Why Iran is NOT an Arab country

Slate ^ | 10/3/01 | Chris Suellentrop

[Mr. Mojo]

(a “doctor” of women’s studies, if you can even believe that there is such a thing, who actually introduces herself as “doctor”)

That's obnoxious even for a doctor of physics, let alone "women's studies" (whatever the hell that is).

Leftists thrive on being "victims"; it's their very identity.

[armed_in_sydney]

That it won't take much to set them free...easier than Iraq even.

The diligence of Iranian students/activists shows that they'll hopefully set themselves free.

[ArrogantBustard]

Are you one of the 40%? You talk like one.

[Mr. Mojo]

It's a sandmaggot terrorist country.

Well, there are sandmaggots and terrorists running the country, for sure. But the vast majority of their very young populace are not Jihadists at all (and I know a few of them personally). .....But they again, the only Iranians/Persians I know also happen to be Jewish.

[LibWhacker]

Ditto. It's a distinction without a difference. As long as they are muslim, they are our enemies and must never be trusted.

[KriegerGeist]

As Many as 1 million 'Secret Christians' in Iran

Link to Iranian Christians interview

Iranian Christians Finding Refuge in Turkey

Link to Iranian Christians article

[Pan_Yans Wife]

http://www.farsinet.com/iranchurches/

[ArrogantBustard]

As long as they are muslim

And you'll go a long way toward converting them by calling them niggesandmaggots, and acting like they're all terrorists.

And what part of "there is a larger number Christians (an not just in name, but practice) than in any other Middle Eastern country" don't you comprehend?

[Hoplite]

To say that the Iranians aren't Arab for language reasons is a farsical argument, IMO.

[Jacob Kell]

True, the majority of Somalia and Djibouti's populations are Hamitic (chiefly Somali with some Afar and others such as Oromo) and a few Bantu, as opposed to Arabs who are Semitic. However, both have Arab communities. More importantly, Arabic culture definetely influenced both countries' culture. That is probably why they were included among the Arab world. The people of the Comoros are mostly Swahili, who are partly of Arab descent, as well as Bantu, Malagasy (sic?), Indian and PErsian, I believe. The ethnic Arabs of Iran are probably at least partly descended from those who invaded Iran and foisted Islam on the locals.

[ZULU]

Id say that Arabs are a south Semitic spealing people who originally came from the Arabian Penninsula and invaded the Levant, and North Africa, intermixing with or displacing the original inhabitants.

Clearly Iranians are NOT Arabs. Neither are Berbers, Copts, Assyrians, Chaldeans, or a host of other minority ethnic groups in that area, regardless of whether or not they speak Arabic or are Muslim.

There are a small minority of non-Muslim Arabs, mainly Christians.

[LibWhacker]

And what part of "there is a larger number Christians [sic] (an [sic] not just in name, but practice) than in any other Middle Eastern country" don't you comprehend?

All of it? (j/k)

Wow, two Christians.

[ArrogantBustard]

Wow, two Christians.

I see two possibilities:
1) You're trying to be sarcastic, somehow. I'm not sure how, or why though.
2) You have no idea WTF you're talking about.

[Little Bill]

Persia, Iran was the only country that was forcibly, manitory conversion, converted to Islam. Another thing to think about is, "There where no Arabs before Mohammid", Gibbon.

[LibWhacker]

I see two possibilities myself:

1) You're a sucker
2) You're a sucker

Ask Kazemi what good those Christians did her. I suggest they get out before they're caught in the crossfire.

[armed_in_sydney]

Iranians arent no more related to Arabs than Eastern Europeans are.

[armed_in_sydney]

arent=are

[Persia]

Iran has 1.2 Million Christians that openly practice their faith. There are many Churches in Iran and a high percentage of Iranian-Americans are Christians.

Freeper Freedom44 is Orthodox Christian.

[sheik yerbouty]

I have never met a Persian who was fond of today's Muslim Arabs.

[Jacob Kell]

"These cultures show varied anatomies, and strengthen the idea that a common biological ancestry might not have been the case."

At least not completely. Or maybe the proto Indo-Europeans interacted with a number of different tribes who were living in the same area as them.

"It is generally accepted now that Indo-Europeans as a historical reality were most likely a collection of tribes spread from Central Asia to Eastern Europe"

They were probably related to each other, at least to some degree.

"An eastern branch of these tribes, theoretically called proto-Indo-Iranians, lived probably in Central Asia and belonged to a branch of Kurgan people called the "Andronovo Culture" by archaeologists."

I'm certalinly no expert, but I think that the Andronovo may have consisted of a group of different cultures living together, some Indo-European, others not. Some people may confuse it with the Afanaseivo culture.