How many people in the world are practitioners of Zoroastrianism? Where do they live? Are there any in Iraq, or are they all in India and the West?
Thanks: Joshua
ANSWER: Hi Joshua,
Recent study shows that there are between 2.5 to 3 million Zoroastrians in the world. They are mostly in India. Some are in New Zealand, Australia, US, UK and other European countries. There are quite a few in the Middle East, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. So, although few, Zoroastrians are scattered world wide.
Kind Regards
Hirbad Rohinton Irani
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi,
Thanks for your answer. I had heard that there were less than 200,000 left in the world. I know that the majority of the Persian population was Zoroastrian at one time.
Do the Zoroastrian religion accept converts?
-Joshua
Answer Zoroastrian religion as a whole consists of the cultural, sociological and religious ceremonies. Now, for someone to change everything about one's previous religion to the new accepted one becomes difficult not only for that person but also for the society of both sides. To understand the cultural value for the new convert or to keep the sanctity of the ceremonies or sociological pattern, it all becomes painstakingly difficult for the new convert and for the religious head. There is a whole lot of debate going on in India and US within the community of Zoroastrians whether to accept/do conversion or not. In some parts of the world, people are getting converted and they are finding it difficult to comprehend the religion.
As a religion by itself, which is the Zarathushtrian Religion (and not Zoroastrian), it speaks about conversion and acceptance but after learning and understanding the concept of Zarathushtrian religion by practicing it. This religion or rather the Message of Zarathushtra is called as the Gathas.
