2014 COPENHAGEN CONGRESS
Copenhagen from the 1st to 3rd August 2014
Congress Celebrating Zarathustra’s Rebirth in Iran
The European Centre for Zoroastrian Studies in Belgium, and its branch “The Centre for Zoroastrian Culture in Denmark” organized a glorious three-day congress from the 1st to the 3rd August 2014 in Copenhagen in order to celebrate Zarathustra’s Renaissance in Iran.
In a beautiful conference room decorated with Zoroastrian symbols and historical flags, Iranian personalities active in cultural, artistic, and political fields from more than ten European countries came to Copenhagen to celebrate together with their compatriots residing in Denmark the rebirth of Zarathustra in Iran.
This congress, which was animated by scholarly lectures, beautiful music, dance, and meaningful theater, was a great opportunity for participants not only to get closer together in their common aim, but more importantly, to get a new look at the Great Teacher Zarathustra and his sublime book the Gathas, as the most powerful instrument for the liberation of Iran from 1400 years of Islamic chains.
For the success of these three unforgettable days, about 40 speakers, musicians, dancers, singers, theatre actors, sound technicians, and program planners took part in this event.
During this three-day congress, all the aspects of Zoroastrian Existential Philosophy, World View, and Aim were discussed, and the two great and noble pillars of his Existential Philosophy expressed 3700 years ago were reminded:
- “The aim of our life is to live a happy and joyful existence on this earth.”
- “The purpose of our creation is to take part actively in improving this world, so that all living beings: humans, animals, and plants live in peace and fulfillment.”
Another important point that the congress wanted to pinpoint was the great number of Iranians who have been initiated to Zarathustra’s Existential Philosophy (Sedreh Poushi or Navjot) during the past few years and that despite the Islamic law of apostasy.
Just in our Centre in Brussels, to this date 2050 persons (two thousand fifty persons), of whom 53% are women and 47% are men, are initiated by Dr. Khosro Khazai Pardis, the director of the centre. The age of the majority of them is between 20 and 50 years old.
Their courage is quite admirable. They dared to break the Islamic law of apostasy (death penalty for those who leave Islam). We estimate the number of Iranians who will immediately join Zoroastrianism, after removing the Islamic regime in Iran, will be around twenty million.