I am mona silavi from Ahwazi arab community in Iran, Iran is a multinational country which
made of Persians , Kurds turks , turkmens and arabs , baloches and none of them in iran can
claim that they make absolute majority but in iran due to centric and Persian nation-state
oriented approach all minorities in iran suffer in all level of life.
Al-Ahwaz is the major sources of income for iran, which produce 4 million barrels of oil a day , in
expense of destruction of Arab farm lands and marshlands.
respecting the language right is cornerstone concern the minorities all around the world and in
iran as well.
iran has only on official language. And no mother tongue in the education system is allowed.
Even activist from all minority groups have subjected to persecution for demanding the
implementation of the article 15 in iranian constitution which refer to right of minorities to study
in their language.
Speaking in arabic in classroom between students are forbidden, last month a teacher punished
to girls in the classroom for speaking arabic.
Despite of the high number of unemployment between educated young Ahwazis and lack of
personals in the education section in the Ahwaz. in last governmental work appointment in the
section of education in ak-ahwaz only less than 10 percent of assigned personals were from
arabs .
So not only studying in mother tongue is forbidden , not only speaking in arabic lead to
discrimination and punishment , but even teachers from locals areas are not appointed in the
region.
Administration of education this years past new regulations for teachers. According to those
regulations not minorities can be a teacher, because they speak Persian with accent from the
mother tongue.
I know here we have to talk only in human right but I do not know how much we really can
divide human right from political situation
Yesterday in the section on racial discrimination we heard that some NGOs blame UN and
international community for hardship of minorities in Iran through sanctions on iran because of
Irans violation of human right .
iranian government not even build schools in minority regions nether less putting fund to respect
language right.
the excuse is that iran does not have enough resource to cover right of minorities in iran but we
people of iran wondering how is possible that iran can pay all expenses of terrorist groups such
as Hezbollah or spent around 15 billion dollars year for past 6 years to keep Bashar in power.
Nevertheless of having money to make jails and persecute minorities for asking their legimite
right with in iranian law and international law but not having money for respecting the minority
rights.
So we ask you to put pressure on iranian government to
1. Implement the mother tongue education starting from primary schools and hight
education
2. Stop persecution the family members of activists , my father is vitiate of enforced
disappearance since 2009 here I pledge to this gathering to help me in knowing the