The Iranian Occupation Of Arab Land

For all its talk about Israeli aggression, Iran appears to be involved in some Arab persecution of its own:

This week Iran cut off drinking water supply to Arab villages along the left bank of the Shatt al-Arab, causing social unrest and fears of an outbreak of disease in the indigenous population. Ahwazi Arabs are the most deprived and persecuted ethnic group in the Middle East, with human development indicators at an African level and far below those of the Palestinians. This ethno-national group has been subjected to forced relocation, land confiscation, cultural repression, state terrorism, mass executions and economic disadvantage, despite their land being one of the most oil-rich regions in the world. In all, at least 300,000 hectares of Arab land have been stolen by Tehran since 1979.

The issue is about more than just taking away Ahwazi land. There is also the issue of what Iran is doing on Ahwazi land:

Indigenous Ahwazi Arabs have condemned the construction of a nuclear power plant on their traditional lands in Iran's southwest province of Khuzestan.

Ahwazi criticism mounted as Iran began construction of a nuclear facility at Darkhovin. Iran has been building its first nuclear power plant near the southern city of Bushehr, where test operations could start this year. Final deliveries of nuclear fuel by Russia arrived at the plant last month. The plants in Khuzestan and Bushehr are being built on or near an earthquake fault line which destroyed the historic city of Bam.

..."Ahwazi Arabs are concerned about safety, fearing that the use of Russian technology in inexperienced Iranian hands could lead to a Chernobyl-like disaster, which will affect the entire region.

Iran is not the only country taking advantage of the Ahwazi Arabs--after all, where Iran leads--Syria follows:

Syria arresting Ahwazi Arabs to please Iran

According to The British Ahwazi Friendship Society (BAFS) more Ahwazi Arabs have been arrested in Syria, including the leader of the Al-Ahwaz Liberation Organization, and at least one Ahwazi political refugee has been deported to Iran.

Considering how little attention is paid to the Syrian assassination of Lebanese officials, it is not surprising that the media is not making much of this.

Technorati Tag: Iran and Ahwazi Arabs.