Chinaski: Are you protecting the regime from accusations of racism? Even the most advanced democracies have problems with racism, so why do you think the Iranian regime is somehow above this? In fact, the situation is far, far worse, with ethnic groups suffering higher rates of poverty and human rights abuse, as the US State Department’s recent human rights report on Iran shows. Yes, everyone is suffering under the current regime, but they suffer differently with ethnic discrimination and persecution an aspect of oppression in Iran. Recognition of this fact does not necessarily mean advocating “Balkanisation” of Iran or ethnic conflict, any more than recognising that women are oppressed in Iran will necessarily lead to an end to marriage and a war between men and women. The Ahwazi Arabs deserve recognition and, if you want a unified Iran, their cause should be an integral part of opposition to the regime, not an embarrassment that no-one should speak of.
I don’t think Ahwazi Arabs are asking for anything more than a fair deal, including the return of confiscated land, some form of devolution of power (many provinces want this), full cultural and political freedoms, a degree of control over their region’s resources, social justice and the right to work and receive a fair wage. How on earth does this offend you? How is it any different to the method of governance in any federal democratic republic, such as the US or Germany, which are both stable democratic nations?
