Religious minorities in Iran

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Map showing ethnic and religious diversity among the population of Iran.
Map showing ethnic and religious diversity among the population of Iran.

There are several major religious minorities in Iran, while the majority and state religion is Shi'a Islam.

Contents

[edit] Religious minority groups

[edit] Islamic

There are two minority schools apart from the main Usuli school of Shi`a Islam: the Akhbari and the Shaykhí. The latter have been persecuted since the Islamic Revolution.

Sunni Muslims (about 9% of the population - mainly among the Kurds of the north-west, the Balochis of the south-east, and the Turkmens in the north-east) and Sufi groups can also - depending on the definition of the term - be seen as religious minorities. Some argue, however, that these are valid expressions of the Iranian state religion Islam.

Many Sufi sects are active within Iran. Examples are the Nimatullahi (the largest Shi'i Sufi order active throughout Iran) and the Naqshbandi (a Sunni order active mostly in the Kurdish and Azeri regions of Iran). Some regard the Yarsan (Ahl-e Haq) as a Sufi order but they are better considered as a separate religious minority. Sufism has long been quite prevalent among Iranians and it is often impossible to draw a line between Islam and Sufism. Sufism by definition does not adhere to traditional religious structures and the variation between a Sufi and a strict Muslim can range from very minute to quite substantial.

[edit] Non-Islamic

In addition to the Islamic minorities in Iran, there exists multiple other religious minorities. They include the Bahá'í Faith (estimated 300,000), Christianity (estimated 100,000 - 300,000), Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Mandaeanism, Yarsan (Ahl-e Haqq), Hinduism as well as local religions practiced by tribal minorities. There are also people who describe themselves as Atheistic or Agnostic.

[edit] Historical status

During the previous regime of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism were considered officially accepted religions in Iran and adherence to any one of those religions was a requirement for any government or state position (at least in the application form).

[edit] Contemporary status

The constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran recognizes only Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism as official religions. No other religious practice is legally accepted in Iran. Conversion from Islam to any other religion is considered apostasy and publicizing it can result in harassment and religious persecution. Apostasy still retains a death sentence but in recent years this has not been used. Also see judicial system of Iran.

Legally Sunni Muslims are accepted as fellow Muslims, while Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians are recognised as People of the Book and have certain legal rights insofar as members of these religions are born and brought up within their religion.

Though Sufis are considered Muslims in principle by the government, divergent practices, teaching and secretive organisation have for several of these orders led to governmental distrust and harassment at various times.

For adherents of non-recognized religions, such as Bahá'ís, some[attribution needed] Christian denominations, the Ahl-e Haqq, and Mandaeans, or converts from an Islamic background who are considered heretics, enrollment in public university programs or work in government agencies or judiciary is not permitted and can only be achieved by wrongly identifying oneself. As Bahá'ís or Christian converts may not deny their faith, this is not acceptable to them; and they are therefore totally prevented from such participation.

Due to these restrictions on dissident religious faiths and practices, and due to the persecution of some minorities, the Iranian government has, like the government of the Shah, been severely criticized on multiple occasions by international human rights organizations, foreign governments and the United Nations.

Since the revolution many members of minority religions have emigrated.

[edit] Reserved seats

After the Persian Constitutional Revolution, the Constitution of 1906 provided for reserved Parliamentary seats granted to the recognized religious minorities, a provision maintained after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. There are 2 seats for Armenians and one for each other minority: Assyrians, Jews and Zoroastrians.

List of minority MPs in the last three Majlis:

Armenians

Assyrian

Jewish

Zoroastrian

1996

Vartan Vartanian, Artavaz Baghumian

Shamshoon Maqsudpour Sir

Manouchehr Elyasi

Parviz Rezvani

2000

Leon Davidian, Georgik Abrahamian

Younatan Betkolia Googtapeh

Maurice Motamed

Khosro Dabestani

2004

Gevork Vartan, Robert Beglarian

Younatan Betkolia Googtapeh

Maurice Motamed

Kurosh Niknam

Members of the Bahá'í Faith, Iran's largest non-Islamic religious minority, are not recognized and do not have seats in the parliament.

Sunni Muslims have no specific reserved seats, but can take part in the ordinary election process at all constitutional levels. There are many Sunni members of parliament, mostly from areas with strong Sunni ethnic minorities like Kurdistan and Baluchistan.

[edit] Persecution of religious minorities

The persecution of Bahá'ís has been common throughout Iranian history. In the 1950s, under the regime of the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlevi, Bahá'ís and their holy places were attacked with tacit state approval. [1] Since the Iranian revolution, more than 200 Bahá'ís have been executed or killed, hundreds more have been imprisoned, and tens of thousands have been deprived of jobs, pensions, businesses, and educational opportunities. All national Bahá'í administrative structures have been banned by the government, and holy places, shrines and cemeteries have been confiscated, vandalized, or destroyed[2].

Even more recently the situation of Bahá'ís has worsened and the United Nations Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has stated on March 20, 2006, after revealing a confidential letter from Command Headquarters of the Armed Forced to identify Bahá'ís and to monitor their activities, that "The Special Rapporteur is concerned that this latest development indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran is, in fact, deteriorating." [3]

Similarly Christian minorities, particularly those formed largely from converts describe continuing harassment and occasionally outright persecution. Several ministers and leaders have been murdered under unclear circumstances.

[edit] Images

Bahá'ís, Iran's largest non-Islamic religious minority,[1] are not recognized and are persecuted. Here the house of the Báb in Shiraz, Iran, a Bahá'í pilgrimage location, was destroyed by Iranian authorities.

The Hindu Temple in Bandar Abbas, built during the Qajar era for Indian soldiers serving in the British Army during the British occupation. It is no longer used as a place of worship.

The Armenian orthodox Vank cathedral of Isfahan is a relic of the Safavid era.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Federation Internationale des Ligues des Droits de L'Homme (2003-08). Discrimination against religious minorities in IRAN. fidh.org. Retrieved on October 4, 2006.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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