The Link between Economic Action and Religious-Ethnic Identity: The Case of Sabei Goldsmiths and Potters in Ahvaz

Cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of Iran is one of the unique features of this country. Sabei Mandaeans are one of the most marginalized religious and ethnic minorities living in Khuzestan province. One of the traditional occupations by which they are recognized today is enameling on gold and silver. This article aims to describe and interpret the Sabei Mandaeans professional practice of goldsmith and enameling on gold and silver and its continuation to the present day. The study is a qualitative research that was conducted using an ethnographic approach. The semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using the thematic method. According to the research findings, there is a close link between the Sabeis profession and occupation and their religious-ethnic identity, which has led to the continuation of goldsmith and enameling on gold and silver among them. The findings of this study also show that Sabei Mandaeans engaged in the profession of goldsmith and enameling use the language of image and enameling on precious metals to express their religious beliefs and history and that they use it as a tool for "ethnic and religious identification".