Welcome to an 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 that aims to study the interaction, knowledge and attitudinal patterns of Zoroastrians who were born to at least one Zoroastrian parent towards Zoroastrians who were born to both non-Zoroastrian parents, viz. where both the parents – mother and father – are/were non-Zoroastrians.

This study is part of the doctoral project of 𝐌𝐫. 𝐑𝐮𝐳𝐛𝐞𝐡 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐚  <𝐫𝐮𝐳𝐛𝐞𝐡_𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐚@𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐬.𝐚𝐜.𝐮𝐤> , a Ph.D. student who is conducting an ethnographic study of ‘𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬-𝐛𝐲-𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞’ under the supervision of Professor 𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐳𝐞 and Professor 𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐝𝐢𝐛-𝐌𝐨𝐠𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐎𝐀𝐒, 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧. 

In this survey, the term ‘𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬-𝐛𝐲-𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞’ will be used to refer to those individuals who were 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 — 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 — 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬. These Zoroastrians voluntarily chose to ordain themselves into the Zoroastrian faith through a Sedreh-Pushi/Navjote ceremony. This also includes those whose ancestors were Zoroastrians but were compelled to adopt an alternate religious identity, and therefore have chosen to 'return' to Zoroastrian identity by undergoing a Sedreh-Pushi/Navjote; ; and the term also includes those who were ‘officially’ non-Zoroastrians but ‘privately’ remained Zoroastrians.

In this survey individuals are referred to as Zoroastrians or born Zoroastrians (irrespective of whether or not having undergone a Navjote/Sedreh-Pushi ceremony) if they 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 into 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 where 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 — 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 — 𝐢𝐬/𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 born-𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧, and as a result, that particular individual chooses to identify as a Zoroastrian.