The key content of contemporary zoroastrian identity in the Islamic Republic of Iran : a socio-anthropological approach

Abstract

In this article the author pays attention to the concept of contemporary Zoroastrian collective identity that is constructed by the social leaders of the community in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The reflection on the identity of the Zoroastrian religious minority in contemporary Iran is based on the author’s field research conducted in Tehran in 2008. The analysis is based both on ethnographic interviews and on Zoroastrian publications. Firstly, the author briefly comments on the theory of collective identity used in the analysis, then introduces the Zoroastrian community of Tehran. The main part of the article is focused on the issue of collective identity construction among the contemporary Zoroastrians as a minority group and the key elements of their identity.