Iranian Ethnicities or Nations in Iran

Unity or Division Amidst the Challenge of Ethnicity and Nationhood

Kameel Ahmady and colleagues

Published: Avaye Buf, Denmark 2025

Also published in Farsi and Kurdish By Avye Buf

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Iranian Ethnicities or Nations in Iran

Iranian Ethnicities or Nations in Iran, by Kameel Ahmady and colleagues, explores identity, political participation and the relationship between ethnicity and nationhood. Its subtitle frames the question of unity or division amid challenges to the recognition of different communities.

The book examines how inequalities in representation, language, employment and cultural recognition can shape relations between communities and the state. Peace and coexistence are considered alongside the structures that sustain discrimination.

Fieldwork, participants and methods

The Farsi introduction describes research in thirteen provinces concerning five groups: Persian/Persian-speaking, Turkic-speaking, Kurdish, Baloch and Arab participants. It presents an interpretative, qualitative approach using grounded theory, with a larger group of specialists and public figures and a smaller group of other participants.

These categories and the composition of each respondent group matter when reading the findings. They should not be treated as a census of Iran’s diversity or as a nationally representative opinion poll.

Concepts, history and findings

The book’s outline covers concepts and theoretical approaches; historical contexts; coded fieldwork findings; and conclusions and recommendations. The Farsi introduction also identifies an appendix addressing political and social events in Solar Hijri years 1398–1401.

The English introduction discusses the 2019 protests and events following the death of Jina (Mahsa) Amini in 2022. Such later material should be distinguished from the timing of the underlying interviews.

Discrimination and possible futures

The authors criticise exclusionary policies and dominant national narratives that restrict participation or marginalise identities. The alternative paths discussed in the book concern social stability and the erosion of social capital.

These are analytical scenarios, rather than certain forecasts. Evaluate their assumptions, the evidence offered and the possibility of changing the conditions described.

Reading sample percentages

Percentages concerning discrimination, education in a mother tongue, employment or citizenship refer to responses within the study. They do not establish what every member of an ethnic group believes.

Differences between respondent groups and exclusions from particular comparisons must be checked before drawing conclusions. A participant’s account of a right is also distinct from an independent interpretation of current law.

Common questions

How does this book relate to From Border to Border?

Both address identity and ethnicity. This later presentation includes additional discussion and contexts; consult the individual editions rather than assuming their texts and pagination are identical.

Are the percentages national estimates?

No national representativeness is established by the introduction. Read each figure with its sample, respondent group and question.

Where can I find available editions?

Use the access links above, checking the language, format and imprint of the file you choose. The title and page numbers in your citation should match that edition.