I’m back with another podcast interview for Reflection Across Faiths. Following the theme of my film The Lost Jews of Pakistan I explore and honor other religions throughout the world. For this one, I decided to do a Q&A style interview with Aban Rustomji, who practices Zoroastrianism, one of the world’s oldest organized faiths.
Read below her insightful answers to his thoughtful questions.
Interview Aban Rustomji
What religion are you? And please tell me a bit about yourself.
I am a Zoroastrian and have lived in Houston since 1979, where we have the first woodburning fire temple that is looked after by two full-time priests.
I am presently retired as a professional librarian but continue to work on a national online Zoroastrian library www.fires-fezana.org
What is your idea of what God looks like?
God to me is faceless – but everywhere – and benevolent for all religions.
Is there a heaven? And hell? How do they look?
The concept of heaven and hell and the soul crossing the bridge is a concept that is introduced by Zoroastrian philosophy and manifested in other major religions of the world.
Does your work bring people and religions closer together?
Not actively but when there is a need for research, then my contributions to knowledge are there.
What prayer have you been praying the longest?
We have obligatory prayers that one usually performs in the morning and late evening.
Why are some prayers unanswered?
Prayers to me are a homage to a presence and not a means for an ask.
What are healthy ways to deal with stress/pressure?
Good question and have no one answer – sometimes you have just to work your way through and do the best you have to offer and move on.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
There is no why or why not. There is no answer to this. Most of what we go through is no doubt affected by our choices and actions and yet sometimes things happens randomly.
How can people of different faiths get along more?
Communicate, tolerate and respect for each other.
About Aban Rustomji
Aban Rustomji was born in Surat, India in 1943 but was raised in Pakistan. She was raised in a Parsi community. Growing up an only child, she lost her mom at a young age and was very close to her dad as a result. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree and marrying her husband, she and her husband relocated to Columbia, Missouri to obtain their master’s degrees. After realizing her job in the library interested her more than her English courses, she decided to pursue her master’s in library sciences. She found work at a library in Loyola University Chicago after graduation. She returned to Pakistan when her husband found work there and had a son and a daughter there; they were raised there for their early childhood.
In 1979 they moved back to the U.S. when they came to Houston for her husband to pursue oil-related career opportunities. She worked as a librarian in Spring Woods High School for 23 years. After retirement, she worked as a bookkeeper for her husband’s company, Coating Industries. Since coming to the U.S., she has remained actively involved with the Parsi and Zoroastrian community, even contributing her library skills by maintaining a catalog and organizing events at the center. During her time in Houston, she has also been involved in planning a Zoroastrian world conference and helping plan the construction of the Zoroastrian center.