For approximately 150 years, Baha'is in Iran have been persecuted on the basis of their religion. Limitations to aspects of their lives have compelled them to face "civic death" or migrate to other countries. This qualitative pilot study explored the experience of forced migration and how religion attenuates the disruption to the lives of Iranian Baha'is. Adaptive strategies that four participants utilised to re-establish continuity were examined. Participants who were satisfied with their lives developed a way to allow parallel cultural traditions (Iranian and Canadian) to co-exist; those who could not integrate found it difficult to maintain a balance between these traditions. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Iranian Baha'i qualitative research Immigration experience Religion Acculturation strategies

refugee psychological aspect Islam literature Saskatchewan human Refugees middle aged statistics Adaptation, Psychological ethnology Iran religion Anecdotes as Topic Young Adult Humans Canada female pilot study adaptive behavior Religion and Psychology questionnaire cultural factor women's health Article Questionnaires adult migration Emigration and Immigration Cultural Characteristics Pilot Projects