Introduction -- 1. Ethnic Conflict: Theories and Concepts -- 2. Continuity and Change: The Tradition of Security Discourse in Iran -- 3. Iran's National Identity Problematic -- 4. Ethnic conflict in Iran: Continuity and Changes -- 5. Relative Deprivation Theory and Political Violence in Iran -- 6. Ethnic Minorities in Iran: The View from the Ground -- 7. Separatism and the State's Mechanism of Control -- Conclusion
Summary
Tehran's complicated relationship with its ethnic sub-groups has been a pressing security concern since the formation of modern Iran in 1925. This concern is intimately linked with issues related to citizenship, democracy, and democratic political processes, which remain fundamental to Iran's political structure and the Iranian political sphere. This book argues that, while the Islamic Republic has employed various strategies to mitigate the worst excesses of inter-ethnic tension while still securing a Shi'a-Persian dominated state, the systematic neglect of ethnic groups by both the Islamic Republic and its predecessor regime has resulted in the politicization of ethnic identity in Iran
