By: Hamid Basirat Manesh
During Reza Khan Pahlavi’s period of time, the conditions of religious minorities were better than the majority of Muslims although the Islamic rites were shrugged and the clergymen were under pressure.
According to Cambridge history, the rank and authority of the scholars of Iran had been decreased. The religious minorities… had gained more importance and better opportunities to advance economically.
During the days perior world war II, The Jewish strengthened their positions in Palestine land. This issue caused the people of Palestine to oppose. The clergymen of Iran (Qom city) sent telegraph to the government, but Reza Shah’s regime prevented the telegraphs to be published in the newspapers.[1] It is claimed that: “From 1935 A.D. on, people demonstrated against the Jewish secretly following anti-Jewish advertisements by German agents and exited the Jewish out of offices, but World War II removed some pessimisms against the Jewish very much.[2]”
Supporting the Zoroastrian minorities was existent before Reza Khan’s kingdom. At first, he wasn’t familiar with the religious teachings of the Zoroastrians. Gradually, he became familiar via his relationships with some open-minded people such as Ardeshir Jey, the third representative of the Indian Persians.
The first and the most important attention of Reza Khan to the culture of ancient Iran was selecting Pahlavi surname.[3]
One of the other deviant movements with which acted negligently was Baha’ism. This creed established its assemblies and the universal house of justice in Iran.
The Baha’is were pursueing their activities in the cultural field, but the Baha’is were under pressure by the government and weren’t recognized formally. As a matter of fact, a large number of families in Tehran city enrolled their offspring in the schools established by the Baha’is including elementary schools and high schools. Reza Shah’s elder daughters and his elder son (the next king) had been educated in elementary schools of the Baha’is of Tehran[4]. According to Fardoust: “Reza Shah had a good relationship with Baha’ism to such an extent, he appointed Asadullah Saniee, a Baha’i, to be the special adjutant of the prince[5].”
[۱] The Iranian national documents organization, No 1022006, cover NO. 885.
[۲] Parviz Rahbar, the Jewish history from Babyon captivity till today (Bina, 1325 S.H.), p. 350.
[۳] Jahangir Ashidari, the history of Pahlavi and the Zoroasterians (Tehran, Houkht periodical, 1355 S.H., pp. 4 & 5; Hussein Makki, the 20-year history of Iran), (Tehran, 1359 S.H.), Vol. 2, pp. 387 and 393.
[۴] Banana, OP.Cit, p. 96
[۵] The rise and fall of Pahlavi kingdom, Vol. 1, p. 374.
