THE PAHLAVI POLICIES TO WARD BAHAISM (1953-1979)

Minority groups; including ethnicities, religious communities, and racial groups have been subjected state policies and strategies as a result of the extending and diversifying the modern nation-states. To study the State, as the most important body of formulating these policies is the first step toward the study of the minority question. On the other hand, minorities are not "passive social entities" and can share in shaping the official policies, improving view point of political elites toward minorities and even affecting minority politics. During the 1953-1979, in Iran "Minority Politics" has been changed dramatically. At this time, three different trends have met: Secularism of the State resulting in applying more limitations for religious tendencies and then activation of Bahaism in various fields of the society like economy, education, cultural issues, etc, Centralization of Power, which was an effort conducted by the court to marginalize the antagonist tendencies like Leftists and religious organizations and finally Minority Behavior have shaped the official policies toward Bahaism. As a conclusion, the interaction of Bahaism and Pahlavi regime followed a "compromise and consent paradigm" which was a new in sort.