Iran is the only country to have Twelver Shiism as its official religion. In this tradition, religious leaders known as the maraji' al-taqlid ' the highest-ranking cleric within Twelver Shiism ' and other high-ranking clerics, including ayatollahs, are regarded as moral and spiritual authorities whose guidance extends to both religious and political matters. The second-largest population of Twelvers after Iran is in Iraq. Other major communities live in Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Azerbaijan and other countries of the Persian Gulf, such as Bahrain and Kuwait. There are also Twelver communities in some Western countries. I am a practicing Twelver and have worked for an anthropological research project that highlights the rich cultural traditions of ethnic groups across Iran, based on written historical documents that cover various topics. This experience deepened my appreciation for Iran's diversity, including the many ways in which Twelver Shiism is practiced and understood. Twelver...
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