Iran
(2003)
The Constitution declares the "official religion
of Iran is Islam and the
doctrine followed is that of Ja'fari (Twelver) Shi'ism." The Government
restricts freedom of religion.
There was no change in the status of respect for religious
freedom during the period covered by this report.[1] Members of the
country's religious minorities--including Baha'is, Jews, Christians,
and Sunni and Sufi Muslims--reported imprisonment, harassment, intimidation,
and discrimination based on their religious beliefs.
Non-Muslim communities, some of which predate Islam,
are present; however, government actions create a threatening atmosphere
for some religious minorities, especially Baha'is, Jews, and evangelical
Christians.
The U.S. Government makes clear its objections to
the Government's treatment of religious minorities in public statements,
through support for relevant U.N. and nongovernmental organization (NGO)
efforts, and through diplomatic initiatives among all states concerned
about religious freedom in Iran.
In March 2003, the Secretary of State designated the
country as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious
Freedom Act for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
This action followed three similar designations in 1999, 2000, and 2001.
Section I. Religious Demography
The country has a total area of approximately 631,663
square miles, and its population is approximately 68 million. The population
is approximately 99 percent Muslim, of which 89 percent are Shi'a and
10 percent Sunni (mostly Turkomen, Arabs, Baluchs, and Kurds living
in the southwest, southeast, and northwest). Sufi Brotherhoods are popular,
but there are no reliable figures available regarding the size of the
Sufi population.
Baha'is, Christians, Zoroastrians, Mandaeans, and
Jews constitute less than 1 percent of the population. The largest non-Muslim
minority is the Baha'i community, which has an estimated 300,000 to
350,000 adherents throughout the country. Estimates on the size of the
Jewish community vary from 20,000 to 30,000. These figures represent
a substantial reduction from the estimated 75,000 to 80,000 Jews who
resided in the country prior to the 1979 Iranian revolution. There are
approximately 300,000 Christians in the country, according to U.N. figures,
the majority of whom are ethnic Armenians and Assyro-Chaldeans. There
also are Protestant denominations, including evangelical churches. The
U.N. Special Representative (UNSR) reported that Christians are emigrating
at an estimated rate of 15,000 to 20,000 per year. The Mandaeans, a
community whose religion draws on pre-Christian gnostic beliefs, number
approximately 5,000 to 10,000 persons, with members residing primarily
in Khuzestan in the southwest.
The Government estimates the Zoroastrian community
at 35,000 adherents; however, Zoroastrian groups cite a larger figure
of approximately 60,000. Zoroastrians mainly are ethnic Persians and
are concentrated in the cities of Tehran, Kerman, and Yazd. Zoroastrianism
was the official religion of the pre-Islamic Sassanid Empire and thus
played a central role in the country's history.
Section II. Status of Religious Freedom
Legal/Policy Framework
The Government restricts freedom of religion. The
Constitution declares the "official religion of Iran is Islam and
the doctrine followed is that of Ja'fari (Twelver) Shi'ism." All
laws and regulations must be consistent with Islamic law (Shari'a).
The Constitution also states that other Islamic denominations are to
be accorded full respect, and recognizes only Zoroastrians, Jews, and
Christians as religious minorities, guaranteeing their right to religious
practice in personal affairs and religious education. The Constitution
forbids harassment of individuals according to their beliefs; however,
the adherents of religions not specifically protected under the Constitution
do not enjoy the freedom to practice. This restriction most acutely
affects adherents of the Baha'i Faith, which the Government regards
as a misguided or wayward Islamic sect with a political orientation
that is antagonistic to the Iranian revolution; however, Baha'is view
themselves as an independent religion with origins in the Shi'ite Islamic
tradition. Government officials reportedly have stated that, as individuals,
all Baha'is are entitled to their beliefs and are protected under other
articles of the Constitution as citizens.
The Government rules by a religious jurisconsult.
The Supreme Leader of Iran, chosen by a group of 83 Islamic scholars,
oversees the state's decision-making process. All acts of the Majlis
(legislative body) must be reviewed for conformity with Islamic law
and the Constitution by the Council of Guardians, which is composed
of six clerics appointed by the Supreme Leader and six Muslim jurists
(legal scholars) nominated by the Head of the Judiciary and elected
by parliament.
The Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance ("Ershad")
and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) monitor religious
activity closely. Adherents of recognized religious minorities are not
required to register individually with the Government; however, their
community, religious, and cultural events and organizations, including
schools, are monitored closely. Registration of Baha'is is a police
function. The Government has pressured evangelical Christian groups
to compile and submit membership lists for their congregations, but
evangelicals have resisted this demand. Non-Muslim owners of grocery
shops are required to indicate their religious affiliation on the fronts
of their shops.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
Religious minorities, by law and practice, are barred
from being elected to a representative body (except to the seats in
the Majlis reserved for minorities, as provided for in the Constitution)
and from holding senior government or military positions. Members of
religious minorities are allowed to vote, but they may not run for President.
All religious minorities suffer varying degrees of officially sanctioned
discrimination, particularly in the areas of employment, education,
and housing.
The Government does not guarantee the right of citizens
to change or renounce their religious faith. Apostasy, specifically
conversion from Islam, can be punishable by death.
Members of religious minorities are barred from serving
in the judiciary and security services and from becoming public school
principals. Applicants for public sector employment are screened for
their adherence to and knowledge of Islam. Government workers who do
not observe Islam's principles and rules are subject to penalties. The
Constitution states that the country's army must be Islamic and must
recruit individuals who are committed to the objectives of the Islamic
revolution.
University applicants are required to pass an examination
in Islamic theology, which limits the access of most religious minorities
to higher education, although all public school students, including
non-Muslims, must study Islam. The Government generally allows recognized
religious minorities to conduct religious education for their adherents.
This includes separate and privately funded Zoroastrian, Jewish, and
Christian schools but does not include official Baha'i schools. The
Ministry of Education, which imposes certain curriculum requirements,
supervises these schools. With few exceptions, the directors of such
private schools must be Muslim. Attendance at the schools is not mandatory
for recognized religious minorities. The Ministry of Education must
approve for use all textbooks used in coursework, including religious
texts. Recognized religious minorities may provide religious instruction
in non-Persian languages, but such texts require approval by the authorities
for use. This requirement sometimes imposes significant translation
expenses on minority communities.
The legal system also discriminates against religious
minorities, who receive lower awards than Muslims in injury and death
lawsuits and incur heavier punishments. The Guardian Council rejected
a bill passed by the Majlis in November 2002 to equalize the payment
of "blood money" between Muslim and non-Muslim men. All women
and Baha'i men were excluded from the equalization provisions of the
bill.
Although the Constitution provides Sunni Muslims religious
freedom, some groups claim that the Government discriminates. In particular,
Sunnis cite the lack of a Sunni mosque in Tehran and claim that authorities
refuse to authorize construction of a Sunni place of worship in the
capitol. Sunnis also have cited obstacles to reaching senior governmental
positions and accused the state broadcasting company of airing programming
insulting to Sunnis.
The Baha'i Faith originated in the country during
the 1840's as a reformist movement within Shi'a Islam. Baha'is are considered
apostates because of their claim to a valid religious revelation subsequent
to that of Mohammed, despite the fact that Baha'is do not consider themselves
to be Muslim. The Baha'i Faith is defined by the Government as a political
"sect," linked to the Pahlavi regime and, hence, counterrevolutionary.
In 1993 the UNSR reported the existence of a government
policy directive regarding the Baha'is. According to the directive,
the Supreme Revolutionary Council instructed government agencies to
block the progress and development of the Baha'i community, expel Baha'i
students from universities, cut Baha'i links with groups outside the
country, restrict employment of Baha'is, and deny Baha'is "positions
of influence," including in education. The Government claims that
the directive is a forgery.
A 2001 Ministry of Justice report demonstrates that
government policy continued to aim for the eventual elimination of the
Baha'is as a community. It stated in part that Baha'is would only be
permitted to enroll in schools if they did not identify themselves as
Baha'is, and that Baha'is preferably should be enrolled in schools that
have a strong and imposing religious ideology. The report also stated
that Baha'is must be expelled from universities, either in the admission
process or during the course of their studies, once it becomes known
that they are Baha'is.
Baha'is may not teach or practice their faith or maintain
links with co-religionists abroad. The fact that the Baha'i world headquarters
(established by the founder of the Baha'i Faith in the 19th century,
in what was then Ottoman-controlled Palestine) is situated in what is
now the state of Israel, exposes Baha'is to government charges of "espionage
on behalf of Zionism," in particular when caught communicating
with or sending monetary contributions to the Baha'i headquarters.
Baha'is are banned from government employment. In
addition, Baha'is regularly are denied compensation for injury or criminal
victimization.
The Government allows recognized religious minorities
to establish community centers and certain cultural, social, athletic,
or charitable associations that they finance themselves. However, the
Government prohibits the Baha'i community from official assembly or
from maintaining administrative institutions. Because the Baha'i Faith
has no clergy, the denial of the right to form such institutions and
elect officers threatens its existence in the country.
Broad restrictions on Baha'is undermine their ability
to function as a community. Baha'is repeatedly have been offered relief
from mistreatment in exchange for recanting their faith. Baha'i cemeteries,
holy places, historical sites, administrative centers, and other assets
were seized shortly after the 1979 Revolution. None of the properties
have been returned, and many have been destroyed.
Baha'is are not allowed to bury and honor their dead
in keeping with their religious tradition. In 2002 the Government offered
the Tehran Baha'i community a plot of land for use as a cemetery; however,
the land was in the desert, with no access to water, making it impossible
to perform Baha'i mourning rituals. In addition, the Government stipulated
that no markers be put on individual graves and that no mortuary facilities
be built on the site, making it impossible to perform a ceremonial burial
in the Baha'i tradition.
Baha'i group meetings and religious education, which
often take place in private homes and offices, are curtailed severely.
Public and private universities continue to deny admittance to Baha'i
students.
Over the past several years, the Government has taken
a few positive steps in recognizing the rights of Baha'is, as well as
other religious minorities. For example, in recent years the Government
has eased some restrictions, permitting Baha'is to obtain food-ration
booklets and send their children to public elementary and secondary
schools. In 1999 President Khatami publicly stated that no one should
be persecuted because of his or her religious beliefs. He vowed to defend
the civil rights of all citizens, regardless of their beliefs or religion.
Subsequently, the Expediency Council approved the "Right of Citizenship"
bill, affirming the social and political rights of all citizens and
their equality before the law. In February 2000, following approval
of the bill, the head of the Judiciary issued a circular letter to all
registry offices throughout the country allowing couples to be registered
as husband and wife without being required to state their religious
affiliation. The measure effectively permits the registration of Baha'i
marriages. Previously, Baha'i marriages were not recognized by the Government,
leaving Baha'i women open to charges of prostitution. Children of Baha'i
marriages had not been recognized as legitimate and were therefore denied
inheritance rights.
While Jews are a recognized religious minority, allegations
of official discrimination are frequent. The Government's anti-Israel
policies, along with a perception among radical Muslims that all Jewish
citizens support Zionism and the State of Israel, create a threatening
atmosphere for the small community. Jewish leaders reportedly are reluctant
to draw attention to official mistreatment of their community due to
fear of government reprisal.
In principle, but with some exceptions, there is little
restriction of, or interference with, the Jewish religious practice.
However, education of Jewish children has become more difficult in recent
years. The Government reportedly allows Hebrew instruction, recognizing
that it is necessary for Jewish religious practice. However, it strongly
discourages the distribution of Hebrew texts, in practice making it
difficult to teach the language. Moreover, the Government has required
that several Jewish schools remain open on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath,
in conformity with the schedule of other schools in the school system.
Because working or attending school on the Sabbath violates Jewish law,
this requirement has made it impossible for observant Jews to both attend
school and adhere to a fundamental tenet of their religious law.
Jews are permitted to obtain passports and to travel
outside the country, but often are denied the multiple-exit permits
that normally are issued to citizens. With the exception of certain
business travelers, the authorities require Jews to obtain clearance
(and pay additional fees) before each trip abroad. The Government appears
concerned about the emigration of Jews and permission generally is not
granted for all members of a Jewish family to travel outside the country
at the same time. One seat in the Majlis is currently reserved for a
Jewish representative.
According to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees'
(UNHCR) Background Paper on Iran, the Mandaeans are regarded as Christians
and are included among the country's three recognized religious minorities.
However, Mandaeans regard themselves not as Christians, but as adherents
of a religion that predates Christianity in both belief and practice.
Mandaeans enjoyed official support as a distinct religion prior to the
Revolution, but their legal status as a religion since then has been
the subject of debate in the Majlis and never has been clarified. The
small community faces discrimination similar to that faced by the country's
other religious minorities.
Sufi organizations outside the country remain concerned
about government repression of Sufi religious practices.
The Government enforces gender segregation in most
public spaces and prohibits women from interacting openly with unmarried
men or men not related to them. Women must ride in a reserved section
on public buses and enter public buildings, universities, and airports
through separate entrances. Women are prohibited from attending male
sporting events, although this restriction does not appear to be enforced
universally. Conservative Islamic dress rules have eased somewhat in
recent years; however, women are not free to choose what they wear in
public. Women are subject to harassment by the authorities if their
dress or behavior is considered inappropriate and may be sentenced to
flogging or imprisonment for such violations. The law prohibits the
publication of pictures of uncovered women in the print media, including
pictures of foreign women. There are penalties for failure to observe
Islamic dress codes at work.
The law provides for segregation of the sexes in medical
care. Only female physicians can treat women; however, women reportedly
often receive inferior care because of the imbalance between the number
of trained and licensed male and female physicians and specialists.
The testimony of a woman is worth only half that of
a man in court. A married woman must obtain the written consent of her
husband before traveling outside the country. The law provides for stoning
for adultery; however, in 2002 the Government suspended its practice.
All women, no matter the age, must have the permission
of their father or a living male relative in order to marry. The law
allows for the practice of Siqeh, or temporary marriage, a Shi'a custom
in which a woman or a girl may become the wife of a married or single
Muslim male after a simple and brief religious ceremony. The bond is
not recorded on identification documents, and, according to Islamic
law, men may have as many Siqeh wives as they wish. Such wives usually
are not granted rights associated with traditional marriage.
Women have the right to divorce, and regulations promulgated
in 1984 substantially broadened the grounds on which a woman may seek
a divorce. However, a husband is not required to cite a reason for divorcing
his wife. In 1986 the Government issued a 12-point "contract"
to serve as a model for marriage and divorce, which limits the privileges
accorded to men by custom and traditional interpretations of Islamic
law. The model contract also recognized a divorced woman's right to
a share in the property that couples acquire during their marriage and
to increased alimony rights. Women who remarry are forced to give up
custody of children from earlier marriages to the child's father. In
1998 the Majlis passed a law that granted custody of minor children
to the mother in certain divorce cases in which the father is proven
unfit to care for the child. The measure was enacted because of the
complaints of mothers who had lost custody of their children to former
husbands with drug addictions and criminal records.
Abuses of Religious Freedom
According to the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha'is of the United States, since 1979 more than 200 Baha'is have
been killed and 15 have disappeared and are presumed dead. The Government
continued to imprison and detain Baha'is based on their religious beliefs.
The Government appears to keep a small number of Baha'is
in arbitrary detention, some at risk of execution, at any given time.
There reportedly were four Baha'is in prison for practicing their faith
at the end of the period covered by this report, one facing a life sentence,
two facing sentences of 15 years, and one a 4-year sentence. In addition,
the Government harasses the Baha'i community by arresting Baha'is arbitrarily,
charging them, and then releasing them, often without dropping the charges
against them. Those with charges still pending against them fear arrest
at any time.
According to Baha'i sources in the United States,
23 Baha'is from 18 different localities were arbitrarily arrested and
detained for a short time since June 2002, simply because of their Baha'i
faith. None of these individuals are currently in prison.
Manuchehr Khulusi was arrested for unknown reasons
in 1999 and imprisoned and sentenced to death in 2000. During his imprisonment,
Khulusi reportedly was interrogated, beaten, held in solitary confinement,
and denied access to his lawyer. In 2002 the Revolutionary Court of
Mashad abrogated the suspension of his imprisonment and sentenced him
to 4 years in prison, once again due to his participation in Baha'i
activities. He was re-imprisoned in March 2003.
In May 2003, Musa Talibi, who had originally been
arrested in 1994 and sentenced to death for apostasy, was released from
prison in Isfahan. Upon his release, Talibi received no official explanation
as to his status. As in the case of Khulusi, he may be subject to re-arrest
at any time.
Two Baha'is, Sirus Zabihi-Moghaddam and Hadayat Kashefi-Najafabadi,
were tried in 1998 and later sentenced to death by a revolutionary court
in Mashad for practicing their faith. In 2000 the sentences were reduced
to 7 and 5 years, respectively. Kashefi-Najafabadi was released in October
2001, after serving 4 years of his sentence. Zabihi-Moghaddam, who originally
was arrested in November 1997, was released in June 2002.
Government action against Baha'i education continued
during the period covered by this report. In 1998 the Government raided
more than 500 Baha'i homes and offices affiliated with the Baha'i Institute
of Higher Education nationwide, arresting numerous members of the faculty
and staff. Also known as the "Open University," the Baha'i
community established the Institute shortly after the Revolution to
offer higher educational opportunities to Baha'i students denied access
to the country's high schools and universities. In mid-2002 the Institute's
qualifying exams were disrupted when Revolutionary Guards raided eight
exam sites in several different cities, including Shiraz and Mashhad.
The exams and books of most students were confiscated. At the same time,
17 Baha'is attending a summer camp were arrested and questioned before
being released.
The property rights of Baha'is generally are disregarded
and they suffer frequent government harassment and persecution. Since
1979 the Government has confiscated large numbers of private and business
properties belonging to Baha'is. According to Baha'i sources, an Islamic
Revolutionary Court recently rejected the appeal of a Bahai for the
return of his confiscated property on the grounds that he held Baha'i
classes in his home and had a library of over 900 Baha'i books. Numerous
Baha'i homes reportedly have been seized and handed over to an agency
of Supreme Leader Khamene'i. Sources indicate that property was confiscated
in Rafsanjan, Kerman, Marv-Dasht, and Yazd. Several Baha'i farmers in
southern Iran were arrested, and one who was jailed for several days
was only freed after paying a "fine." Authorities reportedly
also confiscated Baha'i properties in Kata, forced several families
to leave their homes and farmlands, imprisoned some farmers, and did
not permit others to harvest their crops. In one instance, a Baha'i
woman from Isfahan who legally traveled abroad found that her home had
been confiscated when she returned home. The Government also has seized
private homes in which Baha'i youth classes were held despite the owners
having proper ownership documents. The Government's seizure of Baha'i
personal property and its denial of Baha'i access to education and employment
are eroding the economic base of the Baha'i community.
It has become somewhat easier for Baha'is to obtain
passports. In addition, some Iranian embassies abroad do not require
applicants to state a religious affiliation. In such cases, it is easier
for Baha'is to renew passports. However, in February 2001, the Government
denied Iranian entry visas to Baha'i delegation participants attending
the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Conference for the World Conference
on Racism, held in Tehran. The delegation was composed of American,
Japanese, South Korean, and Indian nationals.
The Government vigilantly enforces its prohibition
on proselytizing activities by evangelical Christians by closing evangelical
churches and arresting converts. Members of evangelical congregations
have been required to carry membership cards, photocopies of which must
be provided to the authorities. Worshippers are subject to identity
checks by authorities posted outside congregation centers. The Government
has restricted meetings for evangelical services to Sundays, and church
officials have been ordered to inform the Ministry of Information and
Islamic Guidance before admitting new members to their congregations.
Conversion of a Muslim to a non-Muslim religion is
considered apostasy under Shari'a law as enforced in the country, and
non-Muslims may not proselytize Muslims without putting their own lives
at risk. Evangelical church leaders are subject to pressure from authorities
to sign pledges that they would not evangelize Muslims or allow Muslims
to attend church services.
Mistreatment of evangelical Christians continued during
the period covered by this report. Christian groups have reported instances
of government harassment of churchgoers in Tehran, in particular against
worshippers at the Assembly of God congregation in the capitol. Harassment
has included conspicuous monitoring outside Christian premises by Revolutionary
Guards to discourage Muslims or converts from entering church premises
and demands for the presentation of the identity papers of worshippers
inside.
Some Jewish groups outside the country cite an increase
in anti-Semitic propaganda in the official and semiofficial media as
adding to the pressure felt by the Jewish community. One example cited
is the periodic publication of the anti-Semitic and fictitious "Protocols
of the Elders of Zion," both by the Government and by periodicals
associated with hard-line elements of the regime.
In 2000 10 of 13 Jews arrested in 1999 were convicted
on charges of illegal contact with Israel, conspiracy to form an illegal
organization, and recruiting agents. Along with two Muslim defendants,
the 10 Jews received prison sentences ranging from 4 to 13 years. An
appeals court subsequently overturned the convictions for forming an
illegal organization and recruiting agents, but upheld the convictions
for illegal contacts with Israel with reduced sentences. One of the
10 was released in February 2001 and another in January 2002, both upon
completion of their prison terms. Three additional prisoners were released
before the end of their sentences in October 2002. In April 2003, it
was announced that the last five were to be released. It is not clear
if the eight who were released before the completion of their sentences
were fully pardoned, or were released provisionally.
During and since the trial, Jewish businesses in Tehran
and Shiraz have been targets of vandalism and boycotts and Jews reportedly
have suffered personal harassment and intimidation.
In 2002 the group Families of Iranian Jewish Prisoners
(FIJP) published the names of 12 Iranian Jews who disappeared while
attempting to escape from the country in the 1990s. The families continued
to report anecdotal evidence that some of the men are in Iranian prisons.
The Government never has provided any information regarding their whereabouts
and has not charged any of them with crimes. FIJP believes that the
Government has dealt with these cases differently than it has with other
similar cases because the persons involved are Jewish.
Numerous Sunni clerics have been killed in recent
years, some allegedly by government agents.
There were no reports of government harassment of
the Zoroastrian community during the period covered by this report.
The Government carefully monitors the statements and
views of the country's senior Shi'a religious leaders. It has restricted
the movement of several who have been under house arrest for years,
including Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, who was released from
5 years of house arrest in January 2003.
The Special Clerical Court (SCC) system, which was
established in 1987 to investigate offenses and crimes committed by
clerics, and which the Supreme Leader oversees directly, is not provided
for in the Constitution, and operates outside the domain of the judiciary.
In particular, critics alleged that the clerical courts were used to
prosecute certain clerics for expressing controversial ideas and for
participating in activities outside the area of religion, including
journalism.
In November 1999, former Interior Minister and Vice
President Abdollah Nouri was sentenced by a branch of the SCC to a 5-year
prison term for allegedly publishing "anti-Islamic" articles,
insulting government officials, promoting friendly relations with the
United States, and providing illegal publicity to dissident cleric Ayatollah
Hossein Ali Montazeri in the pages of Khordad, a newspaper that was
established by Nouri in late 1998 and closed at the time of his arrest.
Nouri used the public trial to attack the legitimacy of the SCC. In
November 2002, Nouri was pardoned by the Supreme Leader and released
from prison after his brother, Member of Parliament Ali Reza Nouri,
died in a car accident.
Laws based on religion have been used to stifle freedom
of expression. Independent newspapers and magazines have been closed,
and leading publishers and journalists were imprisoned on vague charges
of "insulting Islam" or "calling into question the Islamic
foundation of the Republic." In November 2002, Iranian academic
Hashem Aghajari was sentenced to death for blasphemy against the Prophet
Mohammed, based on a speech in June 2002 in which he challenged Muslims
not to blindly follow the clergy, provoking an international and domestic
outcry. His death sentence was revoked by the Supreme Court in February
2003, but the case was sent back to the lower court for retrial. No
verdict was issued at the time of this report.
Forced Religious Conversions
There were no reports of forced religious conversion,
including of minor U.S. citizens who had been abducted or illegally
removed from the United States, or of the refusal to allow such citizens
to be returned to the United States. However, a child born to a Muslim
father automatically is considered a Muslim.
Section III. Societal Attitudes
The continuous presence of the country's pre-Islamic,
non-Muslim communities, such as Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians,
has accustomed the population to the participation of non-Muslims in
society. However, government actions create a threatening atmosphere
for some religious minorities.
The Jewish community has been reduced to less than
one-half of its pre-revolutionary size. Some of this emigration is connected
with the larger, general waves of departures following the establishment
of the Islamic Republic, but some also stems from continued perceived
anti-Semitism on the part of the Government and within society.
The Government's anti-Israel policies and the trial
of the 13 Jews in 2000, along with the perception among some of the
country's radicalized elements that Iranian Jews support Zionism and
the State of Israel, created a threatening atmosphere for the Jewish
community (see Section II). Many Jews have sought to limit their contact
with or support for the State of Israel out of fear of reprisal. Recent
anti-American and anti-Israeli demonstrations have included the denunciation
of "Jews," as opposed to the past practice of denouncing only
"Israel" and "Zionism," adding to the threatening
atmosphere for the community.
Sunni Muslims encounter religious discrimination at
the local level, and there were reports of discrimination against practitioners
of the Sufi tradition during the period covered by this report.
In a March 2002 meeting at the Vatican with Pope John
Paul II, Speaker of the Majlis Mahdi Karrubi called for the expansion
of Tehran-Vatican ties and said that dialog among religions can promote
the restoration of peace and the elimination of violence in the world.
In June 2002, Mohammad Khamenei, brother of the Supreme Leader, told
the Pope in a Vatican meeting that dialog among religions was an ideal
means for establishing global peace and justice. In June 2003, an interfaith
delegation of U.S. Christians, Jews, and Muslims traveled to Iran to
meet with Iranian religious, political, and cultural leaders.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
The United States has no diplomatic relations with
Iran and thus cannot raise directly with the Government the restrictions
the Government places on religious freedom and other abuses that it
commits against adherents of minority religions. The U.S. Government
makes its position clear in public statements and reports, support for
relevant U.N. and NGO efforts, and diplomatic initiatives to press for
an end to Iranian government abuses.
From 1982 to 2001, the U.S. Government co-sponsored
a resolution each year regarding the human rights situation in the country
offered by the European Union at the annual meeting of the U.N. Commission
on Human Rights (UNCHR). It passed every year until 2002, when the United
States did not sit on the Commission and the resolution failed passage
by one vote. The U.S. has supported a similar resolution offered each
year during the U.N. General Assembly until the fall of 2002, when no
resolution was tabled. The U.S. Government strongly supported the work
of the UN Special Rapporteur (UNSR) on Human Rights for Iran and called
on the Iranian Government to grant him admission and allow him to conduct
his research during the period of his mandate, which expired with the
defeat of the resolution at the Commission on Human Rights in 2002.
There was also no resolution on Iran at the UNCHR in the spring of 2003.
The U.S. State Department spokesman on numerous occasions
has addressed the situation of the Baha'i and Jewish communities. The
U.S. Government has encouraged other governments to make similar statements
and has urged those governments to raise the issue of religious freedom
in discussions with the Iranian Government.
In March 2003, the Secretary of State again designated
Iran as a country of particular concern under the International Religious
Freedom Act for particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
The Secretary of State had similarly designated Iran in 1999, 2000,
and 2001.
Sources: U.S. State Department - Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor |