An Ahwazi village is being demolished by governmental order
PADMAZ – According to Ahwazi human rights activists an Ahwazi village with a population of several hundred Arab families, in outskirts of Ahwaz city, is being demolished by the Iranian authorities order. The village of Abolfazl, with a history of decades, is home to more than 300 Arab families.
The Bonyadeh Mostazafan, a foundation affiliated with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ali Khamenei, has cut off electricity from the village in the scorching summer heat, relying on the judiciary and the electricity organization support. Also, arrest warrants have been issued for the residents of this village and a number of residents of this village have been arrested for not evacuating their homes. Following this action, the residents of this village do not leave the house sitting inside the houses, despite the power outage and high heat.
According to one of the elders of this village, if such a claim is true, why was it not raised in these few years? Why do they remember this issue after 300 families built houses and made a living in this village for more than 30 years?! and in the days when Corona disease on the one hand and the sultry and exhausting heat and unhealthy economic situation on the other hand has worsened life for people. The old man added that this is the fatherland of all of us and it is not clear how the The Bonyadeh Mostazafan wants to own the lands of our ancestors.
According to his testimony, The Bonyadeh Mostazafan, with the support of the Electricity Organization, is trying to force the people of this village to evacuate their homes due to the power outage, even in the oppressive 50C+ heat.
“Our houses are being demolished here. I have five disabled children, one of whom has died,” said a woman living in the village. Why do they want to evict us from our homes?
Another man says: Not all children, women and men in the village dare to leave the house. The electricity supply to the village has become very poor because the Bonyadeh Mostazafan asked the electricity department not to install electricity poles.
“The men here are farmers, drivers, security guards or construction workers,” said another young boy who complained about his father’s arrest. They are not murderers or criminals who have been arrested for not leaving their homes. “The men in the village were arrested because of their homes, and we have to post bail of millions to secure their release,” he said. We, except our homes, have no official job or other property, so what is the fair condition that is imposed on us?
An old man from the village says: “The respect and position of the teacher is clear to everyone, but in this village they destroy the school, are not we from this country thus why they are committed to destroying our houses.”
One of the village youths also states: At night, due to the heat, either on the roof or on the street, we have to sleep with the unbearable heat that has even closed the offices, and it is not fair that the men of the village are arrested for not evicting their homes and released only if they make a commitment to evacuate homes that are their only shelter.
Seyyed Yousef Mousavi, one of the old men of Abolfazl village, says: This area was agricultural land almost before the revolution (1979) and it was built later. The revolution began in 1979, and when the Housing Foundation, and later the Bonyadeh Mostazafan were established, they took the vacant lands of the suburbs, including the lands of this village, and issued documents for them.
He goes on to point out that the people have revived and settled on their agricultural lands: “Although the current lands have been in the hands of farmers and they have revived them, and they even have the right of root, which has been confirmed by experts in organizations of Registration and Agriculture.” But now that the Bonyadeh Mostazafan has claimed ownership, it must identify the former owner of the land before asserting its ownership.
Mousavi laments: The Bonyadeh Mostazafan and the Housing Foundation also announced in their own language that the foundation had seized these lands, which means that the land already owned and later claimed ownership. So the lands belong to the farmers and they have to satisfy them.
He added that the issuance of the arrest warrant has frightened the residents of this village and no one feels calm and safe anymore. He said that not only were the villagers not provided with services, but some residents were detained and asked for bail for their release.
