Letter of 75 professors, journalists,writers and political activist to UNESCO Director about Khaza'al's palace destruction -

The Honorable Ms. Irina Bokova, United Nations Education, Sceintific and Cultural Organization,  Director-General.

We are writing to inform you of the destruction of an historical palace in Iran, which was registered by the Organisation of Historical Heritage (No. 2845).

The palace was built in 1917 by Sheikh Khaza’al, the last Ahwazi sheikh of Mohammara, now known as ‘Khorramshahr’. The demolition represents the destruction of an important part of ethnic Ahwazi Arab history and identity. It comes in the context of the Persianisation of a region that was for a long time known as Arabistan (renamed ‘Khuzestan’), with any element of Arab culture eradicated including place names and monuments.

We call on UNESCO, as an international organisation responsible for protecting historical sites, to condemn the demolition of Sheik Khaza’al’s palace and ensure that any such demolition action will not be repeated on any other monuments of national and historical importance to Ahwazi Arabs.

 Signed by:

Dr.RezaBaraheni, Iranian Poet and Novelist.Canada

Mr.Amar Tasaie, Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Journalist.

Mr.YousefAzizi,Executive Secretary,Centure for Combating Racism &Discrimnation against Arabs in Iran.

Mr.Karim Abdian,Ph.D. Executive Director, Ahwazi Education & Human Rights Foundation.

Mr.Ali Altaie,Ph.D. Shaw University, USA.

Dr.SedighehAdalati, Socioligist and Human Rights Activist, Germany.

Mr.AbdolhadiTorfi,Iranian (Ahwazi Arab)

Jurnalist,Alarabiya TV.

Mr.HamedKenani, Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Poet&Journalist.

Dr.Zia Sadr al Ashrafi,Azarbaijan Cultural Society.

Mr.Jaber Ahmad – Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Writer and journalist

Dr.AliGharajelou,Human Rights Activist, Canada.

Mr.Azad Moradian, Human Rights Activist, USA.

Mr.M. RizaHeyet, Editor-in-Chief, VarliqMagazine, Turkey.

Ali PorAli, editor-in-cheif of Heyderbaab Newspaper, Canada.

Mr.Hassan Tamjidi,Theatre Director                    

Mr.KawaAhangari, Kurdish-Iranian Human Rights Activist, Belgium.

Mr.AlirzaJavanbakht, Azerbaijani Journalist andHuman Rights Activist, Canada

Dr ManafSababi, Chairman of AZERCemiyyet.

Mr.Amir Mardani,Speaker of Iranian Azerbaijani Students Movement

Mr.EnsafaliHedayat, Independent Azeri-Iranian Journalist

Mr.ArifKeskin, Azarbaijani Researcher

Mr.Kouthar Al Ali, Iranian (Ahwazi Arab)Publisher

Dr AlirezaAsgharzadeh, Sociologist, York University, Canada

Mr.BabakBakhtavar, South Azerbaijani, Human Rights Activist

Mr.AlirezaFarshiDizajyekan - University Professor and Literary Journalist

Ms.SimaDidar, Azarbaijani Journalist and Translator

Mr. BabaekHabibiNoruzlu,AzerbijanianActivist andEditor of Araznews.

Mr.AlirzaArdabili,  Editorof Tribun Journal, Sweden.

Mr.Ali Moeini, Union of Iranian UniversitiyGradutes( Sazmaneadvartahkimvahdat)

Mr.MahmodBilgin, Azerbaijani Activist,Sweden

Ms.AfsaneSulduzi, AzerbaijanianActivist

Ms.RubabeTagizade, AzerbaijanianActivist, Sweden.

Ms.HashimBilgin, Azerbaijani Activist, Sweden.

Mr.NaserBagierOglu, Azerbaijani Activist

Ms.AydaKerimli, AzerbaijaniAcctivist

Mr.FuadKerimli,  AzerbaijaniActivist

Ms.SolmazEleyiqizi,  AzerbaijaniActivist

Mr.Calal Safer Oglu, Azerbaijani Activist

Ms.JilaGolanbar, Kurdish Feminist Activist, Iran.

Mr.ShahnazGholami, Iranian (Azerbaijani) Journalist, France.

Mr.VahidQarabagli,Association for Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran (ADAPP),Canada

Mr.AlirezaSarrafi, AzerbaijaniWriter&Journalist,Iran

Mr.Saied Naeimi,AzerbaijaniPolitical Activist, Iran

Mr.Nadir Ghazanfari, PhD candidate in Physics

Ms.Haifa Asadian,Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Activist

Mr.Mahdi Hashemi, Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Statistician

Dr.MiroAaliyar, Kurdish-Iranian Human Rights Activist

Mr.Nahidkheirabi, Journalist, Iran

Mr.Mahdi Naimi, Turkish-Azeri Teacher

Mr.YunesShameli, Researcher and Journalist,Sweden.

Mr.HosseinHardan,Iranian (Ahwazi-Arab) Civil RightsActivist,Germany

Mr.MousaMazidi,Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Civil Rights Activist,Germany

Mr.Nasser Haidari, Ahwazi-Arab Lawyer and Poet and lawyer,Sweden

Ms.Ghazal Jahanshah, Civil Service Manager,Iran

Mr.JamilWadi,Iranian (Ahwazi Arab)Poet,UK

Mr.JasemAsadi,Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Professor

Mr.AydinYenilmez, AzerbaijaniWriter and Poet

Mr.MohamadAzadgar, First Secretary, Azerbaijan Federal Democrat Movement

Mr.Ahmad Mirzaie, Human Rights Activist, Iran

Mr.NouriHamzi,Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Journalist

Mr.Adnan Salman,Iranian (Ahwai Arab) Political Activist    

Mr.Mohammad AlJaber, Ahwazi Human RightsOrganisation (AHRO), UK    

Mr.Ali  Mokhtari, ‘FadaeyanAksariyat’ Political Organization

Mr. KavehKermanshahi, Feminist and Human RightsActivist, Iran

Ms.Mariam Rahmani, Feminist Activist, Iran 

Dr. M.R. Husseinbor, Attorney and Iranian Baluchi Activist, USA

Mr. Alirteza Nazmi-Afshar, Azarbaijan Diplomatic

Mission.

Ms.Salimeh Fotoohi, Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Author, UK

Ms.Hanan Azizi, Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Journalist, UK

Ms.Elham Latifi, Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) feminist and Human Rights activist, Belgum  

Ms. Behjat Taei, Iranian (Ahwazi Arab) Journalist, Norway

Ms.Nada Youssef, Iraqi Poet,Norway

Mr.Thamer Khalil, Iraqi Musician,Norway

Mr. Mansour Rajih: Yamani Wirter,Norway

Mr. John Vodestav: Norwigian Journalist