close Video Iranian-American activist calls the treatment of Iranian protestors the 'greatest massacre' in Iran's history Iranian-American activist Elica Lebon shares her perspective on the treatment of Iranian protesters and recounts stories she says describe what is happening amid civil unrest on ‘The Story.’ NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Even as the anti-regime protests seemed to slow down on Friday, experts say there is a major part of the country that could help decide the future of the country and that’s Iran’s complex ethnic minority population, which makes up just under 50% of the population. Shukriya Bradost, a leading academic expert on Iran’s minorities, who was born and raised in the Kurdistan region of Iran, told Fox News Digital that "Ethnic groups from the establishment of the Islamic constitution in 1979 did not support it and have been fighting for their rights for 47 years."According to a new paper authored by Bradost, "Iran’s protests have spread across provinces, despite skepticism and concern among ethnic groups," she notes that 51% of the country is Persian, Azeris make up 24%, Kurds comprise roughly 8% to 17% of the nation, and Arabs and Baluch minorities number 3% and 2% of the population.
