Iran today
Iran is a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual country. 51% of the population is Persian; the rest includes Azeris, Kurds, Arabs and Baluchis. Persian is the lingua franca. The majority of Iranians are Shi’a Muslim. But, there are also Sunni Muslims, Christians and Zoroastrians. The Jewish, Sufi and Bahai communities have been substantially marginalised since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Hossein Derakhshan (Creative Commons rights-protected)
The Achamaenid Empire (650-330 BC) was the largest at the time. Many consider King Cyrus’ cylinder as the first charter of human rights. The remains of their capital at Persepolis still stands today. They were followed by the great Parthian and Sassanian empires. The Arabs brought Islam to Iran in the seventh century. The cities of Qom and Mashad evolved into centres for Shi’a worship.
© Alireza Najafian
The Islamic era saw the continued flourishing of poetic and artistic traditions. The poetry of thirteenth century Rumi and Saadi and fourteenth century Hafez continue to be an integral part of Iranian culture. Beautiful architecture, such as Isfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan Square, has been given World Heritage Status.
Iran’s twentieth century history reflects the country’s social and political journey. Many consider the 1906 Constitutional Revolution as the first step in Iran’s democratic process. It also demonstrated defiance against the growing involvement of foreign powers in Iran’s affairs.
© Mehdi Kavousian
With the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty (1925-1979) Iran witnessed many changes and experienced urbanisation, industrialisation and modernisation. Prime Minister Mosaddegh nationalised the oil industry in 1951. Although elected by parliament, he was removed by a coup allegedly helped by the CIA. Mossadegh is seen by most as a national hero. A combination of Marxist, secular, liberal and Islamic forces led to the Revolution of 1979. The Islamic Republic of Iran was established. There was much hope that the government would be a combination of the liberal and Islamic. Within a year Iran was subjected to the 8-year Iran-Iraq War, which devastated the country’s infrastructure and economy.
In 1997 Khatami was elected president by 70% of the 20 million who voted. He had a vision for democratic reforms, supporting young people and ending Iran’s isolation. In 2005 Ahmadinejad was elected as president.
Shabnam Holliday
Shabnam Holliday is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies, University of Exeter. Her research is on contemporary Iranian national identity.
