Religion
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The Iranian census claims that 99.4% of the population are Muslims, of whom 90-95% are Shi’a.1 However, this official figure is not representative of actual religious affiliation and obscures the state’s active hostility toward irreligiosity, conversion and unrecognised religious minorities. The government regards all Iranian peoples (excluding ethnic minorities) to be Shi’a Muslim irregardless of self-identification, and the law prohibits Muslim citizens from changing or renouncing their religious beliefs.2 However, multiple surveys and population studies over the 21st century have found more secularisation and diversity of faiths and beliefs than official figures suggest.3 For example, the Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran (GAMAAN) found that only 40% of the 50,000 Iranian surveyed identified as Muslim in 2020.4
Iran is the only Islamic Republic country to declare itself officially Shi’ite. The constitution specifies Twelver Ja’afari Shia Islam as the state religion. However, some Iranians Shi’ites are identify with the Ismaili .5 Outside of Shi’ite figures, the Iranian census claims 5-10% of the population identify as Sunni Muslims – mostly Turkmen, Arabs, Baluchis and Kurds living in the northeast, southwest, southeast and northwest provinces respectively.6 Afghan refugees and displaced persons also make up a significant Sunni population, although accurate statistical data on the population and proportion of Sunni and Shi’a is unavailable. There are unofficial reports of several million Muslim residents practicing Sufism.
Islam in Iran
Iran has a history of practising quite a modern form of Islam. Before the establishment of the Islamic Republic, Iranians had a choice as to whether they were religious or not. Though the vast majority had a deep faith, it was not essential to publicly exhibit , and people were not necessarily judged for liberal behaviours. For example, women were allowed not to wear the if they wanted and some people chose not to pray.
The nature of society has all but disappeared since the establishment of the Islamic Republic. Religion has been highly politicised as the government looks to ensure that the private, public, legal and economic aspects of Iranians’ lives operate in accordance to Islamic principles. Many rules restrict citizens’ behaviour, requiring them to abide by conservative interpretations of the Qur’an. There are also laws and judicial rulings that punish people for doing something that could be interpreted as anti-Islamic or in conflict with Islamic principles – regardless of whether they are Muslims themselves or not. A council of religious leaders has ultimate say over the democratically elected governmental system, and all members of the judiciary must be Shi’a Muslims.
Despite the current political domination of religion, strong evidence suggests not all Iranians are strictly obedient to Islamic code. Data from the World Values Survey indicates religious observance (i.e. at mosques) is very low and only an estimated 2% of the population attend Friday congregational prayers. Those who are devout Muslims often belong to the older generation.
In brief, most Iranians believe in Allah (God) and the tenets of Islam. However, the politicisation of Islam has created a backlash against religion from younger Iranian citizens in particular. Some of the new generation are following more Western philosophical schools of thought and/or ; however, they rarely make this public knowledge. Meanwhile, those Iranians who do hold strong religious beliefs have tended to restrict their observance to their homes in order to keep their faith a personal, sacred matter.7
An Iranian who is dedicated to the dominant role of Islam in politics and society may grow their beard quite long to indicate their religious association or have a voluntary public involvement with the mosques. People can also pursue an education in Islamic theology and sacred law to become a ‘mܱ’ (cleric). Islamic theologians are often presumed to have the moral high ground and expertise in decision-making. Under the current system of governance, religious affiliation is also correlated with political power.
Religious Minorities
According to U.S. government estimates, religious minority groups include Baha’is, Christians, Yarsanis, Jews, Sabean-Mandaeans and Zoroastrians.8 However, only Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians (excluding converts from Islam) are constitutionally recognised religious minorities. Members of these three faiths are permitted to worship and form religious societies “within the limits of the law”, and are eligible for five of the 290 parliamentary seats reserved for recognised non-Muslim minorities. However, these concessions exclude Baha’is and Yarsanis, who are amongst the three largest non-mulsim minority groups.9
Members of religious minority groups generally have to be very careful not to advertise their faith. The political authority of Islam has restricted freedom of religion. For example, conversion to Christianity is a crime of punishable by death. Many members of religious minorities have faced persecution, intimidation and harassment for their beliefs. It is common for congregations to be asked to supply the government with the names of their churches’ members. Discrimination of religious minorities tends to be more prominent in structural and institutional disadvantage. While explicit prejudice may not be visible in everyday interactions between people, it is more blatant in the justice system, employment and education opportunities and civil services.
á’í
The á’í faith is a significant minority religion in Iran. It originated in Iran less than 200 years ago; however, it is not a branch of Islam. The á’í faith believes in a unity of humanity and religion and the teachings of its founder: Baha’u’lalh. It maintains that all religions are integrated under the same divine source and all messengers from God (i.e. Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad and Baha’u’lalh) come from that same almighty. á’ís ultimately believe in the oneness of religion, unification of humanity (including the genders) and a global society in which prejudice and differences of social status must be abandoned. Many generally feel it is a duty of their faith to encourage others to join their religion as well as be sympathetic and well-wishing.
The Shi’a clergy (as well as other Iranians) have continued to regard á’ís as heretics from Islam. Some extreme Muslims believe á’ís are morally dirty and that touching them can taint you. The Islamic Republic does not recognise á’ís as a religious minority in the constitution, and so the has been officially marginalised and disempowered. Consequently, á’ís have encountered much prejudice and have sometimes been the object of persecution.
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1 Office of International Religious Freedom, 2022
2 Office of International Religious Freedom, 2022
3 Maleki & Tamimi Arab, 2020
4 Maleki & Tamimi Arab, 2020
5 Office of International Religious Freedom, 2022
6 Office of International Religious Freedom, 2022
7 Tezcur, Azadarmaki & Bahar, 2006
8 Office of International Religious Freedom, 2022
9 Office of International Religious Freedom, 2022