Iran: religion and religious minorities

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Iran gave the world many archaeological sites, and its cultural heritage is still carefully studied by scientists from all over the world. This country has managed not only to preserve, but also to increase its we alth, being a state with a clear division by religion and gender.

Iran: the essentials in a nutshell

Iran can safely be called a state where it is difficult to be different from others. The majority of the population are Persians, and they have a direct influence on the domestic policy of the country. Despite the fact that in many matters it is difficult to find such an advanced country as Iran, religion plays the most serious role here. Absolutely all residents of the state start from religious prohibitions and rules in their everyday life, from the head of the country to simple artisans.

The state language of Iran is Farsi, it is spoken by the vast majority of the population. It is taught in schools and highereducational institutions in Tehran. Women in the country do not have to study, this is due to religious traditions that clearly prescribe gender inequality. Also, female representatives are prohibited from holding important government posts and becoming clergy. In other matters, women's rights are not too infringed. Many Western analysts even recognize Iran as a modern state, far removed from medieval Muslim prejudices and doctrines.

Religion of Ancient Iran

The population of Ancient Iran was represented by scattered nomadic tribes, so the religions of the first civilizations of Iran are contradictory and have different roots. The most powerful tribes of the Iranian highlands were the Aryans, who managed to spread their beliefs among the other tribes living in this territory.

In the pantheon of the Aryan gods, you can count more than a thousand different spirits and deities. All of them are conventionally divided into two categories:

• gods of order;
• gods of nature.

Each deity had its own priests and special rites of service. Gradually, these rituals became more complicated, and settled life made its own adjustments to the religion of the ancient Iranians. By the second millennium BC, they singled out the god of wisdom, who belonged to the brightest deities from the entire pantheon. Scientists believe that its prototype was the veneration of fire, to which sacrifices were made in the form of animals and gifts of nature. During the sacrifice to the fire, the Aryans took an intoxicating drink. It is known as haoma, and was already used separately from religious rites forseveral millennia.

By the end of the seventh century BC, a new religious trend of Zoroastrianism was formed in the territory of Ancient Iran, which quickly spread among the population and became the most influential in the country.

Zoroastrianism - the birth of a new religious cult

There are many legends about the origin of Zoroastrianism in the Iranian highlands, but in fact the founder of the cult was a real historical figure. Historians have been able to find evidence that Zoroaster was an influential priest of the Aryans. All his life he preached goodness and at the age of forty-two received a revelation, which served as the basis for the emergence of a new religion. The priest began to actively bring the light of faith to the masses, traveling all over the country, and after some time Zoroaster's sermons were collected in one holy book - the Avesta. He himself was endowed with unusual abilities and over the course of several centuries turned into a mythical figure, the existence of which was doubted by almost all Western scientists.

Fundamentals of Zoroastrianism

For many years, Zoroastrianism conquered Iran. Religion miraculously superimposed on the ancient rites of the Aryans, we can say that Zoroaster united all known cults into one. The most important deity in Zoroastrianism is Ormuzda, he personifies all the brightest and kindest. He has to constantly fight with his dark brother Angra Manyu, who is ready to destroy humanity if he manages to gain power over him.

According to the basics of Zoroastrianism, eachthe deity rules on Earth for three thousand years, for another three thousand years they fight among themselves. Each time such a struggle is accompanied by disasters and natural disasters. But the change of rulers is inevitable and humanity must be prepared for this.

Avesta: sacred book of ancient Iranians

All the rules and foundations of Zoroastrianism were originally passed down by word of mouth, but eventually they found their embodiment in the Avesta. It consists of three parts. The first contains hymns to the deities, the second contains Ormudze's prayers, and the third contains all the rites and the main principles of the religious cult.

Zoroastrianism: rituals and service

The most important attribute of serving the cult of Zoroastrianism was fire. He was always supported by the priests of the temple and was the first witness to the initiation rite of young Aryans. By the age of ten, each boy received an initiation to the deity, it was always held near the fire, which on the eve of the ceremony had to be "feeded" five times a day. Each time, adding fuel, the priest had to say a prayer.

Special rites corresponded to all events in the life of the community, the most complex manipulations were carried out during the burial of the bodies of the dead Iranians.

Arab conquest of Iran: change of religions

In the seventh century, Arab conquerors entered Iran. The religion of the Arabs, Islam, began to actively replace the usual Zoroastrianism. For several centuries it was almost imperceptible, all religious movements coexisted peacefully in the country. But by the tenth century the situation changed dramatically, Islambegan to spread everywhere. Those who disagreed with the new religious regime were persecuted. In many parts of Iran, Zoroastrians were killed, and they did it with great cruelty. During this period, a huge part of the adherents of the old faith moved to India, where Zoroastrianism became known as Parsism and is still quite an influential religious trend in the country.

Islam: the formation of the state religion of Iran

Historians have no doubt what was the state religion of Iran after the expulsion of the Zoroastrians - Islam has firmly taken its place in the minds and souls of the Iranians for many decades. From the tenth century, he only strengthened his position and actively influenced the social life of the country.

From the sixteenth century, the Iranian people became a participant in the struggle between two currents in Islam - Sunnis and Shiites. Most often, these opposing sides clashed in armed battles that divided the country into two camps. All this had a detrimental effect on Iran. Religion has also become decisive in foreign policy, which has practically ruled out the possibility of an intelligible dialogue between Iran and the Western world.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Iranian philosophers attempted to revive the traditions of Zoroastrianism in the country, but already in the eighties of the last century, the Islamic revolution put an end to some liberties in religion and finally established the power of Shiite Muslims.

Which religion is the most influential in Iran today?

It is worth noting that,Despite the rigidity of the Iranian rulers, various religious movements periodically appeared on the territory of the country. They did not receive mass distribution, but one of the branches of Islam still managed to gain a foothold in the country. This trend is Baha'i, which is often called the religion of unity. At the moment, this religious minority has the most followers in Iran.

But still, the state religion of Iran is one, because more than ninety percent of the total population are Shiite Muslims. They occupy government posts and become the most influential clergy. Eight percent of the population identify themselves as Sunni Muslims, and only the remaining two percent of Iranians practice Bahaism, Christianity and Judaism.

Many Western politicians speak ambiguously about Iran and its state structure. They believe that a religious movement with rigid postulates, such as Shiism, significantly limits the development of the state. But no one can really predict what life will be like for ordinary Iranians if religion plays a smaller role in the country's domestic and foreign policy.