Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05ANKARA800
2005-02-11 13:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN IRAN: LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT

Tags:  PHUM PGOV CVIS IR 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ANKARA 000800 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CVIS IR
SUBJECT: ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN IRAN: LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT

UNCLAS ANKARA 000800

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV CVIS IR
SUBJECT: ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS IN IRAN: LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT


1. SUMMARY. Two deacons of the Assyrian Christian church in
Iran told Conoff that although Assyrians in Iran do not
experience outright harassment, most of the small Assyrian
community that remains seek to emigrate due to the lack of
economic opportunities. END SUMMARY.

FEW ASSYRIANS REMAIN IN IRAN
--------------


2. The two deacons - from Orumiyeh (the traditional center
for Assyrians in Iran) and Tehran - were interviewed in
February after receiving immigrant visas to work at a branch
of the church in the US. Each described their respective
congregations as consisting of around 1,000 people who
attend on major holidays, with 50-100 regularly attending
services on Sunday. Overall, they estimated that 15,000
Assyrian Christians remain in Iran, down from 32,000 listed
in Iran's 1976 census. Other estimates available in the
press place the number of Assyrians in Iran at 10-11,000.

NO HARASSMENT, BUT ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES LIMITED
-------------- --------------


3. The deacons stated that they personally had never faced
harassment from the police or authorities, and had not heard
of any stories of harassment of Assyrians. The greatest
concern for the community is the lack of employment
opportunities within the government. The economic situation
of their congregations varies widely based on the type of
work in trade and light industry they are able to find. The
only problem related to religion they mentioned was that
regular church attendance is low because Sunday is a workday
in Iran.


4. The deacons were uninterested in Iranian politics and
neutral towards their political representation in
parliament. They felt that their representative was trying
to advance the position of Assyrians in Iran, but that he
was not effective. In December 2004, Yunaten Betkolya, the
Assyrian representative in the Majlis, was quoted praising
the treatment of religious minorities in Iran and
criticizing the US human rights record in Iraq.

LITTLE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
--------------


5. When asked about their communication with Assyrian
communities outside Iran, they said they are in active
communication, particularly with groups in Australia and
Canada, but receive little support. Again, they were
pessimistic that financial aid or other support could do
anything to improve the status of Assyrians in Iran.


6. They stated that most Assyrians in Iran are interested in
leaving the country, and that those who have not left have
not pursued refugee status because they don't have the
financial resources to do so. Overall, they had little
identification with Iran as a whole and stated that they
consider themselves Assyrians first, then Iranians.

EDELMAN