Iran in direct attack on Israel

[jon1959]

Re: Iran in direct attack on Israel

Must admit that I didn't realise that such a small proportion of the Iranian population are Shia Muslims. Are you sure that is right?

Looks very wrong according to this:

A 2020 survey by the World Values Survey found that 96.6% of Iranians believe in Islam. According to the CIA World Factbook, around 90–95% of Iranian Muslims associate themselves with the Shia branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 5–10% with the Sunni and Sufi branches of Islam. According to the 2011 Iranian census, 99.98% of Iranians believe in Islam, while the rest of the population believe in other officially recognized minority religions: Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Iran

[jon1959]

Re: Iran in direct attack on Israel

Curveball here. I just saw an update…

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan receives the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, in Istanbul.”

Hard to see what that is. Either…

1. Asking for Turkish financial or military support (probably on behalf of Iran)

2. Asking Turkey to agree to cut off Middle East energy supplies to EU (Turkey won’t do that)

3. Communicate what Iran’s intentions are and seeking their views

I didn’t expect Turkey to be talking to Hamas, so this one surprises me.

Turkey have been talking to Hamas - and providing support - at least since 2006 when they were elected in Gaza.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_support_for_Hamas

[Keyser Soze]

Re: Iran in direct attack on Israel

Turkey have been talking to Hamas - and providing support - at least since 2006 when they were elected in Gaza.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_support_for_Hamas

Thanks Jon. I wasn’t watching Turkey’s activities too much 👍

[Keyser Soze]

Re: Iran in direct attack on Israel

Looks very wrong according to this:

A 2020 survey by the World Values Survey found that 96.6% of Iranians believe in Islam. According to the CIA World Factbook, around 90–95% of Iranian Muslims associate themselves with the Shia branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 5–10% with the Sunni and Sufi branches of Islam. According to the 2011 Iranian census, 99.98% of Iranians believe in Islam, while the rest of the population believe in other officially recognized minority religions: Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Iran

I looked at the CIA Factbook but wondered if I could really trust it. Saw the other link I posted and wondered how there can be such a huge disparity?

[Keyser Soze]

Re: Iran in direct attack on Israel

Looks very wrong according to this:

A 2020 survey by the World Values Survey found that 96.6% of Iranians believe in Islam. According to the CIA World Factbook, around 90–95% of Iranian Muslims associate themselves with the Shia branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 5–10% with the Sunni and Sufi branches of Islam. According to the 2011 Iranian census, 99.98% of Iranians believe in Islam, while the rest of the population believe in other officially recognized minority religions: Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Iran

I looked at the CIA Factbook but wondered if I could really trust it. Saw the other link I posted and wondered how there can be such a huge disparity?

My link says 20-30%. Wiki / CIA say 90% ish. A GAMAAN survey says around 50%. With an oppressive regime you can easily envision a mindset where you may openly claim to be Shia, but perhaps hold a different view due to fear.

Reality is we do not know, but there is a clear incentive and motivation for Iranian leaders, or opponents, to lie.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Iran

[truthpaste]

Re: Iran in direct attack on Israel

I looked at the CIA Factbook but wondered if I could really trust it. Saw the other link I posted and wondered how there can be such a huge disparity?

My link says 20-30%. Wiki / CIA say 90% ish. A GAMAAN survey says around 50%. With an oppressive regime you can easily envision a mindset where you may openly claim to be Shia, but perhaps hold a different view due to fear.

Reality is we do not know, but there is a clear incentive and motivation for Iranian leaders, or opponents, to lie.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Iran

In contrast with state propaganda that portrays Iran as a Shia nation, only 32% explicitly identified as such, while 5% said they were Sunni Muslim and 3% Sufi Muslim. Another 9% said they were atheists, along with 7% who prefer the label of spirituality. Among the other selected religions, 8% said they were Zoroastrians – which we interpret as a reflection of Persian nationalism and a desire for an alternative to Islam, rather than strict adherence to the Zoroastrian faith – while 1.5% said they were Christian.

Full article >> Iran’s secular shift: new survey reveals huge changes in religious beliefs

[jon1959]

Re: Iran in direct attack on Israel

In contrast with state propaganda that portrays Iran as a Shia nation, only 32% explicitly identified as such, while 5% said they were Sunni Muslim and 3% Sufi Muslim. Another 9% said they were atheists, along with 7% who prefer the label of spirituality. Among the other selected religions, 8% said they were Zoroastrians – which we interpret as a reflection of Persian nationalism and a desire for an alternative to Islam, rather than strict adherence to the Zoroastrian faith – while 1.5% said they were Christian.

Full article >> Iran’s secular shift: new survey reveals huge changes in religious beliefs

Interesting.

[truthpaste]

Re: Iran in direct attack on Israel

Some analysts say the Iranian attack was the largest combined missile and drone assault ever - bigger than anything Russia has levelled against Ukraine.

> BBC ARTICLE

"Both sides certainly will have learned military lessons. "The attack probably helped Iran identify the relative strengths and the weaknesses of the Israeli air defence system," said the Institute for the Study of War. Israel and the US will also have a greater understanding of Iran's tactical strategies"