As the situation in Iran continues to deteriorate, minorities continue to get repressed. These days we witnessed Ahwazi protests southwest of Iran. People were protesting mainly against lack of water, but the government responded to these protests with more repression.

Furthermore, the government’s behavior continued northwest of the country, in South Azerbaijan. More than 25 million Azerbaijanis live in Iran. Despite this fact, these people, as well as other Iranian minorities, are deprived of basic rights, such as receiving an education in their native language. It is hard to imagine, in the 21st century, that a group of people who are larger than the population of Sweden, Norway and Finland put together, are deprived of a right to receive an education in their native language. If we include other Iranian minorities, the figure will be even higher.

Continue reading

July 9, 2018, “Al Arabiya”