010/3/7 Georgios

Dear Bahman,

Thank you very much for your kind words. I found indeed peace of mind and new energy to go on, from my navjote.
I agree with your points, thinking as well that Mikhail pushed the matter too far.
After all, this is nobody's business. They could keep a low profile, if they were planning to do something like that. The subject is really complicated and it's not fair judging a whole community for the wrongs of a part of it.
Don't forget after all that Iranian Zoroastrians don't perform initiations in Iran (that's why I went to India). Should they be accused, given the fact that there is Islamic law there? Certainly not. We can short things out, without provoking.

My regards,

George



--- In Ushta@yahoogroups.com, Bahman Noruziaan wrote:
>
>
> Dear George,
>
> My sincere congratulations for your initiation and the confirmation of your belief in Mazdayasna. I hope that you find peace of mind and heart following this occasion of your life! Ushta-Te.
>
> The destructive behaviour of those who attacked and damaged properties in the referred occasion is appalling. They crossed the lines of sensibility and restored to violence and intimidation.
>
> The occasion which was supposed to take place however, according to the original news is however, puzzling to me. By that I mean, the initiation of a fellow Russian into Zoroastrian priesthood and not into Mazdayasna itself. Here is the original news again for everybody's reference:
> http://parsikhabar.net/parsis-storm-zoroastrian-college-to-stop-conversion-of-a-russian/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ParsiKhabar+%28Parsi+Khabar%29
>
>
> I am not sure if this initiation is even sanctioned by the Iranian Mobedan Anjoman. According to tradition only those from Mobedan family can be initiated into Zoroastrian priesthood. Please note that I am not saying whether the tradition is right or wrong. That is not the matter of my posting here.
>
> Considering the status quo, in my opinion the planned event was pushing the matter too far, considering strong anti conversion sentiments among Parsis.
> Was the fellow Russian from a priestly family, just out of curiosity?
>
> Regards
> Bahman