Every year, the Interfaith Conference of Washington Metro Area (IFC) sponsors an InterFaith Concert, “A Celebration of the Sacred in Song, Dance and Chant”. It is a major fundraising event at which a prominent personality in the Washington DC area is honored.

What is heartwarming is to see that ZAMWI is vigorously participating in the concert this year.  Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington (ZAMWI) is a long-time member of IFC. I commend ZAMWI members for their effort to “Showcase Zarathushtis Around the World”, the most important goal of the FEZANA Strategic Plan.  Many years ago, ZAMWI members also sang a chorus of “Khon Ashem vohu”, and “Cyrus”. Iranian Zarathushtis do have a tradition of religious music and singing that the Parsis from India do not seem to have developed to the same extent. The Gujarati Monajats are almost forgotten.

Perhaps the new FEZANA Strategic Plan should include the development of Zarathushti music and hymns, preferably in English, as one of the near-term action items.

Usta te,

Rustom Kevala