ABSTRACT

Iran's 1977-79 Islamic Revolution is responsible for the largest exodus ever out of the country. For non-Islamious Iranians the extent to which the revolution was supposed to be Islamic is a contested issue at best; more often, it is a source of anger. The brutal and sobering transformations mark perhaps the most pivotal moment in the formation of non-Islamiosity. National identity is also an interesting theme among UK Iranians. Iranian organisations, associations and societies play an important role in community life by providing key legal, social, educational and cultural services. In addition to diasporic channels, the Iranian government broadcasts its own satellite channels with special programmes directed at the diaspora. Iranians communicate and obtain/distribute information via the internet, television and radio. However, within Iranian discourses ethnicities are often perceived as rigid categories and organised hierarchically, with 'Tehrani' being undisputedly at the top.