Day 1 - The Greater Iran and Its Major Ethno-Religious Entities

The Middle East is a vast area which is a home to a countless number of ethnic and religious communities. Many of these ethnic groups are in a constant struggle for self-preservation, while others are in the process of an aggressive expansion and growth. A great number of indigenous ethnic and religious groups also live in the country of Iran where the entire system is based on the multiplicity of ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups. Part of the understanding of Iran consists of recognizing this important truth, which is so often manipulated by foreign powers. On this day we are going to have a general overview of the ethnic structure inside the borders of Iran and outside of it.

  1. Curriculum
  2. Intermediate Persian Syllabus
  3. Week 9 - Ethnographic Persian
  4. Day 1 - The Greater Iran and Its Major Ethno-Religious Entities  

Reading: An excerpt (pages 214-215) from Helen Afshar’s book titled “Iranian identity”, which introduces the major ethnic groups of Iran.

Additionally, students can explore a scholarly article by Masoud Motalebi that discusses the political geography of Iran’s ethnic groups. A recommended section for this class is the subheading الگوی ترکیبی ملّت از منظر جامعه‌شناختی (“The Compound Model of the Nation from a Sociological Perspective”).

Listening: A video from a historical YouTube channel authored by Saber Sadeghi discussing the balance between national and ethinc identity in Iran, and the risks of ethnic nationalism.

Subject of Conversation: Are the ethnic minorities a threat to Iran’s unity and security? (آیا اقلیت‌های قومی تهدیدی برای وحدت و امنیت ایران هستند؟)

Students will be divided into two groups to debate opposing views. One group will argue that ethnic minorities pose a challenge to Iran’s unity and security, especially when influenced by separatist tendencies or foreign intervention. The opposing group will argue that these minorities are an integral part of Iran’s social fabric and that recognizing their rights strengthens national cohesion. The goal is to encourage nuanced discussion while applying vocabulary and ideas from the day’s materials.

Homework: 
- Read and study the two articles from the reading section and study the vocabulary.
- Prepare a list of major minority ethnic and religious groups of the Middle East, and provide brief information about each of them (3-500 words).
- Prepare for tomorrow’s discussion.

Vocabulary (Book Excerpt):

Persian Word Transcription English Translation
اقوام (مفرد: قوم) aqvām (sing. qoum) ethnic groups, tribes, people
پیرامونی pirāmuni peripheral
ساکن بودن sāken budan to reside, to inhabit
زبانه zabāne tongue (abstract), tab
قومیت qoumiyyat ethnicity
هم‌گرا hamgerā convergent, united
انسجام (= همبستگی) ensejām coherency, consistency, solidarity
پیکره peykare body (abstract)
به شمار رفتن be šomār raftan to be considered (as)
گسیختگی gosixtegi detachment, separation
واگرایی vāgerāyi divergence, division
ادغام edγām mixing, fusion; uniting
مشاهده شدن mošāhede šodan to be observed
معاهده mo‘āhede treaty
به صورت یکپارچه be surat-e yekpārče in a united, integrated manner
پیوسته peyvaste continuous
مشترکات تاریخی moštarakāt-e tārixi historical commonalities
وزن vazn weight
برخواستن barxāstan to arise, to rise
سردار sardār leader, commander
مشارکت mošārekat participation
عالی‌رتبه ‘ālirotbe high-ranking
شاهکار šāhkār masterpiece
آفریدن āfaridan to create
برتری bartari superiority
اکثریت قاطع aksariyyat-e qāte’ decisive majority
تمرکز داشتن tamarkoz dāštan to be concentrated
در امتداد dar emtedād-e along
شیوه šive method, manner
ایلات (مفرد: ایل) ilāt (sing. il) tribes, clans

Vocabulary (Listening):

Persian Word Transcription English Translation
تضاد داشتن tazād dāštan to contradict, to be in conflict
به نفع be naf‘-e in favor of
برعکس bar‘aks on the contrary, conversely
محلی mahalli local
مسئله mas’ale issue, problem
گوشزد کردن gušzad kardan to point out, to mention
به این سو be in su until here, toward here
معادل بودن mo‘ādel budan to be equivalent
متکلم motakallem speaker
ایرادی نیست irādi nist no problem
ابزار abzār tool, means
پشتوانه poštvāne support, backing
دودمان dudmān lineage, dynasty
شباهت داشتن šabāhat dāštan to resemble, to have similarity
چپ‌گرایانه čapgarāyāne leftist (ideological)
سازنده sāzande constructive
مخرب moxarreb destructive
ایده ide idea
مبتنی بر mobtani bar based on
مهر mehr love, affection; benevolence
غیریت سازی γeyriyyatsāzi othering
بی معنا bi ma‘nā meaningless
مفهوم mafhūm concept
به همین قیاس be hamin qiyās likewise, in the same way; by the same analogy
قومیت‌گرا qoumiyyatgarā ethnonationalist
تلقی talaqqi perception
گسل gosal fault line
اقلیت‌های جنسی aqalliyyathā-ye jensi sexual minorities
جدال کردن jedāl kardan to dispute, to quarrel, to argue
افراطی efrāti extremist
مو به مو mu be mu word-for-word, exactly
سر و صدا داشتن sar o sedā dāštan to be noisy, to cause a stir