Zoroastrians gaining acceptance in Iran
CHAM, Iran – Thousands of Iranians gathered at dusk against a snowy mountain backdrop to light giant bonfires in an ancient midwinter festival dating back to Iran’s pre-Islamic past that is drawing new interest from Muslims.
Saturday’s celebration was the first in which the dwindling remnants of Iran’s once plentiful Zoroastrian religious minority were joined by thousands of Muslims, reflecting a growing interest in the strict Islamic society for the country’s ancient traditions.
The festival, known as Sadeh, celebrates the discovery of fire and its ability to banish the cold and dark, and it is held in the frigid depths of winter.
Sadeh is mostly celebrated in the homes and temples of Iran’s 60,000 remaining Zoroastrians.
Recently, however, there has been an upsurge of interest among Iranian Muslims – more than 90 percent of the population – in their ancient heritage, when vast Persian empires held sway over much of central Asia and fought Greek warriors and Roman legions.
“I’m proud of Sadeh because it is part of Iran’s cultural heritage,” said Mohammed Saleh Khalili, a Muslim Iranian who traveled from Meibod, a town in central Iran, to join the celebrations. “Once it was a national festival and for centuries it has been restricted to Zoroastrians but there is no reason why Muslim Iranians shouldn’t celebrate the event.”
Fire plays a central role in Zoroastrian worship as a symbol of truth and the spirit of God.
Zoroastrians once numbered in the millions but were persecuted and forced to convert after Muslims rose to power in Iran. According to some estimates, there are only about 150,000 Zoroastrians in the world today. They have one lawmaker in Iran’s parliament.
On Saturday, in the small mountain village of Cham in central Iran, an estimated 5,000 people – more than half of them Iranian Muslims – gathered for the festival, as white-robed priests recited hymns in ancient Persian from their holy book and children danced to lively music.
A police band playing the national anthem and other patriotic music evoked wild cheers from the crowd.
The band’s presence marked a once unheard of official stamp of approval for the festival by the government.
“It appears that Sadeh once again will be a real national festival in Iran,” said Ebrahim Rezaei, also a Muslim.