Popular Protests Demanding Delayed Salaries and Rejecting Appointments of Persian Settlers
The residents of the Sha’biya area, located in the outskirts of Toster in Al-Ahwaz, organized a large-scale protest demanding their delayed salaries and the employment of Arab citizens in the Al-Ahwaz Sugar Company.
Protesters called for the appointment of their community members in the sugar company and other institutions in Al-Ahwaz, rejecting the presence of Persian settlers in Ahwazi institutions. This presence is seen as part of the Iranian occupation’s demographic change plans in the region.
During the protest, Iranian occupation forces compelled the protesters to raise the Iranian flag in an attempt to impose the legitimacy of their occupation over Al-Ahwaz.
One demonstrator stated that Iranian forces forced them to raise the Iranian flag as part of their efforts to legitimize the occupation of Al-Ahwaz. He added that the Iranian occupation deliberately appoints Persian settlers in Ahwazi institutions as a strategy to alter the region’s demographic structure, a policy strongly opposed by the Ahwazi Arab people.
Another participant in the protest, who preferred to remain anonymous, emphasized that the Ahwazi Arab people suffer from discrimination in employment within their national institutions, which are instead opened to Persian settlers. He pointed out that the situation has become increasingly dire, with Ahwazis struggling to secure jobs despite the region’s wealth of resources.
Additionally, it was highlighted that some demonstrators had not received their salaries for over three months. He also mentioned that there is an apparent plan by the Iranian occupation to dismantle the sugar company, which would deal a severe blow to one of the Gulf region’s most significant and historic industries.
