The encounter of Zoroastrianism with Islam in Iran

Jstor ^ | Apr 2002 | Marietta Stepaniants

[Cronos]

Among the many stories of encounters between different cultures, the meeting of Zoroastrianism and Islam may be one of the most dramatic. After many centuries in which it was the dominant religion of the ancient Iranian states and after having achieved the status of official religion in the Sassanid Empire (224-651 AD), Zoroastrian teaching was practically driven from its homeland and replaced by the religion of Muhammad. The number of Zoroastrians in modern Iran today does not exceed forty thousand..... and total number worldwide is reckoned to be less than 120,000. It is difficult to describe the fate of Zoroastrianism more precisely than was done by james Darmestester in 1879 in his introduction to the translation of the Zend-Avesta "As the Parsis are the ruins of a people, so are their sacred books the ruin of a religion. There has been no other great belief in the world that ever left such poor and meager monuments of its past spendor"

... There are two opposing versions of the events surrounding the first encounter. One says that the Zoroastrians were converted by the Arabs at the point of the sword: "All that was Iran's whether spiritual or material was swept away by the Arabs - a sacrifice of their fanaticism. The religion, the language, the orthography, and the manners and customs of Iran took quite a different complexion or got entirely abolished"

..some historians claim that "the masses" willingly embraced islam... During the Sassanid dynasty, Zoroastrianism was transformed into an instrument of politics. Arnold Toynbee believes that "Zoroastrianism had in the end to pay as heavily as Jewry for having lent itself to a political enterprise" under Ardashir (226-242) the Sassanid state became a full-fledged theocracy. Ardashir was himself a priest who had inherited his profession from a long line of ancestors...

[Cronos]

One of the Umayyad Caliphs was quoted saying, "milk the Persians and once their milk dries, suck their blood".

[Gratia]

Persia and Greece wore themselves out fighting each other just in time for worshippers of mohammed to take advantage of the consequent fatal weakness.

[Cronos]

Not Persia and Greece.

Persia was/is Fars/Pars - one of the provinces of the Iranian Empire. They always called themselves the Iranian Empire - consisting of various Irani peoples like the Persians, the Medes, the Kurds, the Baluchis, the Tajikis (Sogdians), Bactrians, the Parthians. You had other Irani peoples like the Sarmatians, the Alans (ancestors of modern day Ossetians ) etc.

This was technically the Sassanid Iranian Empire - the empire of the “truth” “Aryan” - Iran is derived from the same root as Aryan/Iron/Alan

There were no “Greeks” by the 7th century. They called themselves Romans. This was not the “Byzantine Empire” - a term coined by later Rennaissance writers to create the other, but this was the ROMAN Empire with the Basileus, emperor of Rome.

This was acknowledged by the Ottomans who called their conquered lands as the Sultanate of RUM (Rome).

the greek speaking, orthodox called themselves Romaoi - Romans right until the 1800s when Shelley and other romantics tried to connect them to the hoary past of Socrates rather than to Christian Constantinople

[Wuli]

ping

[Destroyer Sailor]

That and the several bouts of the plague that ravaged the Mediterranean world during the years that preceded the Islamic expansion.

[Wuli]

It is a very old human story. When the secular state and religion are married, corruption enters - the state corrupts the religion, turning it into a legally granted orthodoxy and its orthodoxy corrupts the state, turning it into an arm of enforcement of the orthodoxy - and decay follows.

[gaijin]

Persia and Greece wore themselves out fighting each other just in time for worshippers of mohammed to take advantage of the consequent fatal weakness.

What a perfect lesson for the USA.

[Reily]

You’re off by 1000 years or so!

Fall of the Persian Empire to Alexander 329 BC
Rise of Islam 629 AD

Ok say off 960 years

[SunkenCiv]

Arnold Toynbee believes that "Zoroastrianism had in the end to pay as heavily as Jewry for having lent itself to a political enterprise"...

Toynbee, what a jackass.

[SunkenCiv]

The keywords zoroaster, zoroastrian, zoroastrianism, and zoroastrians, sorted chrono, duplicates out:

• The encounter of Zoroastrianism with Islam in Iran [2019]
• The 16,000 Martyrs of Persia during the Reign of Shapur II, 4th century AD [2019]
• Grand Opening of North America's First Zoroastrian Fire Temple [2019]
• I have witnessed the end of those who harassed the worshipers of God~Constantine's letter to Shapur [2019]
• In Iran, the ruling mullahs are dreading Iranians' coming beloved fire festival [2019]
• {Turkey}: Man's Zoroastrian religion used to prove PKK loyalty {Kurdish} [2018]
• Online dating is saving the ancient Zoroastrian religion [2018]
• anti Islam protests grow in Iran - more cities join " We are Aryans , we dont worship a Arab... [2017]
• Egypt: Muslim TV host says jihad massacres of Christians "okay," but not jihad massacre in mosque [2017]
• {Zoroastrian} Is Real Change Coming to Iran? Get Ready for March 15, 2017 [2017]
• Is real change coming to Iran? Get ready for March 15, 2017 [2016]
• YULE - Day of Winter Solstice 12/21/2016 [2016]
• Head of Zoroastrian temple says people are returning to their roots [2016]
• The changing face of Islam in Kurdistan [2016]
• Dating to Save Your Tiny Religion From Extinction [2016]
• In Whose God Do We Trust? [2016]
• UN Report: Iran's Human Rights Record Worse Under Rouhani than Ahmadinejad [2015]
• Jihad ravaged Christian Byzantium for 800 years: how valiantly the Byzantine Christians [2015]
• A Video Featuring Snoop Dogg Has Caused Uproar Among a Religious Group in India [2015]
• Why Iranians are lapping up Shah memorabilia [2015]
• Star Wars sucks. There, we said it. [2015]
• Zoroastrian faith returns to Kurdistan in response to ISIS violence [2015]
• 'Eternal flames' of ancient times could spark interest of modern geologists [2015]
• ISIS sweep forces religious minority to die of thirst on mountain [2014]
• Iraq's Yazidis in danger [2014]
• UN report blasts Iran for persecution of Christians, other religious minorities [2014]
• How Muslims Did Not Invent Algebra [2013]
• 1700 B.C.: 'Alla' god of 'violence and revolution' [2012]
• {Kurdistan Worker's Party}PKK and Zoroastrianism [2011]
• Monument to Babek (Irani fighter against Islam) to be erected in Baku [2011]
• Saudi Arabian Wahhabi Mufti Says Iranians are Zoroastrian [2011]
• Comparing Christianity and the New Paganism [2011]
• Main beliefs of Zoroastrianism [2011]
• 'Priestly' battle continues to rage (goes to Supreme Court) [2011]
• "From Nowruz till Nowruz, the Philosophy of Iranian Zoroastrian celebrations and ceremonies' [2011]
• Sassanid fire temple discovered in central Iran [2010]
• Fundamentalist Calls To Ignore Norouz Go Unheard In Iran, Afghanistan [2010]
• Happy Norooz! [2010]
• Israel - Liberation of the aboriginal Jews from the twin fascisms of pan-Arabism and Islamism [2009]
• The Last of the Zoroastrians [2009]
• The Secret Life of the Magi Kings [Epiphany] [2009]
• The Last of the Zoroastrians [2008]
• Barack Obama and Slavery [2008]
• John McCain about to be on the VIEW [2008]
• Median Era Ring Discovered In Iran [2007]
• Zoroastrian fires and temples [2007]
• Ancient Persian (Zoroastrian) influence on Hinduism [2007]
• How Muslims Take over Cities [2007]
• Iran's Zoroastrians remember Arab conquest of Persia [2007]
• An Old Religion Says No To Billboards (Zoroastrians) [2007]
• Zoroastrians struggle for survival in Iran [2006]
• Zoroastrians Keep the Faith, and Keep Dwindling [2006]
• Kurdistan: Zoroastrian Temple discovered in Duhok [2006]
• Church of Cognizance out of line with zoroastrian religion [2006]
• Russian Archaeologist Says Merv Was Origin Of Zoroastrianism [2006]
• Atheist Devotional [2006]
• Iran is already far beyond yellow badges [2006]
• Jewish MP denies Iran badge plan [2006]
• Mullahs Fail to prevent Ancient Persian Festival [2006]
• Zoroastrians Turn To Internet Dating To Rescue Religion [2006]
• Iran: Zoroastrian Lawmaker Faces Slander Charges [2005]
• IRAN's MINORITIES PROTEST KHAMENEI AIDE'S "SINFUL ANIMAL" SLUR [2005]
• Leftwing Bigot Watch [2005]
• Remembering the "Arashes" of the 1988 Massacre of Iranian Political Prisoners [2005]
• Bombay's Parsis Differ on Future of Their Community [2005]
• How Konstantin became Farrokh [2005]
• Zoroastrianism - Religion of the Persian Empire [2005]
• Cyrus the Great in Biblical Prophecy [Zoroastrian leader mentioned 23 times in Bible] [2005]
• Zoroastrianism - The World of the Wise Lord [Religion of the Persian Empire] [2005]
• archaeologist Says Central Asia Was Cradle Of Ancient Persian Religion [2005]
• Nowruz : Persian New Year [2005]
• The Fire in Iran. Forget about diplomacy, this is war. [2005]
• Iran hardliners keep lid on ancient fire festival [2005]
• Ancient Zoroastrians forbade begging but encouraged people to help the poor [2005]
• The Difference Between Iranians And Arabs [2005]
• India's Parsis are disappearing [2005]
• Followers of Zoroaster share faith of 3 wise men [2004]
• Were the Wisemen who visited Jesus in Bethleham Persians? [2004]
• India's Zoroastrians and the Three Kings for Jesus [2004]
• Iranians celebrate 'Yalda' as longest night of the year [Ancient Zoroastrian Holiday] [2004]
• Parsis in India are on brink of extinction [2004]
• In Search of Zarathustra [Pre-Islamic Iran once again making a strong come back] [2004]
• Zoroastrian Magi forsees fall of Iranian Government on October 1st, 2004 [2004]
• Photo Series: Persepolis, Iran - Capital of Persian Empire [History] [2004]
• Archaeologists find signs of ancient advertisements from Sassanid era [2004]
• Flame of the Ancient Faith Still Flickers in Iran [2004]
• Future not so bright for Iran's [Zoroastrians] [2004]
• Our Islamic Fifth Column (written 2001 in the UK) [2004]
• Zoroastrian Prophecies [2004]
• The Kurdish People: A Background and History [2004]
• What the Bible Says About Persia and Persians [2004]
• Zoroastrians Fight Extinction [2003]
• Who are the Zoroastrians? [2003]
• God and people in Zoroastrianism [2003]
• Parsis (Zoroastrians) split over marriage rule [2003]
• Say good knight to Crusade clichés [Paul Mulshine] [2003]

[Gratia]

OMG, you are really, really smart!

I realize you understood that I was talking about the Byrzantine/Sasanian War, but I wanted to make a point even the less intelligent people would understand. Smart people like us have to talk down to the less intelligent, as you are well aware.

And DO NOT even get me started on Persia just being a province whose name was generalized! How can the dumb people be expected to know THAT?

[Cronos]

Hardly - smart I’d consider if I demonstrated ability to co-relate and innovate.

People can’t be expected to know about Iran vs Persia, but we can help change people’s definitions and point of recall. For instance I refuse to call liberals as “progressive” or to use the term “pro-choice” as it then indicates that those who disagree with these views are “not progressive” and “anti-choice”.