Zoroastrians in North America join in the revulsion worldwide at the criminal attacks by the so-called Islamic State against innocent people in Paris and Beirut and on a Russian airplane flying holidayers home from Egypt.
The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) deeply grieves the loss of so many innocent lives and stands in solidarity with people of all faiths in condemning such barbaric acts.
The Islamic State thugs, supposedly fighting against Syria’s dictatorial regime in a civil war, have themselves brutalized residents of large swaths of Iraq and Syria. The result, as the world has witnessed for months, is an abject flow of refugees from the region, people caught between two ruthless forces. We urge governments in North America to be generous in offering safe harbor to those fleeing the violence even as they wisely vet those seeking to arrive at our shores.
It will be a happy day when the Syrian conflict is over and the scourge of Islamic State is eradicated. We support efforts by the U.S. and other governments as well as the United Nations to that end.
The problem, as those familiar with the region know, is complex and does not lend itself to a facile or quick solution. Truth be told, also, many governmental actors involved in the region have preferred to play geostrategic games with cynical disregard for the humanitarian costs such opportunism have inflicted on innocent people. Such ambiguity has helped Islamic State to take root.
But as the group’s recent outrages attest, no nationality is immune to its depredations and only a concerted world response – by governments of all stripes and individuals of all faiths – will finally end this reign of terror.
As Zoroastrians, we practice an ancient faith founded on principles of righteousness, beneficence, and mutual respect. As a community and as individuals, our voices are always raised against nihilism and injustice.
Katayun Kapadia
FEZANA – President
About FEZANA
Founded in 1987, FEZANA serves as the coordinating body for 26 Zoroastrian associations throughout the United States and Canada. FEZANA promotes the study, understanding and practice of the Zoroastrian faith in North America., represents the interests of its member associations, and carries out philanthropic and charitable activities worldwide. The FEZANA Journal, FEZANA’s publication of record, circulates to Zoroastrian households in more than 22 countries, as well as to scholars, academicians and religious organizations worldwide. For more information visit: www.fezana.org.
