[FREE IRAN Project] In The Spirit Of Cyrus The Great

[Rasker]

Saturday, 16th April 2005

Iran Focus


Tehran, Apr. 16 - Anti-government protests erupted yesterday through the night in the city of Ahwaz, southwest Khuzestan province in Iran, leaving at least six people dead and hundreds injured or arrested.

Ahwaz, close to the Iraqi border, is a major hub of Iranian ethnic minority groups, and its largely Arab population has faced brutal repression undere clerical rule.

Fierce fighting occurred when Iran’s State Security Forces were dispatched to quell angry residents who were complaining of government plans to redefine the ethnic make-up of the province.

Some 3,000 residents gathered in Kurdvani Square on Friday morning and thousands more in Sheling-Abad, Malashiya, Ameri, and Kut Abdollah districts of the city of Ahwaz, demanding the authorities stop what they called “ethnic cleansing”.

In the ensuing chaos officials of the SSF at first fired tear gas at the demonstrators and then went on to shoot at protestors. Demonstrators ransacked a number of government buildings, police stations, and set fire to the Agriculture Bank.

At least 300 hundred people are believed to be injured after the SSF shot at demonstrators.

Reports received indicate that authorities have since cut off electric power, water, and telephone lines in the area.



This article comes from Iran Focus
http://www.iranfocus.com

The URL for this story is:
http://www.iranfocus.com/article.php?storyid=1880
_________________
The Sun Is Rising In The West!Soon It Will Shine on All of Iran!

[irani]

If it made Islamist press, it must be serious, here's the report from irna

http://www.payvand.com/news/05/apr/1112.html

Fake letter about ethnic Arabs provokes clashes in Khuzestan province of Iran
Ahvaz, April 16, IRNA-Iranian officials scrambled Saturday to denounce a letter purportedly calling for the relocation of ethnic Arabs from this southern city as 'forged', which triggered unrest.

Certain neighborhoods of the city witnessed clashes between police and ethnic Arabs Friday night, in which several state buildings, including banks and police cars were damaged and at least three people injured.

A local official at the Khuzestan governor's office, Qodratollah Dehqan, said the area was calm now and the police had the situation under control.

Government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said President Mohammad Khatami had ordered the Intelligence Ministry and the Supreme National Security Council to identify those behind the unrest.

The official stressed that the letter, attributed to former vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi, was forged aimed at provoking ethnic tensions.

"Following special investigations which were carried out by the presidential office, it became clear that there exists no letter with such a content," Ramezanzadeh said.

"Furthermore, the content of the letter indicates that it does not comply with any political principles of the Islamic Republic and it is merely aimed at inciting Iranian ethnic groups," he added.

Abtahi, on his website, denied having written such a letter.

"Anyone who reads the letter will realize that such a decision, even if confirmed by the Supreme Leader or the Supreme National Security Council or the president, cannot be implemented in Iran," he said, adding "I have never had the prerogative to order a change of demographic composition." Dehqan said officials were investigating to see whether 'the hands of foreign agents and enemies of the revolution are at work'.

"We are trying to convince ethnic Arabs of Ahvaz that those who want to perturb unity among Arabs and non-Arabs through their evil and antagonistic acts definitely are not friends of the revolution," he said.

Dehqan pointed to the fact that 'an important member of the Supreme National Security Council -- (Defense Minister) Ali Shamkhani -- is a tribal Arab and many of the top security and police officials belong to this ethnic group'.

Governor of Khuzestan province, Fathollah Moin, called on the local people to remain 'vigilant against divisive plots'.

"The aim of the distributors of this forged letter is to disrupt existing solidarity among the people of the province through creating disunity and division and instigating public opinion," he added.

[irani]

Sharply differing accounts on ethnic unrest in Iran

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17438444.htm

TEHRAN, April 17 (Reuters) - Iran's government and an exile opposition group gave sharply differing death tolls on Sunday for bloody clashes between groups of Arab-Iranians and security forces in the southwest of the country.

One exile group put the death toll as high as 30. But the Interior Ministry said one person died during the clashes, which started on Friday, and that order was now fully restored in the oil-producing heartland of Khuzestan province bordering Iraq.

Officials have said local Arabs rampaged through the streets, smashing police cars, banks and government buildings after a forged letter was circulated which talked of a government plan to force Arabs to relocate from the area.

"The security situation is under control and is calm," said Interior Ministry spokesman Jahanbakhsh Khanjani.

A spokesman for an Arab-Iranian group campaigning for Khuzestan's independence from non-Arab Iran said violence had continued on Sunday and gave the names of 20 people he said had been killed by authorities.

"The uprising is continuing," Abu Shaker al-Ahwazi, of the Ahvaz Arab People Democratic-Popular Front in London, told Reuters in Dubai. "Demonstrations resumed this morning and confrontations are now underway."

He said a total of 30 had been killed. Among the dead were: Ali Sabhani, 22, Naji Abayat, 20, and Alam al-Khazraji, 13 from al-Malashiya.

Reuters was unable to immediately verify his account of the unrest and death toll.

UNUSUAL UNREST

One official at a hospital in the city of Ahvaz contacted by Reuters said she was "hearing that 15 to 20 are dead". She declined to give further details. Local security officials also declined to comment.

Khanjani said it was untrue the protests had continued on Sunday or that some 30 people were killed.

Ahwazi said dozens of people were wounded in the clashes and that more than 300 were arrested in the city of Ahvaz alone.

He also said Iran had sent in troops from other parts of the country after some members of the local force that includes Arabs refused to obey orders.

Iranian media on Saturday had quoted a local security forces commander as saying 137 people were arrested in the protests.

About three percent of Iran's 67 million people are Arabs, most of whom live in Khuzestan. Iran is patchwork of ethnicities with roughly half the population Persians and Azeris, Kurds, Arabs, Lors, Baluch and Turkmen making up the other 50 percent.

President Mohammad Khatami has ordered an immediate government investigation into the unusual unrest. (Additional reporting by Sami Aboudi in Dubai)

[irani]

Unrest continues in Oil rich Khoozestan province

SMCCDI (Information Service)
April 18, 2005

Unrest is continuing in cities of the oil rich Khoozestan
province as sporadic clashes and acts of sabotage are
taking place despite the official claims of having pacified
the region.

Violence continued, today, by spreading to cities, such as,
Abadan and Khoramshahr where groups of demonstrators
shouted slogans against the Islamic regime and its
leadership.

Militiamen and regular security forces intervened in order
to smash the demonstrations.

Sporadic shootings were heard during day and night times in
both cities.

The City of Mahshar was also scene of violent clashes,
yesterday, resulting in at least 2 deaths and several
wounded among the demonstrators.

Several public buildings were also damaged in this city.

Acts of sabotage are taking place and a cargo train was
derailed, today, in the Ahwaz-Khoramshahr railroad.

The Oil facilities and pipelines have been placed under
heavy surveillance. Most accesses to Abadan's refinery are
controlled and an increase number of helico flights are
taking place.

Different reports are stating about 17 to 30 deaths and
dozens of injured in this regional unrest which has started
since end of last week in Ahwaz.

Hundreds of Ahwazi residents clashed, on Friday and
Saturday, with Islamic regime forces who used rubber
bullets, tear gas and clubs in order to avoid the spread of
riots generated in several areas of the city, such as,
Kian, Koot-Abdollah, Hamidieh and Khashayar districts.
Several banks and public buildings, such as, Law
Enforcement stations were heavily damaged by incendiary
devices.

The riots started following the rumor that the Islamic
regime is intending to diminish the social impact of
residents of Arab origin who are living in the area.
Sources are confirming that the rumor was spread by the
Islamic regime's intelligence in order to fuel racism and
to create a general situation making fear to Iranians on
possibility of a split of the country in case of the
overthrown of the Islamic State. The regime's leadership is
hoping to create a situation rallying Iranians behind the
candidacy of Hashemi Rafsanjani in the upcoming
Presidential elections.

Few separatists have tried to transform the rallies in
their favor but their calls were ignored by residents as
most Iranian Arabs believe strongly in the territorial
integrity of Iran.

Most of them fought Saddam forces and their local
mercenaries during the Iraqi invasion of 1980-82. They do
remember the separatists' dark and blooded records and the
so-called "Al-Ahwaz" group's activities during the
occupation of Khoozestan. Rapes and murders of hundreds of
young Iranian Arab females and the looting of the cities
were made by members of this group who helped Saddam's
forces.