Growing crimes caused by the extreme poverty that Ahwazi families
experience as a result of the Iranian government taking over their
agricultural lands and evicting them under the guise of establishing
economic projects that are in fact political projects to loot the lands, as
reported by a number of Iranian politicians and parliamentarians. By
implementing these policies, the authorities want to change the Arab
demographics in Ahwaz after building tens of thousands of housing
units and handing them over to immigrants from other Iranian
provinces, which has caused and will continue to cause conflict between
minorities in the future; and
Destroying Ahwaz residents' economic foundations after preventing
him from cultivating under the guise of water scarcity while the
authorities move Ahwazi water to support agriculture in other Iranian
provinces, has made Ahwaz, which was ranked first in wheat and date
crops, to drop to third place in Iran.
According to international laws, the hostile and racist practises of the
Iranian government against Ahwazi minority are among the most
serious kinds of violations and crimes. We therefore call on the world
community as well as those involved in humanitarian issues and human
protection to put an end to such violations that amount to crimes against
humanity.
In conclusion, we appeal to the United Nations to protect Ahwazis and
urge the Iranian regime not to transfer water to protect Ahwazi
environment and to provide drinking water to Ahwazis as a positive
initiative to improve the protection of minority rights in Iran and to
prevent future conflicts.
Ahwazi Organization for the Defense of Human Rights (AODHR)
Hakim.chohbishat@yahoo.com