ABSTRACT
Iran diers from the Arab nations of the Middle East and should not be lumped together with them. Iran is, in fact, part of an Indo-European heritage, complete with its own distinct language, separate from its Semitic neighbours in the Near East. Sure enough, one of the most remarkable aspects about Iran is that it has retained its unique cultural, and to a degree its religious, identity through many episodes of invasion (Greek, Arab, Turk, Mongol), the most lasting of which has been the Arab (Islamic). And while noticing how Iran’s theocratic regime has received a great deal of negative portrayal through tabloid media, we need reminding that the nation has always had a strained
relationship with the UK and US as more recent invasive powers. ere is growing interest in Iran among both academics and the general public, prompting desire to learn more about her special resilience. is book is written to respond to such interest, and aims to explain Iranian religious identity for those wanting to understand contemporary Iran more intimately.
