Iraqis in Iran
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Iraqi Persians
|
|---|
|
| Total population |
|
203,000[1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Tehran, Qom, Ahwaz, Elam, Shiraz, Mashad |
| Languages |
| Arabic, Persian |
| Religions |
| Shia Islam |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Other Iraqi people |
Iraqis in Iran are Iranian citizens of Iraqi origin. According to the 2001 Iran census, the current population of Iraqis in Iran are estimated at around 203,000;[1] a UNHCR report counts 204,000 Iraqis living in Iran.[2]
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded over 202,000 Iraqi refugees in Iran in September 2003, over half the entire Iraqi refugee population in the world. About 50,000 of them are housed in 22 refugee camps in Iran, which are situated along the country's western border with Iraq, this number is significantly higher than that for Afghan refugees, of whom only about 2 percent live in camps. The majority of Iraqi refugees live in urban areas in western Iran. In total, more than 11,500 Iraqis have returned in convoys facilitated by UNHCR from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon since the end of the war that led to the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
With more than 200,000 Iraqi refugees living in Iran, they are more than half of all registered Iraqi refugees in the world. At around 48,000 of the refugees are hosted in Iran's camps, but most Iraqi refugees live in large urban centres, usually in the western parts of Iran. The majority of Iraqis have opted for life in Tehran, due to its high standards of living and greater job availability.[3] Predominantly settling down in Doulatabad, an almost entirely Iraqi neighbourhood in the south-eastern corner of Tehran. Another well known Iraqi neighbourhood in Iran is Marvi Alley, a shopping area located in the centre of Tehran. This is where the first Iraqi refugees came in the early '70s, and has remained a centre for all Iraqis in Tehran, often dubbed it Baghdad Market.[4]
Iraqis have always been a thriving community in Iran, with well established populations in Ahwaz and Elam, but many have fled and settled in other countries because of unfortunate events such as the 1979 Islamic Iranian revolution and the Iran Iraq war.
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[edit] Culture
In ancient civilization, Iran's connection with Mesopotamia dates back to the Parthian and Sassanian Empires that strove to emulate the Achaemenid. They placed their capital at Ctesiphon, twenty miles from present-day Baghdad. Some believe this to have been the largest city in the world from 570 to 637 A.D.[5] The Iranian Ambassador to Iraq recently announced that Iran is committed to working with Iraqi national and provincials governments on a restoration of the great palace at Ctesiphon.[6]
[edit] Religion
The majority of Iraqis present in Iran are Shia Muslims, as they escaped persecution from former President of Iraq Saddam Hussein.
[edit] Famous Iraqi Persians
- Chemda Khalili, singer/songwriter and co-host of the Keith and The Girl podcast
- Osamah Sami, actor
- Dan Halutz, Israeli Air Force general
- Abu Nuwas, poet
- Nuri Khudayari, footballer
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Embassy of the Republic of Iraq - Tehran http://www.iraqembassy.ir/
- Situation facing new Iraqi refugees in Iran
[edit] References
- ^ a b The 2001 Iran census states that there are 203,000 ethnic Iraqis living in Iran. hrw.org. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
- ^ UNHCR record 204,000 Iraqis in Iran
- ^ UNHCR - Feature: In Iran, urban refugees debate return to post-Saddam Iraq
- ^ UNHCR - Feature: In Iran, urban refugees debate return to post-Saddam Iraq
- ^ The Civilizational Approach: Notes on Iran and Iraq « Iranian Civilization and American Foreign Policy
- ^ The Civilizational Approach: Notes on Iran and Iraq « Iranian Civilization and American Foreign Policy
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