Iranian Arabs

Iranian Arabs ( _fa. عربان ايرانی) are the Arabic-speaking peoples of Iran. Most Iranian Arabs live in the coastal regions of southern Iran by the Persian Gulf. Iranian Arab communities are also found in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Overview

The CIA World Factbook estimates that approximately 1% of Iran's 68,017,860 citizens are Arabic-speakers, of whom the majority live in Khuzestan, with 1% speaking Arabic as their native or primary language. [ [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html CIA World Factbook] ]

A 1998 report by UNCHR reported half a million Arabs residing in Khuzestan Province, most of whom are Shi'a. Sunni Muslim Arabs live along the Persian Gulf coastline. [ [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/iran_081205.doc Iran Overview from British Home Office] ]

According to Jane's Information Group, "Most Iranian Arabs seek their constitutionally guaranteed rights and do not have a separatist agenda ... While it may be true that some Arab activists are separatists, most see themselves as Iranians first and declare their commitment to the state's territorial integrity." [ [http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jid/jid070105_1_n.shtml Anger among Iran's Arabs ] ]

According to the Minorities at Risk Project 2001, about 40 per cent of Arabs are unskilled workers living in urban areas. The Arabs in the rural areas are primarily farmers and fishermen. The Arabs living along the Persian Gulf coastal plains are mostly pastoral nomads. Tribal loyalties are strong among rural Arabs, but also have an influence in urban areas. These have an impact on Arab socialisation and politicisation. [ [http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/iran_081205.doc Iran Overview from British Home Office] ]

Payame Noor University, which has 229 campuses throughout the country, in 2008 declared that Arabic will be the "second language" of the university, and that all its services will be offered in Arabic, concurrent with Persian. [ [http://radiozamaaneh.com/news/2008/03/post_4081.html رادیو زمانه | خبر اول | ایران | عربی دومین زبان دانشگاه پیام نور شد ] ]

Regional groups

Khuzestan

Most Iranian Arabs in Khūzestān Province are bilingual, speaking Arabic as their mother tongue, and Persian as a second language. The variety of Arabic spoken in the province is Khuzestani Arabic, which is a Mesopotamian dialect shared by Arabs across the border in Iraq. It has significant Persian influence and is not understood by most other Arabic-speakers. [ [http://arabworld.nitle.org/texts.php?module_id=1&reading_id=113&sequence=3 Mesopotamian dialects] ]

Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic, which differ to a degree from Khuzestani Arabic dialect, are taught across Iran to students in secondary schools, regardless of their ethnic or linguistic background. In fact the constitution of the Islamic republic requires this particular subject to be taught after primary school.

They are majority Shi'a, with Sunni minority and small numbers of Christians and Jews.

"See also: Khūzestān Province, History of Khūzestān Province, and Politics of Khūzestān Province

Hormozgan

In Hormozgan Province the Iranian Arab population speak various local dialects of Gulf Arabic that like the Mesopotamian dialects has significant Persian influence.

The Arabs in the province are most fishermans from neighboring Oman, but still the Arabs of the province are estimated to be 4 - 8 % of the population of Hormozgan.

Bushehr

In Bushehr Province, there are about 20,000 Arabs that immigrated to Iran because of the unpleasant environment of Saudi Arabia. Many of them arrived in Bushehr Province in 1946. The majority of these Arabs live in Kangan and Bandar-i Tahiri.

Fars

Khamseh nomads live in eastern Fars Province.

Khorasan

Most Khorasani-Arabs belong to the tribes of Sheybani, Zangooyi, Mishmast, Khozaima and Azdi. Khorasani-Arabs are Persian speakers and only a few speak Arabic as their mother tongue.

emnan

Demographics

Elton Daniel in "The History of Iran" (Greenwood Press, 2001), states that the Arabs of Iran "are concentrated in the province of Khuzistan and number about half a million" (pg. 14). The "Historical Dictionary of Iran" puts the number at 1 million. (J. Lorentz, 1995, p172)

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "More than half the population are Arabs who live in the plains; the rest are Bakhtyaris and other Lurs (peoples of West Persia), with many Persians in the cities. Some of the Bakhtyaris and Lurs are still nomads." [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045360]

ee also

*List of Iranian Arabs
*History of Arabs in Afghanistan
*Huwala

External links

* [http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?itemid=9073 Khuzestan: The First Front in the War on Iran?] by Zoltan Grossman
* [http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373589 Iran's Challenges from Within: An Overview of Ethno-Sectarian Unrest] by Chris Zambelis

References