Investigating the Life Characteristics of Iranian Sunnis in the Islamic Republic of Iran (1979-2021)

Iranian Sunnis, although one of the important religious groups in the geopolitical and religious landscape of Iran, have not received adequate attention in the academic literature on understanding the relationship between the political system and social groups in Iran. Existing studies have mainly focused on understanding the actions of Shia groups, neglecting the systematic understanding of the biological components of Sunnis within the historical context and their relationship with the political system. By reflecting on the political and social transformations of the contemporary period and historical perspectives, the main question of this article is how the weight and position of Iranian Sunnis in the structure of political power and their interactions within the regulatory aspects of the Islamic Republic's political system can be explained. Drawing on the theory of multicultural citizenship by Will Kymlicka, the research hypothesis is that Iranian Sunnis, as an example of multicultural citizenship, have reached a social contract in the peaceful coexistence domain with society and the political system through long-standing interactions and religious commonalities. However, historical disruptions resulting from the lack of declarative rights, non-application of upper-level laws, implementation of collectivist policies, and the expansion of semi-secular government actions during the first Pahlavi period and deliberate neglect during the second Pahlavi have disrupted the relationship between the political system and Sunnis, leading to a widening gap between government and society. From Kymlicka's perspective, achieving multicultural citizenship requires realizing common goods and ensuring legal rights including ethnic rights, representation rights for special groups, and rights to self-governance. Therefore, the Islamic Republic has initiated a series of actions through policymaking and distribution of public benefits to bridge gaps, facilitate mutual actions, and organize commonalities while understanding limitations and the necessity of resource allocation towards achieving the common good. With a constructive approach, it has made Sunnis eligible for multicultural citizenship traits by improving their belief in citizenship.