WZCC TO ADMIT NON-PARSI ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

From Dinshaw Mehta on 05/10/2022 3:34 pm
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Dear humdeens, The following was recently published on the Parsiana FB page.

WZCC’s non-Parsi associate members The World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce will admit non-Parsis as associate members, noted the global organization’s head, Capt Percy Master. Associate members will not have the right to vote or stand for office, Master clarified at the 19th annual general meeting on September 24, 2022 at the West End Hotel. WZCC will also devote energies to build up its presence in the community through social media, stated Adi Siganporia, global corporate secretary.

We are now reliably informed that the proposal for inclusion of non-Zarathushtis (non-Parsees) as associate members is on the agenda for the International Board meeting scheduled next Sunday. This move deserves to be castigated in the strongest possible terms as it is detrimental to the very existence of the Parsee community. Is it not plain common sense that only a Zarathushti (Parsee) can be a member of an organisation which is christened ‘World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce’?? It is immaterial whether they are included as associate members who do not have the right to vote or stand for office! The fact that they are not Zarathustis (Parsees) should itself knock them out of the reckoning for membership. If an organisation has been formed for the benefit of the members of the Zarathushti community, then why this regressive move to include non-Zarathushtis? Would it not be to the detriment of the Zarathushti members? Are the office bearers unaware that the terms ‘Parsee’ and ‘Zarathushti’ are synonymous? The word ‘Parsee’ is an ethno-religious term, signifying both the race and the religion. It was in the inscriptions of Darius I (the Great) at Naqsh-i-Rustom, that one first comes across the word Parsee in recorded history, as available to us. This is what he wrote:
“I, Darius, the Great King, the King of Kings… a Parsee, son of a Parsee, an Aryan, of Aryan lineage.” Linguistic evidence clearly suggests that the word, Paarsa, Pars, occurs as Parsua in an Assyrian inscription of the 8th century B.C.! All this gives the lie to the belief that the term Parsee was only an ethnic term and had nothing to do with the Zoroastrian religion.

There cannot be a Parsee who is not a Zarathushti and there cannot be a Zarathushti who is not a Parsee. Parsee means Parsee Zarathushti. There cannot be a person who is not a Parsee by race but is a Zoroastrian by religion. The two are one. And that position flows from the Holy Scriptures, the tradition and the customs.

Admitting non-Zarathushtis into a Zarathushti body is damaging to our separate identity and hurts our religious sentiments, besides ofcourse sending out a wrong message to the world at large. Hence, we strongly urge the members of the WZCC to stop this backdoor attempt to legitimize the entry of outsiders as ‘Zarathushtis’. Else, change your name by substituting the word ‘Zarathushti’ with the word ‘Cosmopolitan’. For Team TPV H. M. Mistry

SUBSEQUENTLY GLOBAL PRESIDENT Capt. PERCY MASTER GAVE THE BELOW CLARIFICATION that non-Parsi Associate membership would not be given to WZCC in India but only outside India.

HOWEVER SINCE THIS IS WZCC “WORLD ZOROASTRIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE”, THERE IS NO SCOPE TO INTERNATIONALLY MAKE NON-PARSIS EVEN AS ASSOCIATE MEMBERS OF WZCC.

Trustees of BPP led by Xerxes Dastur then wrote to Percy Master that non Parsi members should not be taken even internationally. Fortunately the World President accepted this contention of BPP and Percy Master has now clarified that non Parsis would not be taken as Associate members even internationally.

WE THANK THE BPP AS WELL AS THE GLOBAL PRESIDENT AND THE LOCAL MEMBERS OF WZCC FOR NOT ALLOWING THIS FLAGRANT BREACH OF THE CONSTITUTION OF WZCC.

Source: Parsi Junction