Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
 

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praises is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds - The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompose. It is You we worship and You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path - the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked (Your) anger or of those who are astray. Ameen.

The Parsis are the adherents of the religion Zoroastrianism. The Parsis, although it is a little-known community, have made notable contributions and exhibited an outstanding philanthropic spirit ever since their arrival in Singapore. Their notable contributions can be seen in various realm such as education, business and print media.

In the realm of education, there were Byramjee Hormusjee Cama and Dr Jimmy Shiavux Daruwalla. Byramjee started an English school in Tanjong Pagar in 1864. While Dr Jimmy founded the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 1991.

In the realm of business, the Parsis were among the first to establish aerated water factory in Singapore. Among them were Framroz Aerated Waters by Phirozshaw Manekji Framroz (1903) and Phoenix Aerated Water Works by Navroji Rastomji Mistri (1925).

In the realm of print media, there was Sorabji Kavasji who became the editor of first morning newspaper in Singapore, Eastern Daily Mail, in 1906.

On the other hand, the Parsi’s philanthropic spirit became apparent with the establishment of a few social service centres and scholarships. The children’s wing of the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) was built in 1954 out of Navroji Rastomji Mistri’s one-million-dollar donation.

In 1968, Parsi Lodge Charity Scholarship was established to aid Singaporean Parsis pursuing higher education financially.200 While in 1978, a businessman and cousin to Navroji Rastomji Mistri, Pesi Davar, left a few millions of the rest of his entire estate in trust for charitable and educational institutions. Admirably, this trust does not only restricted to the Singaporean Parsis but can be benefitted by people from all walks of life.

The SILRA home, a home for former leprosy patients, was opened in 1981 with the help of Nargis Medora who raised funds for its construction.

The Singapore government and other institutions did not fail to recognise and acknowledge the contributions and the philanthropic act of the Parsis. In 1955, the Mistri Road and Mistri Wing of Singapore General Hospital (SGH) were named in honour of Navroji Rastomji Mistri. In 2017, Dr Jimmy Shiavux Daruwalla was awarded a posthumous Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM) by Singapore President Mdm Halimah Yacob. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2016 and his award was accepted by his son, Dr Zubin Daruwalla. Under the Singapore Indian Education Trust (SIET), the Keki and Nargis Medora Scholarship Fund was named after two philanthropic Parsis as a sign to commemorate their contributions.

Thus, the Muslims should not confine themselves to reading the stories of Muslim Heros only. Open up and read on the contributions and sacrifices of other religions too. May they also be an exemplary for us towards doing good deeds in this world.