Arab Iranians suffer cultural marginalization
Al-Arabiya / Ramadan al-Saedi
08-Sep-2010 (one comment)

Several movie theaters in the predominantly-Arab Ahwaz city in Iran have been shut down as audiences preferred staying at home and watching Ramadan T.V. serials and programs on satellite channels.

The expansive prevalence of satellite channels in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, commonly known as Arabstan, has led to a significant drop in the number of movie goers and 28 movie theatres were closed the province's capital Ahwaz, said Mojtaba Kuchik Zad, the general manager of the Khuzestan Association of Movie Shows.

 "Several movie theaters were turned into stores," he said in a press statement. "In a province whose population is more than five million, we only have eight movie theatres now."


Kuchik Zad added that before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, there were more than 38 movie theatres in Ahwaz and other cities throughout the province. 

Ahwazis desert movie theatres and prefer to watch films and serials on channels from the Gulf region because it is in their language which is not the case with movies shown in theatres, said Mohamed Haidari from Ahwaz.

"They also escape from their deplorable economic conditions when they watch T.V.," he told Al Arabiya.

Saeid al-Tamimi argued that Arab audiences were fed up with the didactic movies that only aim at promoting the values ... >>>

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While this article is about the closing

by Onlyiran on

of movie theaters in Ahvaz, one need only take a glance at its surface to show how it is promoting a pan-Arab agenda.  Just look at these quotes:

 The expansive prevalence of satellite channels in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, commonly known as Arabstan,

Really?!!!  The area is "commonly known as Arabestan"?!!!  When did that happen?!!!

 "Movie theatres in Arabstan are not allowed to show Arabic-speaking movies," he told Al Arabiya.

"Arabestan" again.

 After the success of the first movie theatre, several others were established in other Arabstan cities like Ahwaz, Masjed Soleiman, and Susangard (originally called al-Khafajiyya) till the number reached 38.

This time it's not just "Arabestan", but "al-khafajiyya" too!!

Dirty Saudis!