Source: The Forward
http://www.forward.com/main/article.php?ref=eliassian200503161124
On March 18, 2005 The Forward reported, "Though the holiday of Purim is celebrated by Jews worldwide, the story, based as it is in Persia, has special resonance for the Jews of Iran. Recent decades have proved difficult for Persian Jews, many of whom fled the country after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. From a community of about 100,000, now an estimated 25,000 to 35,000 remain. This month, Jews from across Iran will pray at a shrine in Hamadan, in northwestern Iran, dedicated to the heroes of the Purim story. When they arrive, they will likely be met by Muslims and Christians, who pray year-round at the unusual shrine. The building follows the architecture of emamzadeh ('Islamic shrine'), but has walls adorned with Hebrew inscriptions describing Esther and Mordecai's origins. In fact, it might come as a surprise to many American Jews to learn that the story of Purim has resonance for all Iranians."