The manifesto of the Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz (Arabistan)
The founders of the Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz (Arabistan or al-Ahwaz) held the party congress in London on July 17-18 of 2003. The following program was ratified and published as the manifesto of the party at the conclusion of the congress.
Preface
The Arab people of Ahwaz are in a very complicated and difficult historical period, the result of an unprecedented national oppression. This oppression began in 1925 when the Arab sovereignty of the region was destroyed and subsequently replaced by the despotic and the racist regime of Reza Shah.
The October socialist revolution of 1917 compelled the western powers to support a centralized and strong Iran, to act as a shield against the spread of communism to the warm waters of the Gulf and the Middle East. Thus, the savagely ambitious and chauvinistic ideology of Reza Shah and the colonial interests and aims of the western powers found a common ground at a strategic juncture.
This was the start of an unfortunate course in which the Pahlavi regime not only attempted to dominate Ahwaz by sheer force and without taking into consideration the wishes of the Arab people, but also it did all it could to eradicate the national identity and cultural characteristics of the Arabs of Ahwaz.
It attempted the assimilation of the Arab people into an anti-Arab and extremist Persian ultra-nationalist agenda. By using different methods such as intimidation and torture, it lowered the status of the children of this nation to the ranks of second and third class citizens. Thus, the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Arab people of Ahwaz for national self-determination began to evaporate.
An unequal challenge and a life-consuming battle for survival were imposed on it. One of the most prominent characteristics of this confrontation was the calculated policy of the Pahlavi regime for the eradication of any sign of Arabism from Ahwaz. This eradication policy included changing the historical Arabic names of cities, villages and streets and replacing them with mock Persian names and banning the use of Arabic language in schools and governmental offices throughout the Ahwaz area. It also involved mass exiles, land confiscations, and creating Persian settlements similar to other colonial settlements that are known in history.
The final outcome of these oppressive practices and policies of suppression is the acute backwardness of our people in the political, social, cultural and economic spheres despite the fact that our region is richly endowed with oil reserves, which make up around 90% of Iran’s oil export. The result of these policies is a sever identity crisis among wide sections of the Arab people, the negative consequences of which still dominate our area.
Since the international community, and even the Arab world, neither supported nor recognized the legitimate demands and the rights of the Ahwazi Arab people. Our nation was forced to use the most basic tools that were available to it in order to continue the difficult struggle for survival. During this particular historical period, our people were deprived of strong and effective political organizations. And it was for this reason that all its uprisings and rebellious movements resulted in failure.
Despite great sacrifices, our people were neither able to alter the unfortunate political situation dominant in the region, nor were they able to insert the Ahwazi question as an undeniable element of the Iranian and regional political formula. This inability did not diminish the fact that our nation produced a great number of martyrs and prisoners.
This struggle in this period played a fundamental role in the collapse of the fear and terror barrier, caused political and ethnic awareness among the masses, and despite the difficulties and despotic dominant political atmosphere, it kept the flame of the national struggle alive. Therefore, the banner of the battle was handed on to the next generation, and thus succeeded in achieving an important step toward the final goal.
There were no fundamental changes toward the Arabs in the policies of the new Islamic Republic leaders, who emerged after the victory of the 1979 revolution, although our people took an active role in starting and bringing the revolution to victory. Arab circumstances remained the same, despite the fact that the leaders of the revolution were chanting Islamic revolutionary slogans in support of freedom, social justice, the elimination of oppression and discrimination, and in the defence of the oppressed, the deprived and for global justice.
But, as soon as the Arab people presented their just demands, which were in accordance with international and Islamic laws and principles, suddenly the mask of Islamic brotherhood and religion slipped from the new leadership’s. Our legitimate needs were denied as threats and violence were applied.
The Khomeini regime’s massacre of Arab demonstrators in the proud city of al-Mohammara (Khorramshahr) was the worst example of this policy. It started a new phase in our battle, a mean battle that was imposed upon our people. But our people, as in the past, put up heroic resistance, which is a source of pride and honour.
Our nation, in the course of battle for its national goals and just demands, did not hesitate to sacrifice even the most valuable of its possessions. Thus, the 1979 Islamic revolution, not only failed to fill in the gap between our people and the Iranian government, but also destroyed all the opportunities to build a bridge between the two sides. This caused the Ahwazi masses to turn away from the Iranian regime of Velaayet-e Faghiih.
Confiscation and expropriation of great areas of Arab owned lands by the regime under the guise and cover of Sugar Cane Development project exacerbated the situation. The real aim of the project is to build Persian settlements in confiscated Arab lands. This project is similar to resettlement projects that were carried out by the Shah’s regime, such as the Yazd-e No (New Yazd) settlement.
During the 8-year Iran-Iraq war, the new revolutionary leaders eliminated their rivals and secured for themselves the monopoly of power and government. The Iranian regime abused the emergency to impose a police state on Ahwaz. Using the disastrous effects of the war as an excuse, the regime deported a great number of the Arab population outside Ahwaz and confiscated even more Arab lands. But this issue increased the will of the people for resistance and confrontation. The war aftermath had a positive effect on ethnic and political self-awareness. The increase in the number of Arab youth with higher education also strengthened the popular movement.
But the conclusion of the war and its aftermath, and the fact that the regime had to accept a ceasefire with terms less dignified than it thought it deserved (the late Khomeini compared accepting the cease fire with drinking a cup of poison), in addition to the regimes abandonment’s of its wild ambitions of exporting the revolution, improved the moral of the Arab people and their aspiration to change their dreadful situation.
We also need to mention the gigantic international and regional developments, most notable of which is the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war, which have altered the global political map in a fundamental way. Thus, the unique strategic importance of Iran (a barrier against communism infiltration into the Middle East) was diminished
It was in the midst of these tumultuous events and developments that the Ahwaz national movement arrived at a historical point, and was able to realize some of its legitimate demands from the reformist government of Mr. Khatami.
What caused the increase in the power of this movement and the widening of its circle of influence was the circumstances caused by the important political and social developments that occurred in the past few years in Iran in general, and in Ahwaz in particular. The most important of these developments in Iran were the intensification of the power struggle in Tehran, the failure of the regime in achieving its stated slogans and ambitious programs, the worsening of the political and economic crisis, the weakening of governmental influence, the ineffectiveness of the security forces, and the increase in the nationalistic sentiments in the non-Persian ethnicities of Iran.
In the case of Ahwaz, the following factors played important roles in the nationalistic and socio-political self-awareness: the horrible decrease in the quality of civic services, the increase in poverty, and unemployment, growth of drug addiction, pollution and the worsening of the already terrible quality of drinking water, the colonial-era type Sugar Cane resettlement project by the regime of the mullahs, and the active participation of committed Ahwazi intellectuals. The above factors played an important role in the self-awakening and peoples knowledge about the rich history and culture of Ahwaz, energizing the Ahwazis politically and socially.
Hence, the ethnic self-awareness and its reflection in the values and socio-political outlooks has become a common reference for the Ahwazi Arabs. This paved the way for the expansion of the national struggles and elevated it to a point, where it can be described as strong and solidly developed. All this came about as the result of people’s dissatisfaction with the regime’s oppressive policies as the status quo, which considered the disintegration of the Ahwazi Arab national identity as a fait accompli.
It must be noted that these positive and fundamental changes, although important, were, by themselves, not sufficient to guarantee the realization of the just demands and legitimate aspirations of the Arab people for building a better future. Our national movement had always lacked the necessary means to realize the desired objectives.
Particularly lacking were political organizations with significant impact on domestic events. This resulted in a political vacuum whose effects have been a source of misfortune for the Arab popular movements of the last seven decades.
To obtain relief from these fundamental problems and to eradicate the negative consequences weakening moral, and in order to utilize their potentials and not miss any possibilities and opportunities, it is necessary to establish a political democratic organization with a solid structure, rooted in a vast daily struggle and having a practical strategy. A strategy that is reasonable, persistent, flexible and consistent.
Thus for these reasons and due to a sense of ethnic obligation, we the founders of the Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz, found it necessary to establish such an organization. The declaration of the existence of the party is a historical necessity in this fateful stage of national struggle.
The party’ ideology is in accordance with the interests and the needs of the Ahwazi Arab people on one hand, and the requirements resulting from regional and international circumstances, on the other.
Since the process of altering our unfortunate circumstances begins with a clear understanding of those circumstances, therefore we will do our best to conduct detailed studies and research to understand why we are in his unfortunate situations; understand the internal and external causes, have a realistic and correct view, also a clear and active strategy that addresses the acute situations of Ahwaz on all levels; political, social and cultural, without any presumptions, irrelevant theories and ready-made models of struggles.
The Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz is a product of a deep understanding of the fundamental domestic and international changes and the political experiences of our people in the last seven decades.
Therefore, it is our hope that our party’s campaigns in the future would be in the level of the Arab people needs and aspirations, so we may prove to be the right vanguard, and represent our people and channel their issues in the correct path so that we reach internal consolidation and provide a relief from political and social oppression.
We see it necessary to emphasis that we do not claim to be without errors or shortcomings, or what we have stated in our manifesto is the absolute truth or the final word on the Ahwazi question, but rather an intellectual-political effort which is open for discussion, correction and change so that it may be of better service to the just cause and higher interest of our nation.
General principles
1-The struggles of the Arab people in Ahwaz are a part of the struggles of the Iranian nationalities (Azeri, Baloch, Kurd, Turkmen, Bakhtiaris and Lurs) and are for peace, democracy, freedom and social justice.
2-The Iranian nationalities, who suffer from national oppression, are our natural allies.
Therefore, we and other nationalities share a common struggle, in confronting discrimination, suppression, and despotism.
3-The party believes in the linkage of the struggle for democracy and freedom for Iran and the struggles of the oppressed nationalities of Iran for the rights of national self-determination.
4-The party believes that democracy is a means for organized contacts between all segments of society, according to the principle of equality of all citizens regardless of religious, political and ethnic affiliations, and the principle of free participation of people in the decision-makings, and passages of laws that guarantee fundamental social and economic rights. It is a belief that relies on the principle that the legitimacy of any government must come from the people.
5- The party believes that in the process of recognizing and realizing democracy, merely being a follower of other nations’ models is not useful. Therefore we emphasis the necessity of developing precise plans and feasible strategies so that an independent avenue to some form of democracy be opened, one that guarantees and links the basic principles of democracy such as individual rights, religious and social values, and society’s moral code that accommodates particular historical structures of the Arab people of Ahwaz.
6-Our party is a grass-roots people party that draws its energy from the masses and is a reflective voice of their will, demands and legitimate aspirations, and places the interest of the Arab people of Ahwaz as its priority.
7-The party rejects the principle of Velaayat-e-Faghiih (governance by religious jurist) and considers it a novel method of abolishing people’s will, and is a cover to legitimize dictatorship and cover it with a holly cloth.
8-The party believes in the separation of governmental institutions from religious ones, so that religion’s holiness can be safeguarded and that religion can play its moral role in society.
9-Our party’s positions on any given ruling political system in Iran, is based on that systems treatment of our people’ just cause and to what extent it addresses their legitimate demands; demands that are in accordance with internationally recognized laws and treaties.
10-The party deeply believes in the equality of men and women, and in the struggles against discriminations and against any limitations placed on women’s participations in any field.
11-Defending human rights and the rights of minorities against repression and aggression universally is one of the party’s fundamental beliefs. In this respect, we fully support the rights of the religious minorities of Ahwaz including the Sabena’s, Christians and others.
12-The party believes in actual and absolute adherence to the universal declaration of human rights and all related laws and articles.
13-The party is against all forms of terrorism. The party however makes a distinction between terrorism and the legitimate struggles of nations who are under occupation or fighting despotism and discrimination.
14-The party firmly believes that there cannot be peace and security in the Middle East as long as the Palestinian issue is not resolved in a just and comprehensive manner. Such a solution should be acceptable to the Palestinian people as well as to the Arabs. The resolution should put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and should result in the creation of a Palestinian state in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
15-The party believes in the solidarity of global society, and in avoiding the use of violence and force as means of resolving global conflicts. The party believes that dialogue and understanding should be the basis for international relations.
Objectives
In accordance with the principles stated above, the Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz will work to achieve the following objectives:
One-The party will struggle for the right of self-determination for the Arab people of Ahwaz as a natural right for choosing their political future, particularly because when Ahwaz fell under the Iranian (Pahlavi) domination in 1925, our people’s opinion were not considered.
Two-The party will do its utmost efforts in the political education and outreach within the homeland to organize the people, elevate the level of their awareness, create social and political dynamism, establish channels of communications between the citizens and the party, so that our people may attain the ability to comprehend the issues correctly, conduct conscious activity and responsively to the challenges of struggle and to the movement leadership.
Finally, to resurrect the potentials of Ahwazi society, which has been kept buried by oppression, deprivation, and humiliation.
Three-The party will strive for the development of the spirit of collective commitment and strengthening of patriotic tendencies. The party will strengthen ethnic feelings and the understanding of unity-of-destiny in order to eradicate the effects of the chauvinistic policies of the consecutive Iranian governments in the past seven decades, which tried to destroy the ethnic and cultural identity as well as the historical heritage of the Ahwazi people.
Four-The party will work for the solidarity and unity of the Ahwazis to maximize the levels of political struggle and activity both inside and outside Ahwaz.
Five-The party will struggle for strengthening the principles of democratic values in our society.
Six-The party supports establishing fundamental elements of a civil society, such as cultural associations, trade unions, and professional organizations.
Seven-The party will work for unity among the Ahwazi parties and active organizations in order to establish a comprehensive front that has the ability to represent a broader spectrum of the Ahwazi social and political forces.
Eight-The party will work to establish strong links between the Ahwazi Arab movements and all Iranian progressive movements, particularly with the oppressed Iranian nationalities who have similar aims and ideals as ours.
Means
One-The party, in accordance with its principle beliefs, has chosen peaceful resistance as a means and methods of realizing its patriotic goals and as an uncompromising principle, and rejects all forms of violence and force to realize our aims. Considering our unequal means as opposed to the ruling regime that has all the tools of suppression, employment of these peaceful means will safeguard our nation of misfortune and bloodshed. Therefore, the party has chosen demonstrations, strikes, and other peaceful forms of protests as its method of struggle.
These forms of protests, if not fruitful, may necessitate a call for civil disobedience.
The party understands that the success of civil disobedience requires many elements, the most important of which are as follows:
a- Emergence of objective circumstances to the point that success in such method of struggle is practical or guaranteed.
b- The ability of the Ahwazi society to resolve political differences, social contradictions, tribal and group prejudices; and reaching a point of understanding historical responsibilities and preparedness for self-sacrifice in all respects.
c- The unity of all Ahwazi political forces on a minimum platform which would include the views of the society’s elite and those of the people on one hand and the political demands of civil organizations on the other, in realizing a national consensus, regarding popular participation in the general civil disobedience.
d- Attracting internal and international support for the stated method of struggle and its legitimacy.
Two-For the purpose of cohesion with the stated aim, the party primarily would pursue a method and a discourse that is harmonious with the necessities of the struggle. This discourse would set the stage for the mobilization of the popular forces of society and one that attracts the more aware, sincere and active elements for participation.
Secondly, the party would attempt to build internal organizational structure and cells in the following manner:
a – Establish an organizational party structure which would be able to coordinate the inter-party communications, horizontal and vertically.
b- The application of democratic centralism to maximize the effectiveness of actions by following a principle of criticism and self-criticism.
c- Establishment of solid organizational links between the party and the masses, in particular the youth, students, the intellectuals, and those segments and classes of society who influence social and economic arenas such as governmental workers and particularly workers in the oil industry, who are the life line of Iran’s economy.
Thirdly, the party intends to help civil society associations in Ahwaz in becoming active, defend their independence and provide them with the necessary means and tools that strengthen their steadfastness and resistance.
Fourth, the party will establish communication and information channels outside Iran in order to apply pressure on the government and prevent their suppressive actions, forcing it to yield to the just demands of the Arab people, and to clarify the legitimacy and justice of the demands of the Arabs of Ahwaz to the international community.
The party believes that in the end, people judge the success or failures of any political activity. The part believes any political organization or party’s legitimacy revolves around the extent of people’s trust in its stated aim and method in one hand, and to the realization of political objectives, on the other.
Therefore, in accordance with the just stated principles, holds the Arab people of Ahwaz and history as its witness, pledges to do its utmost effort to be faithful to its commitments and responsibilities to bring to fruition all its slogans and programs, and participate in the realizations of our people’s needs and goals for freedom, justice and a life with dignity.
The central committee of the Democratic Solidarity Party of Ahwaz (Arabistan)
