Since Islamists took control of the 1979 secular revolution that overthrew the Shah, Iran has been under the control of radical Shia Muslims who govern the country and dominate the region with a peculiar brand of Islamic Messianic fundamentalism.

The nations surrounding Iran that have large blocks of Persian peoples are all struggling for their identity following the dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991.

Some of these countries, like Afghanistan, turn to Islam to find their identity, but others are seeking to forge new national secular identities around culture and language, such as in Tajikistan.

Few of the countries are stable, and none are thriving economically. Many in the Persian world live in challenging conditions and have limited political or religious freedom.

The vast majority of Iranians are Shia Muslims (90-95%), but in the larger Persian world the Shia-Sunni mix varies, with some countries being almost entirely Sunni.

The flavor of Islam in each region varies, with Iran’s Shia fundamentalism being among the most militant and restrictive. The regime in control of Iran is a theocratic dictatorship, in which the religious elite try to control the political, social and, economic lives of their people.

In the former Soviet parts of the Persian world, peoples who were Muslim before the Soviet era again view themselves as Muslims, even though they are often completely non-practicing.

The two things that set the Persian World apart from other Muslim regions are the strong presence of Shia Muslims (in Iran and Azerbaijan) and, in the former Soviet states, the varied opinions that people have about what it means to be Muslim, in societies where secular and Islamic values are in conflict.

God is at work in the Persian World! In Iran, though the small visible Christian minority is in decline, the number of Muslims turning to Christ is increasing rapidly. Many say that Persian people are more responsive to the Gospel today than any other ethnic group in the world.

However, in some countries in the region, there are almost no known believers nor any movements to Christ. In others there are slowly developing fledgling house church movements. Foreign workers often have a hard time gaining access, though increasing efforts in internet and satellite TV outreach are bearing fruit.

The extent and intensity of persecution in the region varies. The areas where the church is growing the fastest experience extensive and even severe persecution (like in Iran).

Tragically, in other places, persecution is so strong that even establishing house churches looks humanly impossible. Every country in the region is on Open Doors’ list of the top 50 countries with serious persecution.