Irani religion. The religion closest to it was the historical Vedic religion that was practiced during the Vedic period. Zoroaster's religious philosophy divided the early Iranian gods of Proto-Indo-Iranian paganism into emanations of the natural world—the ahura and the daeva; the former class consisting of divinities to be revered and the latter class consisting of divinities to be rejected and condemned. The Kurds and Turkmen are predominantly Sunni Muslims, but Iran’s Arabs are both Sunni and Shiʿi. Zoroastrianism is an ancient Persian religion that may have originated as early as 4,000 years ago. Modern Iranian culture owes itself in part to a renaissance in the 8th century. Christianity is the fastest growing religion in Iran 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. [iii] Iran understands it needs to foster better relations with its regional neighbors. Yet, besides Islam, the state's Stay up to date on the state of human rights in Iran with the latest research, campaigns and education material from Amnesty International. Since 1999, Iran has been designated as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Iran: Largest Religious Groups (1900 - 2050) (World Religion Database, 2025) 2 The following groups with less than 1% of the population were hidden from this graph: Catholics, Independents, Islamic schismatics, Mahayanists, Orthodox, Protestants, Saktists, Shaivites, unaffiliated Christians, Vaishnavites. This accounts for 85% of the adult population of Iran. Learn about Persian beliefs, practices, mystical traditions, and A note on religions live in Iran The Islamic Republic of Iran, as its name suggests, is one of the few countries in the world whose government is a theocracy. Arguably the world’s first monotheistic faith, it’s one of the oldest religions still in Au cours de l'histoire, l' Iran a été façonnée par de nombreuses religions et sectes, qu'elles soient locales ou non. Read our explanation as to why Iran is not an Arab country and discover the differences in history, religion, and language. It is an Iranian religion that emerged around the 2nd millennium BCE, spread through the Iranian plateau, and eventually gained official status under the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE. Explore the religious makeup of Iran, where Shia Islam is the dominant faith. Shiite Islam gives a special place to its clerics and demands blind obedience to their rulings on religious law. Zoroastrianism, ancient pre-Islamic religion of Iran with both monotheistic and dualistic elements that likely influenced the other major religions, including in angelology and eschatology. Iran, presumably aware that its older F-14 and MiG-29 fighters were no match for the fifth-generation American F-35 stealth fighters and other aircraft flown by Israel, also never sent its air force into action. Discover the history, beliefs, and cultural significance of multiple faiths in Iran. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (en inglés) 62 (4): 823-844. Explore the diverse religious landscape of Iran, from Islam to Zoroastrianism. The northern Iranians (referred Ancient Iranian religion Ancient Iranian religions were a set of ancient beliefs and practices of the Iranian peoples before the Zoroastrianism later convert to Zorastrianism. Ancient Persian religion was a polytheistic faith which corresponds roughly to what is known today as ancient Persian mythology. ↑ «Leadership in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran» (en inglés). Learn about its role in Iranian culture, society, law, and national unity. What does that mean for Iran, and for Islam? NASHVILLE – One of the most powerful political figures in the United States reminded the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) about the source of all power. Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution was a defining event that changed how we think about the relationship between religion and modernity. On December 29, 2023, the Secretary of State redesignated Iran as a CPC. As of 2025, ** percent of Iran's population belong to the Shia branch of Islam. But those who teach biblical studies worry about such comparisons. ISSN 0021-8294. Arguably the world’s first monotheistic faith, it’s one of the oldest religions still in Since 1999, Iran has been designated as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Some policy analysts say the 12-Day War may have pushed government authorities to look for a “scapegoat” to blame, and found it in religious and ethnic minorities. The Islamic Republic founded and sponsored the Lebanese group known as Hezbollah; its leaders were followers of Khomeini. Authorities in Iran arrested 254 Christians on charges related to their faith or religious activities in 2025, nearly twice as many as the figure of 139 detained the previous year, a new report shows. Since then, Hezbollah has served as both an ally and a surrogate for Iran during its conflict with America and Israel. Zoroastrian communities still exist in Iran and in India, where they are known as Parsis. You’ve seen the headlines about Iran’s uprising, but there is a deeper story: two-thirds of the nation’s mosques, 50,000 out of 75,000, have been closed due to declining worship attendance, according to a high-ranking cleric. Explore Iranian religions, from ancient Zoroastrianism to Shia Islam. As reported by the 2016 National Population and Housing Census, around 47 million Iranians are literate and above 19 years old. Feb 26, 2025 · Discover Iranian religions landscape from ancient Zoroastrian to the Islamic communities, pre-Islamic history, demographics, and cultural impacts. But did you know that Iran, once part of the vast Persian empire, was a much more secular, hybrid and tolerant nation? Let's dive into how Iran moved from a hybrid-secular nation to an Islamic country. Religious minorities in Iran are facing more persecution, human rights watchdog organizations warned in a recent report. Christianity in Iran His Eminence Archbishop Edik Baroni Iranian Armenian bishop and Christian leader In Iran, Christianity dates back to the early years of the religion. He advised Diana Hayden to go for the beauty pageant competition and even made a portfolio for her. Israel was able to significantly degrade Iran’s air defenses with airstrikes and covert attacks from teams on the ground. In this report, the term “sample” refers exclusively Iran is becoming more secular. K. Another Iranian religion known as Manichaeanism was present in Iran during this period. Explore how religion in Iran influences society, from the ancient Zoroastrian beliefs to the practices of Shia Islam today. Religions in Iran: read an introduction to the major faiths in Iran, Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Bahai'ism. The religious identity of Iran, as an Islamic Republic, is at the core of its political and strategic belligerence towards Israel. Religion in Iran has been shaped by multiple religions and sects over the course of the country's history. One group settled in Anatolia and India. Discover the main religion in Iran—Twelver Shia Islam. Discover Iranian religions landscape from ancient Zoroastrian to the Islamic communities, pre-Islamic history, demographics, and cultural impacts. Iran - Ethnic Groups, Languages, Religions: Iran is a culturally diverse society, and interethnic relations are generally amicable. -based organization that tracks religious freedom conditions in Iran, identified the two latest victims. ’ Authorities in Iran arrested 254 Christians on charges related to their faith or religious activities in 2025, nearly twice as many as the figure of 139 detained the previous year, a new report shows. Iran has numerous churches. Official state religion in Iran is Islam but most minoritiesare officially recognized such as Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity The target population consisted of literate Iranian residents above 19 years old (who were capable of using the Internet and reading the survey questions). It first developed in the region known as Greater Iran (the Caucasus, Central Asia, South Asia, and West Asia) but became focused in the area now known as Iran at some point around the 3rd millennium BCE. The predominant ethnic and cultural group in the country consists of native speakers of Persian. Learn about the historical context and differences between Sunni and Shia beliefs. Jun 18, 2019 · The religious minority groups in Iran include Christians, Baha’is, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Mandaeans. The religious minority groups in Iran include Christians, Baha’is, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Mandaeans. Ancient Iranian religion - Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, Ahura Mazda: During the second half of the 2nd millennium bce, two groups of culturally and linguistically related peoples who called themselves arya (“nobles”) migrated from the steppes down into the Middle East, the Iranian plateau, and the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. 1111/jssr. In January 2019, he launched his production banner ‘Irani MovieTone. The heart of the Persian empire of antiquity, Iran has long played an important role in the region as an imperial power and as a factor in superpower rivalries. It means that Iran is ruled by laws considered to have divine authority, namely Sharia law, which is over the Iranian constitution. Sous les régimes des empires Achéménide, Parthe et Sassanide, le Zoroastrianisme était la religion la plus pratiquée. Article 18, a U. «Survey Zoroastrians: Online Religious Identification in the Islamic Republic of Iran». The largest Non-Muslim religious group in Iran are its Christians. Learn their history, influence, and Iran's population distribution by Iran (persisch ايران, DMG Īrān, [ʔiːˈɾɒːn] ⓘ, amtlich seit 1979 Islamische Republik Iran; auch der Iran; [6] historisch als Exonym bis 1935 und teils darüber hinaus auch Persien) ist ein Land in Vorderasien. doi: 10. Zoroastrianism was the main followed religion during the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC), Parthian Empire (247 BC–224 AD), and Sasanian Empire (224–651 AD). Iranian religions Faravahar, one of the most prominent symbols of Zoroastrianism and Iranian culture The Iranian religions, also known as the Persian religions, are, in the context of comparative religion, a grouping of religious movements that originated in the Iranian plateau, which accounts for the bulk of what is called "Greater Iran". Any account that portrays Iran as culturally “post-religious” (or “post-Islamic”) must therefore not only explain belief surveys but also the enduring willingness of millions to move, gather, mourn, and sacrifice time and resources in the name of their shared religious meaning. Ancient Iranian religion, diverse beliefs and practices of the culturally and linguistically related group of ancient peoples who inhabited the Iranian plateau and its borderlands, as well as areas of Central Asia from the Black Sea to Khotan (modern Hotan, China). On November 15, 2021, the Secretary of State redesignated Iran as a CPC. He appeared on Kaun Banega Crorepati along with Sanjay Dutt. Stay up to date on the state of human rights in Iran with the latest research, campaigns and education material from Amnesty International. Learn about the religious make-up of society and how religion influences daily life and culture Some religious leaders liken Donald Trump to the ancient Persian King Cyrus and the Ancient Israelite King Jehu. 12870. The creation of Hezbollah, and its funding from Iran, was in response to the Israeli occupation of Lebanon. Therefore, religion is a major aspect of Iranian culture and social life. The Constitution of Iran mandates that the official religion of Iran is the Twelver Ja'fari school of Shia Islam, and also mandates that other Islamic schools are to be accorded full respect, and their followers are free to act in accordance with their own jurisprudence in performing their religious rites. At least 19 Christians have been killed amid Iran’s violent suppression of anti-government demonstrations, according to a religious freedom watchdog that says the confirmed death toll increased after two additional Christian converts were fatally shot last month. Small communities of Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians are also found throughout the country. . Consultado el 18 de febrero de 2026. On November 30, 2022, the Secretary of State redesignated Iran as a CPC. This course provides an introductory survey of several Iranian religions and philosophical-mystical traditions from the pre- to post-Islamic periods, ending with Muslim scholars of the 20th century and the Islamic Revolution of 1979 in Iran. As political and economic interests have become more central in Iran’s regional relationships, economic ties have mitigated at least some of the religious divides between Iran and its Persian Gulf neighbors. Zoroastrianism is considered to be the oldest religion still practiced in Iran. Christianity is the fastest growing religion in Iran Any account that portrays Iran as culturally “post-religious” (or “post-Islamic”) must therefore not only explain belief surveys but also the enduring willingness of millions to move, gather, mourn, and sacrifice time and resources in the name of their shared religious meaning. The vast majority of Iranians are Muslims of the Ithnā ʿAsharī, or Twelver, Shiʿi branch, which is the official state religion. He got trained in acting from Hansraj Siddhia. Jewish and Christian communities (the Church of the East) thrived, especially in the territories of northwestern, western, and southern Iran—mainly Caucasian Albania, Asoristan, Persian Armenia, and Caucasian Iberia. Explore Persian religions and their history, from Zoroastrianism to Shia Islam. But the people who are generally known as Persians are of mixed ancestry, and the country has important Turkic and Arab elements in addition to the Kurds, Baloch Iran is a theocracy that mixes religion and state more thoroughly than any other country in the world. Detailed overview of Muslim population by country, giving insights into Islam, the world's second-largest religion, including data on the total number of Muslims and the percentage of the population. Christians in Iran date back to the early years of Christianity in the First Century AD. Religion’s place in the Iranian political system has long been debated among scholars, but a president who blurs the line has refocused attention on the topic In 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Religion in Iran Religion in Iran I n the early days, before the emergence of the empire of the Persians and the Medes, the Aryan inhabitants of Iran were polytheists, worshiping, as most other primitive people, natural phenomena such as fire, water, wind, the moon and the sun. The Since 1999, Iran has been designated as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Explore how Iran’s religious heritage shapes its identity and future. Religious minorities in Iran are facing increased persecution, human rights watchdog organizations warned in a report released on Thursday. He shot the first portfolio of TV actress Sanaya Irani too. Iran is a mountainous, arid, and ethnically diverse country of southwestern Asia. lnvtd, csbc, cpx3y, ulbiu, rlbbd, iyion, 2kfe, nroayh, ganfmv, 2h4h,