IRAN: In the Minority

August 2001 7’32’’

script

0.02

Armenian refugees from Iran have been living here, in the yard of the vicarage in Schwadorf, Austria, for the last six months. They are scared and don’t want to appear in front of the camera. Religious troubles have driven them from their homeland, and at present they share their living space with another dozen Christian Iranians, also living here. They want to escape even further, to the USA, and  already have the necessary permits.  They are just waiting on their airline tickets.

0.33

Gerhard Gary is a minister in Schwadorf, near Vienna. He took the Armenians in, and his parish supports the families.

0.43

OT Gerhard Gary

Minister for Schwadorf

“The opportunity for education for these refugees was, to a large degree, limited by their religion.  They are not persecuted directly for their faith, but they are hugely disadvantaged by it.  It starts from childhood, and education, to the opportunities to gain work.  It is dificult to get into the military, one of our boys wants to join the military, but no chance.  I heard in conversation that they endured this for twenty one years in Tehran.  They were really unhappy, and they tried and they tried, and tried again, but in the meantime it was decided that they would have to go to America.“

1.39

Over the yard of the ministry the jets of an aeroplane at the closed Schwechat airport roar. It is a flight into Iran. Minister Gary wants to see the country for himself.

1.46

Together with the archbishop of Vienna, Gary is on his way into Iran.  For the first time since the Islamic revolution, a Roman-catholic cardinal is visiting the state of the Ayatollas. The Armenians have lived happily in Isfahan for over four hundred years. Then, the bishop was responsible for the entire region as far as India. But the Armenian life is dying. Ten thousand Christians have left the country since the Islamic revolution.

2.27

OT Koriun Papian

Apostolic Armenian Bishop of Isfahan (english)

" I myself come from Beirut, from Lebanon.  We lived there as Christians with our Muslim brothers for centuries. We Armenian Iranians have to respect Islam and this respect has been mutual. The Muslims respect our religion. At long last we eat the same meals and have our local traditions together. "

3.07

The dominance of Islam is clear. The tiny Christian minority in Iran suffers from social isolation and disadvantage. Nevertheless, the situation has improved slightly in  Teheran. It was still uncommon a few years ago, for a woman to be able to shop here alone. Step by step the Iranian society has battled to regain liberties. Two thirds of the almost seventy million inhabitants of Iran grew up after the revolution. And in the cities, there is considerable pressure for further liberalisation.  However, conservative forces are trying to resist this.

3.50

In this atmosphere of unease the attendance of a catholic dignitary at a fundamentalist Islamic university comes as an important signal. Cardinal Schonborn gives a lecture at the Tehran " Imam Sadr“ University. Questions such as the relation between state and religion here hold not only an academic but also political meaning. The sciences and arts are subordinate to Islamic beliefs. If the Viennese archbishop were to claim that economics, politics or medicine have their own value beyond the religious, then he would be branded an infidel.

4.31

Sunday mass in the Syrian church of Teheran.  Prayers and hymns are sung in the ancient language used by Jesus: aramaic. It seems that Christians in Iran are not directly persecuted for their faith, but the bad economic situation in Iran has lead to some discrimination, so whoever can, leaves the country.

4.58

OT Hans Marte

President "Pro Oriente"

It is possible that in this area there is discrimination in scholastic and professional life, but there is no real persecution.  We must not forget that they may have difficulties to overcome, but, in comparison to other Islamic countries, I think that the difficulties are not so bad as we often think in the West.

5.35

Teheran. In this city of 14 million people, at the foot of the mighty Elbrus mountains, the relative liberalisation of the Iranian religious state is perceptible. But each step forward has to be fought for. Small liberties are tolerated, but are not legally secured. 

5.55

One and a half hours by car from Tehran wealthy Iranians enjoy an exclusive pleasure. Ski-ing. On the piste these small liberties become visible. Men and women are not forced to ski separately.  Just one guard is to keep watch over it, because there is nothing unislamic about skiing. 

To provide some religious justification for such pleasure, messages from the Ayatollahs are displeyed on placards throughout the resort.

6.27

Back to the Schwadorf vicarage. The stories of the refugees here and the experiences in Iran are hard to reconcile.

6.34

OT Gerhard Gary

Pastor of Schwadorf

It is difficult.  But you have to ssee both points of view..  On one side there is this mass influx of immigrants, of people who do not really need to be supported, so you have to be very careful.  On the other hand there are individual cases.  When you consider these Armenians travelled the whole length of Europe with nothing, then you have to consider their futures, and offer them concrete help.