Iran’s regime has a track record of engineering demographic changes in Syria/Iraq. We reveal how it’s now manufacturing demographic changes in Iran via Shia migration from Afghanistan to fill the widening gap between the regime & Iran’s people 👇🧵atlanticcouncil.org
There’s currently 6 million Afghan migrants in Iran. Reports indicate if current trajectory of migration continues, this could increase to “20 million in next 3 years.” The regime has quickly awarded full rights to migrants (incl. Iranian IDs)—breaking from past discrimination.
Khamenei has long-sought to achieve his ideal “Islamic Society” as part of his “5 stages” doctrine. He’s tried Islamization from above & below. Both have failed due to mass secularisation of Iranian people. Now, for the 1st time, the regime’s turned to Islamization from outside
Shia Afghan migrants are now being utilized by the regime for state-run ideological propaganda functions (+100k in Mashhad alone for Raisi mourning); Islamic morality policing; and are being used to further bolster the IRGC Shia Afghan proxy, the Fatemiyoun Brigade
Dr Saeid Golkar & I analyse the short, medium & long-term implications of Khamenei’s attempts to engineer demographic changes in Iran to nurture an ideological loyal constituency and fill the widening gap between the regime and Iranian people. atlanticcouncil.org
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