We've already told you a bit about how
our Muslim majority population is
flexible towards all monotheistic faiths.
In fact, Iranians are very curious about
different religions and traditions.
Amir Mehdi Kazemi is curiosity led him to
this colony.
Iran is a predominantly Muslim country
more than 95% of the population of Iran are Muslims.
In fact,  Islam is Iran's official religion.
In addition to Islam people from other
faiths also been living side-by-side Muslims
in Iran for hundreds of years.
Such as the Christians the Jews and the Zoroastrian.
But that's not all Iran has to offer in terms
of ethnic and cultural diversity and believe
me when I say this is one of
the rare cases which has remained very much
unnoticed until today even in its own neighborhood.
Hello how are you Mr. Rosie.
Fine very nice to see you, thank you very much.
This is for you, cover your head with this.
Alright thank you thank you very much.
What did you say his name was?
This is Pata. Patka all right
Thank You.
You should cover your head.
Okay
In fact, we have been given exclusive access to this place
and I will have a lot to show you inside this
building so follow me
This is the Sikh temple or the Gurdwara
situated in the heart of the Iranian capital Tehran.
In order to arrive inside the temple
everyone must cover their heads as a sign of respect.
In a few hours from now many Sikh families will
gather here in a reunion in order to
take part in special religious ceremony.
The Sikhs of Iran are to some extent a
closed community when it comes to
exposing their personal lives and rituals to other people.
I guess I was the only person who has ever had the
chance to report from inside their temple in Tehran.
They had selected one
person among themselves to speak to us
Sardar Harnam Singh Anand has been to
Iran for 60 years he's a successful
businessman that he also considers
himself as a servant in the Gurdwara.
For Sikh men wearing a special turban
and growing an everlasting beard as a tradition.
Sikh women usually wear a
modest traditional Indian dress which is
of course very colorful in addition to a vail.
The biggest Sikh gathering is held on
the last Friday of every month in the
Christian calendar that is when the
temple turns into a Sikh social club
where many families gather for social
interaction in addition to prayers.
It is a good opportunity for everybody to stay
connected with the roots and customs.
Some members of the community usually
volunteer to help out with the reception,
that includes working in the kitchen,
making bread, washing the dishes and
serving food to the guests.
For many, centuries different ethnic groups and tribes migrated to Iran.
They stayed here, cherished it, and later considered it as their motherland.
They gradually turned into an inseparable
part of Iran itself.
I'm Amir Mehdi Kazumi
see you next time in Iran.
