Armenians: Ethnic and Religious Minorities in Iran

Iran is a country composed of different ethnic and religious minorities. Among them are the Armenian Christians who, although less than one per cent of the population, have had a tremendous influence on the social, political and cultural development of Iran. In this seminar, Dr James Barry will discuss how Iranian Armenians balance their multiple identities as a Christian minority in an Islamic Republic. The presentation will describe their status in Iran, their relations with other religious and ethnic groups (including Iranian Azerbaijanis), and the effect of emigration on their community. Dr Barry will discuss this in the context of questions around ethnicity in contemporary Iran, and how these feed into larger discourses in the modern Middle East.

James Barry is a Research Fellow at the Alfred Deakin Institute, Deakin University. Barry is an anthropologist specialising in ethnic and religious identity in Iran. His book, Armenian Christians in Iran, published by Cambridge University Press was the recipient of an Honorable Mention in the Society of Armenian Studies Outstanding Book Award of 2019. He is currently working with the Chair of Islamic Studies at the Alfred Deakin Institute, and has published research in Ethnic and Racial Studies, Third World Quarterly, Iranian Studies and the British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies.

Persian: https://twitter.com/seamasdebarra/status/1187974784497287169?s=20

Armenian: https://twitter.com/seamasdebarra/status/1187931851303731200?s=20

English: https://twitter.com/Deakin_ADI/status/1187239612940292096?s=20