Avestan name for Zarathustra. Persian prophet, founder of Zoroastrianism

Collins English Dictionary direct link: amazon.co.uk

from a reader in the, UK: According to Colin Spencer in The Heretic's Feast (Fourth Estate, 1994), Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism (aka Parseeism in India) was "an abstainer from meat" who "forbade all animal sacrifice" and was a considerable influence on Pythagoras. CS reckons that "in his concepts of dualism and monotheism he influenced Judaeo-Christianity and in other ways Hinduism". There are still Z'ians / Parsees in India and possibly also in Iran where the religion was founded.

The Heretic's Feast: A History of Vegetarianism by Colin Spencer buy direct from amazon.com (USA) amazon.co.uk (UK)

from a reader in the UK:
Although I am a humanist I do take an interest in world religions. This is from my "A Handbook of Living Religions" x John R Hinnells, published 1984 x Viking.
"In dietary matters their religion gives Zoroastrians great freedom, in that they are required only to refrain from anything that might belong to the evil countercreation (e.g. a hideous fish). Under Muslim and Hindu pressure many now refrain, however, from pork and beef, and some Parsis are vegetarian by choice".
There are Parsis In Iran as well as India and in other countries. In fact three Parsis have sat in the House of Commons.

• Zoroastrianiam - Dastur Khurshed. D. Dabu, M.A . (F.T.S. High Priest Wadiaj AtashBeheram Bombay) - from the souvenir book of the 15th IVU World Vegetarian Congress, India, 1957. Very pro-vegetarian...