By Poruz Khambatta
On May 25, 2022, the Consul General of Azerbaijan hosted a gala to celebrate Azerbaijan’s Independence Day at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Los Angeles. The event also commemorated 30 years of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United States of America. The celebration was graced by many diplomats and politicians, including a representative from the LA City Council; a state senator from Utah; and Gretchen Franke, regional Director of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Foreign Missions.
Azerbaijan was the first secular democratic Muslim-majority state and one of the first countries in the region to give women the right to vote and run for elected office, predating even the United States. Azerbaijan is also home to a diverse set of religious traditions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, and provides a shining example of how people of different faiths can live together harmoniously. Zoroastrians have played an important role in Azerbaijan’s history, and in fact, even the name Azerbaijan has its roots in the Avesta’s Frawardin Yasht. Moreover, Novruz is considered a very important holiday in Azerbaijan, and workers receive five days off to celebrate Novruz each year.
True to form, the Consul General was kind enough to invite Homi Gandhi to the celebrations as a representative from FEZANA, and Homi Uncle very generously brought me as his guest. At the gala, I was able to meet many diplomats, such as the Consuls General of Barbados and Hungary, and witness Azerbaijani music and dance performed by artists donning traditional garb. We also enjoyed the diverse arrangements of food, which included hummus, dolma, dill plov, kebabs, baklava, and badambura, a popular Azerbaijani pastry comprised of layers of flaky dough that have been stuffed with almonds, sugar, and ground cardamom.
Ultimately, it was a rich cultural experience and a terrific reminder of the many well-wishers we as Zoroastrians have throughout the globe.
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