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Features

Atlas: The Launch of IranWire’s Website Dedicated to Religious Minorities

March 12, 2021
IranWire
3 min read
The Atlas of Religious Minorities website officially started publishing on March 10, 2021
The Atlas of Religious Minorities website officially started publishing on March 10, 2021
The site offers information about religions and religious groups in Iran and aims to be a valuable source on the topic
The site offers information about religions and religious groups in Iran and aims to be a valuable source on the topic
The website aims to familiarize readers with the history and culture of different religions in Iran and to inform them about the issues and problems followers of these religions face
The website aims to familiarize readers with the history and culture of different religions in Iran and to inform them about the issues and problems followers of these religions face
The site will present information about Iran’s religious landscape beyond Shia Islam, the main religion of Iran
The site will present information about Iran’s religious landscape beyond Shia Islam, the main religion of Iran
The site will explore and report on the problems religious minorities in Iran face
The site will explore and report on the problems religious minorities in Iran face
Visitors to the site are encouraged to share their stories of inequality, prejudice or hostility
Visitors to the site are encouraged to share their stories of inequality, prejudice or hostility

IranWire’s Atlas of Religious Minorities website officially started publishing on March 10, 2021.  

Currently, the site is only available in Persian, but we hope to launch an English-language version soon. IranWire encourages our audience to visit the site and welcomes feedback and suggestions.

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Throughout history, Iran has been home to people with diverse ideas and followers of different religions and beliefs. Regardless of the policies of the governments of the time, the vast majority of ordinary Iranian citizens have lived and co-existed peacefully with their neighbors, including those neighbors who followed minority religions or who lived their lives according to different philosophies.

Whenever citizens clashed over their beliefs, there has always been an element of ignorance at play, an element rooted in several factors, including lack of access to information and/or a hostility toward the idea of studying the foundations of other religions. In such circumstances, religious leaders and those who benefited from the domination of one religion over others made it easier to spread xenophobia among the people.

Understanding the beliefs and the faiths of the people living around us and being familiar with their historical customs and traditions can greatly help in the collective transition from the unfortunate phenomenon of xenophobia to philanthropy and collective respect. However, in the age of the internet and the astonishing advancement of information technology, Persian readers and speakers have not had access to any reliable source that presents the opinions of religious people, along with information about their places of worship, schools, rituals, traditions, and customs.

The Atlas of Religious Minorities, an IranWire project, is trying to fill the void. The website aims to provide information about the religions and religious minorities of Iran. In addition to introductory information, the site offers information about Mandaeans, Jewish people, Yarsans, Christians, Zoroastrians, Baha'is, Gonabadi dervishes, and other religious minorities.

One of the purposes of the website is to familiarize readers with the history and culture of different religions in Iran and to inform them about the issues and problems followers of these religions face. Therefore, an attempt has been made to study both the religions and the denominations of each faith that have followers in Iran.

The problems faced by religious minorities, from educational deprivation to legal inequalities in inheritance, blood money, legal testimony and the right to life, will be the subject of articles and notes on the new website. If you encounter these limitations and inequalities in your own life, we encourage you to send us a documentary report on these experiences.

These reports will not be limited to followers of minority religions. Any responsible citizen of any faith or religion, in an effort to secure equal rights for himself or herself and other citizens, can share information and experiences about the violations of these rights with others through the Atlas of Religious Minorities website.

In addition, followers of different religions and denominations can read answers to people’s legal questions in the “legal questions and answers” section of the site. The section will highlight frequently asked questions. If you have additional legal questions, please contact us via IranWire social networks or via email.

Given that this is the first specialist website about Iranian religions, there may be aspects of the site that need improvement, and we would ask you to offer solutions or suggestions where possible.

In particular, if there is a religion or spiritual philosophy you follow or specific rituals you observe and you do not find it represented on the site, or have any other suggestions, questions or comments, please contact us at [email protected] 

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