Iranians,even those who are practicing Muslims hold a great veneration of their ancient religion,Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism is the world's oldest monotheistic religion an it takes name after the teachings of the prophet,Zarathushtra. He revealed that there was only one God,Ahura Mazda and that life in the physical world was a battle between good and evil. Zoroastrianism flourished in Persia,now called Iran,for more than 3,000 years,greatly influencing Judaism(some say that Judaism is the same religion like Zoroastriansim but in another place),Christianity and in a great part Islam as well. Concepts such as heaven and hell,God(Ormazd) and the evil adversary Ahriman,the coming of the Saviour or Saoshyant(Messiah in Hebrew) born of a virgin (like Jesus's story) the end-time purge of the world by Fire followed by the resurrection of the dead (Ristakhiz),the making fresh of the world (Frashogard) and the final battle between good and evil leading to the final defeat of the evil. These beliefs filtered down to Judaism during the regin of King Khushru (Cyrus the great) of Iran and then on to Christrianity. Zoroastrianism was decimated by the Arab invasion of Persia in 651. After Iran's incorporation into the islamic empire, the majority of its population was gradually converted from Zoroastrianism to Islam(by force and by taxes because they were non-believers)a process that was probably complete by the tenth century. During the Qajar era (1781-1925),there was considereble prejudice against Zoroastrians. In the mid-noneteenth century,several thousands Zoroastrians emigrated from Iran to British-ruled India to improve their economic and social status.Today about 200,000 zoroastrians live in India where they are known as Parsi. Iran's Islamic leaders ave tried for centuries to sweep away all trace of Zoroastrianism from the country,but it has managed to survive to this day not only in India where many Zoroastrians have fled but also in Iran where about 30,000 people still practice it,with 6,000 in the city of Yazd.
Today more and more Iranians especially the younger generations and the intellectual classes desire to redscover the faith of their forefathers,and are practicing their old religion Zoroastrianism,however this is done in secret. Islam bans its adherents from converting, and Muslims in Iran who renounces his or her faith can face a death sntence. Caught between a religion taht will not allow them out and one that will not let them in, many Iranians practice Zoroastrianism in secret. People are tired of the mullahs. If Iranians were allowed to convert,millions would convert to Zoroastrianism because most of the iranians believe that Islam is religion taht does not belong to them but to the Arabs who imposed it on them.
There are also evidence taht people in Tajikistan,Uzbekistan and in some Kuridish regions are rediscovering their Zoroastrian and Persian roots. A secularized version of Nowruz (the traditional Zoroastrian New year, in increasingly being celebrated across the region).
These tremors of change excite many Zoroastrians,who despite their demographers troubling estimates,think that their religion is poised to witness a renaissance. But such change also makes many uncomfortable. Zoroastrian religious leaders do not have the ability to deal with any political backlash from Iran's radical Islamists or Indian' Hindu nationalits, who also oppose religious conversions.
Its easy to understand that these two big in number religions (Islam and Hinduism) are afraid of the idea that Zoroastrianism can revive in many of their regions and most of their leaders care about money and influence,something that they will lose if Zoroastrianism is again a dominating religion in this region
