Iranian politicians always speak of their support to the oppressed whether Sunnis or Shiites. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani repeated this more than once in his statements, and so did Iranian religious, political and military leaders.
However, Tehran’s political practices are something else. The Iranian political conduct is characterized by recklessness and arrogance, desire for sectarian expansion, undermining security and stability in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain.
The contradiction between words and actions in the Iranian politics also concerns internal affairs. Although claiming to defend the oppressed and the vulnerable without discrimination, Tehran has persecuted the people of Ahwaz, who suffer injustice, ethnic cleansing and racial discrimination by the Shiites for decades.
Ahwaz is the forgotten cause of joint Arab action. It should be addressed on the agenda of pan-Arab summits and meetings and the message should be passed to international institutions and forums in order to restore the rights of the people of Arabistan who risks forced demographic change by the Iranian authorities in an attempt to silence their voice. Tehran also carried similar plans in Sunni areas in Iraq and Lebanon.
The story of the Iranian occupation of Ahwaz is not well known. What is relatively absent from the Arab collective consciousness is the suffering of the people of Ahwaz. The Arab failure is perhaps due to the busy schedule of the Arab joint action with persistent issues, particularly the Palestinian cause. Israel and Iran practice occupation and coercive policies.
It is ironic that Iran claims the defense of the oppressed in several Arab countries, but continues to persecute Ahwaz Arabs. They are even deprived of the wealth and natural resources of their province which produces about 50% of Iran’s GDP.
For many years, Arab and Gulf states have adhered to a foreign policy based on respect for the sovereignty of neighboring states and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, in application of international norms and conventions as well as the principles of the Islamic religion. These policies have not succeeded in building walls able to prevent intervention of regional powers in the internal affairs of Arab countries. Turkey for example is trying to control parts of Syria, it even imposed the use of Turkish currency on regions of Syria in reprehensible disparagement of international legitimacy and Syrian sovereignty. Moreover, these policies did not prevent Iran from interfering in many Arab states.
Now, there is no longer room for silence. Good-neighborly policy is a thing of the past, now that Iran has Shiite militias in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Now Arabs have to help their brothers in Al-Ahwaz, who fervently cherish their Arabness in the face of the brutal occupation of Iran.
Iranian practices, lies and deception must be dealt with. Before preaching helping the oppressed abroad, the Iranians should practice justice home. Injustice is injustice everywhere and is only practiced by organizations and countries that want the whole world to return to the times of backwardness and iniquity.
