Understanding My Identity: Reflections of an Iranian-American Ex-Muslim on the Ethnic Identity of Turks and the Global White Minority
By Bobby Darvish, Iranian-American Ex-Muslim, Former Vegan, Former Democrat, Former Socialist, Former CAIR-Columbus Executive Director, Former Muslim Forum of Utah President, Christian Conservative LDS
As an Iranian-American ex-Muslim, I’ve spent much of my life grappling with my identity. Raised in a country that often equates ethnicity with nationality, I have a complex relationship with the notion of what it means to be "white." People frequently misunderstand the ethnic origins of various groups in the Middle East and Central Asia, and as I’ve matured into my current Christian conservative LDS identity, I’ve come to realize that the realities of racial identity are far more nuanced than many of us acknowledge.
To begin with, I am a White Iranian-American. My roots trace back to ancient Iranian civilizations that predate Islam, steeped in the traditions of the Medes, Persians, and Sarmatians. Contrary to the popular perception of Iranians as non-white or Middle Eastern, I belong to an ethnic group that has always been recognized as Caucasian in the anthropological and historical sense. The cultural and physical features of my Iranian heritage align with what many would describe as White, and yet, I’ve often been categorized as something other than that because of the geographical region in which I was born.
In the context of the broader Middle East, another group often misclassified racially are the Turks. It's essential to understand that while modern Turks speak Turkish, the origins of their people—especially those who identify as "Turkish" in the contemporary sense—are far more complex. The original Turks who moved into the Anatolian Peninsula were indeed Altaic Turco-Mongol peoples, but the majority of modern Turks today are genetically much closer to Greeks, Iranians, and Russians. A significant portion of Turkey’s DNA can be traced back to Greek, Armenian, and even Slavic ancestries, rather than the Turkic, Altaic origins many people assume.
It’s true that over centuries of migration, conquest, and empire-building, the people of Turkey have absorbed various cultures, making the distinction between "pure" ethnic groups somewhat ambiguous. However, 90% of Turkey's DNA consists of Greek and other Anatolian ancestries, not Altaic Turco-Mongol DNA. Thus, from a genetic perspective, modern Turks are more akin to Greeks and Iranians than to their Mongolic ancestors. This revelation has profound implications for how we view the ethnic makeup of nations in the Middle East and Central Asia.
With that in mind, it's crucial to understand how I see the concept of "Whiteness" in the context of global demographics. While the West may predominantly associate Whiteness with Europeans, the reality is far more complex. The majority of the population in countries like Turkey, Iran, and Greece can be considered ethnically White based on genetics and historical classifications.
However, globally, Whites are increasingly becoming a minority. In the larger scheme of things, Whites comprise only about 15% of the world’s population, a sobering statistic that highlights the changing demographics of the global landscape. If we narrow the scope to Europe alone, the percentage of Whites plummets to just 8%. This means that while countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and much of Europe have historically been predominantly White, they are now home to more multicultural and multiethnic populations, and in a global sense, the White population is rapidly becoming a minority.
In my personal journey from a liberal and socialist perspective to a Christian conservative LDS standpoint, these realizations about race and identity have influenced the way I view the world. As an ex-Muslim, former CAIR-Columbus Executive Director, and former Muslim Forum of Utah President, I have been forced to confront the deeply ingrained identity politics that often divide us. For years, I associated with movements that sought to highlight ethnic and cultural divisions, but in retrospect, I now see the importance of understanding the broader historical context that shapes our identities.
The point of this reflection is not to deny the complex realities of race and ethnicity, but rather to encourage a more nuanced understanding of who we are as individuals and as nations. I am proud of my Iranian heritage, and I believe that modern Turks, despite their Turkic linguistic roots, are much more closely related to the Greeks, Iranians, and Russians than they are to the ancient Mongolic people of Central Asia.
Ultimately, the global White minority is a reality we must confront in our increasingly multicultural world. Understanding and embracing this shift in identity—one that transcends geographical and cultural borders—is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and nuanced perspective on ethnicity, race, and culture.
Citations:
- Migrations of Turkish People: "Genetic History of the Middle East," Nature Communications, 2018.
- DNA Analysis of Turks: "The Genetic Legacy of the Middle East," American Journal of Human Genetics, 2014.
- World Population Demographics: "World Population Prospects 2019," United Nations Population Division.
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