DESERT FIGHTER
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2010
- Messages
- 46,973
- Reaction score
- 95
- Country
- Location
No, the Jama'a Salat is treated simiarly by both Sunni and Shia IRanians... Mass Prayers in Mosques get promoted strongly by both Shia and Sunni clergies in Iran. It mostly has something to do with the cultural texture of Shia and Sunni Iranians. Sunni Iranians are in 5 Major groups.
1- Iranian Persian Sunnis (Living on Eastern borders with Afghanistan): These are not a big population and mostly are concentrated in small cities of Taybad, Khaf. These people are not that much religious but still better than their shia counterparts in that region. These people are moderate in practice.
2- Iranian Kurd Sunnis (Living in Kurdestan, West Azerbaijan): These are moderate religiously but very strict culturally.
3- Iranian Turkmen Sunnis (Living in Turkman Sahra a region in Golestan province next to the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan Borders: These people are the most un-Irani like people in whole Iran. They are very nice people, very tolerate with their Shia neighbors. Culturally very strict. These people are separate from Gonbad-Kavous City Turkmens racially. Turken Sahra Turkmens are identical to Turkmenistani people while Gonbad-Kavousis look like very much mixed with other Iranians (don't look a Mongolid Turkmen).. Few Gonbad Turkmens are Team Melli soccer player, Sardar Azmoon... or two National Vallyball team players Farhad Gholami and the other guy).
4- Iranian Bandari Persian/ Arab Sunnis: (they live in majority in some Persian Gulf Islands like Qeshm and minority in Southern Iranian coast line): These people are strict culturally but tolerate against others. These are the most un-political Sunnis of Iran.
5- Iranian Baluch Sunnis: (They live in Sistan & Baluchestan Province and Chabahar-Makran coastal areas): These Sunni Iranians are the most strict culturally and religiously. They have the most Sunni like cities in Iran. Although, their mixture and proximity to Shia Sistanis in big cities like Zahedan and Zabol forced them to show moderation toward others. The must underdeveloped area of Iran. It is going to change in future as Iran will invest tens of billions in their region in next couple of years. Security in this province is provided by assigning IRCG forces and local Sunni Basiji forces. To my surprise, last time that I was there, I have witnessed a huge inclination toward national identity among balouchis there, specially among youngsters who feel more Iranian than Baluchi. My prediction is that Balouchis will have a prosperious province in a decade from now and then they become even more nationalist (Iranians).
So in brief:
The fact that some Sunni or Shia Mosques around Iran host more Mass-Prayers is not religious but cultural. In some areas of Iran, the rate of mosque goers are very high and in some other parts no one but elderly goes to mosques. This applies to both Sunnis and Shias. For example, In West Azerbaijan Province, the young people are very liberal and never attend mosques even tough they are Sunni and in some cities or parts of a big city like Qom or Samen Region of Mashhad the ratio of mosque attendees are very high. Both Sunni and Shia clergies are promoting Mosque attendance for mass-prayers or other stuff but the result is mostly defined by their cultural strictness.
Overall though Sunni Iranians are more religious and so we can expect more mosque attendance among them but this has changed significantly among youngsters as they follow a national pattern promoted in Tehran and other big cities.
It is Baloch not Balochi... Balochi is OUR LANGUAGE... Some expert views!