4- Role of Media in Empowering the Ethnic Minority of Iran: an Overview

Abstract

Iran is home to approximately 77 million people who are ethnically, religiously, and linguistically diverse. The central authority is dominated by Persians who constitute 51% of Iran’s population. Iranians speak diverse Indo-Iranian, Semitic, Armenian, and Turkic languages. The state religion is Shia, Islam. Iran’s official language is Persian (the Persian term for which is Farsi), in which all government business and public instruction are conducted. However, millions of individuals from various ethnic, religious, and linguistic minority backgrounds also reside in Iran. These groups include Azeris, 

                         Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Baha’is, Sunni Muslims, and others. Experts argue that Persians, with only a slim majority, possess a distinct sense of superiority over other Iranians and regard themselves as true heirs of Iran’s history and tradition and the guardians and perpetrators of its legacies. Furthermore, the state run radio and television broadcasts are predominantly in Persian, and only a limited amount of programs is run in minority languages. Ethnic groups in Iran always complain about being ignored by Persian majority. Their complaints cover economic issues such as insufficient jobs and underdevelopment that led to migration to urban centres and discrimination in getting government jobs. The ethnic minorities of Iran want their culture to be exposed in national radio and television channels, their language to be taught and their traditions to be respected. In a nutshell, this paper will focus on the socio-cultural status of ethnic minorities in Iran and discuss how further media coverage can help in empowering them by raising and reflecting on their problems.

Key words : Iran, Minorities, Persians, Culture, Empowerment, Media, Ethnic.