I  deas and Innovations of Siyawash Awesta (David Abbasi)

Siyawash Awesta, an Iranian writer, philosopher, researcher, and intellectual, has contributed numerous innovations in the cultural, religious, philosophical, and media fields. Some of his most remarkable ideas and initiatives include:

Cultural and Social Innovations

• The Cyrus Accord (1995): A symbolic plan for the solidarity and unity of Iranians beyond religious and political boundaries.
• Founder of Aryan Marriage and Wedding Ceremonies: Redefining Iranian traditions of marriage as an alternative to prevailing religious rituals.
• Introducing Music into Mourning Ceremonies: Breaking the traditional taboo of purely sorrowful mourning by adding artistic and cultural aspects.
• Revival of Ancient Iranian Festivals Abroad (since 1984): The first to introduce and organize Iranian traditions such as Nowruz, Mehregan, and Sadeh in Europe and other parts of the world.

Linguistic and Identity Innovations

• Encouragement of Persian Language Use: Promoting the use of pure Persian speech without Arabic or foreign vocabulary.
• Adoption of Iranian Names Instead of Arabic Names: Advocating a return to national identity through naming.
• Creation of New Words:
  In his monumental work I Danced with God—a compilation of ten books—he achieved something rare by creating pure Iranian and Persian synonyms for thousands of common Arabic words in the Persian language, presenting them alongside the originals.
  This innovation was so profound and extensive that many professors and writers regarded the work not only as a literary achievement but also as a linguistic encyclopedia and a modern Persian dictionary.

Philosophical and Religious Ideas

• Founder of the New Zoroastrian Philosophy and Organization: An attempt to reconstruct Zoroastrian thought with a modern and updated approach.
• Creator of the “Seven-Thousand-Year Aryan–Mithraic Calendar”: An innovative calendar rooted in the history and culture of ancient Iran.
• Innovative Ijtihad: A new approach to religious reinterpretation in contrast to rigid and traditional jurisprudence.
• Analysis of Political Islam: One of the first Iranian researchers to introduce and analyze the concept of Political Islam.

Media and Literary Activities

• Production: More than 3,000 hours of television programs and 4,000 hours of radio programs in Persian and French.
• Publications: Author of over 100 books and 2,000 articles in Persian, Arabic, French, and English.
• Organizer of Iranian Festivals During Wartime: The first to organize Iranian celebrations during the devastating Iran-Iraq war initiated by Saddam Hussein, while also publishing numerous works in Persian, French, and Arabic in exile.

Critical and Enlightenment Approach

• More than three decades of critique against reactionary government and religious thought, with a strong commitment to enlightenment.
• Reintroduction of ancient Iranian thought as an intellectual and identity-based alternative within the Islamic world—especially in Iran, which, before Islam, had shared in the great civilizations of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and North Africa.

Conclusion

Siyawash Awesta can be regarded as one of the great contemporary Iranian innovators, who has left a lasting legacy in language, culture, religion, philosophy, and media through his works in multiple languages. His contributions have been praised by dozens of thinkers, scholars, and philosophers worldwide—including five French presidents. Some of these tributes to his works appear in his book The Avesta Doctrine – 7000 Years of Civilization, recently published in Persian, French, and English, and now available on Amazon.

By founding new rituals, festivals, calendars, words, and modern Iranian traditions—alongside his extensive writings and media activities—he has played a major role in preserving and reviving Iranian identity. This revival has become evident across the world in intellectual, economic, political, and secular spheres.

Four years ago, Awesta introduced to the world the secular, non-Muslim, Zoroastrian- and Mithra-inspired personalities of Iranian origin. At the time, few knew that the Speaker of the Parliament and the second-ranking political figure of Norway, the founder and president of Uber, the leader of the German Green Party, and many leaders of major European political parties were of Iranian descent. Likewise, dozens of ministers, members of parliament, and heads of major companies such as McKinsey are Iranian. Among them was the late Firouz Naderi, a longtime friend of Siyawash Awesta, who managed a major division of NASA with over a thousand employees and directed the Mars exploration program.

In recent years, many artists who had previously written and performed songs for Islamic figures openly declared their support for Awesta’s ideas, apologizing for their past Islamic-themed works. They even formally requested in their wills that their remains be cremated according to Aryan, Zoroastrian, and Mithraic traditions. Among them were Prince Alireza Pahlavi, Master Akbar Golpa, Farhad Mehrad, writer and journalist Torab Soltanpour (close friend of the Shah of Iran), Faramarz Aslani, Eman Montaqi, Abbas Kia-Rasmi, Ali Moallem, and Shahrokh Shahid.

Although due to direct or indirect interventions of the Islamic Republic’s security services, or family pressures, the cremation wishes of some were not carried out, Empress Farah Pahlavi, by cremating her son Prince Alireza Pahlavi, demonstrated a new act of courage to her family and to the world. Similarly, the family of the great Iranian musician Faramarz Aslani, by cremating his body in the presence of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, inscribed a new chapter of resistance against Islamization and a return to ancient Iranian thought, culture, and traditions.

Journal ETOILE Founder Director David Abbasi "Siyavash Awesta" since 1986 - Institut Awesta 66 av des CHAMPS ELYSEES 75008 Paris France - Awesta.fr  institut@awesta.net  Tel: 09 73 18 18 18