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This chapter focuses on understanding of the historical context and socioreligious milieu in which the Yārsāni belief appropriates religious forces to survive their religion, how Yārsānis Kurd and Turk experience their religion in Islamic... more
This chapter focuses on understanding of the historical context and socioreligious milieu in which the Yārsāni belief appropriates religious forces to survive their religion, how Yārsānis Kurd and Turk experience their religion in Islamic society, and what differences are significant in their lived experiences. This chapter examines the ways in which socio-political surroundings have affected the evolution of Yārsāni religious thought and why the Yārsāni religious belief, despite its fundamental disagreement with Islamic tenets, has been affiliated with Islam. Second part focus on how Yārsāni after revealing their religion and publishing their manuscript have a disagreement in their religion, as religion was only previously orally transmitted. The aim of this paper is to discover the transformation of religion, and in particular in which context can an individual change the content of religion, and bring about new idea regarding religion and beliefs.
Drawing on feminist theory, as well as theory surrounding the correlation between poverty and suicide, this study explores the increased rate of suicide among women in western Iran. Based on empirical research, including interviews with... more
Drawing on feminist theory, as well as theory surrounding the correlation between poverty and suicide, this study explores the increased rate of suicide among women in western Iran. Based on empirical research, including interviews with women from the Kurdish region of the country, the author considers the marginalisation of Kurdish populations in Iran, the suppression of their rights, and violence against women in its various forms. With attention to family violence, such as direct physical or sexual assault, psychological bullying or through practices such as forced marriage or honour killings, the author also considers the political nature of such violence, as certain violent practices are enshrined in the Iranian constitution and legitimised in jurisprudential practice. A study of gendered violence and its effects, Women and Suicide in Iran will be of interest to scholars working in the fields of Sociology, Criminology and Middle Eastern Studies with interests in violence, gender and suicide.
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فراز و نشیب­‌های اقلیت دینی بهایی در عراق
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مسئله نسل‌کشی کُردهای فه‌یلی در روایت تاریخ تحقیقی
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In the poor, rural areas in Afghanistan, the tradition of child marriage persists. In fact, child slavery and debt bondage practices are flourishing, but are often disguised as ‘marriage’, since labour or family affairs do not require... more
In the poor, rural areas in Afghanistan, the tradition of child marriage persists. In fact, child slavery and debt bondage practices are flourishing, but are often disguised as ‘marriage’, since labour or family affairs do not require state intervention. Poverty, conflict and tradition reinforce these practices; religious leaders further encourage them by steadily opposing the idea of a higher, legal minimum age of marriage for girls as contrary to the Islamic law. 

Due to the prolonged conflict in Afghanistan, which has resulted in the near total destruction of the country, many of these girls have relocated to Austria and encountered a number of challenges: a number of households are now led by females, who sometimes have had children at a very young age, lack education, a fixed income and adequate support. Almost all of them have been forced to marry at a very young age, have experienced violence and displacement, have seen loved ones die and tortured and are now struggling to understand and adapt to their new environment. These women suffer from severe psychological and emotional disorders because of their prolonged exposure to conflict, violence and displacement. Further, many of them live completely isolated, they have no contact with the outside world and they are constantly subjected to physical and psychological violence. Afghan women in Austria are in desperate need of emotional, social and psychological support, education, employment opportunities and awareness raising about their rights and the protection from discrimination that the Austrian legal system offers. They need to be empowered in order to think critically and make well-informed choices. This is the only path for a successful and long-term integration.
While the popularity of social media is generally increasing, it is becoming particularly important for survivors of collective violence. The study presented here focuses on personal narratives of Êzîdî women who survived the violence... more
While the popularity of social media is generally increasing, it is becoming particularly important for survivors of collective violence. The study presented here focuses on personal narratives of Êzîdî women who survived the violence perpetrated against them by the so-called “Islamic State.” In these, I identify both thematic and linguistic characteristics. My analysis incorporates concepts from discourse analysis and covers YouTube, Facebook, and other weblogs. As findings demonstrate, the personal narratives of the Êzîdî women can provide a deep understanding of the violence they have experienced and the support that the use of social media can provide. These insights in turn are intended to inform social media communication initiatives that reach out to and support traumatized individuals.
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اقلیت‌‌های دینی غیرمسلمان در ایران و تغییر سنت‌ها
ازدواج زودﻫﻨﮕﺎم ﻫﻨﻮز در ﺑﺴﯿﺎری از ﮐﺸﻮرﻫﺎی ﺧﺎورﻣﯿﺎﻧﻪ دﺪه ﻣﯽ ﺷﻮد. در روﺳﺘﺎﻫﺎی اﯾﻦ ﻣﻨﺎﻃﻖ ازدواج دﺧﺘﺮان زﯾﺮ ﺳﺎل ﺑﺴﯿﺎر راﯾﺞ ﺑﻮده ﮐﻪ در اﻏﻠﺐ ﻣﻮارد ﺗﻔﺎوت ﺳﻨﯽ زﺎدی ﺑﺎ ﻫﻤﺴﺮاﻧﺸﺎن دارﻧﺪ. ﮏ ﺳﻮی اﻨﮕﻮﻧﻪ ازدواج ﻫﺎ اﮐﺜﺮا ﻣﺮداﻧﯽ ﻫﺎی ﻓﻘﯿﺮی ﻗﺮار دارﻧﺪ ﮐﻪ... more
ازدواج زودﻫﻨﮕﺎم ﻫﻨﻮز در ﺑﺴﯿﺎری از ﮐﺸﻮرﻫﺎی ﺧﺎورﻣﯿﺎﻧﻪ دﺪه ﻣﯽ ﺷﻮد. در روﺳﺘﺎﻫﺎی اﯾﻦ ﻣﻨﺎﻃﻖ ازدواج دﺧﺘﺮان زﯾﺮ ﺳﺎل ﺑﺴﯿﺎر راﯾﺞ ﺑﻮده ﮐﻪ در اﻏﻠﺐ ﻣﻮارد ﺗﻔﺎوت ﺳﻨﯽ زﺎدی ﺑﺎ ﻫﻤﺴﺮاﻧﺸﺎن دارﻧﺪ. ﮏ ﺳﻮی اﻨﮕﻮﻧﻪ ازدواج ﻫﺎ اﮐﺜﺮا ﻣﺮداﻧﯽ ﻫﺎی ﻓﻘﯿﺮی ﻗﺮار دارﻧﺪ ﮐﻪ ﻫﺴﺘﻨﺪ ﮐﻪ ﺑﺪﻧﺒﺎل ﺗﻨﻮع و ﮔﺴﺘﺮش رواﺑﻂ ﺟﻨﺴﯽ ﺧﻮد ﻫﺴﺘﻨﺪ و در ﺳﻮی دﮕﺮ آن ﺧﺎﻧﻮاده ای ﮐﻪ ﺷﺎﺪ ﺗﺒﻌﺎت ﻓﺮﻫﻨﮕﯽ و اﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﯽ آن ﺑﺮای ﻣﯽ ﺧﻮاﻫﻨﺪ از اﯾﻦ ﻃﺮﯾﻖ ﺑﺨﺸﯽ از ﻣﺸﮑﻼت ﻣﺎدی ﺧﻮد را ﺣﻞ ﮐﻨﻨﺪ. ﺪﺪه ﻫﺎﺸﺎن ﺷﻮد. ﻫﻤﯿﺸﻪ داﻣﻨﮕﯿﺮ اﯾﻦ زﻧﺎن و ﺧﺎﻧﻮاده ای از ﺑﻮﯾﮋه در اﯾﺮان ﺑﻌﺪ از اﻧﻘﻼب ﮐﻪ ﻋﺪه ، ازدواج ﻣﻮﻗﺖ ﻫﻢ ﻣﻮﺿﻮع دﮕﺮی اﺳﺖ ﮐﻪ ﺑﺮﺧﯽ از ﺟﻮاﻣﻊ اﺳﻼﻣﯽ ﺑﺎ آن ﻣﻮاﺟﻪ ﻫﺴﺘﻨﺪ ﮐﻨﻨﺪ. ﻣﺴﺌﻮﻻن آن را ﺑﻪ ﻋﻨﻮان راﻫﺒﺮدی دﻨﯽ و ﻓﺮﻫﻨﮕﯽ ﺑﺮای رﻓﻊ ﺑﺤﺮان ﻣﻌﻀﻼت ﺟﻨﺴﯽ ﻣﻄﺮح ﻣﯽ
The Jewish community in Baghdad virtually disappeared with the mass exodus ofIraqi Jews to Israel. Jews have lived in Mesopotamia for 2,500 years, since being transported there as captives after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586... more
The Jewish community in Baghdad virtually disappeared with the mass exodus ofIraqi Jews to Israel. Jews have lived in Mesopotamia for 2,500 years, since being transported there as captives after the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.For centuries, Babylonia was the world center of Jewish culture. While retaining distinctive religious and cultural practices, Jews were in many ways well integrated into Mesopotamian society. Social and political treatment of Jews waxed and waned with political changes in the region, but Jews always constituted a significant minority. By the 1920s, close to 140,000 Jews lived in Iraq, most of them in Baghdad, where they made up about one-third of the city’s population. Jews were influential in commerce, in politics, and in Iraqi national culture. Then, between 1939 and 2008, as a result of intense anti-Jewish government policies, the establishment of the state of Israel, and Arab nationalism’s response to Zionist action in the region, all but a handful of Iraq’s Jews left the country.Currently about eight Jewish people live in Iraq.
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Yārsān is a syncretic ethnic-religious belief of Indo-Iranian origin established by Sultan Sahak in western Iran in the late 14th century. Over three million Yārsānis are estimated to reside in Iran and others inhabit regions in northern... more
Yārsān is a syncretic ethnic-religious belief of Indo-Iranian origin established by Sultan Sahak in western Iran in the late 14th century. Over three million Yārsānis are estimated to reside in Iran and others
inhabit regions in northern Iraq. Most Yārsānis are Kurd and live in, or originate from, Iran and view the Yārsāni territory as being part of Iran. Few studies have been undertaken to explore how the Kurdish diaspora uses new social media technologies. In this article we look at the Internet as a virtual network in which the Yārsani, in Iran, and diaspora meet.
We also consider the Internet as a tool for making offline assignations. Internet and past research confirms that the people can meet online is indeed a real phenomenon, especially in the case of diaspora communities. In this article I reflect upon my own use of the Internet in my research on Yārsani communities in different countries, suggesting that Facebook has made it possible to reach out to and work with a wider variety of Yārsani people than ever before. I applied visual analysis methods that describe how an object and its representation are linked indexically in a photograph. This cultural research applies anthropological
methods to Yārsani Facebook by using visual research methods and interview with Yārsani in Sweden.
I am using available data on some users’ interactions with digital media tools that record the interaction and details of individuals’ exchanges. Moreover, Yārsanire-appropriation in Facebook, constructing communication and freedom among them.
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The religion of Kaka‘I has been an under-researched religion in the Middle East but recent interest in Iraq has changed this situation marginally. A new discourse in the contemporary social and political world has brought back the notion... more
The religion of Kaka‘I has been an under-researched religion in the Middle East but recent interest in Iraq has changed this situation marginally. A new discourse in the contemporary social and political world has brought back the notion of religion and the appropriation of religious thought to the forefront of social polemics. Following continuous murders, displacements and threats by the militant Islamic group, the Islamic State (IS), as well as their marginalization in Iraq, Kaka‘i declared themselves to be Muslims. They sought improvement in the quality of systems existing in region, the creation of democratic secular regimes that believe in democracy and rights of other peoples and religions, as well as the application of human rights principles in the constitutions of states in which they reside. In addition, Kaka‘i are motivated to gain official recognition of their civil statutes and identity and they want to end the situation in which they are considered as a religious minority. Kaka‘i and Islam are incompatible as religions. Such actions bring to mind the historical and modern perspectives that form the basis of religion with regard to the development of this religious minority under the pressure of their environment.
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Access to cyberspace by Yezidi populations has given this group a platform for rebuilding their religious identity, which, in turn, has enabled them to challenge existing geographic, political and cultural constraints in Iraq. The Yezidi... more
Access to cyberspace by Yezidi populations has given this group a platform for rebuilding their religious identity, which, in turn, has enabled them to challenge existing geographic, political and cultural constraints in Iraq. The Yezidi in Iraq have to live with the threat of discrimination and even violence. On the Internet, self-identification as Yezidi is done much more freely. The rise of the Yezidi in Iraqi media and in foreign media (via the diaspora) is closely interconnected. Experiences of persecution and of persistent libel and prejudice by the Muslim majority has forced the Yezidi to adopt distinctive religious practices due to forced migration to foreign countries. This article is an exploration of whether notions of sacred spaces and perceptions and practices of religious rituals are transformed in digital media, i.e. when moving from physical to virtual spaces. I will do this by applying visualization through visual imagery and virtual ethnography. This paper represents a theory on the Internet and religion: asking what implications the Internet holds for spiritual identities, worship and sense of ethno-religious community.
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This article presents a nuanced approach for qualitative research on the Internet, based on the synthesis of qualitative data-gathering methodologies both online and offline, and contributes to recent knowledge of changing practices... more
This article presents a nuanced approach for qualitative research on the Internet, based on the synthesis of qualitative data-gathering methodologies both online and offline, and contributes to recent knowledge of changing practices within Yārsāni communities around the world. Yārsān is a religious belief of Indo-Iranian origin that traces back to Hooraman, a region in Iranian Kurdistan. Yārsān thought, which Islamic Shiite authorities treat as heretical, has extensively used processes of adaptation and strategies of survival throughout the course of its history. The research presented here makes a case for the significance of the Internet and, more specifically, social network sites in connecting Yārsānis in their homelands and in the diaspora. How does Facebook provide a new space for this minority group to disclose their beliefs to the world, thereby reassessing the clandestine nature of their religion, which is a tenet required by traditional belief and defined by their adage, " don't tell the completed her doctoral research with a focus on Yārsān, a religious minority in Iran, and forced migration in the Department of Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies in University of Vienna. Her research interests include religious minorities in Iran and Iraq, forced migration and integration. Currently she is a visiting researcher in the Department of Sociology in the University of Alberta, where she is working on a research project about Iranian religious minorities.
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The religion of Yārsān is predominately a mixture of ancient Iranian religions and rituals, including Zoroastrianism and Zurvanism, with some three million followers inhabiting western parts of Iran and some parts of Europe. Yārsān has... more
The religion of Yārsān is predominately a mixture of ancient Iranian religions and rituals, including Zoroastrianism and Zurvanism, with some three million followers inhabiting western parts of Iran and some parts of Europe.
Yārsān has been a manifest example of the survival of a religious belief since its conception in the late fourteenth century. The mountainous geography of the western regions of Iran impeded the reigning dynasties of the time from easily wielding influence and control over Yārsāni disciples. This isolation offered the ethnic-religious minority a perfect location to develop and expand their beliefs and avoid being consumed by the dominating sociocultural-religious forces growing in synchrony. The characteristic inaccessibility of the region significantly contributed to the protection of Yārsānis’ beliefs, thoughts, and cultural heritage after Islam became the dominant religion there. Recently, it has become apparent that many members of this community have migrated to Western European countries. Diasporic life comes with many great challenges and difficulties, but it seems Yārsānis still believe in the Iranian ancestral roots of their religion. This empirical, qualitative study is limited to the Swedish context of Yārsānis in diaspora and demonstrates their allegiance to Iran and their reasons for this loyalty.
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Concepts of diaspora concerning related factors of social transformation have been investigated with respect to religion and attempts to preserve ethnic identity in society without abandoning group identity. The main objective of this... more
Concepts of diaspora concerning related factors of social transformation have been investigated with respect to religion and attempts to preserve ethnic identity in society without abandoning group identity. The main objective of this study is to examine the ethnic and religious narrative of the Yārsānis in diaspora and how the dynamics of religious transformation become apparent in a description of diaspora. Reference will be made to the theoretical framework developed by Steven Vertovec and Peggy Levitt on diaspora, transnationalism, and migration in their relation to religion. The article follows two major theoretical premises: How Yārsānis' changing attitudes in new cultural settings necessitate adaptations that affect their religion and culture, and the effects of integration in Sweden due to the ritual encounters between Yārsānis and the, apparently, " secular " Swedish values. How do these new contexts create open space for narrating " Yārsāni-ness " ?
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در منابع طبری هرمس از نوادگان شيث فرزند حضرت آدم است و پس از آن دو، اولين فردی است که به نبوت رسيده است. در نظر سهروردی نيز تاريخ انديشه و فلسفه را بايد از هرمس آغاز کرد درست است که از مهمترين وارثان سنت هرمسی در ميان مسلمانان را صوفيه... more
در  منابع طبری هرمس از نوادگان شيث فرزند حضرت آدم است و پس از آن دو، اولين فردی است که به نبوت رسيده است. در نظر سهروردی نيز تاريخ انديشه و فلسفه را بايد از هرمس آغاز کرد درست است که از مهمترين وارثان سنت هرمسی در ميان مسلمانان را صوفيه نام برده اند ،همانطور که در بسياری از منابع چهره هايی مانند حﻼج و سهروردی را در ميان اين سنت قرار داده اند عﻼوه بر اين ، از راه فنون و دانش هايی مانند طب ، نجوم ، کيميا و مانند اينها نيز عقايد هرمسی به عالم اسﻼم راه يافته اند در اين ميان گروهی از نويسندگان ، مورخان عارفان و حکمای مسلمانان ، هرمس را بانی حکمت و علوم  بر شمرده اند شهاب الدين سهروردی و صاحب مکتب اشراق در عالم اسﻼم يکی از بزرگترين نمايندگان اين سنت تاويلی و رمزی اسﻼم و ايران است که عﻼوه بر تجليل از شخصيت هرمس تﻼش ميکند که وی را با اساطير ايرانی پيوند بزند وی لقب های ی را در بر گرفته از اصطﻼحات فلسفی خويش به هرمس نسبت می دهد از جمله طباع تام و خود را وارث حکمت هرمسی می داند .در اين مقاله می کوشيم تا با بررسی  هرمس در اسطورههای يونانی و پس از آن، نشان دهيم که چگونه هرمس وارد نبوت اسﻼمی گرديده است.

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This book focuses on education and Afghan women in the pre-Taliban period, under the Taliban and today. More specifically, it explores the educational prospects for women under and following the fall of the Taliban, the significant... more
This book focuses on education and Afghan women in the pre-Taliban period, under the Taliban and today. More specifically, it explores the educational prospects for women under and following the fall of the Taliban, the significant improvements that have been achieved during the past few years and the challenges that still lie ahead.

Against this background, concepts such as education, empowerment and personal development are discussed, as well as the progress and the challenges that women in Afghanistan will face in the event of the Taliban returning to power. This publication offers a unique, original and current insight into the world of Afghan women, encompassing contributions from academics, journalists and civil society advocates.
This book explores the methods of marginalization that authorities use against religious minorities, and the subsequent mechanisms these minority groups develop in order to survive. This study focuses on the relationship between the state... more
This book explores the methods of marginalization that authorities use against religious minorities, and the subsequent mechanisms these minority groups develop in order to survive. This study focuses on the relationship between the state and non-Muslim religious minorities (Christian, Sabean-Mandaean, Bahai, Yarsan- Jewish, and Zoroastrian) in order to explore the dynamics of this extremism and its impact, and what the response of religious minorities has been. The conceptual framework of the study provides an introductory survey of Iranian politics in the twentieth century, offers a brief synopsis of the role of non-Muslims in Islamic majority countries, presents the views of the non-Muslims held before revolution in the time of Pahlavi king in Iran and the Shi’a revolutionary ideologues and, finally, identifies several important issues in this research.
This book explores the experiences of the ethnic and religious minorities of Iran, such as Jews, Yarsani, Christian, Sabean Mandaean, Bahai, Zoroastrian, Baluch, Kurd, and others and provides a historical overview of their position in... more
This book explores the experiences of the ethnic and religious minorities of Iran, such as Jews, Yarsani, Christian, Sabean Mandaean, Bahai, Zoroastrian, Baluch, Kurd, and others and provides a historical overview of their position in society before and after the 1979 Islamic revolution and highlights their contribution to the country's history, diversity, and development. It also focuses on the historical, sociopolitical, and economic factors that affected the minorities' development during the last century. Author Behnaz Hosseini has shaped this book with authentic material and has assembled the experiences and opinions of academics of diverse backgrounds who approach the minorities' issues in Iran in a constructive and ingenious way: from debating their efforts to preserve their identity and cultural heritage and ensure their survival to discussing their relations with the majority and other minorities, the role of religion in everyday life, and their contribution to the rich cultural history of Iran.
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Drawing on feminist theory, as well as theory surrounding the correlation between poverty and suicide, this study explores the increased rate of suicide among women in western Iran. Based on empirical research, including interviews with... more
Drawing on feminist theory, as well as theory surrounding the correlation between poverty and suicide, this study explores the increased rate of suicide among women in western Iran. Based on empirical research, including interviews with women from the Kurdish region of the country, the author considers the marginalisation of Kurdish populations in Iran, the suppression of their rights, and violence against women in its various forms. With attention to family violence, such as direct physical or sexual assault, psychological bullying or through practices such as forced marriage or honour killings, the author also considers the political nature of such violence, as certain violent practices are enshrined in the Iranian constitution and legitimised in jurisprudential practice. A study of gendered violence and its effects, Women and Suicide in Iran will be of interest to scholars working in the fields of Sociology, Criminology and Middle Eastern Studies with interests in violence, gender and suicide.
For Jews across the Middle East and North Africa, the 1948 establishment of the State of Israel was a transformation period-in both the build-up to it and its aftermath. Using this momentous event as its focal point, this book takes the... more
For Jews across the Middle East and North Africa, the 1948 establishment of the State of Israel was a transformation period-in both the build-up to it and its aftermath. Using this momentous event as its focal point, this book takes the reader on a journey to remote destinations in the 20th century Jewish experience, examining aspects of Jewish history that have hardly ever been discussed in one place and in such an intriguing combination. Jews have played an integral role in the Arab world, Turkey, Iran, and North Africa for millennia.
This book discusses the popularity of temporary and child marriages in Iran and Afghanistan and explores their historical background and the reasons why they still persist today. Further, it offers readers insights into the emotional and... more
This book discusses the popularity of temporary and child marriages in Iran and Afghanistan and explores their historical background and the reasons why they still persist today. Further, it offers readers insights into the emotional and psychological violence that the women who have been subjected to these practices experience. The respective contributions address the persistence of these traditions,  their ramifications for the wellbeing of women and the development of societies and human relations. Taken together, they offer an excellent academic tool for students, academics and researchers studying the anthropology and sociology of kinship, and family in the Middle East.
This collected volume focuses on women's suffering and the conditions of their societies during conflict and post-conflict situations in Iraq, Iran, Syria and other countries. The contributions examine and explore not only general... more
This collected volume focuses on women's suffering and the conditions of their societies during conflict and post-conflict situations in Iraq, Iran, Syria and other countries. The contributions examine and explore not only general narratives but also various specific aspects of the conflict and post-conflict situations in relation to the roles and statuses of these women, with a number of scholars reflecting on topics from various disciplines and key areas such as the Middle East. This collection also includes some articles on the suffering of women outside of the Middle East, thus illustrating the similarity of some general issues women have to face throughout the world.
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This publication is based on an oral-studies project mapping the remaining Zoroastrian communities in Iran. It includes 330 interviews with Zoroastrians who talk about their lives before and after the establishment of the Islamic Republic... more
This publication is based on an oral-studies project mapping the remaining Zoroastrian
communities in Iran. It includes 330 interviews with Zoroastrians who talk about their
lives before and after the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Topics include
religious and devotional life as well as immigration, education, and marriage outside the
community.