Ahwazi women farmers arrested for resisting the confiscation of their farmlands in “Jalizi” village in Elam. Click here to see the video. According to the reports received by Ahwaz Human Right Organization security forces sieged the Arab inhabitant “Up-Jalizi" village in Elam and arrested number of Ahwazi Women farmers in addition to 50 men who resisted the confiscation of their farmlands. On Sunday as the farmers of “Up-Jalizi" village were working on their lands, the "ATKA" organization, which is affiliated with the Iranian Army, entered the village and with the assistance of governmental security forces attacked working female farmers. They claimed the ownership of the farmland and used verbal violence, teargas and attacked the farmers with baton, injuring several. Later, the security forces attacked the "Dehloran" hospital and arrested the women who had been injured, preventing them from access to treatment. According to activists when farmers continued to refuse leaving their lands, the security forces entered the village and began random arrests of villagers in the street. They arrested more than 50 people. Others managed to escape to nearby villages and mountains. "ATKA" organization had already confiscated 4000 ha of land previously owned by Arab farmers and today seeks to seize the remaining 1000 ha .According to the inhabitants of the village, the Sheikhs of the village, “Faleh Hamidi “ and “Khalid Hamidi” are collaborators with the security forces and government and had confiscated over 600 hectares with the support of the ATKA organization and they are accomplices in committing this recent attack.From 1986 this village was a part of "Khuzestan" province which is inhabited by Arab majority, but currently it is part of the "Elam" province.
The Ahwazi Human Rights Organization calls for the release of 4 cultural activists detained by the Iranian security services in the city of Ahwaz several months ago .They were arrested and detained due to their activities in the field of promoting Arab culture and organising cultural events to preserve the Arabic identity in the face of Iranian government systematic forced assimilation of Arabs in Iran, as well as civil activities such as the assistance of the victims of the floods that hit Arabistan (Alahwaz).
Ahwaz Human Rights Organization has received their names and their current circumstances .
1- “Ali Hattab Sari (Zaheri)”,25 years old, married, no children, in his last year of studies in the field of law. He lived in “Dayra” ( Revolution ) neighbourhood of Ahwaz . He is a civil/cultural activist and was arrested on March 15th of this year. “Sari” was detained for 4 months in the security service detention of Ahwaz and later transferred to “Sheyban” (Suleh) prison. He is currently in this prison.
2- “Abdullah Farhoud Jeldawi”, 42 years old, married with 4 kids also from “Dayra” neighbourhood of Ahwaz. He was arrested 3 days prior to “Eid al -Adha” of this year and has been spending the past two months in security service detention center. “Jeldawi” was detained 12 times prior to this.
3-“ Ahmad Salawati(Khasraji)”, 35 years old, single, resident of “Baharestan” neighbourhood of Ahwaz and worked as an electric appliances repairman.He was taken from his home 3 months ago and after investigation was transferred to “Sheyban” prison. However couple of days ago he was again transferred to security services. 9 years ago he was sent to prison for 3 years for for communication with Ahwazi Arab activists abroad.
4-“ Ahmad Tha’albi” known as “Abu Ehsan”, 27 years old, married with two children, worked as a salesman of Arabic traditional cloths and perfume ,also from “Dayra” neighbourhood. “Tha’albi” is a cultural activist and was arrested 21 days ago and is currently in “Sheyban” prison of Ahwaz.
Ahwazi Arabs have launched a campaign on social media called #Freedom and called for the release of these activists .
AHRO strongly condemns the practices of Iranian security authorities in Alahwaz region and considers the suppression of the peaceful civil movement of the Arab activists as part of the policy of silencing these peaceful voices in order to empty the scene of any peaceful activity in Ahwaz.
This is an intelligence policy aimed at encouraging young Arabs to resort to violence so that the suppression and violence against Arabs by Iranian government would be justifiable .
Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation calls for the immediate and unconditional release of these 4 cultural activists. And demands the Iranian governments to stop these arbitrary arrests and allow the practice of the peaceful activities that aim at preserving the culture, identity and the history of Arabs in Iran. Preserving ones identity and culture is one of the most basic human rights in the world.
Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO) received shocking footages which shows Iranian security publicly humiliating a group of arrested Ahwazi Arab men. Click here to watch the video. The agents are shouting, coursing and making the men bark like dogs. The exact date and place in which the video was recorded is not clear, however activists on social media believe that it is related to the arrests during the last Al-adha celebration (31 August)in which Iranian police and security forces arrested dozens of Ahwazi Arabs as they do every year around the same time. AHRO had warned against the mistreatment of detainees by the Iranian security service and condemns these inhuman treatment which is in breach of both Iranian and International laws and calls for the punishment of the perpetrators.
With the start of this school year in Iran, Ahwazi children have launched a campaign called "education in mother tongue is my right” . On Saturday, 23rd of September, millions of students in Iran started the first day of the new academic year, However Ahwazi Arabs and other non-Persian nations in Iran are deprived of education in their native language. Students must begin their studies in Farsi, which is the only official language according to the Iranian constitution. On this day Ahwazi Arabs launched the campaign "education in mother language is my right" on social media to campaign and assert the need for a multilingual education system for a multiethnic country like Iran. The students and their families have published many pictures and videos with the same hashtag and called the Iranian government to allow education in Arabic at schools of Ahwaz. Click on the link in blue to view the pictures and videos: #التعليم_بلغة_الأم_حقي
Farsi is the language of only one nation within Iran while other nations which make up more than half of the population speak in different languages such As Arabic,Kurdish, Turkish and Baluchi. UNESCO's education 2030 which aims tat ensuring equal access to education for all, requires the government to teach all national languages. However in Iran the Academic of Literature and Persian Language, insists on banning the education in mother tongue, stating that it would damage the Farsi language. It is clear that nationalists and radical islamist in the the Islamic Republic are seeking to discourage and prevent the realisation of the natural human right of children to learn their mother tongue. The Iranian Government continues to violate the international resolution of 16 May 2007, in which the General Assembly, in its resolution A / RES / 61/266, called upon Member States to "promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by the peoples of the world" . In the same resolution, the General Assembly proclaimed the year 2008 as an International Year of Languages to promote unity and diversity in order to promote international understanding of multilingualism and multiculturalism. The Ahwaz Human Rights Organization calls for the implementation of international laws concerning the right to education of the Ahwazi Arab people and other non-Persian peoples in Iran in their mother tongues, which is affirmed in many international instruments, particularly articles 3 and 4 of the ational or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities , United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/135 of 1992, article 30 of the Charter on the Rights of the Child (adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child) and article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (of 16 December 1946) of the United Nations General Assembly. The Iranian government has signed all these resolutions and charters, hence must implement them unconditionally, especially that for the past 38 years the implementation of Article 15 of the Iranian Constitution, which stipulates the right to education in the mother tongue of all non-Persian peoples has been suspended.
On Saturday 16th Sep 2017 dust particles in the air in Ahwaz reached 1,263 micrograms per cubic meter making it 8.42 times the maximum limit. According to head of the Public Relations of Department of the Environmental Protection Agency of Khuzestan, “at 8:00 A.M saturday morning the amount of dust particles reached 1,263 micrograms in Ahwaz , 244 micrograms in Shushtar and in Dezful 300 micrograms per cubic meter” , while the normal limit of airborne particles is 150 micrograms per cubic meter. Ahwazi citizens organised hundreds of protests against the Iranian government’s discriminatory policies and water transfer from Khuzestan province to central areas, and the consequent environmental damages which resulted in drying of the rivers, wetlands and other surface and subsurface waters.
Official statistics and surveys show that the increase in dust and sandstorm in the country are a result of water transfer projects, and the deliberate drying up of wetlands for the purpose of extracting oil and watering the sugarcane plantations. Ahwaz Human Rights Organization strongly condemns the hostile environmental policies, water deviation out of the province, drying of the rivers and wetlands and calls for an end of these harmful practices. We call on international human rights institutions and environmental organisations to exercise pressure on the Iranian government to stop the destruction of the environment and abide by international codes and standards to protect the environment and the people.
Ahwaz Human Rights Organization September 16, 2017
Mass Arrests on the First Day of Eve in Ahwaz Iranian security launched a mass arrest campaign on the first day of Eid al-Fitr in various areas of Ahwaz and other cites in Al-Ahwaz . Currently there are more than a dozen Ahwazi Arab men under arrest : 1- Ahmad Hazbawi 2- Naser Asadi 3- Morteza Silawi 4- Morteza Hardani 5- Mohammad Afrawi 6-Maher Masoudi 7- Ali Zuhairi 8- Adnan Hardani 9- Ahmad Braje’e 10-Ali Sharifi 11-Ahmad Masoudi 12- Mohammad Masoudi 13- Obaida Eskein Qazlawi 14- Aziz Hamidawi (Ahwaz -Weis ) 15-Mohammed Hamidawi (Ahwaz- Weis ) 15- Abbas Fior (Abadan) 16- Mohannad Baqlani (Abadan ) The last two names above were organising a march for Eid greetings as it is an Ahwazi tradition to visit friends and family on the first day of Eid -al Fitr . Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation condemns these repeatedly arbitrary arrests and calls on the Iranian government to respect the right of freedom of assembly and demands the immediate and unconditioned release of these Ahwazi Arab citizens.
According to reports received by Ahwaz Human rights organization (AHRO) ; judge Poormohammadi of branch 4 of Islamic Iranian revolutionary court in Ahwaz sentenced 3 Ahwazi Arab cultural activists to prison and exile . Issa Damani ,Mojahed Zergani and Hussein Heidari were arrested for “spreading propaganda against the Iranian regime” and establishing non-governmental organisations . Each of the activists received 1 year prison sentence . In addition to this sentence, Issa Damani will be exiled to “Takab” city in western Azerbaijan . Teaching Arabic language in a language school , creating a civil group to amend tribal laws and decrease the negative impacts of trial believes and traditions ,in addition to founding a charity to help the poor were the type of activity these 3 mena were involved in . All three activists were arrested in the month of March 2017 and were held in an undisclosed detention center for a period of 1 month and a half on Saturday 25 of May their sentence was announced .None of the activities these three gentlemen were involved in are in any way illegal , nor is in conflict with the international law or the laws of the country . Iranian government suppresses any activity by the Arabs of Iran, even if it related to cultural and social being of the community such as charity and has been using the false accusation of “propaganda against the regime “to silence the civil society activists . Prosecuting this class of cultural activist who direct their effort and energy towards peaceful activities to obtain their rights ,will bring disappointment to a whole society of people who believe civil activity could change the situation for Arabs in Iran and it may give place to violence if no measure should be taken to put an end to the atrocities committed by the Tehran against national minorities in Iran . Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation condemns this screaming human rights violation against the 3 Ahwazi Arab cultural activists and calls for their immediate and unconditioned release . We also call upon UN, HRW, Amnesty International and other national and international human rights groups to take an initiative and a stronger stand against anti-human policies of Islamic Republic Of Iran . Ahwaz Human rights organization (AHRO) 29-6-2017
On April 24th, 2017 Executive Director of Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation (AHRO) participated in a conference titled “Managing Middle East Diversity: the Modalities” hosted by AUC forum (American University of Cairo) The conference was held at the Middle East Forum of the American University where the situation in the Middle East in the light of Arab Spring was at the center of discussion . The current situation in Iraq, Syria and Yemen and the peaceful alternatives available to address the rights of ethnicities living in Middle Eastern countries was debated during a two day period from 23-24th April in Cairo . Speakers included , professors, researchers , directors of study centres and representatives of ethnic groups from Middle Eastern countries . Representative of Ahwazi Arabs, Amazigh , Yezidis , ethnic groups of Sudan shared their experience and expertise with the attendance . The conference was also attended by delegates from various countries of the region including Egypt, Sudan , Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey, Yemen and Ahwaz .
In the panel “national diversity in Iran “ ,Dr. Karim Abdian, Executive Director of Ahwaz Human Rights Organization presented a study “internal Self-Determination as a crisis management tool in resolving ethnic conflicts “. Abdian presented Iran as a model of a multi-ethnic state , and suggested peaceful approaches to resolve the conflict of ethnicities , according to which indigenous, native population constituting the majority in their own regions , run their internal affairs without the interference of the central government ,this can be obtained through internal self determination. In this study Abdian underlined the suppression the Iranian government exercises against different non-Persian ethnicities especially Arabs in Ahwaz such as ban on education in mother tongue , lack of political and administrative representation on both local and national level , extrajudicial execution , demographic changes , wide spread poverty among indigenous population despite the wealth of the region etc. The study presented a peaceful solution for the problem of ethnicities in Iran. It is expected that the recommendations in this conference be presented to the relevant decision making levels .
Iranian authorities executed 530 person in the year 2016 . 44 were Ahwazi Arabs and Kurdish political activists who were sentenced to death under the vague charges of “enmity against god” and “sowing corruption on earth”
Islamic regime of Iran uses theses charges to criminalise any individual even if the individual is a peaceful activists and consequently connects their activities with opposition political parties or armed organisations These charges have no base in reality in most of the cases .
In August 2016 the following three Ahwazi Arab activists were executed. Qayth Abidawi 25 year-old , his brother Ahmed Abidawi 20 year-old and their cousin Sajjad Balawi 26 year-old under the charges of “enimity against God “ , “ threatening the national security “ and “sowing corruption on earth “.
They were arrested among a group of 20 who were also suspected to be involved in a shooting .Later the Revolutionary Court released some of them while a group of four received long prison sentence and the 3 young men were executed .
On March 10th , Concurrent with 34th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva , a side event titled " self determination and autonomy :the implementation of the right of self determination as a contribution to conflict prevention “ was organised by Association Solidarite International Afrique in partnership with Association Bhaarathi Centre Culturel Franco-Tamoul, Association Des Etudiants Tamoules de France , and Swiss council of Eelam Tamils .
The description of the side event reads : “The Universal Declaration of human Rights , reflect upon the progress which has been made in the field of human rights since the Declaration’s adaptation , on December 10, 1948 ,it emphasises the need to respect human rights so that people will not be forced in the last resort to seek recourse to rebellion against tyranny. Self-determination itself is a human right and a prerequisite to the full enjoyment of other human rights . The implementation of this right is often perceived by people as a means to free themselves from oppression and tyranny .Many of today’s armed conflicts are centred around claims for self-determination .”
The speakers included : Mr. Baban Eliassi ,Centre Zagros pour les Deroit de L’homme from Kurdistan-Iran Mr.Karim Abdian , Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation -Arabistan -Iran Mrs. Abdesalem Omeima, Women Rights activist -Occupied Western Sahara Mr.Gandhi Thirumurugan ,Human Rights activist from Tamil Nadu -India Mrs. Hend Omairan , Women Rights activist -South Yemen .
Below is the presentation of Dr. Karim Abdian, President of Ahwaz Human Rights Organisation.
A quick glance at the current crisis spots in the Middle East invariably shows that the causes lay in the disenfranchisement, marginalisation, oppression and exclusion of non-dominant nationalities. Its true in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Turkey and certainly in Iran.
I believe a looming such crisis in the horizon is Iran - Iran is the most diverse country in the region. A multinational state that is comprised of six major nationalities including Arabs, Baluchis, Kurds, Persians, Turks, Turkmen and smaller groups of other ethnic/linguistic and tribal groups. No one ethnic group has a numerical majority.�Iran is also home to Sunnis, Christians, Jews, Bahis, Manadis and others. These ethnic and religious groups comprise at least 50 and by some estimates 2/3 of the population. Yet these groups have not been accorded equal citizenship – their ethnicity and/or their religion are not being officially acknowledged. Its also believed that a 1/3 of the population is Sunni- yet constitutionally, Persian language is the sole official language, and –Jafari Shia is the official religion - all other are ignored, oppressed, negated or at best marginalised. An Iranian Shia and Fars/Persian is by default have been positioned in a great advantage and dominance. Using Shia theology and Persian literature, history, language and the education, the system, strategically and deliberately, privileged one ethnic group over others, thus creating socio-economic inequality, exclusion and oppression thereby stifling any chance of democratic transformation.�Promoting aggressive nationalism in Iran often times manifest itself in anti-Arab racism, and particularly against Ahwazi-Arab nation.
Ahwazi-Arabs, residing mainly in the southwest of Iran, in the province of Khuzestan or as called by its indigenous name, eghlim Al-Ahwaz or Arabistan, are an ethnic, national and linguistic minority in Iran. They are caught between an unfortunate phenomenon; they are subjected to racism due to historical Persian-Arab animosity. Ahwazi-Arabs have been one of the excluded constituent nationalities and Socio-economically, among the most oppressed and rank at the bottom- estimated to be between 5-7 million or about 10% of the population. The regime changed the Arabic name to Persian one to deny their Arab identity. Ahwazi-Arab historical lands account for 90% of Iran’s oil GDP, yet they live in abject poverty Let’s look at what the so-called international community, the UN, and the keepers of the “World Order” have to offer to these disenfranchised, marginalised, and oppressed peoples. What is the crisis management or preventative tools and measures presented or promised? Obviously the right of self-determination is one - In UN literature, right to self-determination is defined as the right of a particular group of people to freely determine and control their political, economic or socio-cultural destinies. We clearly support the UN despite its ambiguities and shortcomings – but in the absence of our representation in the UN and in light of ethnic cleaning and socio-economic subjugation by repressive states that rule us, the solution for oppressed people is the right to self-determination–but how do peoples such as the Ahwazi Arabs make the UN to abide by its obligations and enforce this right? Article 2 of the UN Resolution 1514 of1960 states that: “All peoples have the right to self-determination, by virtue of economic, social and cultural development”. In all subsequent UN and regional organizations’ resolutions and literature, the word “peoples” is repeated over and over as the supposed possessors, or receivers, of self-determination. ALL UN covenants such as International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR, the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of 1966, the GA resolution of 1970, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, and the charter of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) adopted in Paris 1994 all refer to People entitled to self-determination--without defining who constitute people, with sometimes vague or conflicting or even contradictory explanations and definitions. I guess this what they call “CREATIVE AMBIGUITY” In a report by UN experts during the UN Conference in 1998 in Barcelona on the “Implementation of self-determination: as a contribution to conflict prevention”: Presents two types of self-determination, internal self-determination and external self-determination. �By Internal self-determination they meant the right to decide the identity and the form of governing body by the whole population of a State and the right of a particular group within the State to participate in decision-making at the State level, and the right to exercise cultural, linguistic, religious or (territorial) political autonomy within the boundaries of the existing state. It says that, politically, internal self-determination can take the form of participatory democracy, federalism, confederation, local government, self-government within the existing state or any other arrangement that accord with the wishes of the people but compatible with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the existing state. External, or full elf-determination is described as the right to separate from the existing states of which the group concerned is a part of, and to set up a new independent state. While seemingly there is a distinction between “people”, “minority” and “indigenous nation or people”. The concept of self-determination is problematically rigid regarding shifting borders or session. Generally, the consent of the state to which a people belong is needed for secession. For example, the Arbitration Commission of the Peace Conference on Yugoslavia, states that: “It is well established that, whatever the circumstance, the right to self-determination must not involve changes to existing frontiers at the time of independence except where the states concerned agree otherwise”. An exception for full self-determination would be flagrant/serious human rights violations., including persistent oppression, annihilation/targeted killings, domination, discrimination, marginalisation, and other grave injustices denied any meaningful exercise of its right to self-determination, excluded its representatives from decision especially in matters affecting the well-being and security of the people, suppressed their culture, religion, language and other attributes of the identity valued by the members. As for the possibility of internal self-determination for non-dominant ethnic minorities and/or peoples and nations in Iran, the dominant nationality, Persian Iranians and the government reject such a concept, fearing that it would be the first step towards their country’s fragmentation. The Balkans wars are cited as an example of what would happen to Iran if its regional governments were given a measure of autonomy. The notion that Iran would balkanize with the introduction of a federal democratic constitution is based on the supposition that Iran’s minorities are inherently disloyal. It is, in fact, a racist belief that ensures that the ambitions of regional-based ethnic minorities should be forever repressed to ensure the integrity of the Iranian state. This attitude is shared by significant sections of the Iranian opposition and the Islamic regime itself. We believe that equality needs to be accompanied by the devolution of power and a fair redistribution of wealth generated by the abundant resources in their traditional lands. For the Ahwazi Arabs, federalism and regional autonomy would enable them to control their own affairs, protect their land rights and exercise their cultural rights. In absence of such peaceful transformation, increased oppression and continued social and economic marginalisation of the Ahwazi Arabs will also generate the kind of extremist backlash seen elsewhere in the region. So in conclusion, by implementation of internal self-determination, In Iran, or any other repressive multinational state, would mean an arrangement where a voluntary association of all national groups constituting Iran (or any state) in which they will have the opportunity to develop their respective cultures, languages, histories, economies and homelands, under an appropriate manifestation of sovereignty, federal, nonfederal with an equally suitable system of good governance that guarantees and respects the rights of self-determination, may be an interim solution for peace and stability until and within a reasonable period where civil societies can evolve and develop to facilitate the international community to embark upon and guarantee a fair and a transparent referendum for these nations, nationalities or peoples.
