{"id":160805,"date":"2026-02-02T17:22:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T13:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/?p=160805"},"modified":"2026-02-02T17:22:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T13:52:39","slug":"fravahar-organization-honors-zoroastrian-media-contributors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/?p=160805","title":{"rendered":"Fravahar Organization honors Zoroastrian media contributors"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Fravahar Organization held an appreciation ceremony honoring Zoroastrian media contributors on the evening of Friday, January 1, 2026 (12 Dey 1404) at Khosravi Hall.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Speakers included Mehrtash Mehroziyadzardoshti, Chair of the Fravahar Organization; Afshin Namiranian, Chair of the Tehran Zoroastrian Association; Mobed Pedram Soroushpour, representative of the Association of Mobeds; Babak Salamati, Managing Editor of the biweekly Amordad; Omid Kajian, representative of Barsad; and Shahram Pourdehi, representative of Amordad magazine.<\/p>\n

Amordad\u2019s Idea Was Inspired by the Ararat Newspaper<\/p>\n

Babak Salamati spoke about the origins of Amordad, noting that in June 2000, a group of young Zoroastrians launched the publication to address delays in community news and event announcements.<\/p>\n

He explained that the idea was inspired by the Ararat newspaper and developed with guidance from Atousa Diniarian, who provided journalism training. Within months, the first Zoroastrian weekly was published.<\/p>\n

Salamati also highlighted Amordad\u2019s digital expansion, crediting Payam Pourjamasb for launching its first online platform, which later evolved into the official Amordad website.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Main Shortcoming Is in Documentation,\u201d Says Shahram Pourdehi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shahram Pourdehi, photographer and Amordad reporter in Shiraz, said audiences engage more deeply when speakers share personal memories. He observed that storytelling draws greater attention, smiles, and agreement, reflecting the community\u2019s interest in lived experiences.<\/p>\n

He highlighted a broader challenge in preserving and documenting community history, noting that many young people are unfamiliar with the background of Amordad, Barsad, and other Zoroastrian media platforms. As a result, they increasingly turn to social media such as Instagram instead of established community outlets for news.<\/p>\n

Pourdehi also stated that insufficient recognition and appreciation discourage individuals from applying for journalism positions. He expressed gratitude to the Fravahar Organization for honoring media professionals.<\/p>\n

Emphasizing the importance of cultural continuity, he said the Forouhar Monthly should be better introduced to younger generations. Recalling his childhood in Shiraz, he described the excitement of waiting for each issue to arrive by mail and the joy of seeing his name mentioned. He noted that this sense of anticipation has largely disappeared among today\u2019s youth and encouraged elders to share these memories.<\/p>\n

Addressing the responsibilities of journalism, Pourdehi spoke of balancing his roles as a board member of the Shiraz Zoroastrian Association and a reporter, stressing that journalists must report honestly while remaining sensitive to potential social consequences.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Arshia Khosropour, the event\u2019s host, informed attendees that Behshid Barkhordar, the Zoroastrian representative in Parliament, had been invited but was unable to attend. He also offered a brief overview of the history of Zoroastrian publications.<\/p>\n

The event concluded with musical performances by the Zoroastrian Students Association Music Group and the House of Culture and Arts Music Group, creating a lively and celebratory atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Honorees at the Zoroastrian Media Appreciation Ceremony<\/p>\n

The following individuals were recognized for their contributions to Zoroastrian media:<\/p>\n

Amordad:
\nGohar Boroumandi, Shahram Pourdehi, Farshid Cyrus, Mahnoosh Farahmand, Firoozeh Manouchehri, Homayoun Mehrzad<\/p>\n

Barsad:
\nNegin Ardeshiri, Anahita Irankhah, Arash Torki Sharifabad, Parivash Rashidi, Pourchista Rashidi, Shahrokh Ghazigari<\/p>\n

Fravahar:
\nDariush Afshar Kashmiri, Mehrban Afshar Kashmiri, Soroush Pournarenji, Mahvash Farjoudi, Omid Kajian, Zarir Najmi<\/p>\n

The ceremony began at 6:00 PM with an Avesta recitation by the Fravahr Organization\u2019s Niyayesh group, led by Ramesh Sheidaei and Radmehr Sheidaei. Guests were welcomed with rosewater by Setareh Sistani and Mehrgan Khodadadi.<\/p>\n

Forouhar Magazine and the Role of Community Media<\/p>\n

Mehrtash Mehroziyadzardoshti, Chair of the Fravahar Organization, described Fravahar Magazine as the written memory of the Zoroastrian community, noting its founding nearly 60 years ago as a key communication link. He explained that Amordad later emerged to provide clearer and more transparent news, while addressing the sensitivities of reporting within a close-knit community. He also proposed creating a formal Zoroastrian media body to support long-term stability and independence.<\/p>\n

Balancing Truth and Responsibility<\/p>\n

Afshin Namiranian, Chair of the Tehran Zoroastrian Association, praised the Fravahar Organization for launching this initiative, calling it a long-overdue effort. He highlighted the challenge of delivering honest news without harming the community, noting that Zoroastrian media professionals carry greater responsibility due to their close relationship with their audience. He added that while journalists should remain independent and transparent, timing and social impact must also be considered.<\/p>\n

Mobed Pedram Soroushpour, representative of the Association of Mobeds, praised the Fravahar Organization, noting its origins as a youth-led cultural initiative. He described the launch of Forouhar Magazine as a major cultural achievement and highlighted the Zoroastrian community\u2019s leadership in education, healthcare, and civic development.<\/p>\n

He emphasized that the Zoroastrian Association plays a key role in managing community assets and said transparent, independent media are essential for building trust. He warned that without trust, communities become vulnerable, and thanked the Fravahar Organization for organizing the Sadeh Festival.<\/p>\n

Babak Salamati, Managing Editor of Amordad, spoke about financial and technical challenges, including repeated website disruptions and limited archival resources. He described reporting on Tehran Zoroastrian Association affairs as complex, noting that media currently avoid crossing sensitive community boundaries.<\/p>\n

Omid Kajian of Barsad said the team works voluntarily and without pay, expressing gratitude to his colleagues. He recalled early doubts about sustaining a weekly publication, which were later overcome through Amordad\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

Shahram Pourdehi, Amordad photojournalist, said media should create positive impact and real change. He stressed that sustainability depends on media independence, called for honoring contributors while they can still appreciate recognition, opposed limiting the community to a single outlet, and noted the need for a dedicated Zoroastrian sports media platform.<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\"\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

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The Fravahar Organization held an appreciation ceremony honoring Zoroastrian media contributors on the evening of Friday, January 1, 2026 (12 Dey 1404) at Khosravi Hall. Speakers included Mehrtash Mehroziyadzardoshti, Chair of the Fravahar Organization; Afshin Namiranian, Chair of the Tehran Zoroastrian Association; Mobed Pedram Soroushpour, representative of the Association of Mobeds; Babak Salamati, Managing Editor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":160821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[200],"class_list":["post-160805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zoroastrians","tag-fravahar-organization"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=160805"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160805\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/160821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=160805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=160805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=160805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}