Religious Intolerance

The Iranian people are restricted from openly practicing any religion other than Islam. According to the country’s constitution, the “official religion of Iran is Islam and the doctrine followed is that of Ja’fari Shi’ism,” Even though the constitution also says that “other Islamic denominations are to be accorded full respect” and recognizes the country’s religious minorities, Zoroastrians, Christians and Jews, as “protected,” these protections are not implemented.

In 2007, the U.S. Department of State outlined the Islamic Republic’s extensive campaign to restrict freedom of religion and discriminate against nearly all non-Shi’a religious groups:

“There was continued deterioration of the extremely poor status of respect for religious freedom during the reporting period. Government rhetoric and actions created a threatening atmosphere for nearly all non-Shi’a religious groups, most notably for Bahá’ís, as well as Sufi Muslims, evangelical Christians, and members of the Jewish community.”

Religious Groups

Iran’s population is approximately 98 percent Muslim; of those, 89 percent are Shi’a, and 9 percent are Sunni. It is widely noted that Baha’i, Christian, Zoroastrian and Judaism constitute approximately 2 percent of the population. However, it is impossible to know precisely how many people in Iran practice faiths other than Islam due to religious persecution by the current regime.

Education

Baha’i students are routinely denied access to university education because of their religion. In September, the international advocacy organization Human Rights Watch reported that Baha’i students were denied access to their national matriculation exam scores, which are required for entrance into university.

Censorship

The government monitors the country’s senior Muslim religious leaders’ statements and restricts the movement of several religious leaders who have been under house arrest for years.

Religion and the Government Structure

Religious minorities are prohibited from election to a representative body, except for the five Majles seats reserved for recognized religious minorities (two for the Armenian Christians, and one each for the Assyrian Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians), and from holding senior government or military positions.

The legal system previously discriminated against recognized religious minorities in relation to blood money. However, in 2004, the Expediency Council authorized collection of equal blood money for the death of Muslim and non-Muslim men. All women and Baha’i and Sabean-Mandean men remained excluded from the revised ruling. According to the law, Baha’i blood is considered mobah, meaning it can be spilled with impunity.

Inheritance Laws

Inheritance laws favor Muslim family members over non-Muslims. For example, under existing inheritance laws, if a non-Muslim converted to Islam, that person would inherit all family holdings while non-Muslim relatives would receive nothing.

Baha’i

Baha’is are considered dissidents because of their claim to a religious revelation subsequent to that of the Prophet Mohammed. The government defined the Baha’i faith as a political “sect” linked to the Pahlavi monarchy and Israel and, therefore, counterrevolutionary. The government continues to imprison and detain Baha’is based on their religious beliefs.

In March 2006 the UNSR on Freedom of Religion and Belief expressed concern about allegations that security forces were monitoring and gathering information about the Baha’i community. Baha’i groups reported that the government was collecting names of Baha’is across the country, and there was an increase of anti-Baha’i editorials in pro-government newspapers.

Between May and January 2006, the government reportedly arrested 63 Baha’is. As of fall 2007, three remained in prison. The government did not formally charge many of the others but released them after they posted bail. For some, bail was in the form of deeds of property; others gained their release in exchange for personal guarantees or work licenses.

Sufi

Sufi organizations outside Iran have expressed concern about government repression of their religious practices, and during the year there were arrests after calls by Shi’a clerics for restrictions on local Sufis. In February 2006 authorities arrested 1,200 Sufi worshippers and closed a Sufi house of worship.

In May 2007, 52 Sufis were sentenced to one year in prison, fines and lashes (ultimately reduced to fines) in connection with the February 2006 incident. Their lawyers were also sentenced and banned from practicing law for five years.

Christians

The majority of the approximately 300,000 Christians in the country are ethnic Armenians and Assyro-Chaldeans. Protestant denominations and evangelical churches exist and report restrictions on their activities. The authorities have become particularly vigilant in recent years in curbing proselytizing activities by evangelical Christians.

Sources: U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices – Iran (2007)