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Iran Must Embrace Religious Pluralism
(New York Times) Camelia Entekhabifard - Zoroastrianism was Iran's primary religion until the mid-seventh century, when Islam was imposed on the country by conquering Arabs. Many Zoroastrians fled to avoid forced conversion and discrimination. Today, Iran counts some 30,000 Zoroastrians; those who practice openly face persecution and are considered second-class citizens. Of the approximately 100,000 Jews in Iran at the time of the 1979 revolution, only 20,000 remain. They no longer felt welcome in their homeland. Baha'is, the country's largest non-Muslim religious minority, are widely referred to as infidels and prohibited from practicing openly; their children cannot attend university.