FEZANA, the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, joins in grieving over the terrible carnage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. One victim of such a senseless act is one too many. It is unimaginable and horrifying that 20 little children, with all their lives and all their promise still ahead of them, and 6 of the school’s staff perished this way.
Unfortunately, we are growing all too familiar with such tragedies. Two similar recent outrages come to mind: At a movie theater in Colorado and at a Sikh gurdwara in Wisconsin. In each case, the victims have been entirely innocent and the perpetrators motivated by some warped or unknowable logic and inexplicably armed with weapons of mass destruction.
As North America’s many cultures and religious communities grapple each in their own way with how to cope with and react to this latest outrage, we Zoroastrians can offer the core ethos of our faith — good thoughts, good words, and good deeds — as a formula for healing and for preventing future such incidents.
Our prayers and thoughts are with the victims and their families and friends.
Katayun Kapadia
FEZANA – President
Due to the current tragedy if parents have questions on how to explain the situation to their children, these are some of the sites, other associations can send this blast to their members if they wish.
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry – Children and Grief
Massachusetts General Hospital for Children – Talking To Children About A Shooting
Child Mind Institute – Caring For Kids After A School Shooting
