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Growth of Sunnis’ Population & Clamor of Shia Extremists

Provoking concerns regarding the increasing of Sunnis’ population by radical outfits and circles is not a new issue; many Shia extremists have been striving to increase abhorring about Sunnis by reporting fake news, distorting facts and creating religious disputes in order to achieve their totalitarian purposes.

The fanatic sides failed in repression Sunnis through magnifying some words and tools such as Wahhabism, excommunication (Takfir) and etc… now they provoke the concern of Shia clergy by another tool; yes, dramatic growth of Sunnis’ population in Iran!

Some days ago, Nasser Rafee’i, faculty member of Al-Mustafa Al-Alamiyah University, in a religious gathering, claiming the decline of Shia population and outreach of Sunnis population said: “Clerics have expressed concerns over the issue of population decline.”

Before him, Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, one of the most influential Shia clerics demanded the formation of a workgroup to deal with the case of ‘Sunnis’ growing population’.

In fact, Sunnis’ population has not increased in recent years. Even, influenced by birth control policies; poverty and multiple deprivations in Sunni regions inclined the population of Sunni citizens in Iran.

Nasser Rafee’i has claimed: “In Sunni dwelling places, men have four wives and forty children while rarely people accede to two or three wives in regions like Baluchistan.”

The fact is that ‘fact’ has been secret about the real population of Sunnis in Iran by the authorities due to some policies. But now some statics leaked that made fanatics worried. Sunnis’ population has not been announced and is still not officially announced but the release of some details show that uppermost Sunnis population has been more than what was unofficially declared even more than their own supposition.

If the claim is correct, in such a country that claims the unity of Muslims, what is wrong about growing population of any of the Islamic sects? Why they are worried upon the growing number of Muslims? As alluding to false reports sent to some Shia clerics, Mawlana Abdol Hameed, Friday imam of Sunnis in Zahedan, said in one of his interviews: “If such statements are true that Sunnis are buying land and property in other cities of their countries, what is wrong? While they belong to this land; they have fought for it and became martyred, attended in all elections and political scenes, despite all deprivations and discriminations, they maintained solidarity and security.”

Another fact which should be considered in that, Sunnis’ population in the country has not increased but many of them migrated from rural areas to urban town and cities. It is the result of severe drought continued for several years and has slightly changed the demographics in some small towns. This change was not so much to change the population equivalents of those cities because Sunnis have already been in majority in many of these cities.  

The extremist groups claim the growth of Sunnis population while Daily Ettela’at estimated Sunnis’ population about a quarter of Iran’s total population in 1980. After the revolution, Sunni masses fallowed the general policies of the officials. If a change is occurring in their demographics, it has been influenced by the overall policies.

  ‘Making clear the population of various ethnic and religious groups’ as well as ‘notifying it via official sources’ can end a lot of doubts and suspicions in this regard and it would determine the population status of each ethnic or religious groups.

Unfortunately, in our country many Sunnis are deprived from their real and legal rights confirmed in the national constitution. It underlines on equality and brotherhood of the ethnic communities and religions. Despite it, Shia and Sunni sects are behaved differently in recruitment and appointment. As well as, in official census papers, Shia and Sunni population demographic has been largely neglected.  In addition to more abuse and discrimination, it makes some to use this as a tool to marginalize Sunnis in Iran more.

Written & approved by some Iranian Sunni elites
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