As democratic movements rock the Middle East, a little-reported uprising in southwest Iran has largely escaped international attention, primarily due to the efforts of Iranian officials.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has for weeks cracked down on protesters in Ahvaz, the capital of the mostly ethnic Arab Khuzestan province, which has become a scene of ongoing unrest.
The violence began when the Iranian security apparatus, along with, as one , paramilitary Basiji forces, suppressed an April 15 “Day of Rage” demonstration against the hard-line regime of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Similar to uprisings throughout the Arab world, the “Day of Rage” was organized through social network websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
The “Day of Rage” protest, which spread from Ahvaz to other cities in Khuzestan such as Abadan, Khorramshahr, Hamidieh, Mahshahr and Shadegan, commemorated of the Bloody Friday demonstration that took place on April 15, 2005, and led to the death of 20 Arab Iranians and the arrest of 250 others.
