Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission meet some Zoroastrian authorities April 2010 at Markar cultural religious complex in Tehran. 3 problems of the Zoroastrian community is discussed: article 881 of the civil code, religious discrimination to recruit Zoroastrians in Iran army, and Ghasre Firoozeh land.

According to “Tabnak” report, Dr. Boroujerdi, the head of the commission, and five other members attend the meeting along with the head of Tehran Zoroastrian Association (Anjoman) and one other member of the board, the Zoroastrians’ MP, the head of Zoroastrian priests (Kankash). The members of the commission talked about the charity hospital built by Zoroastrians for public in Kerman and Bibi Shahrbanou as a mutually believed holy place for Zoroastrians and Muslims.

A religious sentence (decree) by Ayatollah Kashani signed during 1951 was copied and given to the members of commission. Ayatollah Kashani emphasized that the head of urban police at that time must recruit Zoroastrians at Police organization because they are so faithful to their home-land, Iran. To your surprise now the Zoroastrians are not allowed to be recruited in any armed force including the police. Unfortunately, the recruitment of Zoroastrians in Iran is really affected due to the misbehavior of middle managers, even at universities!! Something that is not prevented and noted by the top managers of the public institutes. The members of committee said that they will solve it!!

The talk continues about the disagreement on the lands of Ghasre Firoozeh. The lands of Ghasre Firoozeh is finally announced as 44 million square meters by the experts assigned by IRGC. Even if we accept it as a correct figure, the annual rental of 1600 million Rials is very unfair low payment for such an extensive land.

The discussion continues with mentioning the fact that the rental (PAZIREH) contract with IRGC may be illegal according to the primary document of devotion. Even if we assume that the rental is legal, it is written at the contract that nobody is allowed to build any building without written permission from Tehran Zoroastrian Association (Anjoman) but IRGC is not adhered to regulations at all and has built many buildings in the land after contract. Also there are claims against the municipality of Tehran: this organization has asked Anjoman if Zoroastrians agree that Municipality build a highway in between Ghasre Firoozeh’s land and after Anjoman’s refusal; now municipality is threatening Anjoman that they will take over the land and built it without the permission, as if there is no single regulation in the country!

> This is a free translation from the article which is available at below link in Persian:

http://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/94725/%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%87-%D8%B2%D8%B1%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%AA%DB%8C

Translator’s note: As it is known, except one all of the problems that the MPs promise to solve is still there. They eat, laugh and go; perhaps they continue laughing louder when at their cars!!