Lebanon’s Zoroastrians want a civil state
Zoroastrians’ integration into local communities has not meant that they feel secure in this supposed country of diversity
In Lebanon, diversity is not limited to customs, traditions and the sharing of power. It exceeds the 18 constitutionally recognized sects, which have shared governance of the country, and even taken equal part in internecine conflict. Despite this, while the known ‘other’ remains a concern for some, the unknown ‘other’ is the focus of myths and legends, and even social exclusion.
Lebanon’s remaining Jewish community is not the only minority trying to reaffirm its presence, secure its rights, and win recognition as being Lebanese. There is more than one minority in the 10,450-square-meter country that makes defining its identity or the dominance of one sect over the others impossible. Despite this, mutual acceptance is still a long way off for the conflicting sects.
Some people may think the idea of meeting a Magian or Zoroastrian in the streets of Beirut is a fanciful notion. They may find the idea fanciful because they think the religion has become extinct.
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Article about Zoroastrians of Lebanon extracted from Iranian.com
This is why we need an International Zoroastrain Network
in 1979, with the fall of the Shah regime, roughly 300,000 persons declared themselves Zoroastrian to facilitate their refugee status in Canada & the USA.. No one cared to reference that there were only 25,000 Zoroastrians in Iran at the time. What proof is there in that history is not being repeated.