Iranian government builds bridges to Sunni minority
Iran’s Sunni community is estimated at 9% of the country's population.
Despite its numerous attempts to encourage unity among different sects of Islam, the Islamic Republic has been unsuccessful in creating amicable relations with its own Sunni Muslim citizens. Therefore, every once in a while in different regions of the country, there is tension between the government and the Sunni community. These conflicts are evidence of historical problems between the two sides.
Sunni Iranians are usually scattered across the border regions of Iran. A majority of them live in Kurdistan, West Azerbaijan, Golestan, Sistan and Baluchistan, and Northern and Southern Khorasan. There are also smaller communities in provinces bordering those mentioned above, as well as in metropolises.
There are no official statistics regarding the Sunni Muslims of Iran. The Statistical Center of Iran releases statistics regarding the Muslim population in general without differentiating between different sects of Islam. According to the CIA World Factbook, the Sunni population of Iran makes up about 9% of the population (about 7 million). Sunni websites and organizations complain about the absence of any official records regarding their community and believe their number is much greater than what is usually estimated.
Demographic changes have become an issue for both sides. Radicals on either side speak about the increase in the Sunni population and usually issue biased predictions regarding demographic changes in the country. One prediction, for example, claims that the Sunnis will be the majority in Iran by 2030. In this atmosphere of mutual fear, some Sunnis look for conspiracy theories when government restricts their religious freedoms. At the same time, some Shiites have criticized Sunnis' disregard for Iran’s population-control programs and have asked for the removal of restrictions to ensure the continued existence of a Shiite majority in Iran.
