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| ]This article focuses on '''ethnic minorities in Iran''' and their related political issues and current realities. | |||
| ==Overview== | |||
| ]/] is an ethnically diverse state, with "]s" forming the majority of the population. Historically, however, the very notion of "]" and "]" has meant a confederation of all groups either native to the ], or which speak an ], whether located in Iran or not (e.g., ], ], ], etc.). Therefore, historically, the use of the term "]" has included all the various regional dialects and subgroups of Iran, which almost all ] identify with in some way. While almost all ]/] identify with a secondary ethnic, religious, linguistic, or regional background in some way, the primary identity unifying virtually all of these sub-groups is their distinctly ] language, and/or culture. | |||
| The main ethno-linguistic minority groups in Iran include the ]s, ], ], ]s, ], ], ], and ]. The tribal groups include the ]s, ], ], ], as well as others. Though many of the tribal groups have become urbanized over the decades, some continue to function as rural ]. According to the CIA World Factbook and other Western sources, ethnicity/race in Iran breaks down as follows: Persian 51%, Azari 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%. However, these statistics are largely discredited and viewed as flawed by ] themselves,{{facts}} because the Western data ignores considerable intermarriage rates over centuries between these groups, and the fact that almost all of these groups speak ] as their first language, and identify with their sub-identity only secondarily. | |||
| Moreover, there is debate as to what the definition of a ] is. According to Western sources, such as the CIA World Factbook, anyone in ] who associates with a regional linguistic sub-identity is deemed an "ethnic minority", even though the individual speaks ] as their first language, and is ethnically indistinguishable from the rest of ], including ]. Conversely, Western sources erroneously define the "]" "ethnicity" as basically anyone living in ] who does not claim a secondary regional linguistic identity. | |||
| While, many of these ethnic groups have their own ]s, ]s, and often ], their languages and cultures are essentially regional variations of ] and are all native to ], similar to the relationship between ], ], and ] cultures, which are all similar and are native to ]. Despite their overwhelming similarities, in modern times, their differences occasionally emerge as political ambitions, largely as a result of provocation from outside powers. Some of these groups are also ]. For instance, the majority of ] and ]s are ] Muslims, while the state religion in Iran is ] Islam. The overwhelming majority of ] and ]s are Shi'a. | |||
| One of the major internal policy challenges during the centuries up until now for most or all Iranian governments has been to find the appropriate and balanced approach to the difficulties and opportunities caused by this diversity, particularly as this internal diversity has often been readily utilized by foreign powers. | |||
| ==Current policy== | |||
| The current governmental policy can be characterised by a mixture of celebrating and furthering cultural diversity under a joint Iranian national umbrella, while holding down (occasionally violently) political ]. Some ethnic minorities have reported ] or ]. | |||
| Many Iranian provinces have ] and ] stations in local language or dialect. School education is in ], the Iranian ], but use of ]s is allowed under the ], and Azari language and culture is studied at academic university levels in institutions of higher education. Article 15 of Iran's constitution stipulates: | |||
| :''"The Official Language and script of Iran, the lingua franca of its people, is Persian. Official documents, correspondence, and texts, as well as text-books, must be in this language and script. However, the use of regional and tribal languages in the press and mass media, as well as for teaching of their literature in schools, is allowed in addition to Persian."'' | |||
| Article 19 of the constitution adds: | |||
| :''"All people of Iran, whatever the ethnic group or tribe to which they belong, enjoy equal rights; color, race, language, and the like, do not bestow any privilege."'' | |||
| However, human rights groups have accused the Iranian government of violating constitutional guarantees of equality. In a report entitled ''Iran: New government fails to address dire human rights situation'', published in February 2006, Amnesty International says: | |||
| :''Despite constitutional guarantees of equality, individuals belonging to minorities in Iran, who are believed to number about half of the population of about 70 millions, are subject to an array of discriminatory laws and practices. These include land and property confiscations, denial of state and para-statal employment under the gozinesh criteria and restrictions on social, cultural, linguistic and religious freedoms which often result in other human rights violations such as the imprisonment of prisoners of conscience, grossly unfair trials of political prisoners before Revolutionary Courts, corporal punishment and use of the death penalty, as well as restrictions on movement and denial of other civil rights.'' | |||
| Many members of ethnic minorities have made a successful political career. Most provincial governors and many members of the local ruling classes and clergy are members of the relevant ethnic groups. Many, if not most, members of the national cultural and political elite have mixed roots. | |||
| Separatist tendencies, led by some groups such as the ] and ] in ], for example, had led to frequent unrest and occasional military crackdown throughout the ] and even to the present . In Iran, Kurds have twice had their own ] regions independent of central government control: The ] in Iran which was the second independent Kurdish state of the ], after the ] in modern ]; and the second time after the ] in ]. | |||
| Similar tendencies have been observed in other provinces such as ], ] (see '']'') and ]. However, many have been suspected of being instigated by foreign colonial powers. For example, in a cable sent on July 6th 1945 by the ''Central Committee of the ] of the ]'', the local Soviet commander in Russian (northern) held Azerbaijan was instructed as such: | |||
| :''"Begin preparatory work to form a national autonomous Azerbaijan district with broad powers '''within the Iranian state''' and simultaneously develop separatist movements in the provinces of ], ], ], and ]".''<ref>Decree of the CC CPSU Politburo to Mir Bagirov, CC Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, on "measures to Organize a Separatist Movement in Southern Azerbaijan and Other Provinces of Northern Iran". Translation provided by The Cold War International History Project at The ].</ref> | |||
| ==Historical notes== | |||
| Iran (then called ]) traditionally was governed over the last few centuries in a fairly decentralised way with much regional and local autonomy. In particular, weaker members of the ] often did not rule much beyond the capital ], a fact exploited by the imperial powers ] and ] in the ]. For example, when British cartographers, diplomats, and telegraph workers, traveled along Iran's southern coast in the early 19th century laden with guns and accompanied by powerful ships, some local chieftains quickly calculated that their sworn allegiance to the Shah in ] with its accompanying tax burden might be optional. When queried, they proclaimed their own local authority.<ref>"Memorandum by the Rev. George Percy Badger on the Pretensions of Persia in Beloochistan and Mekran, drawn up with special reference to Her Claim to Gwadur and Charbar," London, Dec. 23, 1863, FOP 60/287.</ref> | |||
| ], and to a lesser degree his son ], successfully strengthened the central government by using reforms, bribes and suppressions. In particular, the Bakhtiaris, Kurds, and Lurs until the late ] required persistent military measures to keep them under governmental control. | |||
| In studying the history of ethnicity in Iran, it is important to remember that "ethnic nationalism is largely a nineteenth century phenomenon, even if it is fashionable to retroactively extend it."<ref>]. ''Eternal Iran''. Palgrave Macmillan. 2005 ISBN 1-4039-6276-6 p.23</ref> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| <references/> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * Opposition group comprising ethnic minority parties | |||
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| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 17:18, 15 December 2024
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