Domestic tribulations and international repercussions: the state and the transformation of non-Muslims in Iran.

• Author: Sanasarian, Eliz
• Position: INTERNATIONAL IRANIAN DYNAMICS

The international human rights community was still puzzled by the situation of the non-Muslims under President Mohammed Khatami when it was confronted with further intensification of systematic persecution of segments of these communities with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's rise to power. The escalation was reminiscent of the early years of the revolution and shed light on concerns and problematic issues still lingering from an imposing past.

By focusing on the role of the state, this study looks at patterns and trends in the treatment of non-Muslim communities in the post-2000 era. The timing corresponds to the second term of President Khatami (2001 to 2005) and the current President Ahmadinejad's administration (2005 to present). Using extensive and varied sources, this study evaluates the domestic scene, the international reaction and the outcome for religious minorities and the country. In the process, the investigation briefly identifies various ethnic and religious groups, analyzes the meaning of the responses of religious minorities to state authorities and presents a specific case study of the legal issue of blood money. In conclusion, the study evaluates the exact nature of the transformation of the non-Muslim population and its consequences for the country.

RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY

The ethnic and religious composition of Iran is heterogeneous and unusually diverse. There are two overall distinguishing features, neither explaining the exact nature of the polity. Religiously, the overwhelming majority are Shia, some 9 percent are Sunni and the rest are Bahai, Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian and a very small little-known group of the Mandean. (1) Historically, the Sunni population has been concentrated in the geographic areas of Kordestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Khuzestan. Although the majority of the population in Iran is Shia, not all are ethnic Persians. Ethnic division among Muslims reveals a greater diversity. The dominant groups are: Arab (Sunni and Shia), Azeri (Shia), Bakhtiari (Shia), Baluch (Sunni), Kurd (Sunni, small Shia), Lur (Shia), Qashqai (Shia), Shahsevan (Shia) and Turkmen (Sunni). (2)

Since the focus of this study is the non-Muslim population, a brief introduction here would suffice. In contrast to other religions, Bahaism was born in the 19th century. Having risen from amongst Shia Muslims as a post-Islamic religion, it has been seen in the Islamic world as violating the Islamic belief that Prophet Mohammad is the last of the prophets. Bahaism has never been recognized as a religion in Iran. Furthermore, although consisting of both Muslim and non-Muslim converts, the Bahais did not belong to any ethnic group and could not be identified by their names or specific geographical location. (3)

The composition of the Christian population is made up of the ethnic Armenians (mostly Apostolic, with smaller groups of Protestant and Catholic), Assyrians and Chaldeans. All three ethnic groups have long cultural and historical ties with ancient Persia and had deputies in parliament throughout the 20th century. There are also non-ethnic Christians in Iran (other than Armenians, Assyrians and Chaldeans); Protestant missionary work has a long history in the country. Although their original targets were other Christian communities, many of their adherents today are Muslim converts. (4) Islam does not allow conversions, and those who violate this rule are considered apostates; and, if they refuse to recant, their penalty is death.

The Jews and Zoroastrians are among the oldest non-Muslim communities in Iran. The presence of the Jews in Persia predates the Christians; Jews have lived in Iran since at least 539 BC. (5) Their culture has always been a synthesis of Persian and Jewish practices, and Persian--not Hebrew--is their main tongue. Zoroastrianism was the ancient religion of the Persian Empire before the invasion of Arabs and the spread of Islam. Modern Iranian nationalism of the 20th century revolved around a particular take on the Zoroastrian past and its religious symbols. Both the Jews and Zoroastrians also had one deputy each representing the interests of their communities in pre-Islamic Republic era. Both continue to have one representative each in the Islamic assembly. (6)

DOMESTIC DYNAMICS

The establishment of a theocracy had a profound effect on the legal, social and economic status of the non-Muslims. Up to this point, there has been no major positive change in the basic status of the non-Muslim population. The purpose of this section is to concentrate on developments from the year 2000 to the present in an attempt to explain recent events and their significance.

There is little doubt that the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad intensified, in both words and deeds, a hostile environment for religious minorities. Some of the persecution that resurfaced in force preceded his election and occurred during the Khatami presidency. Several cases affecting the Bahai, Jewish and Christian communities exemplify the differences in governmental pressure and response.

During the past few years, Iranian media were inundated with various anti-Jewish and anti-Bahai writings and broadcasts, the cluster and intensity of which were similar to the early years of the revolution. A disturbing example, aired in mid December 2004, was a weekly television series called "Zahra's Blue Eyes," or "For You Palestine." Other than the symbolic aspect of the title (Fatimah Zahra was the daughter of Prophet Mohammad from his first wife Khadijah), the storyline is a fictional account of Israeli military and political figures involved in harvesting the organs of Palestinian children. Zahra is a little Palestinian girl whose eyes are removed and transplanted in an Israeli boy, the son of the military commander of the West Bank and a prime ministerial candidate. (7)

Additionally, a 2006 film entitled "The Land of Wishes," categorized as "science fiction," depicts Israelis and Jews in a crude storyline where they try to get control of the world. (8) Depiction of Jews and Israelis in these films goes beyond issues of prejudice, stereotyping, or political opposition; the makers come across deranged and psychopathic.

The sensitive situation of the Jews in Iran entered a new phase with the anti-Israeli rhetoric of President Ahmadinejad, who on separate occasions called for Israel to "be wiped off the map," referred to the Jewish genocide as a "myth" and set up an international conference to deny the Holocaust. (9) An international Holocaust cartoon contest led to an exhibition in February 2006 sponsored by Hamshahri paper, which is owned by the Tehran municipality. (10)

President Ahmadinejad's statements emboldened others to publicly speak out on the issue. On 20 October 2006, in an interview on Iranian TV Qoran Channel broadcast, a Dr. Hossein Mozaffar, identified as a scholar and member of the Iranian Association for the Defense of the Palestinians, spoke on the issue of genocide. The exchange between the interviewer and the interviewee offers the listener a deep insight into the diatribe of prejudice that has multiple layers of jealousy, xenophobia and hate. (11) Dr. Mozaffar emphasizes the economic power and influence of the Jews in the world and their alleged domination of "80 percent" of the world media. He explains that the spread of typhus caused the deaths of a large population during the Second World War, which in turn forced the Germans to burn the bodies of the dead. The burned bodies belonged to Muslims, Christians and Jews, amounting to no more than 600,000. According to Mozaffar, Jews, in an attempt to gain territory, claimed themselves oppressed, turning 600,000 to 6 million. Next, the interviewer quotes a Jewish "friend" (with whom he had allegedly served in the army) who explained why, despite being very few, Jews are the chosen people: "Look how much wealth we have, while you Muslims are so poor." Dr. Mozaffar comments to the interviewer that "the Jews believe they are superior and therefore endorse and teach in their schools the killing of Muslims. To Jews, non-Jews are even inferior to dogs; they will feed a dog but are forbidden to feed a non-Jew." The exchange continues in a similar vein. (12)

The language of disease was an important part of the Nazi nomenclature associating Jews with a "germ," "world plague," "pestilence" and "syphilis." "The repugnant disease metaphors concocted to devalue individuals today and in the past share a close affinity," argues William Brennan. (13) Any combination of the 19th century European anti-Semitism, Nazi era discourse, negative religio-cultural nuances and a deep politico-psychological resentment color the anti-Israel and anti-Jew diatribe in Iran. And, no matter how often the statement has been made that Israel/Zionism and the Jew are separate, one slips into the other with ease. (14)

Beyond the intricacies of words and their meaning lies the official identity of the speaker. Dr. Hossein Mozaffar was not just a scholar representing the Iranian Association for the Defense of Palestinians; at the time of the interview, he was Tehran's deputy in the 7th Majlis (current parliament), head of the Supervisory Council of the Iranian National Radio and Television and...