The Persecution of Religious Minorities in the Middle East in 2021
Write a 3-page research paper/essay on how various governments in the Middle East oppress religious minorities.
Here is a sample of what the outcome should look like:
Background
The Islamic Republic of Iran is a theocratic, authoritarian state with restricted political participation. Ninety to 95 percent of the population are Shi’a Muslim, while Sunni Muslims account for 5–10 percent. Approximately 0.3 percent ascribe to other religions, including the Baha’i faith, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Judaism. While the Jaafari (Twelver) school of Shi’a Islam is the official religion, the constitution extends full respect to the five major Sunni schools. It also recognizes Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians as protected minorities. Five of the parliament’s 290 seats are reserved for religious minorities—two for Armenian Christians and one each for Assyrian/Chaldean Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. There are two Hindu temples, and Buddhism has historic influences.
Iran is home to several other religious groups that face persecution, including Mandeans, Yarsanis, nonbelievers, and followers of spiritual movements. In December 2016, President Hassan Rouhani publicly released a nonbinding Charter on Citizens’ Rights, but religious minorities have seen little change based on this document. Persecution of Religious MinoritiesIn May, officials at Fashafoye Prison denied medical care to Sufi prison-ers and moved four Sufis into Ward 5 of the prison, where there were known cases of COVID-19. In September, officials at Evin Prison gave medicines to Sufi activist Benham Majoubi without his consent that caused limb numbness, paralysis, and loss of consciousness.
Officials then sent Majoubi to Aminabad Hospital while denying him access to crucial medicine. Mahjoubi died in February 2021. Iran also escalated its persecution of Christians in 2020, particularly converts from Islam. Officials lashed Christian convert Mohammed Reza Omidi 80 times for drinking communion wine in October following his completion of a two-year sentence for participating in a house church. In February, the IRGC arrested Christian convert Mary Mohammadi at a peaceful protest in Tehran. She was held incognito and subjected to beatings and sexual assault at the Vozara Detention Center.
At a court hearing in April, Judge Javad Ahmadi from Branch 1167 of the Criminal Court of Tehran asked Mohammadi repeated questions about her faith and conversion from Islam to Christianity that had no bearing on her charge of “disturbing public order.” In April she was sentenced to three months and one day in prison and ten lashes. However, her sentence was suspended for a year. In January 2020, Branch 105 of the Civil Court in Shiraz sentenced Christian convert Ismaeil Maghrebinejad to three years in prison for “insulting Islamic sacred beliefs.”
