Country: Iran

Group: Christians

Date Finalized: 11/22/2021

Team: Ash Pessaran (lead), Natasha Chandra, Mason McNeel

Iranian Christians are victims of ethnocide given that their churches are still raided and Christians who converted from Islam are imprisoned (Minority Rights Group, 2017).

            Around 300,000 Christians live in Iran, and around 90% of the Christian population are Armenians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans. These Christians do not carry out missionary activities in order to avoid persecution (Minority Rights Group, 2021). Iran has “ethnic Christians,” composed of Armenians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans, and “non-ethnic Christians,” including Protestants and Evangelicals. The “ethnic Christians” are able to have their own community, sports associations, and publications. However, they have difficulty maintaining their languages and cultures since Assyrian schools are all required to teach in Persian (Farsi). The Iranian government has a much greater tolerance for ethnic Christians due to their avoidance to practice missionary work. The government allows these groups to operate their own towns, schools, church services, and possess seats in the national Parliament (Minority Rights Group, 2021). The Iranian government focuses the majority of suppressive acts on non-ethnic Christians by using areas of employment, education, property ownership, and the legal system (University of Maryland, 2006). The government commonly confiscates land from non-ethnic Christians, and national security forces will raid non-ethnic Christian homes and Church services, imprisoning Christian leaders and converts from Islam (University of Maryland, 2006; United Kingdom: Home Office, 2018). Although they have protection in the constitution, Iranian Christians still face persecution in Iran and Evangelical Christians in particular are targeted, as they are seen as a threat to national security. As of 2016, around 90 Christians were reportedly waiting trial simply for their religious beliefs. The quality of the data is 2 as there is credible data supporting the evidence.

Sources

  1. Minority Rights Group. (2021, February 6). Christians. Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://minorityrights.org/minorities/christians/.
  2. Iran. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://www.hrw.org/reports/1997/iran/Iran-05.htm#:~:text=The%20persecution%20of%20Iran’s%20evangelical,court%20in%20Mashad%20and%20executed.
  3. University of Maryland. (2006, December 31). Assessment for Christians in Iran. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2021 from http://www.mar.umd.edu/assessment.asp?groupId=63010
  4. United Kingdom: Home Office. (2018). Country Policy and Information Note Iran: Christians and Christian converts. Retrieved Nov. 15, 2021 from https://www.refworld.org/docid/5aa2aa2e7.html