[tboyd47]

You know, you're right about most of what you said, but when I looked into it, it seems that idol worshiper is the correct translation. In ibn Kathir you can find the narration. It's not a hadith but this at least shows that it's not a mistranslation or a revisionist stance. [0]

كَانَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تَظْهَرَ فَارِسُ عَلَى الرُّومِ؛ لِأَنَّهُمْ أَصْحَابُ أَوْثَانٍ

I wasn't trying to offend anyone, just giving context. Maybe it comes down to whether you consider fire an idol. Muslims certainly would, but if you don't, I understand why you would take exception to that. Either way, it seems obvious that Christianity is closer to Islam than Zoroastrianism because of our shared belief in Jesus and the Israelite prophets. I wanted to highlight this in regards to the Roman-Arab connection. That was really my point, not to pass judgment on ancient Persians' beliefs.

[0]: http://www.quran-wiki.com/surah-overview.php?sura=30&aya=1