The Ahwazi Cause and the Iranian Regimes

In my previous article, I wrote about the oppression and injustice that have been, and continue to be, inflicted daily by the occupying Iranian authorities upon our Arab Ahwazi people. Today, I will discuss another form of arbitrary practices carried out by the Iranian state against the Ahwazi people.

Since Reza Shah’s occupation of Al-Ahwaz in 1925, the region has experienced nothing but killing and persecution. Even after his son, Mohammad Reza, ascended to power, Al-Ahwaz did not escape oppression and the persecution of its people. He was merely an extension of his father—more brutal and ruthless in his approach.

The Shah and his son did not stop at seizing the land of Al-Ahwaz and erasing the culture and language of this noble Arab people. They went further, seeking to destroy the very essence and identity of the Ahwazi individual.

The atrocities committed by the Shah and his son against the Arab Ahwazi people pale in comparison to what is being done today by the clerical regime, which has its own distinctive methods. When Khomeini was in exile—specifically in brotherly Iraq—and raised the banner of Islam to fight the Shah and overthrow his regime, the Ahwazi people were hopeful. Some Ahwazi revolutionaries even joined Khomeini’s opposition to the Shah and supported it, believing that Islam could serve as the foundation for resolving the disputes between the Ahwazis and the Iranians. Khomeini agreed to these terms.

The Ahwazi revolutionaries were firmly convinced that an Islamic regime in Persia would bring at least a minimal degree of justice compared to the Shah’s rule. At the very least, they believed it would preserve the Arabic language, given that an Islamic regime is supposedly based on justice and equality. They hoped it would return their usurped lands, restore the rights stolen by the Shah, and allow them to practice their Arab customs and traditions—all of which are deeply connected to Islam. This, they believed, would curb the hostility and hatred the Iranian people, especially towards Arabs, including the Ahwazis.

What Happened After the Revolution’s Success?

When Khomeini’s revolution succeeded in 1979, with strong participation from the Ahwazi people, their activists, and heroic revolutionaries, the reality was starkly different from what was expected. Khomeini’s first act was to overturn the agreements he had made with the Ahwazi revolutionaries. His supporters proved to be even harsher than the Shah and his son Mohammad Reza in their treatment of the Ahwazis. A new kind of suffering began for our people, accompanied by fabricated accusations prepared in the clerical courts. These charges often carried the death penalty and included accusations of “Sunni affiliation,” “Wahhabism,” and similar claims.

Such accusations became a pretext for targeting any Ahwazi activist, regardless of their beliefs or sect. Whether Sunni, Shia, or even Marxist, they would be accused of promoting the Sunni Wahhabi sect—as the regime described it—ultimately facing a predetermined sentence: execution.

This leads us to conclude that the successive regimes in power in Iran—from Reza Shah to his son Mohammad Reza, and now to the current clerical regime—have never acknowledged the rights of the Ahwazi people. There has been no change in how these regimes deal with Al-Ahwaz. In fact, the transition from a Westernized regime to a clerical one has only brought increased hostility and cruelty.

This reality confirms that our cause is not tied to the ruling regimes or the type of governance in Iran. Instead, it is rooted in the ambitions of the Iranian state or the Persian entity, regardless of who governs it.

The conspiracy is evident, and the intentions are the same. There is no need for further clarification. The target is the Arab individual, and Islam in particular. These actions prove that such regimes have no connection to Islam. Instead, they seek revenge against Islam and Muslims.

We say to our fellow Arabs: Wake up! You are still asleep. The day is near when you will regret it deeply.