More than 100 Ahwazi Arabs from across the country will converge on Canberra to protest at the Immigration department and at the Iranian embassy on Monday 20 April.
The Ahwazi are a persecuted minority in south-west of Iran; the most oil-rich region. Ahwazis are denied the right to education in their own language.
April 15 marks the 10th anniversary of the peaceful Ahwazi intifada against forced displacement, discrimination and persecution of the indigenous Arabs by the Iranian regime.
In the 2005 Intifada,the Iranian regime gunned down at least 130 civilians in cold blood. At least 2,000 were incarcerated and more killings were carried out in the following months and years.
At least four Ahwazis were executed in 2014; in January, two Ahwazi Arab teachers, Hadi Rashedi and Hashem Shaabani, and on June 12, Iranian authorities informed the families of Ali Chabishat and Seyed Khaled Mousavi, that they had secretly executed and buried, regardless of appeals by the United Nations.
The Ahwazis will protest against the detention of Ahwazi Arab in Australia and on Manus and Nauru and against the on-going persecution by the Iranian regime.
It is estimated that more than 100 are in detention in Australia and offshore. Around 1000 are on bridging visas in the community waiting to be processed.
On 28 May, last year, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop issued a statement expressing Australia concern at the use of the death penalty, on-going human rights abuses in Iran, including the mistreatment of ethnic and religious minorities – http://www.bahai.org.au/NewsMedia/NewsStories/ArticleView/tabid/72/ArticleId/239/Australian-Foreign-Minister-expresses-deep-concerns-for-Baha-is-in-Iran.aspx.
In her visit to Iran last week – she said nothing about such persecution.
The Ahwazi community will protest in Canberra, Monday 20 April:
(i) In front of Department of Immigration in Canberra on Monday 20th April from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. Dr John Minns, representing Canberra’s Refugee Action Committee, Canberra will speak at the protest;
(ii) protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in Canberra from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
For more information contact Ahwaz community representative Ahmad 0403117054; or Ian Rintoul 0417 275 713
