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{{Multiple issues|disputed=December 2007|POV=December 2007|cleanup =January 2007}}
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{{outdated|date=June 2016}}

]
This article focuses on the '''politics of ]''', a ]-rich and ethnically diverse province of southwestern ].
] is a ]-rich, ethnically-diverse ] in southwestern ]. Oil fields in the province include ], ], ], ], ] and ]. ] has voiced human-rights concerns about Khuzestan's Arab population, and United Nations special rapporteur ] has also drawn attention to Arab displacement and poverty among the ].


==Background== ==Background==
Khuzestan is ethnically diverse {{Citation needed|date=December 2007}}, home to a number of distinct peoples and tribal groups. This has a bearing on Khuzestan's electoral politics, with ethnic minority rights playing a significant role in the province's political culture. The province's geographical location bordering Iraq and its oil resources also make it a politically sensitive region, particularly given its history of foreign intervention, notably the Iraqi invasion of 1980. At the same time, there are ethnic grievances among the province's population{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}, mostly from some Arab groups. {{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}. The Arab population has established itself in Khuzestan mainly through the last 5 centuries of migration from neighbouring regions of Iraq well after the establishment of ] elements in the region. Khuzestan province is inhabited by a number of ethnic groups: the ], ], ], ], ] and ].<ref name=khuz></ref> Half of the province is inhabited primarily by Arabs, and the other half is inhabited primarily by ].{{cn|date=January 2021}} Khuzestan's ethnic diversity affects its politics, with ethnic-minority rights playing a significant role. The province's location (bordering Iraq) and its oil resources make it a politically-sensitive region due to its history of foreign intervention, notably the ]. Ethnic groups, particularly some Arab groups, express grievances. According to ], "Most Iranian Arabs seek their constitutionally guaranteed rights and do not have a separatist agenda&nbsp;... While it may be true that some Arab activists are separatists, most see themselves as Iranians first and declare their commitment to the state's territorial integrity."<ref>{{cite web
Some Arab groups complain over the distribution of the revenue generated by oil resources with claims that the central government is failing to invest profits from the oil industry in employment generation, post-war reconstruction and welfare projects. Low human development indicators among local Khuzestanis are contrasted with the wealth generation of the local oil industry. Minority rights are frequently identified with strategic concerns, with ethnic unrest perceived by the Iranian government as being generated by foreign governments to undermine the country's oil industry and its internal stability. The politics of Khuzestan therefore have international significance and go beyond the realm of electoral politics.

According to ], ''"Most Iranian Arabs seek their constitutionally guaranteed rights and do not have a separatist agenda ... While it may be true that some Arab activists are separatists, most see themselves as Iranians first and declare their commitment to the state's territorial integrity."''<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jid/jid070105_1_n.shtml |url=http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jid/jid070105_1_n.shtml
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708100255/http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/jid/jid070105_1_n.shtml
|archive-date=2007-07-08
|title=Anger among Iran's Arabs |title=Anger among Iran's Arabs
|publisher=Janes Information Group |publisher=Janes Information Group
|accessdate=2009-04-11}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>

==Prominent Khuzestani politicians==
Khuzestan has produced many prominent politicians. Iran's current Minister of Agriculture ], ] (secretary of Iran's powerful ]) and some parliamentary committee chairs have been from Khuzestan.

], an Arab from ], held Iran's sensitive top military post of Minister of Defense from 1997 to 2005, in President Khatami's government.

The Iraqi-born Ayatollah ] served as a Khuzestan representative in the Assembly of Experts, was the personal representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (the Supreme Leader of Iran) in London and headed the ] until 2004.

==Local grievances==

Endemic poverty in Khuzestan is contrasted with the wealth generated by the province, particularly from oil, petrochemicals and agriculture. This poverty, however, is a fact of life throughout Iran for all ethnic groups.


=={{anchor|Prominent Khuzestani politicians}}Politicians==
The ] estimates that approximately 1% of Iran's 68,017,860 citizens are Arabic-speakers, of whom the majority live in Khuzestan, with 1% speaking Arabic as their native or primary language.<ref>{{cite web
{{unsourced section|date=January 2021}}
|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html
Former Iranian minister of agriculture ], ] (secretary of the ]), and several parliamentary committee chairs are from Khuzestan. ], an Arab from ], was minister of defense from 1997 to 2005 as part of President ]'s government. The Iraqi-born Ayatollah ] was a Khuzestan representative in the Assembly of Experts, the personal representative of Ayatollah ] (the ]) in London, and headed the ] until 2004.
|title=CIA World Factbook
|publisher=CIA
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> Articles 15, 19 and 48 of the Iranian Constitution establish the basis for ethnic, linguistic and cultural minority rights in the fields of education, employment and the distribution of resources. However, human rights groups have claimed that Iranian minorities often face discrimination and estrictions on social, cultural, linguistic and religious freedoms (''see ]''). Minority issues are therefore a major feature of political debate in Khuzestan.


===Human rights=== ==Human rights==
] routinely raises human rights concerns relating to Khuzestan's Arabs through linking with separatists websites who provide information, in particular the arrest and detention of political activists, torture and executions. While Khuzestan is not unique in terms of its human rights record, Amnesty notes that often these abuses are related to institutional discrimination. In its report entitled ''New government fails to address dire human rights situation'' published in February 2006, Amnesty states:


{{quote|Even where the majority of the local population is Arab, schools are reportedly not allowed to teach through the medium of Arabic; illiteracy rates are reportedly high, especially among Iranian Arab women in rural areas ... land expropriation by the Iranian authorities is reportedly so widespread that it appears to amount to a policy aimed at dispossessing Arabs of their traditional lands. This is apparently part of a strategy aimed at the forcible relocation of Arabs to other areas while facilitating the transfer of non-Arabs into Khuzestan and is linked to economic policies such as zero interest loans which are not available to local Arabs.|<ref>{{cite web
Khuzestan has been a focus of criticism by human rights groups. ] routinely raises human rights concerns relating to Khuzestani Arabs through linking with separatists websites who provide information, in particular the arrest and detention of political activists, torture and executions. While Khuzestan is not unique in terms of its human rights record, Amnesty notes that often these abuses are related to institutional discrimination. In its report entitled ''New government fails to address dire human rights situation'' published in February 2006, Amnesty states:
:''Even where the majority of the local population is Arab, schools are reportedly not allowed to teach through the medium of Arabic; illiteracy rates are reportedly high, especially among Iranian Arab women in rural areas ... land expropriation by the Iranian authorities is reportedly so widespread that it appears to amount to a policy aimed at dispossessing Arabs of their traditional lands. This is apparently part of a strategy aimed at the forcible relocation of Arabs to other areas while facilitating the transfer of non-Arabs into Khuzestan and is linked to economic policies such as zero interest loans which are not available to local Arabs.''[<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130102006?open&of=ENG-IRN |url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130102006?open&of=ENG-IRN
|title=Iran: New government fails to address dire human rights situation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012203327/http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130102006?open&of=ENG-IRN |archive-date=October 12, 2007 |title=Iran: New government fails to address dire human rights situation
|publisher=Amnesty International |publisher=Amnesty International
|date=2006-02-16 |date=2006-02-16
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>}}


In 1997, ] reported that "Iranian Arabs, an ethnic minority centered in southwest ], have cited significant restrictions on their language and culture, and on their right to participate effectively in decisions affecting the area in which they live."<ref>{{cite web In 1997, ] reported that "Iranian Arabs, an ethnic minority centered in southwest ], have cited significant restrictions on their language and culture, and on their right to participate effectively in decisions affecting the area in which they live."<ref>{{cite web
Line 46: Line 33:
|publisher=Human Rights Watch |publisher=Human Rights Watch
|date=1997-09-24 |date=1997-09-24
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> According to another report in the same year, "] is not taught in elementary schools, and the ] teaching in secondary schools focuses exclusively on religious texts. The governor of Khuzestan is not an ]" while "] make up 35-45 percent of the three million inhabitants of Khuzestan province in the southwest of Iran."<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref> According to another report in the same year, "] is not taught in elementary schools, and the ] teaching in secondary schools focuses exclusively on religious texts. The governor of Khuzestan is not an ]" while "] make up 35-45 percent of the three million inhabitants of Khuzestan province in the southwest of Iran."<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.hrw.org/reports/1997/iran/Iran-06.htm |url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/1997/iran/Iran-06.htm
|title=ETHNIC MINORITIES |title=ETHNIC MINORITIES
|publisher=Human Rights Watch |publisher=Human Rights Watch
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> In 2005, separatist groups claimed that there was "inadequate attention to their culture and language by state media, facing discrimination in getting jobs, unfair distribution of Khuzestan's oil wealth." |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref> In 2005, separatist groups claimed that there was "inadequate attention to their culture and language by state media, facing discrimination in getting jobs, unfair distribution of Khuzestan's oil wealth."


Joe Stork, the director of HRW's Middle East division, said: "The Iranian authorities have again displayed their readiness to silence those who denounce human rights violations. We have serious allegations the government used excessive lethal force, arbitrary arrests and torture in Khuzistan."<ref>{{cite web Joe Stork, the director of HRW's Middle East division, said: "The Iranian authorities have again displayed their readiness to silence those who denounce human rights violations. We have serious allegations the government used excessive lethal force, arbitrary arrests and torture in Khuzistan."<ref>{{cite web
Line 57: Line 44:
|publisher=Human Rights Watch |publisher=Human Rights Watch
|date=2005-05-09 |date=2005-05-09
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>


==={{anchor|Alleged forced displacement}}Arab displacement and Lak poverty===
The claims made by human rights groups have been strongly contested by the Iranian government, which claims that efforts to disproportionately accentuate the problems in Khuzestan are being led by foreign media or political groups, particularly those based in the UK.<ref>{{cite web
{{Refimprove-section|date=December 2020}}
|url=http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200510/FOR20051017b.html|title=x
After a July 2005 visit to Khuzestan, United Nations Special Rapporteur for Adequate Housing Miloon Kothari reported that industrial and agricultural development had displaced Arabs from their land and they were compensated a fraction of its market value. Kothari said that new housing developments (such as a new town in Shirinshah) were being built for non-Arab workers from ], while local people experienced unemployment and poor housing.
|publisher=
|accessdate=2009-04-11}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The governor's office of ] claims the provincial ] to rank 3rd in the nation, yet to what extent the local population benefits from these fruits remains unclear.


He also drew attention to the ] (an ] native to the province), calling them "... a very deprived group&nbsp;... living in conditions of high density, again without access to adequate sanitation and water. And just nearby, you see other neighbourhoods with much better services."{{quote without source|date=January 2021}} Kothari's report suggested that economic marginalisation in Khuzestan is widespread. His findings led to an October 2005 European Parliament resolution condemning the forced displacement of Khuzestani Arabs. The resolution
Contrary to the arguments put forward by human rights groups, Arabic is taught in all public schools throughout the country <ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.talif.sch.ir/
|title=معرفی دفتر برنامه ریزی و تالیف كتب درسی
|publisher=Curriculum Development Center
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> as a mandatory subject. This despite the fact that 97%-98% of Iranians are not ethnically Arabic speakers <ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html
|title=World Factbook: Iran
|publisher=CIA
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref>


{{quote|condemns the treatment of minorities such as&nbsp;... the inhabitants of the area around Ahwaz city, the provincial capital of the ethnic Arab dominated Khuzestan province, who are being displaced from their villages according to statements by Miloon Kothari, UN Rapporteur on Adequate Housing.<ref>{{cite web
It is also contended{{Weasel-inline|date=March 2009}} that the rights of Iranian groups of Khuzestan, such as the nomadic Bakhtiari and Lur tribes, are often overlooked due to the publicity surrounding Khuzestani Arabs.
|url = http://www.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade3?TYPE-DOC=MOTION&REF=P6-RC-2005-0537&MODE=SIP&L=EN
|title = European Parliament resolution on Iran
|publisher = European Parliament
|access-date = 2009-04-11
}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>}}


Based on Kothari's findings, the European Parliament unanimously passed a resolution in November 2006 repeating its condemnation of forced displacement in Khuzestan.<ref>{{cite web
===Alleged forced displacement===

The problem was highlighted by the ] for Adequate Housing, following a visit to Khuzestan in July 2005. He claimed that industrial and agricultural development projects had displaced Arabs from their land, who received compensation that amounted to a fraction of the market value. He also claimed that new housing developments, such as the one new town in Shirinshah, were being created for non-Arab workers brought in from ], while local people continued to suffer joblessness and poor housing.

Kothari also drew attention to the situation facing the ], who are an ] indigenous to Khuzestan. He called them "... a very deprived group ... living in conditions of high density, again without access to adequate sanitation and water. And just nearby, you see other neighbourhoods with much better services."

Kothari's description of the position of the Laks suggests that economic marginalisation in Khuzestan is not only experienced by Khuzestani Arabs, but also other ethnic groups who are indigenous to the area.

Kothari's findings led to condemnation of forced displacement of Khuzestani Arabs in a European Parliament resolution, passed in October 2005. The resolution, sponsored by all the European Parliament's political groups,
:condemns the treatment of minorities such as ... the inhabitants of the area around Ahwaz city, the provincial capital of the ethnic Arab dominated Khuzestan province, who are being displaced from their villages according to statements by Miloon Kothari, UN Rapporteur on Adequate Housing.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade3?TYPE-DOC=MOTION&REF=P6-RC-2005-0537&MODE=SIP&L=EN
|title=European Parliament resolution on Iran
|publisher=European Parliament
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref>

The European Parliament unanimously passed a resolution in November 2006 which repeated its condemnation of forced displacement in Khuzestan, based on Kothari's findings.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?Type=TA&Reference=P6-TA-2006-0503&language=EN |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?Type=TA&Reference=P6-TA-2006-0503&language=EN
|title=European Parliament resolution on Iran |title=European Parliament resolution on Iran
|publisher=European Parliament |publisher=European Parliament
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>

=== Place names ===

Many of the towns and cities in Khuzestan had Arabic or local names in Arab rulers era, which have since been changed{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}. Some Khuzestani Arabs contend that the change of place names is intended to wipe out the local Arab heritage and Persianize the province. The most controversial name changes include the renaming of Mohammarah to ] and Khafajiah to ]. However, some of these names have their origins in pre-Islamic Khuzestan. For example, ] is the name of medieval ].<small>('']'', p26)</small> As for the Persian name of the ], Arvandrud, though such a name appears in the ], it refers more properly to the River Tigris.<ref>اگر پهلوانى ندانى زبان بتازى تو اروند را دجله خوان If you do not know the Pahlavi (Persian) tongue, then call the Arvand "Tigris" in Arabic.</ref> Referring to it as Arvandrud was intended by the late Shah of Iran to legitimize Iran's claim to the use of the waterway for navigation.

===Religious minorities===

Although the majority of the population of Khuzestan is Shia, there are other religious groups in the province. The 5-10,000 ]s, a unique religious group that is neither Muslim nor Christian, living in Khuzestan claim to have second-class status due to both Arabisation and Persianisation. Their places of worship have reportedly been closed down and their cemetories. However, they lack any support group to lobby on their behalf and their plight is often over-looked by human rights organisations. Their small numbers also mean they are politically marginalised.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.mandaeanunion.org/HMRG/Information%20on%20the%20Mandaeans%20in%20Iran%20In%20Regard%20to%20Human%20Rights-2003.pdf
|title=Information on the Mandaeans in Iran in Regards to Human Rights
|publisher=ASUTA: The Journal for the Study and Research into the Mandaean Culture, Religion, and Language
|author=Julie A.J. Ebadirad
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref>


==Foreign influence== ==Foreign influence==
{{See also|Anti-Iranian sentiment}}
''See also ]''
Several Iranian opposition parties operating abroad launched a campaign to stop the ] from hosting an October 2005 conference.<ref>{{cite web

|url = http://www.aei.org/events/filter.all,eventID.1166/summary.asp
Some Iranian opposition parties operating abroad launched a campaign to stop the ] hosting a conference entitled "The Unknown Iran: Another Case for Federalism?" in October 2005.<ref>{{cite web
|title = The Unknown Iran: Another Case for Federalism?
|url=http://www.aei.org/events/filter.all,eventID.1166/summary.asp
|publisher = American Enterprise Institute
|title=The Unknown Iran: Another Case for Federalism?
|access-date = 2009-04-11
|publisher=American Enterprise Institute
|url-status = dead
|accessdate=2009-04-11
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081217075954/http://www.aei.org/events/filter.all,eventID.1166/summary.asp
}}</ref> A petition to stop the event attracted more than 1,000 signatures from members of the Iranian diaspora.{{Citation needed|date=March 2007}}<!-- link to petitiononline removed (on blacklist of ]) --> Some added that the meeting indicated a new alliance between US neo-conservatives and Iranian separatists, ahead of a possible invasion of Iran by the US and its allies. Dr Ali Al-Taie, a member of the Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz which upholds a federalist agenda for Iran, said at the debate: "When it comes to ethnic rights, Persian opposition groups are on the same side as the terrorist Islamic Republic. If this continues, we will see the ] of Iran." But he added that: "Despite the long history of persecution, the Arabs of Khuzestan/al-Ahwaz are Iranian. There will never be, nor should there be, disintegration or separatism in Iran. Rather, all Iranian people, regardless of their ethnic background, should live under a pluralistic, tolerant, and federal society."<ref>{{cite web
|archive-date = 2008-12-17
|url=http://www.aei.org/events/filter.all,eventID.1166/summary.asp
}}</ref> To some, the conference indicated a new alliance between US neoconservatives and Iranian separatists before a possible invasion of Iran by the US and its allies. Ali Al-Taie, a member of the federalist Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz, said during a debate: "When it comes to ethnic rights, Persian opposition groups are on the same side as the terrorist Islamic Republic. If this continues, we will see the ] of Iran." He added, "Despite the long history of persecution, the Arabs of Khuzestan/al-Ahwaz are Iranian. There will never be, nor should there be, disintegration or separatism in Iran. Rather, all Iranian people, regardless of their ethnic background, should live under a pluralistic, tolerant, and federal society."<ref>{{cite web
|title=The Unknown Iran: Another Case for Federalism?
|url = http://www.aei.org/events/filter.all,eventID.1166/summary.asp
|publisher=American Enterprise Institute
|title = The Unknown Iran: Another Case for Federalism?
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref>
|publisher = American Enterprise Institute

|access-date = 2009-04-11
==Arab politics and separatism {{anchor|Al-Ahwaz}}==<!-- ] redirects here -->
|url-status = dead
{{Refimprove|date=February 2007}}
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081217075954/http://www.aei.org/events/filter.all,eventID.1166/summary.asp
There are a number of Iranian Arab political parties operating in exile, but no known political party representing other ethnic groups in Khuzestan. The ideology of Arab parties varies, although most are secular in their political outlook. Ideology, tactics, tribal loyalties and personal ambition have prevented these parties from forming a united front. Some advocate armed resistance, while others believe in non-violent action. Most refer to the entire province of Khuzestan as '''''al-Ahwaz'''''<!-- bold because term redirects here --> (which only refers to a region in the southwest portion) or ''Arabistan'', although some define ''Arabistan'' as also including territory along the Persian Gulf coast to the ]. Whether these views are popular or even accepted amongst most Iranian Arabs is uncertain. Khuzestan's deputy governor Rahim Fazilatpur claimed that the Arab Martyrs of Khuzestan, the Al-Ahwaz Arab Peoples Democratic Popular Front (AADPF) and the Ahwaz Arab Renaissance Party (AARP) were given support by the British and US governments to carry out the bomb attacks of June 2005.
|archive-date = 2008-12-17

}}</ref>
The Arab political parties are divided into two camps: those seeking a separate state and those seeking regional autonomy within a federal Iran. Critics of these parties claim that separatism has no support among Arabs, pointing to the decision by many Iranian Arabs to defend Iran during the ]. The support shown by Iranian Arabs may have been a result of the knowledge of Shiite Muslims in Saddam's Iraq. They also contend that separatism has always been instigated by foreign governments - particularly the British - to weaken Iran in order to control the country's natural resources and extend their influence over the Middle East.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GK03Ak02.html
|title=British Arabism and the bombings in Iran
|publisher=Asia Times
|date=2005-11-03
|author=Mahan Abedin and Kaveh Farrokh
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> Many make no distinction between separatists and federalists, claiming that those seeking federalism have a separatist agenda and that the devolution of power to regional ethnic groups would lead to the break-up of Iran.

====Islamic Reconciliation Party====

The Islamic Reconciliation Party (Hezb al-Wefagh), also known as the Reconciliation Committee (Lejnat al-Wefagh), was the only known Arab group to have been tolerated by the Iranian government. Jasem Shadidzadeh Al-Tamimi was the party's secretary general. He was a member of the Sixth Majlis (2000–04), representing Ahwaz as a member of the ], but was barred from standing for election in 2004. Following the unrest in Khuzestan in April 2005, Al-Tamimi wrote to the then President Khotami calling on him to remove the "wall of mistrust between the proud Iranian ethnicities, so that the infected wounds of the Arab people of Ahwaz may heal." He added that "our wishful thinking about reforms in Arab affairs by the Reformists has been only a mirage", indicating that he no longer had faith in the Participation Front. He listed a number of grievances, including:
* violence against Arab demonstrators by security forces
* land confiscation
* the destruction of Arab residential compounds
* the high level of drug abuse among Iranian Arabs, which he claims is rooted in poverty
* racial discrimination and the official view of Arabs as a security threat
* the government's failure to issue activity permits for the Islamic Wefagh Party and affiliated non-governmental organisations
He indicates that he opposes separatism and the ideology of "extreme Persian nationalism" he associates with the previous monarchist government. The Islamic Wefagh Party claims to have an "extensive" base of support in Khuzestan. The group was banned in November 2006 and labelled a "subversive organisation trying to unseat the current system by spreading racial hatred and provoking ethnic clashes." At the same time, three of its leading members were arrested.

====Al-Ahwaz Arab Peoples Democratic Popular Front====

The Al-Ahwaz Arab Peoples Democratic Popular Front (AADPF) is based in London and is led by Mahmud Ahmad Al-Ahwazi, aka Abu Bashar. The group calls for human rights and democracy for Iranian Arabs and believes that ''Al-Ahwaz'' was occupied by Iran in 1925. The ADPF has a number of activists in Iranian custody. Rear Admiral ], the Minster of Defense and Logistic Affairs of the Armed Forces, accused Mahmud Ahmad Al-Ahwazi of involvement in the April 2005 unrest, while simultaneously claiming that his group had "zero popularity" amongst Arabs in Khuzestan. The ADPF has also claimed it led what it calls an "]" in Khuzestan. Shamkhani also claimed that Mahmud Ahmad Al-Ahwazi was a former member of the
] (the Shah's secret police) before the revolution who defected to Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War. It is not known how much, if any, of Shamkhani's claims are true.

====Ahwaz Arab Renaissance Party====

The AARP is another separatist group advocating armed resistance to the Iranian government. It was originally set up in the 1990s by the Syrian government, but has since moved its leadership to Canada. In April 2005, it claimed on a pro-Iraqi Ba'athist website that it had exploded a bomb on the Ahwaz-Tehran pipeline. It also claimed responsibility for the June 2005 bombings in Ahwaz City. Two other groups also separately claimed responsibility for the attacks. It is led by Sabah al-Musawi, a Canadian resident.

====Democratic Solidarity Party of Al-Ahwaz====

The Democratic Solidarity Party of Al-Ahwaz (DSPA), based in the US and the UK,claiming to represent the ] of Khuzestan. The DSPA's ideology is different from the separatists in that it explicitly rejects the use of violence{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} and advocates what it calls "internal self-determination". It also limits its territorial focus on Khuzestan, making no stand on Arab-populated living outside the province.

The DSPA claims that Khuzestan has a historical Arab identity and this means that the province should be given autonomy within a federal political system, but it says it respects Iran's territorial integrity. To achieve its ends, it has formed a coalition with like-minded parties representing Kurds, Azeris, Baluchis, Turkmen, Bakhtiaris and Lurs, some of which have been in armed conflict with the Iranian state. Formed in London in March 2005, the Congress of Iranian Nationalities for a Federal Iran (CINFI) brought together the DSPA, the Baluchistan United Front, Federal Democratic Movement of Azarbaijan, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, Baluchistan People's Party, Organization for Defense of the Rights of Turkmen People and ], a militant Kurdish opposition party.

====Ahwaz Liberation Organisation====

The Ahwaz Liberation Organisation (ALO), based in ] in the Netherlands, was formed out of the remnants of three Iraqi-backed groups - the Democratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Arabistan (DRFLA), People's Front for Liberation of Arabistan (PFLA) and the Arab Front for the Liberation of Al-Ahwaz (AFLA). It is a secular pan-Arabist group seeking independence from Iran. The DRFLA was the most notorious, having been sponsored by ].<ref>{{cite book
|author=Martin Arostegui
|title=Twilight Warriors: Inside the World's Special Forces,
|page=78
|isbn=0312304714}}</ref>

It was founded after the newly-installed Islamic government fired on Arab demonstrators in Khorramshahr, killing many of them. The DRFLA was behind the May 1980 ] in London, taking a number of hostages in an effort to draw attention to its demands for the self-determination of the Arab population of Khuzestan. The British ] (SAS) stormed the building and freed the hostages.Fowzi Badavi Nejad,the only survivor of that group,had survived only because some of the embassy hostages had put themselves between him and the SAS soldiers.Some evidences indicated the Iraqi intelligence services had duped Nejad into taking part in the siege. The evidence showed that once he knew the true nature of the group's plans, he only continued because he feared that his family, who had fled from Iran to Iraq, would suffer if he tried to withdraw the last hostage.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/erwin_james/2006/05/fowzi_badavi_nejad.html
|title=The last hostage
|publisher=Guardian (UK)
|date=2006-05-25
|accessdate=2009-04-11
| location=London
| first=Erwin
| last=James}}</ref>

The ALO's constituent groups operated as a mercenary force on behalf of Saddam's regime during the Iran–Iraq War, carrying out assassinations and attacking oil facilities. Bomb attacks on oil and power facilities have continued since the end of the Iraq War, although the ALO has not formally claimed responsibility. The ALO's leader, the self-styled "President of Al-Ahwaz" Faleh Abdallah Al-Mansouri, was living in exile in the Netherlands since 1989, shortly after the end of the Iran–Iraq War, gaining Dutch nationality. He declared himself to be the "President" of Al-Ahwaz, which he claims extends beyond Khuzestan, including much of the coast of Iran. However, during a visit to Syria in May 2006, he was arrested in Syria in May 2006 along with Iranian Arabs who were registered as refugees by the UNHCR.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE240372006?open&of=ENG-IRN
|title=Syria: Fear of forcible return
|publisher=Amnesty International
|date=2006-05-14
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> Although the Iranian government did not name the men who were taken into custody, officials said that the men arrested in Syria were ]sts who they accused of involvement in bomb attacks.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=43285&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs
|title=Iran reports arrests over oil city bombings
|publisher=IranMania
|date=2006-05-28
|accessdate=2009-04-11}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> However, the ALO's website makes no indication that it is motivated by a religious cause, but rather has stayed within the ideology of secular Arab nationalism.


==Media== ==Media==
===Newspapers=== ===Newspapers===
Mohammad Hezbawi (also known as Hezbaee Zadeh), editor of Ahvaz's Persian-language ''Hamsayeha'' newspaper, was arrested in September 2005 and later released.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130592005?open&of=ENG-IRN |title=Iran: Incommunicado detention/Fear of torture or ill-treatment |publisher=Amnesty International |date=2005-09-22 |access-date=2009-04-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061202082504/http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130592005?open&of=ENG-IRN |archive-date=December 2, 2006 }}</ref> The newspaper was banned by the Justice Department in February 2006 under clauses four and five of Article 6 of Iran's press law.<ref>{{cite web

The editor of Ahvaz's Persian language ''Hamsayeha'' newspaper, Mohammad Hezbawi (also known as Hezbaee Zadeh), was arrested in September 2005 but later released.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130592005?open&of=ENG-IRN
|title=Iran: Incommunicado detention/Fear of torture or ill-treatment
|publisher=Amnesty International
|date=2005-09-22
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> The newspaper was banned by the Justice Department in February 2006 under clauses four and five of Article 6 of Iran's Press law.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2514/html/national.htm#s131025 |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2514/html/national.htm#s131025
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181456/http://www.iran-daily.com/1384/2514/html/national.htm#s131025
|archive-date=2007-09-30
|title=Press Board Ban Denounced |title=Press Board Ban Denounced
|publisher=Iran Daily |publisher=Iran Daily
|date=2006-03-05 |date=2006-03-05
|accessdate=2009-04-11}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>


===Television=== ===Television===
Although Arabic-language television in Khuzestan is state-owned (like other parts of the country), many people also watch foreign Arabic-language satellite channels. The Qatar-based ] news channel was blamed by the Iranian government for its coverage of ] in April 2005. The government also objected to Al Jazeera's interview with a member of the separatist Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front (ADPF), who spoke about "80 years of Iranian occupation in Khuzestan". According to the ], the government blamed the media for unrest in the province.<ref>{{cite web

Television broadcasting in Arabic language in Khuzestan is state-owned (e.g. ) as is the case in other parts of the country, but many inhabitants also watch foreign Arabic language satellite channels. The Qatar-based ] news channel was blamed by the Iranian government for its coverage of anti-government protests by Arabs in April 2005. It was also angered by Al-Jazeera's interview with a member of the separatist Al-Ahwaz Arab Peoples Democratic Popular Front (ADPF) who spoke of "80 years of Iranian occupation in Khuzestan". The International Federation of Journalists claimed the government was scapegoating the media for civil unrest in the province.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?index=3085&Language=EN |url=http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?index=3085&Language=EN
|title=IFJ Condemns Iranian Ban on Al-Jazeera as "Spiteful Act of Censorship" |title=IFJ Condemns Iranian Ban on Al-Jazeera as "Spiteful Act of Censorship"
|publisher=International Federation of Journalists |publisher=International Federation of Journalists
|date=2005-04-21 |date=2005-04-21
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>


In recent years, Iranian Arab groups have attempted to broadcast to Khuzestan. However, their attempts have been frustrated partly due to satellite dish confiscation in Khuzestan. Different political factions have run short weekly or daily television broadcasts to Iran, but these have closed down. Iranian Arab groups have attempted to broadcast to Khuzestan. Their attempts have been frustrated, however, partly due to satellite-dish confiscation in the province.


==Election results== ==Election results==


Khuzestan has tended to elect reformists to power, particularly those campaigning on a pro-minorities platform. However, ] in the region have led to a polarisation of opinion, with some Khuzestan representatives such as Ahwaz City representative ] calling for hardline measures against Arab dissent, which the government believes is being encouraged by British spies.<ref>{{cite web Khuzestan has tended to elect reformists, particularly those campaigning on a pro-minorities platform. ] in the region have polarised opinion, with some Khuzestan representatives (such as ] representative Nasser Soudani) calling for hard-line measures against Arab dissent, which the government says is encouraged by British spies.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/10/816d109f-5461-476f-b591-9e63bc426ea3.html |url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/10/816d109f-5461-476f-b591-9e63bc426ea3.html
|title=Iran: Bombings In Southwest Blamed On Usual Suspect |title=Iran: Bombings In Southwest Blamed On Usual Suspect
|publisher=Radio Free Europe |publisher=Radio Free Europe
|date=2005-10-17 |date=2005-10-17
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>


===Presidential elections=== ===Presidential elections===


{| class="wikitable"
'''Summary of the 17 June 2005 Iranian Presidential election results for Khuzestan province compared with the ]<ref>{{cite web
|+Provincial and national results in the ]<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ahwaz.org.uk/2005/06/election-results-for-khuzestan.html |url=http://www.ahwaz.org.uk/2005/06/election-results-for-khuzestan.html
|title=Election results for Khuzestan |title=Election results for Khuzestan
|publisher=British Ahwazi Friendship Society |publisher=British Ahwazi Friendship Society
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>
!Candidate
{|-
!Khuzestan votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Candidates
!Khuzestan %
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes Khuzestan
!National votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%
!National %
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes Nationally
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%
|-
|align=left|]
| style="text-align:right;" | 319,883
| style="text-align:right;" | 20.50
| style="text-align:right;" | 6,211,937
| style="text-align:right;" | 21.13
|- |-
|]
|align=left|]
|319,883
| style="text-align:right;" | 224,427
| 20.50
| style="text-align:right;" | 14.40
| 6,211,937
| style="text-align:right;" | 5,711,696
| 21.13
| style="text-align:right;" | 19.43
|- |-
|]
|align=left|]
|224,427
| style="text-align:right;" | 539,158
| 14.40
| style="text-align:right;" | 34.50
| 5,711,696
| style="text-align:right;" | 5,070,114
| 19.43
| style="text-align:right;" | 17.24
|- |-
|]
|align=left|]
| 539,158
| style="text-align:right;" | 148,375
| 34.50
| style="text-align:right;" | 9.50
| 5,070,114
| style="text-align:right;" | 4,095,827
| 17.24
| style="text-align:right;" | 13.93
|- |-
|]
|align=left|]
| 148,375
| style="text-align:right;" | 148,207
| 9.50
| style="text-align:right;" | 9.50
| 4,095,827
| style="text-align:right;" | 4,083,951
| 13.93
| style="text-align:right;" | 13.89
|- |-
|]
|align=left|]
| 148,207
| style="text-align:right;" | 58,554
| 9.50
| style="text-align:right;" | 3.70
| 4,083,951
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,713,810
| 13.89
| style="text-align:right;" | 5.83
|- |-
|]
|align=left|]
| 58,554
| style="text-align:right;" | 20,253
| 3.70
| style="text-align:right;" | 1.30
| 1,713,810
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,288,640
| 5.83
| style="text-align:right;" | 4.38
|- |-
|]
|align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|'''Total''' (national turnout 62.66%, Khuzestan turnout 56%)
| 20,253
|width="75" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| 1,563,000
| 1.30
|width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100
| 1,288,640
|width="75" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| 29,400,857
| 4.38
|width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100
|- style="background:#e9e9e9;"
| style="text-align:left; "|'''Total''' (national turnout 62.66%, Khuzestan turnout 56%)
| style="text-align:right; "| 1,563,000
| style="text-align:right; "|100
| style="text-align:right; "| 29,400,857
| style="text-align:right; "|100
|} |}


In the first round of the presidential election, Khuzestani voters favoured reformist candidate Mehdi Karroubi, who is a strong critic of the ], who only achieved third place nationally. Karroubi's share of the vote in Khuzestan was twice the national average. Former president Rafsanjani came second in Khuzestan, although he achieved the highest number of votes nationally, followed by conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was the overall winner of the second round of the presidential election. Khuzestani voters favoured reformist candidate Mehdi Karroubi, a critic of the ] who finished third nationally, in the first round of the election; Karroubi's share of the provincial vote was twice the national average. Former president ] finished second in Khuzestan (receiving the highest number of votes nationally), followed by conservative ] (winner of the second round).


===Elections to Parliament=== ===Elections to Parliament===
Shabib Jouijari won a by-election for the Ahvaz parliamentary seat in December 2006, with 17.9% of the 406,808 votes cast. Shabib Jouijari won a by-election for the Ahvaz parliamentary seat in December 2006, with 17.9 percent of the 406,808 votes cast.


===Elections to the Assembly of Experts=== ===Elections to the Assembly of Experts===


Khuzestan has six directly elected representatives in the 86-member ], which is normally elected every eight years and has the power the select and supervise the Supreme Leader. The most recent elections were held in December 2006, with members appointed for 10 year terms Khuzestan has six directly-elected representatives in the 86-member ], which is normally elected every eight years to 10-year and has the power the select and supervise the Supreme Leader.


'''Summary of the December 2006 Iranian Assembly of Experts election results for Khuzestan province'''<ref>{{cite web '''Khuzestan results in the December 2006 Iranian Assembly of Experts election'''<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.moi.ir/Portal/Home/ShowPage.aspx?Object=Election&ControlType=ElectionCandidate&ZID=12&PID=0&EID=3040&CategoryID=66c5f425-22d2-4e7d-b035-77272a4e5016&LayoutID=574eeb70-45a8-4de5-8b30-4f68ade8bbfa |url=http://www.moi.ir/Portal/Home/ShowPage.aspx?Object=Election&ControlType=ElectionCandidate&ZID=12&PID=0&EID=3040&CategoryID=66c5f425-22d2-4e7d-b035-77272a4e5016&LayoutID=574eeb70-45a8-4de5-8b30-4f68ade8bbfa
|title=پورتال وزارت کشور - انتخابات خبرگان |title=پورتال وزارت کشور – انتخابات خبرگان
|publisher=MOI |publisher=MOI
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref> |access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>
{|- {|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Representative ! style="background:#e9e9e9; text-align:left;"|Representative
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes ! style="background:#e9e9e9; text-align:right;"|Votes
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|% of electorate ! style="background:#e9e9e9; text-align:right;"|%
|- |-
|align=left|Sayad Mohammad Ali Mosawi* |align=left|Sayad Mohammad Ali Mosawi*
Line 332: Line 220:
| style="text-align:right;" | 332,601 | style="text-align:right;" | 332,601
| style="text-align:right;" | 21.1 | style="text-align:right;" | 21.1
|- style="background:#e9e9e9;"
| style="text-align:left; "|'''Total''' (Khuzestan turnout 54%)
| style="text-align:right; width:75px; "| 1,578,237
| style="text-align:right; width:30px; "|n/a
|- |-
|''Note: percentages do not add up to 100 percent, since voters had more than one vote.''
|align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|'''Total''' (Khuzestan turnout 54%)
|width="75" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| 1,578,237
|width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|n/a
|- |-
|''* = Members who were re-elected''
|''Note: percentages do not add up to 100% as voters are given more than one vote''
|-
|''* = members who have been re-elected''
|} |}


Line 345: Line 233:


{|class="wikitable" {|class="wikitable"
|+Summary of the December 2006 Ahwaz City Municipal Council election results<ref>{{cite web |+December 2006 Ahvaz Municipal Council election results<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.moi.ir/Portal/Home/ShowPage.aspx?Object=Election&ControlType=ElectionCandidate&ZID=1110303&PID=0&EID=5030&CategoryID=66c5f425-22d2-4e7d-b035-77272a4e5016&LayoutID=574eeb70-45a8-4de5-8b30-4f68ade8bbfa |url=http://www.moi.ir/Portal/Home/ShowPage.aspx?Object=Election&ControlType=ElectionCandidate&ZID=1110303&PID=0&EID=5030&CategoryID=66c5f425-22d2-4e7d-b035-77272a4e5016&LayoutID=574eeb70-45a8-4de5-8b30-4f68ade8bbfa
|title=پورتال وزارت کشور - انتخابات خبرگان |title=پورتال وزارت کشور – انتخابات خبرگان
|access-date=2009-04-11}}</ref>
|publisher=
|accessdate=2009-04-11}}</ref>
!Representative !Representative
!Votes !Votes
Line 379: Line 266:
|align=left|Gholam Reza Sabze Ali |align=left|Gholam Reza Sabze Ali
|3,588 |3,588
|- style="background:#e9e9e9;"
|-
|align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|'''Total turn-out''' | style="text-align:left; "|'''Total'''
|align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"| 226,709 | style="text-align:right; "| 226,709
|} |}


The 2006 Ahwaz City elections were won by reformist and conservative candidates. The previous elections to the municipality were won by the Reconciliation Committee (Lejnat Al-Wefaq), which won all but one of the seats. It appealed to the city's Arab population and their grievances. However, it was barred from registering and was outlawed by the government, which alleged that it was a threat to national security. Candidates for the 2006 elections were subject to a heavy vetting procedure before they were allowed to stand. The 2006 Ahvaz municipal elections were won by reformist and conservative candidates. The previous elections were won by the ], which won all but one of the seats. The party appealed to the city's Arab population and their grievances. It was then barred from registering and outlawed by the government, which called it a threat to national security. Candidates for the 2006 elections were closely examined before they were allowed to stand.


==See also== ==See also==
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ] * ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==References== ==References==

===Footnotes=== ===Footnotes===
{{reflist|2}} {{reflist|30em}}

===Notations=== ===Notations===
* ''Tarikh-e Pahnsad Saal-e Khuzestan'' (Five Hundred Year History of Khuzestan) by ] * ''Tarikh-e Pahnsad Saal-e Khuzestan'' (Five Hundred Year History of Khuzestan) by ]
Line 402: Line 289:
* ''Tarikh-e Bist Saal-e Iran'' (Twenty Year History of Iran) by Hossein Maki (Tehran, 1945–47) * ''Tarikh-e Bist Saal-e Iran'' (Twenty Year History of Iran) by Hossein Maki (Tehran, 1945–47)
* ''Hayat-e Yahya'' (The Life of Yahya) by Yahya Dolatabadi (Tehran, 1948–52) * ''Hayat-e Yahya'' (The Life of Yahya) by Yahya Dolatabadi (Tehran, 1948–52)
* ''Tarikh-e Ejtemai va Edari Doreieh Qajarieh'' (The Administrative and Social History of the Qajar Era) by Abdollah Mostofi (Tehran, 1945–49) ISBN 1-56859-041-5 (for the English translation) * ''Tarikh-e Ejtemai va Edari Doreieh Qajarieh'' (The Administrative and Social History of the Qajar Era) by Abdollah Mostofi (Tehran, 1945–49) {{ISBN|1-56859-041-5}} (for the English translation)
* ''Mosha'sha'iyan'', by Muhammad Ali Ranjbar. ISBN 964-329-068-9 * ''Mosha'sha'iyan'', by Muhammad Ali Ranjbar. {{ISBN|964-329-068-9}}

==External links==
* - by Daniel Brett, Henry Jackson Society
* by Michael Rubin, JCPA Jerusalem Issue Brief
*
*
* , by Danya Chaikel, , 8 December 2006
* by Zoltan Grossman

===Arab political groups===
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (in Arabic)


{{Politics in Iran}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of Khuzestan Province}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Politics Of Khuzestan Province}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
]

Latest revision as of 19:04, 19 June 2024

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Map of Iran, with Khuzestan province in the southwest
Map of Khuzestan province in Iran

Khuzestan province is a petroleum-rich, ethnically-diverse province in southwestern Iran. Oil fields in the province include Ahvaz Field, Marun, Aghajari, Karanj, Shadegan and Mansouri. Amnesty International has voiced human-rights concerns about Khuzestan's Arab population, and United Nations special rapporteur Miloon Kothari has also drawn attention to Arab displacement and poverty among the Laks.

Background

Khuzestan province is inhabited by a number of ethnic groups: the Bakhtiari, Arabs, Qashqai, Afshar, Persians and Armenians. Half of the province is inhabited primarily by Arabs, and the other half is inhabited primarily by Lurs. Khuzestan's ethnic diversity affects its politics, with ethnic-minority rights playing a significant role. The province's location (bordering Iraq) and its oil resources make it a politically-sensitive region due to its history of foreign intervention, notably the 1980 Iraqi invasion. Ethnic groups, particularly some Arab groups, express grievances. According to Jane's Information Group, "Most Iranian Arabs seek their constitutionally guaranteed rights and do not have a separatist agenda ... While it may be true that some Arab activists are separatists, most see themselves as Iranians first and declare their commitment to the state's territorial integrity."

Politicians

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Former Iranian minister of agriculture Mohammad Reza Eskandari, Mohsen Rezaee (secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council), and several parliamentary committee chairs are from Khuzestan. Ali Shamkhani, an Arab from Ahvaz, was minister of defense from 1997 to 2005 as part of President Mohammad Khatami's government. The Iraqi-born Ayatollah Mohsen Araki was a Khuzestan representative in the Assembly of Experts, the personal representative of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (the Supreme Leader of Iran) in London, and headed the Islamic Centre of England until 2004.

Human rights

Amnesty International routinely raises human rights concerns relating to Khuzestan's Arabs through linking with separatists websites who provide information, in particular the arrest and detention of political activists, torture and executions. While Khuzestan is not unique in terms of its human rights record, Amnesty notes that often these abuses are related to institutional discrimination. In its report entitled New government fails to address dire human rights situation published in February 2006, Amnesty states:

Even where the majority of the local population is Arab, schools are reportedly not allowed to teach through the medium of Arabic; illiteracy rates are reportedly high, especially among Iranian Arab women in rural areas ... land expropriation by the Iranian authorities is reportedly so widespread that it appears to amount to a policy aimed at dispossessing Arabs of their traditional lands. This is apparently part of a strategy aimed at the forcible relocation of Arabs to other areas while facilitating the transfer of non-Arabs into Khuzestan and is linked to economic policies such as zero interest loans which are not available to local Arabs.

— 

In 1997, Human Rights Watch reported that "Iranian Arabs, an ethnic minority centered in southwest Iran, have cited significant restrictions on their language and culture, and on their right to participate effectively in decisions affecting the area in which they live." According to another report in the same year, "Arabic is not taught in elementary schools, and the Arabic teaching in secondary schools focuses exclusively on religious texts. The governor of Khuzestan is not an Arab" while "Arabs make up 35-45 percent of the three million inhabitants of Khuzestan province in the southwest of Iran." In 2005, separatist groups claimed that there was "inadequate attention to their culture and language by state media, facing discrimination in getting jobs, unfair distribution of Khuzestan's oil wealth."

Joe Stork, the director of HRW's Middle East division, said: "The Iranian authorities have again displayed their readiness to silence those who denounce human rights violations. We have serious allegations the government used excessive lethal force, arbitrary arrests and torture in Khuzistan."

Arab displacement and Lak poverty

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After a July 2005 visit to Khuzestan, United Nations Special Rapporteur for Adequate Housing Miloon Kothari reported that industrial and agricultural development had displaced Arabs from their land and they were compensated a fraction of its market value. Kothari said that new housing developments (such as a new town in Shirinshah) were being built for non-Arab workers from Yazd, while local people experienced unemployment and poor housing.

He also drew attention to the Laks (an Iranian people native to the province), calling them "... a very deprived group ... living in conditions of high density, again without access to adequate sanitation and water. And just nearby, you see other neighbourhoods with much better services." Kothari's report suggested that economic marginalisation in Khuzestan is widespread. His findings led to an October 2005 European Parliament resolution condemning the forced displacement of Khuzestani Arabs. The resolution

condemns the treatment of minorities such as ... the inhabitants of the area around Ahwaz city, the provincial capital of the ethnic Arab dominated Khuzestan province, who are being displaced from their villages according to statements by Miloon Kothari, UN Rapporteur on Adequate Housing.

Based on Kothari's findings, the European Parliament unanimously passed a resolution in November 2006 repeating its condemnation of forced displacement in Khuzestan.

Foreign influence

See also: Anti-Iranian sentiment

Several Iranian opposition parties operating abroad launched a campaign to stop the American Enterprise Institute from hosting an October 2005 conference. To some, the conference indicated a new alliance between US neoconservatives and Iranian separatists before a possible invasion of Iran by the US and its allies. Ali Al-Taie, a member of the federalist Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz, said during a debate: "When it comes to ethnic rights, Persian opposition groups are on the same side as the terrorist Islamic Republic. If this continues, we will see the Balkanization of Iran." He added, "Despite the long history of persecution, the Arabs of Khuzestan/al-Ahwaz are Iranian. There will never be, nor should there be, disintegration or separatism in Iran. Rather, all Iranian people, regardless of their ethnic background, should live under a pluralistic, tolerant, and federal society."

Media

Newspapers

Mohammad Hezbawi (also known as Hezbaee Zadeh), editor of Ahvaz's Persian-language Hamsayeha newspaper, was arrested in September 2005 and later released. The newspaper was banned by the Justice Department in February 2006 under clauses four and five of Article 6 of Iran's press law.

Television

Although Arabic-language television in Khuzestan is state-owned (like other parts of the country), many people also watch foreign Arabic-language satellite channels. The Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel was blamed by the Iranian government for its coverage of anti-government protests by Arabs in April 2005. The government also objected to Al Jazeera's interview with a member of the separatist Ahwazi Democratic Popular Front (ADPF), who spoke about "80 years of Iranian occupation in Khuzestan". According to the International Federation of Journalists, the government blamed the media for unrest in the province.

Iranian Arab groups have attempted to broadcast to Khuzestan. Their attempts have been frustrated, however, partly due to satellite-dish confiscation in the province.

Election results

Khuzestan has tended to elect reformists, particularly those campaigning on a pro-minorities platform. Bombings in the region have polarised opinion, with some Khuzestan representatives (such as Ahvaz representative Nasser Soudani) calling for hard-line measures against Arab dissent, which the government says is encouraged by British spies.

Presidential elections

Provincial and national results in the 2005 presidential election
Candidate Khuzestan votes Khuzestan % National votes National %
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani 319,883 20.50 6,211,937 21.13
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 224,427 14.40 5,711,696 19.43
Mehdi Karroubi 539,158 34.50 5,070,114 17.24
Mostafa Moeen 148,375 9.50 4,095,827 13.93
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf 148,207 9.50 4,083,951 13.89
Ali Larijani 58,554 3.70 1,713,810 5.83
Mohsen Mehralizadeh 20,253 1.30 1,288,640 4.38
Total (national turnout 62.66%, Khuzestan turnout 56%) 1,563,000 100 29,400,857 100

Khuzestani voters favoured reformist candidate Mehdi Karroubi, a critic of the Guardian Council who finished third nationally, in the first round of the election; Karroubi's share of the provincial vote was twice the national average. Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani finished second in Khuzestan (receiving the highest number of votes nationally), followed by conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (winner of the second round).

Elections to Parliament

Shabib Jouijari won a by-election for the Ahvaz parliamentary seat in December 2006, with 17.9 percent of the 406,808 votes cast.

Elections to the Assembly of Experts

Khuzestan has six directly-elected representatives in the 86-member Assembly of Experts, which is normally elected every eight years to 10-year and has the power the select and supervise the Supreme Leader.

Khuzestan results in the December 2006 Iranian Assembly of Experts election

Representative Votes %
Sayad Mohammad Ali Mosawi* 640,943 40.6
Abbas Ka'abi Nasab* 498,218 31.6
Sayad Ali Shafiee* 457,399 29.0
Ali Falahian* 386,767 24.5
Mohammed Hussein Ahmadi 349,825 22.2
Mohsen Haydari al-Kasiri 332,601 21.1
Total (Khuzestan turnout 54%) 1,578,237 n/a
Note: percentages do not add up to 100 percent, since voters had more than one vote.
* = Members who were re-elected

Municipal elections

December 2006 Ahvaz Municipal Council election results
Representative Votes
Dariush Mombaini 48,629
Arezo Bababi 36,561
Qasem Jamadi 35,471
Sayed Mehdi Albu Shokeh 32,293
Sayed Reza Falahi Moghadam 32,176
Skander Zanganeh 27,897
Ramadan Monjezi 26,733
Sayed Mohammed Hassan Zadeh 26,269
Gholam Reza Sabze Ali 3,588
Total 226,709

The 2006 Ahvaz municipal elections were won by reformist and conservative candidates. The previous elections were won by the Islamic Reconciliation Party, which won all but one of the seats. The party appealed to the city's Arab population and their grievances. It was then barred from registering and outlawed by the government, which called it a threat to national security. Candidates for the 2006 elections were closely examined before they were allowed to stand.

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. Province of Khuzestan
  2. "Anger among Iran's Arabs". Janes Information Group. Archived from the original on 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  3. "Iran: New government fails to address dire human rights situation". Amnesty International. 2006-02-16. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  4. "Human Rights Watch Urges Government to End Persecution and Official Discrimination Against Religious and Ethnic Minorities". Human Rights Watch. 1997-09-24. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  5. "ETHNIC MINORITIES". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  6. "Iran: Reports of Ethnic Violence Suppressed". Human Rights Watch. 2005-05-09. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  7. "European Parliament resolution on Iran". European Parliament. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  8. "European Parliament resolution on Iran". European Parliament. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  9. "The Unknown Iran: Another Case for Federalism?". American Enterprise Institute. Archived from the original on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  10. "The Unknown Iran: Another Case for Federalism?". American Enterprise Institute. Archived from the original on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  11. "Iran: Incommunicado detention/Fear of torture or ill-treatment". Amnesty International. 2005-09-22. Archived from the original on December 2, 2006. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  12. "Press Board Ban Denounced". Iran Daily. 2006-03-05. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  13. "IFJ Condemns Iranian Ban on Al-Jazeera as "Spiteful Act of Censorship"". International Federation of Journalists. 2005-04-21. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  14. "Iran: Bombings In Southwest Blamed On Usual Suspect". Radio Free Europe. 2005-10-17. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  15. "Election results for Khuzestan". British Ahwazi Friendship Society. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  16. "پورتال وزارت کشور – انتخابات خبرگان". MOI. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  17. "پورتال وزارت کشور – انتخابات خبرگان". Retrieved 2009-04-11.

Notations

  • Tarikh-e Pahnsad Saal-e Khuzestan (Five Hundred Year History of Khuzestan) by Ahmad Kasravi
  • Jang-e Iran va Britannia dar Muhammereh (The Iran-British War in Muhammereh) by Ahmad Kasravi
  • Tarikh-e Bist Saal-e Iran (Twenty Year History of Iran) by Hossein Maki (Tehran, 1945–47)
  • Hayat-e Yahya (The Life of Yahya) by Yahya Dolatabadi (Tehran, 1948–52)
  • Tarikh-e Ejtemai va Edari Doreieh Qajarieh (The Administrative and Social History of the Qajar Era) by Abdollah Mostofi (Tehran, 1945–49) ISBN 1-56859-041-5 (for the English translation)
  • Mosha'sha'iyan, by Muhammad Ali Ranjbar. ISBN 964-329-068-9
Politics of Iran
provinces
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