Iranian authority opened fire on peaceful protestors in Ahwaz
Ahwazi Arab hold a mass demonstration against racial discrimination imposes by the Iranian regime. Thousands of Arabs in Al- Ahwaz have demonstrated against Iran’s repressive policies towards their political, social and national rights. The protests started on Monday 26th March 2018, and went bigger to reach its peak on Thursday 29th when the Iranian authority opened fire and teargas on the peaceful demonstrators.
According to the Ahwazi activists, a number of protesters were arrested, four of whom were women. There has been no verified report of casualties and injuries.
The protest was sparked by Iranian Channel 2 TV’s program addressing children, in which dolls representing different ethnic minorities were placed on the map of Iran, however, the Arab were neglected in the show, although the Ahwazi Arab population is 10-12 million which make up about 13% of the Iranian total population. Such programs are part of Iran’s policies for ethnic cleansing in Ahwaz by changing the social, structure and the demographics in this region.
Similar protests were held in other cities across Ahwaz, under the motto “Stop racism against Ahwazi Arab”, in which the protestors were chanting “we never leave our land”, “we never forget our Arab identity”, and “we sacrifice ourselves for Ahwaz”… Thousands of women and young men participated in the demonstration wearing Arabic traditional dress in an apparent protest against Persianization of the non-Persian people in Iran.
Since its occupation of Al-Ahwaz in 1925, Iran has been working to make a demographic change in Ahwaz to the detriment of Arab populations living in the region and replace them by people from other part of Iran. The names of the cities, villages, and countryside in Al-Ahwaz have been changed from Arabic to Persian. Moreover all the consecutive regimes in Iran have followed racist policies against Ahwazi people, policies such as racial discrimination, assimilation, isolation, impoverishment, neglecting,
For more than nine decades, the Ahwazi Arab have been struggling for their rights, and have shown themselves capable of unsettling Iranian regimes. A number of uprising have happened in Ahwaz since 1925, most popular of which and more recent one is the 15th April 2005’s uprising, also known as April Intifada, which occurred in 2005 in response to the publication of a leaked document written by the head office of then Iranian president, Mohammad Khatami.
The April etched in Ahwazi history as the month of uprising, as the Ahwazi celebrate the 20th April 1925 where Ahwaz was occupied by Iran, as well as the celebration of 15 April Intifada.
Prepared by: PADMAZ- Human Rights committee
