Iran Attacked Its Arab Neighbors -- Their DNA Explains Why

[Warpy]

Interesting factoids about stark cultural differences backed up by largely unmixed DNA, although both populations are mixed. They are simpkly distinct from each other.

While this is interesting stuff, I think Iran's reluctance to take on Turkey and Azerbaijan is rootd more in history than genetic or cultural separation. The pre British Empire history of the region tells of multiple wars fought between the Turks and Persuans, each one pretty much curb stomping the other and nearly ruining themselves in the process. I think that's the reason Iran has so far limited itself to strictly Arab nations plus Israel. They don't want to provoke the Turks if they don't have to.

[GiqueCee]

1. Interesting...

... and it appears to support something I read a few years ago: That Persians – now Iranians – are of Caucasian heritage, not Arabic. Their only similarities are religious, and even then, not the same sects; Iran is Sunni, the Arabs, largely Shiite. But, as in all things religious, the differences are enough of an excuse for countless wars.
If the species doesn't consume itself in a nuclear holocaust, humanity might someday abandon religion altogether, finally embrace our differences, rather than kill each other over them, and mega-church charlatans will be remembered as a failed evolutionary hiccup, and speaking in tongues will be a punchline.

[Ponietz]

2. Iran is Shiite

It’s Arab neighbors are principally Sunni.

[GiqueCee]

3. Thanks for the correction...

... I must have misread the Google entry. Apparently, Sunni was dominant in Iran between the 7th and 15th centuries.

[Warpy]

4. Shi'a Muslims are a slight majority in the Middle East as a whole

Last edited Tue Mar 31, 2026, 05:13 PM - Edit history (1)

Sunn9is were the ones who went forth and conquered, so they are the majority elsewhere. I admit my ignorant Iris ass didn't know this until Dubya astarted his wars and I finally got around to looking up the proportions of each in the Muslim parts of the world.

[wnylib]

5. Fighting between groups of people is probably based more on genes than on religion.

Jane Goodall documented warfare between troops of chimps that was brutal. One side would not just conquer the other side; they exterminated them down to the last chimp infant. Generally, as far as she could tell, those wars were based on territorialism and resources. Looks like a trait that we share with our closest primate relatives.

AFAIK, chimps do not have theological bases for tgeir wars. At least we humans usually do not kill off all of the enemy. We conquer them, take their territory and resources, intermarry with conquered people, or enslave them. But once in a while, there are human throwbacks to our ancient genes, who try to kill off everyone who is "the other. "