Jump to content

Iranians (citizens of Iran)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Mani shahrokni (talk | contribs) at 19:41, 23 November 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about Iranians, the citizens of Iran, regardless of their ethnic group or religious affiliations

Iran's population was declared 70,049,262 in the 2006 census, with nearly one quarter of its people being 15 years of age or younger. Iran is also ethnically and linguistically diverse, with some cities, such as Tehran, bringing various ethnic groups together.

In addition, there are over 4 million (est.)Iranianabroad, mostly in North America, Western Europe, Turkey, the Gulf countries and Australia.

Iranians
File:Persian people - Persians 280507.JPG
Total population
approx. 75 million
Regions with significant populations
 Iran70,049,262
 United States377,618[1] to 691,000 [2]
 Turkey800,000[3]
United Arab Emirates UAE400,000[4]
 Iraq227,000[5]
 United Kingdom130,000
 Germany110,000[6]
 Canada88,200[3]
 Israel80,000[3]
 Qatar73,000[7]
 France62,000[3]
 Kuwait60,000
 Sweden60,000
 Bahrain48,000[8]
 Tajikistan31,000[9]
 Netherlands28,000[3]
 Australia18,798[10]
 Oman25,000[11]
 Greece20,000[3]
 Austria12,452
 Japan11,988[3]
 Denmark10,000[3]
 Belgium6,000[3]
 Norway6,000[3]
 South Africa5,000[3]
 Finland2,000[3]
Languages
Persian (Western dialect, in addition to regional varieties), Azeri (southern dialect), Kurdish, Gilaki, Mazandarani, Baluch, Arabic, Turkmen, Lur, Bakhtiari, Armenian, Tat, Talysh, Assyrian
Religion
Predominately Shi'a Muslim.[12][13] There are also some adherents of Sunni Islam, Bahá'í Faith, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism and some Atheistsand Agnostics

Ethnic groups

There are dozens of ethnic group in Iran.

Persians

Main article: Persians

The majority of Iranians (51%) are Persians, living in central and eastern parts of Iran, in cities such as Tehran, Mashhad Isfahan, or Shiraz.

Iranian Azeris

Main article: Iranian Azeris

Iranian Azeris, who are mainly Shi’a Muslims, are the largest minority in Iran, [and are] believed to constitute up to 25 per cent of the population. They are located mainly in the north and north-west of Iran. The "Azeri" (also known as "Azerbaijani") population of Iran is mainly found in the northwest provinces: East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, and in some regions of Kordestan, Hamadan and Markazi. Many others live in Tehran, Karaj and other regions.[14] Generally, Azeris in Iran have been, "a well integrated linguistic minority", according to academics such as anthropologist Patricia Higgins.[15] In fact, until the Pahlavi period in the 20th century, "the identity of Iran was not exclusively Persian, but supra-ethnic", as much of the political leadership, starting from the 11th century, had been Turkic.[16] The Iranian and Turkic groups were integrated until 20th century nationalism and communalism began to alter popular perception.[16] Despite friction, Azerbaijanis in Iran came to be well represented at all levels of, "political, military, and intellectual hierarchies, as well as the religious hierarchy."[15] In Iran the term "Azeri" is used formally; however, informally, Azaris and other Turkic speaking Iranian populations are colloquially referred to as "Tork" (Turks), Azaris, however, are a non-Turkic Iranian people despite the fact they speak a Turkic regional dialect in addition to Persian.

Iranian Kurds

Iranian Arabs

Main article: Iranian Arabs

The CIA World Factbook estimates that approximately 3% of Iran's 68,017,860 citizens are Arabic-speakers, of whom the majority live in Khuzestan, with 1% speaking Arabic as their native or primary language.[17] Most Iranian Arabs live in the coastal regions of southern Iran by the Persian Gulf. There are smaller communities in Khorasan. Iranian Arab communities are also found in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates.

A 1998 report by UNCHR reported 2 million Arabs residing in Khuzestan Province, most of whom are Shi'a. Sunni Muslim Arabs live along the Persian Gulf coastline. [18]

According to Jane's Information Group, "Most Iranian Arabs seek their constitutionally guaranteed rights and do not have a separatist agenda ... While it may be true that some Arab activists are separatists, most see themselves as Iranians first and declare their commitment to the state's territorial integrity." [19]

According to the Minorities at Risk Project 2001, about 40 per cent of Arabs are unskilled workers living in urban areas. The Arabs in the rural areas are primarily farmers and fishermen. The Arabs living along the Persian Gulf coastal plains are mostly pastoral nomads. Tribal loyalties are strong among rural Arabs, but also have an influence in urban areas. These have an impact on Arab socialisation and politicisation. [20]

Iranian Turkmen

There are over 2 million Turkmen who are primarily concentrated in the provinces of Golestān and North Khorasan.

Iranian Armenians

Main article: Iranian Armenians

The current Iranian-Armenian population is somewhere around 400,000. They mostly live in Tehran and Jolfa district. The Armenian-Iranians were very influential and active in the modernization of Iran during the 19th and 20th centuries[citation needed]. After the Iranian Revolution, many Armenians immigrated to Armenian diasporic communities in North America and western Europe. Today the Armenians are Iran's largest Christian religious minority.

Iranian Georgians

Main article: Georgians in Iran

Iranian Georgians are an ethnic group living in Iran. They are Twelver Shia Moslems. The Phereidnuli Georgian dialect is still spoken in Iran.

The number of Georgians in Iran is estimated from 50,000 to over 100,000. According to Encyclopaedia Georgiana (1986) some 12,000-14,000 lived in rural Fereydan prior to 1985[21] but these numbers are obvious underestimations. The Georgian alphabet is also known to some in Fereydunshahr.

The Georgian language is still used by some people in Iran. The center of Georgians in Iran is Fereydunshahr, a small city, 150 km to the west of Isfahan. The western part of Isfahan province is historically called Fereydan. In this area there are 10 Georgian towns and villages around Fereydunshahr. In this region the old Georgian identity is retained the best compared to other places in Iran. In many major Iranian cities, such as Tehran, Esfahan, Karaj and Shiraz live Georgians too.

In many other places such as Najafabad, Rahmatabad, Yazdanshahr and Amir Abad (near Esfahan). In Mazandaran Province in northern Iran, there are ethnic Georgians too. They live in the town of Behshahr, and also in Behshahr county, in Farah Abad, and many other places, which are usually called Gorji Mahalle. Most of them no longer speak the Georgian language, but retain aspects of Georgian culture. Some argue that Iranian Georgians retain remnants of Christian traditions, but there is no evidence for this.

Iranian Jews

Main article: Persian Jews

Judaism is one of the oldest religions practiced in Iran and dates back to the late biblical times. The biblical books of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, and Esther contain references to the life and experiences of Jews in Iran.

Today, the largest groups of Jews from Persia are found in Israel, which in 1993 was home to 75,000 people, including second-generation Israelis.[1] and the United States, which is home to a community of some 45,000 people, of first-generation only - especially in the Los Angeles area and Great Neck, New York.

By various estimates, 10,800 Jews [22] remain in Iran, mostly in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. BBC reported Yazd is home to ten Jewish families, six of them related by marriage, however some estimate the number is much higher. Historically, Jews maintained a presence in many more Iranian cities. Iran supports by far the largest Jewish population of any Muslim country.[2]

There are also smaller communities in Western Europe, Australia, and Canada. A number of groups of Jews of Iran have split off since ancient times. They are now recognized as separate communities, such as the Bukharan Jews and Mountain Jews. In addition, there are several thousand in Iran who are, or who are the direct descendants of, Jews who have converted to Islam and the Bahá'í Faith[3].

In the midst of tensions between the U.S and Iran and between Iran and Israel, Jewish-Iranian Americans and Israelis offered money to the remaining Jews in Iran in order to help them relocate to California and/or Israel. In August 2007, the Iranian Jews in Iran responded by saying they "resent such transparent political enticements."[citation needed]


Iranian citizens abroad

Main article: Iranian citizens abroad

The term Iranian citizens abroad or "Iranian/Persian diaspora" refers to the Iranian people born in Iran but living outside of Iran. Note that this differs from the other Iranian peoples living in other areas of Greater Iran, who are of related ethnolinguistical family, speaking languages belonging to the Iranian languages which is a branch of Indo-European languages.

The Iranian diaspora is estimated at over four million people, who emigrated to North America, Europe, Turkey and Australia, mostly after the Islamic revolution in 1979. In particular, the Los Angeles area is estimated to be host to approximately 500,000 Iranians, earning the Westwood area of LA the nickname Tehrangeles, a portmanteau of Tehran and the latter two phonemes of Los Angeles. Other metropolises that have large Iranian populations include Dubai with 300,000 Iranians, London with 100,000 Iranians, Toronto, San Francisco Bay Area, Washington D.C., Stockholm, Berlin and Frankfurt. Their combined net worth is estimated to be $1.3 trillion [23].

Migrant Iranian workers abroad remitted over two billion dollars home in 2006.[24]

People of Iranian Ancestry

Parsis

Main article: Parsis

The Parsis are the close-knit Zoroastrian community based primarily in India. Most Parsis outside of India identify India as their home country. Parsis are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to the Indian subcontinent over 1,000 years ago. Indian census data (2001) records 69,601 Parsis in India, with a concentration in and around the city of Mumbai (previously known as Bombay). There are approximately 5,000 Parsis elsewhere on the subcontinent, with an estimated 2,500 Parsis in the city of Karachi and approximately 50 Parsi families in Sri Lanka. The number of Parsis worldwide is estimated to be fewer than 100,000 (Eliade, 1991:254).

Iranis

Main article: Iranis

In Pakistan and India, the term "Irani" has come to denote Iranian Zoroastrians who have immigrated to Pakistan and India within the last two centuries, as opposed to most Parsis who arrived in India over 1000 years ago. Many of them immigrated during the Qajar era, when persecution of Iranian Zoroastrians was rampant. They are culturally and linguistically closer to the Zoroastrians of Iran. Unlike the Parsis, they speak a Dari dialect, the language spoken by the Iranian Zoroastrians in Yazd and Kerman. Their last names often resemble modern Iranian names, however Irani is a common surname among them. In India they are mostly located in modern-day Mumbai while in Pakistan they are mostly located in modern-day Karachi. In both Pakistan and India, they are famous for their restaurants and tea-houses. [1] Some, such as Ardeshir Irani, have also become very famous in cinema.

Ajam (Bahrain)

Main article: Ajam (Bahrain)

The "Ajam" are an ethnic community of Bahrain, of Iranian origin. They have traditionally been merchants living in specific quarters of Manama and Muharraq. The Iranians who adhere to both the Sunni or Shiite sect of Islam are Ajam, and they are different from the Huwala, who have Arab origins.

In addition to this, many names of ancient villages in Bahrain are of Persian origin. It is believed that these names were given during the Safavid rule of Bahrain (1501-1722). i.e. Karbabad, Salmabad, Karzakan, Duraz, Barbar, which it indicates that the history of Ajams is much older.

Huwala

Main article: Huwala

Huwala are the descendants of Sunni Arabs, and the word is also mistakenly used to call Sunni Persians, who migrated from Iran to the Arabian peninsula. The Huwala are much different from the Sunni Persians who also have migrated from their "Original" Homeland "Persia" to Arabia, except that the two ethincity share the same Islamic Sunni faith.

Arts

Culture

Main article: Culture of Iran

Iranian architecture

Architecture is one of the areas where Iranians have made outstanding contributions. Ancient examples can be seen in the ruins at Persepolis, while in modern times monuments such as the Tomb of Omar Khayyam are displays of the varied tradition in Iran. Various cities in Iran are historical displays of a distinctive Iranian style that can be seen in the Kharaghan twin towers of Qazvin province and the Shah Mosque found in Isfahan. Iranian architecture streams over the borders of Iran and is clearly seen throughout Central Asia as with the Bibi Khanum Mosque in Samarkand and the Minaret of Jam in western Afghanistan. Islamic architecture was founded on the base established by the Persians. Iranian techniques can also be clearly seen in the structures of the Taj Mahal at Agra and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

Women

Main article: Iranian women

Iranian women have played an important role throughout history. Scheherazade, though fictional, is an important figure of female wit and intelligence, while the beauty of Mumtaz Mahal inspired the building of the Taj Mahal itself. While in ancient times, aristocratic females possessed numerous rights sometimes on par with men, generally Iranian women did not attain greater parity until the 20th century. However, Tahirih, the poet, had a great influence on modern women's movements throughout the Middle East. The Tahirih Justice Center is named after her. Females were given such status in ancient Irania that they were the first to ever serve in a national military.[citation needed]

Iranian women today serve an active role in society. Peace activists such as Shirin Ebadi have pushed for greater rights for women, while many Iranian women exiles have set examples of excellence that have no doubt inspired many Iranian women to strive for change in the conservative society prevalent in today's Iran. Even with the current climate of religious conservativism, Iranian women still tend to take a more active role in social, religious and family affairs than their Arab or Turkish counterparts.[citation needed] Despite the barriers imposed by the Revolution, Iranian women can be seen working in a variety of areas such as politics, law enforcement, transportation industries, etc. Universities still tend to be dominated by women in Iran and one may find a large number of female legislators in the Iranian Majlis (parliament),[citation needed] even by western standards. Former Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, noted for her eloquence in dealing with western media, set a new standard for aspiring Iranian female politicians while serving under President Khatami. Outstanding Iranian female academics, such as Laleh Bakhtiar have forever left a mark in the fields they contribute to.

  1. ^ "US demographic census". {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ref2= ignored (help)
  2. ^ http://www.iranian.com/Diaspora/2004/January/USA/index.html
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l http://www.farsinet.com/pwo/diaspora.html
  4. ^ Travel Video Television News - Iranians investing heavily in Dubai
  5. ^ http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=pes
  6. ^ Persian World Outreach - Persian-speaking people outside of Iran
  7. ^ http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=pes
  8. ^ http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_country.asp?name=Bahrain
  9. ^ http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=pes
  10. ^ http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/Lookup/C41A78D7568811B9CA256E9D0077CA12/$File/20540_2001%20(corrigendum).pdf
  11. ^ http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=pes
  12. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html
  13. ^ http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=12883
  14. ^ Azarbaijanis
  15. ^ a b pp.188-191 Cite error: The named reference "ISBN6" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  16. ^ a b Ibid.
  17. ^ CIA World Factbook
  18. ^ Iran Overview from British Home Office
  19. ^ [2]
  20. ^ Iran Overview from British Home Office
  21. ^ Encyclopaedia Georgiana (1986), vol. 10, Tbilisi: p. 263.
  22. ^ http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/jewpop.html
  23. ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1385/2781/html/economy.htm
  24. ^ http://www.iran-daily.com/1386/2971/html/economy.htm
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iranians_(citizens_of_Iran)&oldid=173333973"