UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO
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Marine Corps Intelligence Activity |
(U) Key Points:
- (U) The Baluch are an ethnic minority group in eastern
Iran; they call themselves Baluch or Baluchi. They have lived in Iran since
the 12th century and make up 2 percent of the total population with 2 million
people. Their ethnic origins are Arab.
- (U) The Baluch are a larger ethnic community made
up of several different tribes. Baluch consider themselves members of a specific
tribe and a part of the larger Baluch ethnic group. The significance of the
two identities depends on the situation.
- (U) The Baluch speak an Indo-Iranian language. This
makes it easier for them to learn Persian. Many Baluch are concerned that
their language is disappearing.
- (U) Most Baluch are nomads. The rest have settled
in villages and towns in Sistan-Baluchistan province and cultivate dates or
have small businesses.
- (U) The Baluch see themselves as a fierce, defiant
people, proud that they have been able to thrive in such adverse circumstances,
including their physical environment in the challenging territory of Sistan-Baluchistan
and the discriminatory practices of the government.
- (U) Baluch chiefs have a responsibility to serve
their tribe, but they also must work with the government to help manage tribal
affairs.
- (U) Nomadic Baluch live a particularly arduous life.
Their few possessions are highly valued. Baluch are proud of their ability
to survive and believe they are can overcome any obstacle.
- (U) The Baluch practice a folk version of Sunni
Islam. This makes them a religious as well as ethnic minority in Shi'a
Iran.
- (U) Families are tight-knit groups; one’s lineage
serves as the bulwark for any individual Baluch. Families include a Baluch’s
parents, children, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
- (U) Sistan-Baluchistan is the least developed province
in Iran. The Baluch are one of the least modern ethnic groups in central Asia;
most Baluch are illiterate and uneducated.
- (U) Nomadic Baluch and settled Baluch both wear traditional
clothing that includes long tunics and pants. Men wear turbans and usually
have a beard. Women wear a chador (veil)
when necessary.
- (U) The Baluch have a reputation as being fierce,
violent, and cunning; their raids also left them wealthier than many of the
other nomadic tribes in Iran.
- (U) The Baluch believe that their traditional profession
is warfighting, which has always had an economic aspect. For them, the spoils
of war make the fight worthwhile.
| Baluch >> |
UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO