According to the sublime teachings of Islam, the God Almighty has created all humans equal, and only by having divine virtue and human perfection, they can have superiority over each other. Based on divine religion of Islam, race, ethnicity etc. are not the resources for superiority. Thus, discriminative perception cannot be effective in the current laws, bylaws and policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which are based on Islamic Sharia; similarly, you can not find any kind of discrimination among different groups or individuals in any part of our slaws (either in our Constitution or related laws).

In this regard, the Holy Koran says, “God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loveth those who are just.”  (AlMumtahina Verse: 8) The Iranian society is a good and successful example of friendly and brotherly coexistence among different religious and ethnic groups. One of the most important principles of the government is to further promote and strengthen such favorable conditions and, in this regard, various measures have been adopted.
Measures Adopted at the National and Local Levels

In order to further promote the presence of Religious minorities in different fields of decision-making and in order to broaden their active participation in various areas, some measures have been adopted at national and local levels within the framework of the current Constitution. Here, some of the these measures will be refereed to as follows:
A) Political Area
1- The religious minorities have five representatives in the Islamic Consultative Assembly (parliament) of Iran.
Two representatives from Armenians – one representative from Assyrians- one representative from the Jews and one from the Zoroastrians. In spite of the fact that Iran has a population of 70 million and that there are only 290 MPs, we will find that religious minorities with populations of only 200 thousand have five representatives altogether in the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
2- According to article 10 of the Commission of the Parties of the Ministry of Interior, all the religious minorities’ organizations and groups can have the permission to perform their activities (most of the associations, organizations, and cultural-social groups of the minorities are officially active in Iran).
3- Interactions and relations of high-ranking officials of the government with the minority groups.
After the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, we can now witness good interactions and relations between the high-ranking officials and the minorities in Iran more than any other community, which indicates the great importance our high-ranking officials of our country attach to religious minorities in the Islamic republic of Iran. In this regard, a good example is the presence of the then president of Iran in a Jewish festival in a synagogue in Yousefabad in 2004, which was unique in the history of the Jews living in Iran (2700 years).
4- To allocate special code from state budget for religious minorities for 17500000000 Rials annually.
a- for Armenians from Tehran and northern areas   5400000000 Rials
b- for Armenians from Southern areas  2420000000 Rials
c- for Assyrians  3000000000 Rials
d- for Zoroastrians  3680000000 Rials
e- for Jews  3000000000 Rials

B) Cultural-Social Areas
The minorities in Iran,
1- Enjoy permits to publish various journals.
2- Are free to renovate their historical monuments.
3- Are free to have their own especial schools.
4- Are free to teach and to be taught in their ethnic language.
5- Are free to hold religious ceremonies and rites.
6- Enjoy state budget and credits.
7- Enjoy facilities for the issuance of passport and the permission to exit the country.
8- are free to choose their school principals and teachers from among their own people.

C) Legal Area
The minorities in Iran,
1- Are free in their personal affairs.
2- Enjoy pension payments.
3- Enjoy the same amount of blood money that is paid to Muslims.
4- Have seen the amendment of the religious minorities’ inheritance issue in favor of the minorities supported by 199 MPs.

D) Economic Area
The minorities in Iran,
1- can attain basic approvals for economic activities.
2- Can participate in economic areas of the society.
3- Have the chance to be employed on the public sector.
4- Enjoy banking facilities for economic activities.

About the above-mentioned issues, we would like to present some information concerning each religious minority:
The Christians:
A) Political Area
The Christian minorities in Iran
1- Have the privilege of having 3 representatives in the Iranian parliament (although they have such a small population).
a- One representative for the Armenians from Tehran and northern areas.
b- One representative for Armenians from southern parts.
c- One representative from Assyrians.
2- Have privilege of having active NGOs in various fields.
3- Presence of 9 Christians in the city and urban councils of the cities of Urumieh, Faridan and Fereydoun-shahr.
B) Cultural-Social Areas
The Christian minorities in Iran,
1- Are free to publish monthly or weekly newspapers, publications or magazines in the country (for example, magazines entitled Elik, araks, Peyman etc.)
2- Have 200 churches all over the country.
3- Have the right to holding cultural and sports activities.
4- Have the opportunity to continue their studies in universities at various academic levels.
5- May very well have the Cultural and Heritage Organization of Iran Renovate or repair their churches and other holy sites.
6- Have a large number of religious places and sites.
7- Have exclusive cemeteries.
8- Have seen the registration of some of the churches as national monuments of Iran and. The officials attach an utmost importance to their preservation.
9- Have the permission for publishing books or selling them in stores.
10- Can be employed in universities and public sector.
11- Enjoy welfare facilities just like other citizens.
12- Are free to have private schools in different educational levels.
13- Enjoy freedom in holding religious ceremonies and rites.
14- Can receive passports and can travel outside the country just like other citizens.
15- The support and aid of the Islamic Republic of Iran to religious, cultural and social bodies of minorities are as follows:
a) Supporting the preservation of educational centers of the Christians particularly their schools.
b) Supporting the establishment and preservation of educational-cultural centers of Christians particularly their sports towns and centers.
c) Supporting Christians’ health centers particularly geriatric hospitals.
d) Contributing to the preservation of Christian cultural heritage (renovation of 40 churches)
e) Giving the Christians an opportunity to participate in national, international, global and regional scientific Olympiads.
16- Permitting the Armenians’ to teach in their own languages in their schools (there are about 50 private schools for Armenians)
17- Permitting them to have a religious school called “Khalifeh Council”.
18- Holding more than 9 rounds of religious dialogues with the concept of “peaceful coexistence”.
19- Producing social and historical films in the field of Christianity.
20- Enabling the Christians to continue education at the highest level in universities.
C) Legal and Economic Areas
The Christian minorities in Iran,
1- Enjoy equal civil rights like other citizens.
2- Enjoy equal blood money like Muslims.
3- Enjoy pension salaries.
4- Are free in their personal affairs.
5- The Christian students shall enjoy Christian religious holidays in their schools.
The Jews:
A) Political Area
1- In spite of small population of the Jews in the Islamic Republic of Iran our Constitution says that Jews can have one representative in the parliament.
2- The representative of Jews was actively present in the drafting of the Constitution in Iran after the victory of Islamic Revolution in the Experts assembly.
3- The Jewish minorities enjoy the privilege of having different active NGOs in various fields.
4- There are 32 special Jewish associations and organizations active in Iran.
B) Cultural-Social Areas
The Jewish minorities in Iran,
1- Practice their religious rites and activities in 76 synagogues.
2- Have access to related religious places.
3- Can receive cultural, artistic and recreational permits.
4- Can very well renovate, repair and maintain their holy sites.
5- Can continue their education at all at levels in universities.
6- Hold licenses for publishing their own periodicals (“Ofogh Bina” a journal affiliated with the organ of the Association of Jews in Tehran etc.)
7- Have special schools for Jews and are free to teach in Hebrew.
8- Enjoy government’s support in repairing and renovating their religious sites.
9- Freely practice their religious rites and customs in religious and holy places.
C) Legal and Economic Areas
The Jewish minorities in Iran,
1- Hold work permits in different professions.
2- Can attain basic approvals for their economic activities.
3- Are present in various economic areas.
4- Are present in domestic and foreign trade.
5- Can freely buy, sell and own movable and immovable properties.
6- Can be employed by governmental organizations.
7- Receive the same amount of blood money as the Muslims do.
8- Enjoy pension salaries and different insurance benefits.
9- Are free to use their civil rights just like other citizens.
The Zoroastrians:
A) Political Area
The Zoroastrians in Iran,
1- Have one representative in the parliament (although their population is very small).
2- They have 10 representatives in city and village councils (Yazd province)
3- Freely practice their various social and civil activities in 28 associations.
4- Have active NGOs in different areas.
B) Cultural-Social Areas
The Zoroastrians in Iran,
1- Freely practice their rites and customs and do their worshiping throughout the country.
2- Have access to various religious places.
3- Have special schools for Zoroastrian minorities (38 schools)
4- Are allowed to publish and distribute different books and journal (“Frouhar”, “Chista”, “Chapkhaneh Rasti” etc.)
5- Receive cultural, art and recreational permits.
6- Can renovate, repair and maintain their holy sites.
7- Can continue their education in universities in different academic levels.
8- Can hold international conferences like the Conference of the Zoroastrians of India and Iran.
9- Holding the Conference of Commemorating Three Thousand years of Zoroastrian culture with the participation of Zoroastrian guests from all over the world (2003)
C) Legal and Economic Areas
The Zoroastrians in Iran,
1- Hold work permits in different professions.
2- Can freely make economic investments.
3- Can be employed by the government
4- Are present in various economic areas at the national level.
5- Can attain basic approvals in various economic areas.
6- Receive the same amount of blood money as the Muslims do.
7- Enjoy pension salaries and other insurance benefits.
8- Have freedom in personal affairs.
9- Enjoy equal citizenship rights.
10- Are entitled to take vacations exclusive to Zoroastrians (students, civil servants etc.)
11- Can feely practice their religious rites and customs in religious places and sites.

Legal Assurances and General Policies Concerning the Combat against Discrimination based on Religion and Belief
According to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the religious minorities can freely practice their customs and rites and follow the laws of their faiths and personal affairs.
Article 12 of the Constitution stipulates that:
The official religion of Iran is Islam and the Twelver Ja’fari School [in usual al-Dine and figh], and this principle will remain eternally immutable. Other Islamic schools , including the Hanafi, Shafi’I , Maliki, Hanbali , and Zaydi, are to be accorded full respect and their followers are free to act in accordance with their own jurisprudence in performing their religious rites. These schools enjoy official status in matters pertaining to religious education, affairs of personal status (marriage, divorce, inheritance and wills) and related litigation in courts of law. In regions of the country where Muslims following any of these schools of figh constitutes the majority, local regulations, within the bounds of the jurisdiction of local councils, are to be in accordance with the respective school of figh, without infringing upon rights of the followers of other schools.
In addition, article 13 of the Constitution expresses that:
Zoroastrians , Jewish and Christian Iranians are the only recognized religious minorities who within the limits of the law are free to perform their religious rites and ceremonies and to act according to their own canon in matters of personal affairs and religious education .
Article 19 says;
All people of Iran , whatever the ethnic group or tribe to which they belong , enjoy equal rights and color ,race, language , and the like, do not bestow any privilege .
Article 20 of the Constitution states:
All citizens of the country, both men and women, equally enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy the protection of the law and enjoy all human rights including political, social, and cultural rights in conformity with Islamic criteria.
The above-mentioned items are not only reiterated by the Constitution but also in the normal rules and regulations of the country including an article called “the law of observing the personal affairs of the non-Shia Iranians ratified in 1923”. According to this law, the courts should stick to rights of the followers of the faiths, which have been recognized concerning matters of personal status and will and inheritance, and act according to the stipulations and regulations of their faiths except when they contradict the social and public order.
Also, article 143 of the executive statute  of the Organization of Prisons and Security and Correctional Measures (ratified in 2001), stipulates that upon the entry of prisoners belonging to minority groups  to the prisons, their faiths need to be mentioned in the prison forms and the prison authorities must seek the aid of the Ministry of Islamic Culture and Guidance to provide them with the required facilities so that the said prisoners can perform their customs in the prison . Articles 144 and 145 of the same statute articulate “any prisoner who believes in one of the official religions of the country can have a holy book, a praying book and praying mat for doing his worshiping in his cell or room. With the approval of the warden of the prison, any prisoner who believes in one of the official religions of the country can ask for a religious leader to come to him in order to give him religious guidance in performing the religious customs and rites.”
In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the freedom of religious ceremonies and rites, security of temples and sacred places, dignity of spiritual leaders, judiciary independence, economic activities and freedom in social relationships are equally assured for all the citizens. Therefore, cases like prevention of racism and xenophobic beliefs concerning religions and their followers (paragraph 3), physical assaults on worshiping places and cultural centers of religious minorities (paragraph 4) and guaranteeing the prevention of insults to Islam and other religions in combating terrorism (paragraph 5) mentioned in resolution 61/164 of the General Assembly are not found with regards to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The measures taken in line with preventing the release of the audio-visual products aimed at creating provocations against Islam and other religions
The Islamic Republic of Iran respects the beliefs and values of other divine religions and faiths and practically supports the domestic and foreign products and works (films, pictures, art works etc.) made and produced with the purpose of promoting the global knowledge  and familiarity with the lives of holy prophets and divine religions.
It needs to be mentioned that, in recent years, many films and books have been prepared whose themes are related to divine religions in Iran. These products have been warmly welcomed by the religious minorities inside Iran. In addition, the government of I.R. Iran has always expressed its disagreement and discontent with the products prepared against the cultural and religious background of nations (cases like cartoons insulting the sanctity of the Holy prophet of Islam published in Danish papers, the stupid “300” movie produced by Warner Brothers of Hollywood, “Fitna”, and also the granting of the knighthood title to Salaman Roshdi, the writer of the “Satanic Verses” by a British authority).
The educational measures taken in line with preventing religious discriminations by public figures, executive authorities, the military people and civil servants
Establishment of dispute settlement councils special for the religious minorities and appointment of people from among the same minorities to hold posts in them including the establishment of council special for the Zoroastrians, Jews and Armenians.
In this line, the required judiciary trainings on different legal matters have been presented to people through different TV channels and also privately and personally for the judges of the country. Of course, these trainings have been aimed at further familiarity of the public with various legal subjects.

In order to implement the articles of the Constitution so that all the people will enjoy the stipulated rights in the rules and regulations, article 570 of the law of Islamic punishment reiterates that: “any governmental official or authority who breaks the laws by depriving people of their freedoms or rights is not only dismissed from his duty banned from employment by the government for 3 to 5 consecutive years but will also be sentenced to six to 3 years of imprisonment”.
Education for all
Since knowledge was chosen as the main basis for the advancement of the country, education has been given a great and significant status and importance in the 20-year outlook plan of I.R. Iran and other national plans. Almost in all the aspects of this national plan, the great importance of education is seen.
a- Considering the articles of the Constitution (especially article 30), all the ratifications of the high council of education are made based on the principle of the enjoyment of all individuals of education in a just and equal way.
b- As a part of its polices and plannings in the education system of the country,  the Ministry of Education of Iran has drafted the needed laws and has allocated the budget for combating deprivations in order to eradicate the inequalities existing in education system in the marginalized regions of the country.
c- In the development plans of the country, the proprieties have been given to the increasing of the educational coverage with an emphasis on educating the girls, exceptional children especially in marginalized and vulnerable regions, increasing the literacy rate in the people aged from 10 to 40 and promoting the educational quality. These have been considered as the priorities of the educational system of Iran.
d- Paragraph (b) of article 52 of the fourth development plan which says that education is compulsory until the secondary school is completed, has been sent to all the ministries and deputies of Education and the Organization of Management and Planning of Iran (ratified by the Council of Ministers in 2005). According to this law, the Ministry of Education is obliged to materialize this by the end of the fourth development plan of the country. In addition, this Ministry needs to identify the dropouts and provide them with the chance to continue their education. In addition, considering paragraph 7 of the statute of the Ministry of Education, this Ministry must hand over he names of the parents or legal guardians who do not let their children go to school and get educated to the respective judicial authorities based on article 4 of the law of supporting children and teenagers ratified in 2002.
e- The Ministry of Education has had various programs in recent years for the promotion of the education coverage in marginalized regions. The most important ones which have been carried out are as follows:
- Implementation of the ‘education for all” program
- Utilization of the distant learning for the education of students in marginalized regions
- Development of boarding schools and exemplary schools in marginalized areas
- Development of the education of the nomads
- Development of general education in villages
- Development  of the high schools and adult schools in villages
- Development of the pre-elementary education in  the country

The measures taken in line with promoting the dignity and respect of the religions as well as in line with global dialogue for the culture of peace
The principled and practical policy of I.R. Iran at the domestic, regional and international levels has been based on combating the different forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and the related intolerances. Our country’s efforts for the deletion of apartheid in South Africa included a wide range of measures such as the imposition of oil embargoes, joining the respective international conventions and an active participation in international endeavors. On the domestic level, too, the I.R. Iran has strived for the expansion of bilateral cultural ties by increasing the tolerances and cementing the national solidarity through holding various cultural and art seminars, holding dialogues among religions on different topics and also by holding international conferences for religious minorities. These measures are still being taken.
Believing that one of the most effective ways of combating the various symbols and manifestations of discrimination at the international level is the propagation of and promotion of the dialogues among cultures, religions and different civilizations and also respecting the cultural diversities, the Islamic Republic of Iran proposed the idea of dialogue among civilizations in the past years which was intended to confront the idea of clash of civilizations. This idea was embraced by the international community and was welcomed in the Durban document. With regards to respecting cultural diversities, Iran submitted the initiative of the resolution of cultural diversity in the General assembly of UN and this resolution has been  submitted and ratified in this Assembly for the last 5 years. It needs to be explained that I.R. Iran held a conference on Human Rights and Cultural Diversity in Tehran with the cooperation of Non-aligned Movement member states in which the ministers of the said countries and the High Human Rights Commissionaire took part  in order to institutionalize the importance of respecting the  cultural diversity. It is noteworthy that at the end of this Conference and with the approval of all the members of NAM, the center for the human rights and cultural diversity of NAM states was established in Tehran in order to institutionalize this matter.