Assyrian, the modern dialect spoken in Iran, evolved from old “Syriac,” which was an Aramaic language.[1]  The Assyrians are identified as a Christian group,[2] and most belong to the Assyrian Church of the East, also known as the Chaldean or Nestorian Church.[3]  It is this religion along with their language that acts as a strong bond among group members in Iran and with other Assyrians abroad.[4]

The majority of Iran’s approximately 200,000 Christians are members of churches that identify themselves with distinct ethnic groups, such as Assyrians, Armenians, or Chaldean Orthodox groups.[5]  These churches represent over 90 percent of Iran’s Christian community, with each church performing services in its own language.[6]  Some historical theories suggest that the Assyrian church dates back to the time of St. Thomas the Apostle, while others indicate a religious connection to the infamous Magi, or Wise Men.[7]  Regardless, both theories attest to the antiquity of the religion and its development prior to the Western world.[8]

Demography/ Geographic Distribution

Pre-19th century Assyrians were scattered throughout Ottoman and Persian Territories.[9]

As the Ottoman Empire entered into World War I, and nationalism across the Middle East intensified, countless Assyrians were massacred.  In 1915, up to two-thirds of the Assyrian populations of southeastern Turkey and northern Iran were, according to Jonathon Eric Lewis, “decimated in a matter of months.”  This ordeal led to a massive exodus to present-day Lebanon and northern Iraq.  Similar circumstances in 1918 resulted in another mass migration of Assyrians out of Iran.[10]

The traditional settlement of Assyrians in Iran is the west shore of Lake Urmia.[11]  During WWI, almost the entire population fled to this area; many also fled to Iraq or the United States.[12]  During his time in power, Reza Shah invited Assyrians back to Iran to repopulate their home villages.  However, today, most young Assyrians have migrated to urban centers like Tehran.[13]

There were approximately 32,000 Assyrians in Iran at the time of the 1976 census.[14]  In 1987, there were around 20,000.[15] 

Historic Hardship

Throughout the centuries, Assyrian communities have congregated in northwest Iran, northern Iraq, and the Hakkiari Mountains of southeast Turkey.[16]  Their long history as a minority group in each of these locales has put them at a distinct disadvantage.[17] According to Francis Sarguis, an Iranian-Assyrian scholar, because of their minority status, the group has been susceptible to aggressors and periodic massacres.[18]  He cites particular hardship during the eighth century A.D. when Islam spread throughout the region, resulting in strong, but inevitably futile, attempts to convert Assyrians.[19]

Throughout the 19th century, Assyrians became targets of evangelism, as English, French, and American missionaries attempted to gain converts to Presbyterianism and Catholicism.[20]

Between 1914 and 1917, Turkish forces forced most Assyrians into the north of Iran.  Here they were victims of extreme violence by Turks as well as Kurds who occupied an area that would later become northern Iraq.[21]

During the Iran-Iraq war, which spanned from 1980 to 1988, approximately 60,000 Assyrians were killed, captured or missing-in-action.[22]

Ongoing Hardship

A 1997 report from Human Rights Watch said that Assyrians, along with other Orthodox Christian minorities, were subject to discriminatory treatment, particularly in the judicial system with cases involving Muslims.[23]

Assyrian Christians, along with Armenians, Jews and Zoroastrians, have been reluctant to speak out to the international community about the persecution they face.[24]  Therefore, there is little information about the type of hardships endured by Orthodox Christians like the Assyrians.[25]

Although the Iranian constitution guarantees the rights of its religious and ethnic minorities, Assyrians still continue to face hardships.[26]  Assyrians, along with other ethnic minorities in the country, claim they are discriminated against: schools do not teach their languages, they are denied government jobs, and their home regions are neglected by the state.[27]  A 2006 Amnesty International report indicated that land and property confiscations, restrictions on movement, and unlawful imprisonment are common grievances among ethnic minorities.[28]

Authorities in Tehran generally ignore the importance of differences as well as the uniqueness of each groups’ problems.[29]  Human rights advocates who monitor Iran claim that the state marginalizes its minorities, suppresses demonstrations with force, and manipulates public confessions from political dissidents.[30]

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