Religious Freedom Guaranteed*

(*some conditions may apply)

All names have been changed to protect the identities of the individuals involved.

“They won’t let us eat,” Ani said in a hushed voice. “Even if I go into a separate room, I am not allowed. It’s hard…” I knew how she felt. It was the holy month of Ramazan and even though I was a traveller and allowed to eat under Islamic rules I was still fasting out of respect for the local customs. She didn’t have the luxury of that choice.

Like all aspects of daily life in Iran, there is an “inside” and an “outside.” The streets and bazaars are filled with Iranian women clothed from wrist to ankle that return home in the evening and remove their “outside” clothing, revealing the latest in skimpy fashion. Although alcohol is banned under religious law, “inside” many Islamic homes alcohol is freely offered to visitors. Much of the alcohol market in Iran is supplied by (entrepreneurial) Armenians, who are allowed to keep alcohol within their homes on the condition that they not distribute it.

Armenian Christians also require an “outside” manner which not only requires them to wear different clothes, but to adhere to the rules of a different religion. Even though Ani wasn’t Muslim, outside of her home she had to obey Islamic (and official) rules, including fasting during Ramazan.

Armenian Christians are a small minority in the diverse ethno-religious landscape that is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ethnically only half of Iran’s nearly 70 million people are Persian. A quarter are of Azeri heritage, growing up speaking their Turkish dialect. Kurds account for nearly ten percent of the ethnic and linguistic makeup and the rest is a mixture of Baluchis, Loris, Arabs, Armenians, Turkmen and Afghans.

The religious landscape of Iran is equally diverse, and although the populace is overwhelming Shi’ite, the Islamic Republic is home to a number of religious minorities including Sunni and Sufi Muslims, Baha’is, Jews, Mandaeans, Zoroastrians and Christians.

Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians are allowed to practice their religions under the Iranian Constitution “within the limits of the law.” And that law is undoubtedly Islamic.

The Armenian community has tried to increase their religious freedom by widening their “inside” space. Community halls and sports clubs such as the Ararat complex in Tehran are found throughout Iran. These places are technically only for Armenians, but Muslims are allowed entry if accompanied by an Armenian friend. Many of Iran’s 150 churches belong to the Armenian Christian tradition, and although they freely accept Muslim visitors there is an understanding, a kind of social rule, that says these places are for Armenians only.

Zoroastrians too have followed this trend. The inner-sanctums of Ateshkadeh, a famous fire temple in Yazd, is closed to non-Zoroastrians. Cemeteries are also off-limits, but these restrictions are not only limited to religious places: in the center of Tehran is a large walled compound known as Zoroastrian Park, where adherents gather to relax among the trees, converse and play football in the field.

Unfortunately this sometimes breeds derision among Muslims young and old. Minority pursuits for expanded freedoms are viewed as encroaching on the majority’s freedoms, leading to friction between groups and fueling an endless cycle of ethno-religious prejudice as the minority isolates itself even more in an attempt to protect their cultural.

This majority-minority dynamic has been at work throughout Iranian history, but tensions have been particularly accentuated since the Islamic Revolution. Tens of thousands of Armenians and Zoroastrians have fled since the Revolution, but due to the weak rial and the negative perception of the Iranian passport abroad, many are left behind, waiting indefinitely for the introduction of a more multi-cultural, liberal rule set that tells people only what they cannot do, and not what they must do.