01 Waves
People have left Iran in several periods. Before 1979, many went abroad to study. From 1979 to 1988, revolution, war and political exile drove departures. From the 1990s to the 2010s, people left for family reunification, study and skilled work. Since 2017, economic crisis, protest and war have driven new departures.
- Before 1979
- about 100,000 students abroad in 1977 to 1978 (secondary source)
- 1979 to 1988
- revolution, war and political exile
- 1990s to 2010s
- family reunification, students and skilled migration
- 2017 onward
- economic crisis, protest and war
02 Older diasporas
Some communities abroad are far older than 1979. They include the Parsis of India, the Iranis of Mumbai, the Ajam of the Gulf, communities of Shirazi heritage on the Swahili coast, and Iranians in the shrine cities of Iraq and in the Caucasus.
03 Faiths
The diaspora includes Shi’a and Sunni Muslims, members of Sufi orders, Zoroastrians, Jews, Armenian and Assyrian Christians, Baha’is, Yarsan, Mandaeans and many people who are not religious.
04 Kalender
Communities keep Nowruz at the spring equinox, Chaharshanbe Suri, Sizdah Bedar, Tirgan, Mehregan, Yalda and Sadeh. They also keep religious days and days of remembrance.
05 Languages and scripts
| Language | Script | Direction | On this platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persian (Farsi) فارسی | Arab | Right to left | At launch |
| English English | Latn | Left to right | At launch |
| South Azerbaijani (Azerbaijani Turkish) تۆرکجه | Arab | Right to left | Phase 2 |
| Kurdish (Sorani, Kurmanji, Southern Kurdish) کوردی / Kurdî | Arab/Latn | Right to left | Phase 2 |
| Gilaki گیلکی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Mazandarani مازرونی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Luri and Bakhtiari لۊری | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Balochi بلۏچی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Talysh Tolışi | Arab/Latn | Right to left | By demand |
| Armenian (Iranian Armenian) Հայերեն | Armn | Left to right | By demand |
| Assyrian Neo-Aramaic (Urmia) ܣܘܪܝܝܐ | Syrc | Right to left | By demand |
| Judeo-Persian | Hebr | Right to left | By demand |
| Arabic (Khuzestani and Gulf Arabic) عربي | Arab | Right to left | At launch |
| Turkmen Türkmençe / تۆرکمن | Arab/Latn | Right to left | By demand |
| Qashqai قشقایی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Khalaj خلج | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Laki لکی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Lari (Achomi) اچمی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Semnani سمنانی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Tati (Takestani) تاتی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Hawrami (Gorani) هەورامی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Brahui براہوئی | Arab | Right to left | By demand |
| Mandaic ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡀ | Mand | Right to left | By demand |
| Georgian (Fereydani) ქართული | Geor | Left to right | By demand |
| Dari دری | Arab | Right to left | Phase 2 |
| Tajik Тоҷикӣ | Cyrl | Left to right | Phase 2 |