Religious Minorities in Iran

Babaian was the name of my ancestor who once lived in northern Turkey. He traveled far away to escape persecution by the Turks. He buried his Armenian name deep in his memory and started a new life in Persia, adopting the name of Yaghobzadeh.

Every day, on my way to school, I used to go along Manoucheri street with its shops and Jewish antique dealers. As the shops closed for various dates, I became familiar with the religious feasts celebrated by the Jewish community.

I attended the Zoroastrian school. I wore gray flannel trousers, a white shirt and a tie. Discipline went hand in hand with the teachings of Zarathustra as handed down over the millennia.

Right up to high school, my friends and I would celebrate Persian New Year, The Feast of Fire, and I went regularly to the Zoroastrian temple. Islam was far, far away; we were surrounded by Persian tradition going back thousands of years.

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My mother spoke to me in Assyrian, a language of the Bible and originally from Babylon. My uncles spoke Armenian. Family disputes invariably brought up arguments waged by Assyrians and Armenians over the past four thousand years.

Parts of all these religions are there inside me. I embarked on my work on minorities a year ago. I began by doing research, in chronological order, starting with Zoroastrian Persia. The woman draped in black from head to foot is an image found in all remains of ancient Persia, and symbolizes the history of Iran.

I recorded all the customs still being observed in the small Zoroastrian community.

In one village where traditions are intact, younger members of the community dream of new horizons – in countries such as Australia or Canada.

Armenians still attend church in large numbers; they marry in suits and white dresses, but the young newlyweds already have plans for their future – in Los Angeles, the second homeland for every Armenian.

When buying a carpet, I had a lengthy discussion with a Jewish shopkeeper who said he knew what his final destination would be, but did not appear to be in any hurry to get there. The Jews are the second largest minority after the Armenians.

Rachel, David, Krikor, Darius, Sargon and Jamshid took me in and showed me great trust. I am grateful to them and sincerely hope that this report will not be the last. Although I am afraid that in another five years’ time they may not be here.

Alfred