IMO Country Profile: Iran
By Duane Miller, PhD

Historically the country of Iran was known as Persia, a country/empire that has a
significant presence in the Bible. The book of Esther takes place in the Persian
Empire, and it was the Persian Emperor Cyrus who allowed the Jews to return to
Jerusalem and rebuilt the city, its walls, and its temple. In Acts 2 we read that there
were Jews in Jerusalem at Pentecost from Elam and Parthia, which today
correspond to regions in Iran.

The population is ~89 million. Iran is not an Arabic or Semitic society, though there is
an Arab minority in the country. Most Iranians consider themselves Persian, though
there are numerous ethnic minorities in the country, such as Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Arabs,
and Turkmen. There are also ethnic Christian minorities in the country (Armenian,
Assyrian), though they are dwindling because of emigration.

Technically the religion is overwhelmingly Shi’a Islam (90–95%). Shi’a Islam and
Sunni Islam split early in the history of Islam over the question of who the successor
(caliph) of Muhammad was. The much larger Sunni tradition held that any Muslim
recognized by the elders could be caliph, while the Shi’a Muslims held that it had to
be a descendent of Muhammad. Iran is the largest country in the world that is
majority Shi’a Muslim. Other countries with large portions of Shi’a are Iraq, Bahrain,
and Azerbaijan. There are also Sunni Muslims (5–10%) and small numbers of
Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians. Many Muslims are in fact secular or non-religious
but keep their views to themselves.

The Islamic Revolution in Iran took place in 1979. It began with widespread protests
and unrest against the Pahlavi monarchy, led by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi,
starting in January 1978. The revolution gained momentum throughout 1978, driven
by a coalition of various groups, including religious leaders, students, and
intellectuals, with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini emerging as its central figure. The
Shah fled Iran and Khomeini returned from exile in Paris on February 1, 1979. The
monarchy was officially overthrown on February 11, 1979, marking the establishment
of the Islamic Republic of Iran. A national referendum in March 1979 solidified the
transition to an Islamic government.

Iran is of special interest to Christians today because of the large number of converts
from Islam living in the country, though many do emigrate if they are able. By some
estimates, Iran has the fastest growing Christian population in the world. Many
Muslims are disappointed with the failed promises the Islamic Revolution yet still
want to know God and live in peace and harmony with their fellow Iranians. Some
have found a way to do this in the Christian faith. Still others experience dreams and
visions of Christ or an angel or a saint which may begin a spiritual journey.

Iranian Christians appreciate the important role of Persia in the Bible, and view the
introduction of the Arabic religion of Islam as a step backwards in culture and
philosophy. A conservative estimate of Christian converts from Islam in Iran is
around 100,000, though some sources propose much higher figures (a million),
which I believe are unrealistic.

Conversation points for your Iranian friend:

1. Call her Persian. Ask her about Persian culture.

2. Share a story in the Bible about Persia with him and ask him what he thinks.

3. Point out that the Persian language has a great body of literature and ask why
they must pray in Arabic.
4. Ask them about life in Iran before and afte th Revolution. Just listen and get a
feel for where they are politically and if they sense that Iran lost something.
5. Read up on some Persian saints, like Anastasius the Persian, James the
Persian, Shirin, and Aphrahat. Ask your friend if they knew that there are
great Persian saints in history.