Iraqis in Iran
Encyclopedia
There is a large population of Iraqis in Iran, including Iranian citizens
of Iraqi origin or descent, as well as Iraqi citizen expatriates. According to the 2001 Iran census, there were roughly 203,000 Iraqis living in Iran; a UNHCR report counts 204,000 Iraqis living in Iran.
, but many have fled and settled in other countries because of events such as the 1979 Islamic Iranian revolution
and the Iran–Iraq War.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded over 202,000 Iraqi refugees in Iran in September 2003, over half the entire Iraqi refugee population in the world. About 50,000 of them are housed in 22 refugee camps in Iran, which are situated along the country's western border with Iraq, this number is significantly higher than that for Afghan refugees, of whom only about 2 percent live in camps. The majority of Iraqi refugees live in urban areas in western Iran. In total, more than 11,500 Iraqis have returned in convoys facilitated by UNHCR from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon since the end of the war that led to the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
With more than 200,000 Iraqi refugees living in Iran, they are more than half of all registered Iraqi refugees in the world.
At around 48,000 of the refugees are hosted in Iran's camps, but most Iraqi refugees live in large urban centres, usually in the western parts of Iran. The majority of Iraqis have opted for life in Tehran
, due to its high standards of living and greater job availability. Predominantly settling down in Doulatabad, an almost entirely Iraqi neighbourhood in the south-eastern corner of Tehran.
Another well known Iraqi neighbourhood in Iran is Marvi Alley, a shopping area located in the centre of Tehran. This is where the first Iraqi refugees came in the early '70s, and has remained a centre for all Iraqis in Tehran, often dubbed it Baghdad Market.
dates back to the Fertile Crescent
that strove to emulate the Achaemenid. They placed their capital at Ctesiphon, twenty miles from present-day Baghdad
. Some believe this to have been the largest city in the world from 570 to 637 A.D.
The Iranian Ambassador to Iraq recently announced that Iran is committed to working with Iraqi national and provincials governments on a restoration of the great palace at Ctesiphon
.
. Sunnis also hold a considerable minority of 10%, closely followed by Jews (6%) and smaller ethnic groups who constitute (4%) of the population.
Iranian nationality law
Iranian nationality law contains principles of both jus sanguinis and jus soli. Children acquire nationality of Iran through their fathers, but not their mothers...
of Iraqi origin or descent, as well as Iraqi citizen expatriates. According to the 2001 Iran census, there were roughly 203,000 Iraqis living in Iran; a UNHCR report counts 204,000 Iraqis living in Iran.
Migration history
Iraqis have always been a thriving community in Iran, with well established populations in Ahwaz and ElamElam
Elam was an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Elam was centered in the far west and the southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province, as well as a small part of southern Iraq...
, but many have fled and settled in other countries because of events such as the 1979 Islamic Iranian revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
and the Iran–Iraq War.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded over 202,000 Iraqi refugees in Iran in September 2003, over half the entire Iraqi refugee population in the world. About 50,000 of them are housed in 22 refugee camps in Iran, which are situated along the country's western border with Iraq, this number is significantly higher than that for Afghan refugees, of whom only about 2 percent live in camps. The majority of Iraqi refugees live in urban areas in western Iran. In total, more than 11,500 Iraqis have returned in convoys facilitated by UNHCR from Iran, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon since the end of the war that led to the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
With more than 200,000 Iraqi refugees living in Iran, they are more than half of all registered Iraqi refugees in the world.
At around 48,000 of the refugees are hosted in Iran's camps, but most Iraqi refugees live in large urban centres, usually in the western parts of Iran. The majority of Iraqis have opted for life in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, due to its high standards of living and greater job availability. Predominantly settling down in Doulatabad, an almost entirely Iraqi neighbourhood in the south-eastern corner of Tehran.
Another well known Iraqi neighbourhood in Iran is Marvi Alley, a shopping area located in the centre of Tehran. This is where the first Iraqi refugees came in the early '70s, and has remained a centre for all Iraqis in Tehran, often dubbed it Baghdad Market.
Culture
In ancient civilization, Iran's connection with MesopotamiaMesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
dates back to the Fertile Crescent
Fertile Crescent
The Fertile Crescent, nicknamed "The Cradle of Civilization" for the fact the first civilizations started there, is a crescent-shaped region containing the comparatively moist and fertile land of otherwise arid and semi-arid Western Asia. The term was first used by University of Chicago...
that strove to emulate the Achaemenid. They placed their capital at Ctesiphon, twenty miles from present-day Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Some believe this to have been the largest city in the world from 570 to 637 A.D.
The Iranian Ambassador to Iraq recently announced that Iran is committed to working with Iraqi national and provincials governments on a restoration of the great palace at Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon, the imperial capital of the Parthian Arsacids and of the Persian Sassanids, was one of the great cities of ancient Mesopotamia.The ruins of the city are located on the east bank of the Tigris, across the river from the Hellenistic city of Seleucia...
.
Religion
The majority of Iraqis in Iran today are the Shia Muslims (47%) and the Kurds (33%) who were the main groups that escaped persecution from former President of Iraq Saddam HusseinSaddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
. Sunnis also hold a considerable minority of 10%, closely followed by Jews (6%) and smaller ethnic groups who constitute (4%) of the population.
Notable people
- Dan HalutzDan Halutz' is an Israeli Air Force Lt. General and former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and commander of the Israeli Air Force. Halutz was appointed as Chief of Staff on June 1, 2005. On January 17, 2007 he announced his resignation. He has a degree in economics. He was born to a Mizrahi...
, Israeli Air Force general - Chemda Khalili, singer/songwriter and co-host of the Keith and The GirlKeith and The GirlKeith and The Girl, abbreviated as KATG, is a popular comedy podcast that began on March 7, 2005. It is hosted by comedian Keith Malley and singer Chemda Khalili in Queens, New York. Chemda is of Persian descent whilst Keith's exact origins are unknown, but believed to be eastern European...
podcast - Nouri KhodayariNouri KhodayariNouri Khodayari is a retired Iraq-Iranian football player. He was born in Baghdad and played for Al-Omma and Aliyat Al-Shurta . He was known in Iraq as Nouri Qaraman...
, footballer - Laith Nobari, footballer
- Duraid MunajimDuraid MunajimDuraid Munajim is a Toronto-based film director and a freelance cinematographer.- Career :Born in Kuwait in 1972 to an Iraqi father and Iranian mother, Duraid was 17 years of age when his family immigrated to Canada...
, filmmaker - Abu NuwasAbu NuwasAbu-Nuwas al-Hasan ben Hani Al-Hakami ,a known as Abū-Nuwās , was one of the greatest of classical Arabic poets, who also composed in Persian on occasion. Born in the city of Ahvaz in Persia, of an Arab father and a Persian mother, he became a master of all the contemporary genres of Arabic poetry...
, poet - Osamah SamiOsamah SamiOsamah Sami is an Australian actor of Persian origin. He has appeared in numerous episodes of the Australian television programme Kick.-Biography:...
, actor