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| Title | Iran: Update to IRN30938.E of 8 January 1999 on the treatment of followers of the Sufi schools of thought of Islam and whether closures of Sufi temples in Iran have been reported since 1999 |
| Publisher | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Country | Islamic Republic of Iran |
| Publication Date | 12 September 2003 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IRN41917.E |
| Cite as | Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iran: Update to IRN30938.E of 8 January 1999 on the treatment of followers of the Sufi schools of thought of Islam and whether closures of Sufi temples in Iran have been reported since 1999, 12 September 2003, IRN41917.E, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/485ba867c.html [accessed 27 May 2012] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Iran: Update to IRN30938.E of 8 January 1999 on the treatment of followers of the Sufi schools of thought of Islam and whether closures of Sufi temples in Iran have been reported since 1999
The United States Department of State International Religious Freedom Report 2002 states that although no reliable figures on the real size of the Sufi population in Iran were available, the Sufis, combined with the Baha'is, the Christians, the Zoroastreans, the Mandeans and the Jews, make up less than 1 percent of the total population (7 Oct. 2002). Members of these religious groups reported "imprisonment, harassment, and intimidation based on their religious beliefs" (International religious Freedom report 2002 7 Oct. 2002). Sufi Muslims also encountered religious discrimination (ibid.).
A 19 August 2002 Agence France Presse (AFP) report reproduced in the Middle East Times states that the Iranian authorities decided not to allow a world conference on Sufism that was scheduled to take place in the city of Mahan, in southern Iran. According to the report, there are approximately 500,000 Sufis in Iran (AFP 19 Aug. 2002).
The Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom states that official discrimination against Sufi Muslims in Iran is widespread (United States May 2003).
No additional information on the situation of Sufis in Iran since 1999, including closures of Sufi temples, could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 19 August 2002. "Iran Bars World Sufism Conference." <http://www.metimes.com/2K2/issue2002-34/reg/iran_bars_world.htm> [Accessed 11 Sept. 2003]
International Religious Freedom Report. 7 October 2002. Washington, DC: United States Department of State. <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/13995.htm> [Accessed 12 Sept. 2003]
United States. May 2003. Commission on International Religious Freedom.. Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Additional Sources Consulted
Dialog
IRB databases
Internet sites, including
Amnesty International
Country Reports 2002
European Country of Origin Information network (ECOI-Net)
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Minorities at Risk Project
Payvand News of Iran
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Iran Report
World News Connection (WNC)
Topics: Religious persecution, Muslim, Sufi,
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