MONGABAY.COM
Mongabay.com seeks to raise interest in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife, while examining the impact of emerging trends in climate, technology, economics, and finance on conservation and development (more)
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
|
|
Iran
Index
In 1986 there were an estimated 32,000 Zoroastrians in Iran.
They speak Persian and are concentrated in Tehran, Kerman, and
Yazd. Zoroastrianism initially developed in Iran during the seventh
century B.C. Later, it became the official religion of the Sassanid
Empire, which ruled over Iran for approximately four centuries
before being destroyed by the Arabs in the seventh century A.D.
After Iran's incorporation into the Islamic empire, the majority of
its population was gradually converted from Zoroastrianism to
Islam, a process that was probably completed by the tenth century.
During the Qajar era there was considerable prejudice against
Zoroastrians. In the mid-nineteenth century, several thousand
Zoroastrians emigrated from Iran to British-ruled India to improve
their economic and social status. Many eventually acquired wealth
in India and subsequently expended part of their fortunes on
upgrading conditions in the Zoroastrian communities of Iran. The
emphasis placed on Iran's pre- Islamic heritage by the Pahlavis
also helped Zoroastrians to achieve a more respected position in
society. Many of them migrated from Kerman and Yazd to Tehran,
where they accumulated significant wealth as merchants and in real
estate. By the 1970s, younger Zoroastrians were entering the
professions.
Like the Christians and Jews, the Zoroastrians are recognized
as an official religious minority under the Constitution of 1979.
They are permitted to elect one representative to the Majlis and,
like the other legally accepted minorities, may seek employment in
the government. They generally enjoy the same civil liberties as
Muslims. Although Zoroastrians probably have encountered individual
instances of prejudice, they have not been persecuted because of
their religious beliefs.
Data as of December 1987
|
|