Iran: Ethnic and Religious Minorities

Iran is home to approximately 69 million people who are ethnically, religiously, and linguistically diverse. The central authority is dominated by Persians who constitute 51 of Irans population. Iranians speak diverse Indo-Iranian, Semitic, Armenian, and Turkic languages. The state religion is Shia, Islam. After installation by Ayatollah Khomeini of an Islamic regime in February 1979, treatment of ethnic and religious minorities grew worse. By summer of 1979, initial violent conflicts erupted between the central authority and members of several tribal, regional, and ethnic minority groups. This initial conflict dashed the hope and expectation of these minorities who were hoping for greater cultural autonomy under the newly created Islamic State. According to the State Department s Human Rights Report 2006, released on March 6, 2007, Irans already poor human rights record worsened during the past year. The State Departments Religious Freedom Report 2006, released on September 15, 2006, also cited Iran for widespread human rights abuses especially against the Bahai faith, including summary executions, disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrest, detention, and discrimination against women.