21 November 2006

Arab Media Watch urges the media to follow the looming execution of Iranian Arabs - following a flawed trial condemned by human rights groups - as well as the plight of Iran's millions of ethnic Ahwazi Arabs, who form the majority in Khuzestan province, which contains up to 90% of the country's oil reserves and is a possible location for its nuclear programme.

The most informative, in-depth reports in the British media so far this year (until 17 November) have come from the Daily Mail (The barbaric deaths meant to spread fear, 15 November) and the Times (Tehran's secret war against its own people, Peter Tatchell, 10 October).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=416514&in_page_id=1811

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-2395978.html

Media coverage in general, however, has been sparse. The Financial Times has had the most coverage so far this year (14 articles), followed by BBC Online (seven), the Guardian (five), the Mail (two), and one each by the Times, the Daily Telegraph and the Independent. The Sun, the Daily Mirror, the Daily Express and the Daily Star have had no reports.

Besides the aforementioned articles in the Mail and the Times, media coverage has not been recent - ranging from 24 January to 16 April - and while focusing solely on unrest by Iranian Arabs, there has been little mention of their underlying, serious and long-standing grievances.

The Independent and the Guardian have provided no context. Of the BBC's seven articles, two had no context, while the others mentioned "alleged discrimination" and "Arab accusations" as if the human rights abuses are a matter of opinion rather than a fact that has been highlighted numerous times by respected human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The same is true of the Telegraph article. Of the FT's 14 articles, only three provided context, while two others mentioned "allegations".

AMW chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi and Daniel Brett, AMW member and chairman of the British Ahwazi Friendship Society, are available for interview.

Nashashibi: 07956 455 528, info@arabmediawatch.com

Brett: 07958 553 215, dan(AT)ahwazmedia.com

More information on the Ahwazi Arabs can be obtained on the BAFS website (www.ahwaz.org.uk) and an article by Nashashibi at:

http://www.arabmediawatch.com/amw/CountryBackgrounds/AlAhwaz/tabid/263/Default.aspx

Following are reports from HRW and Amnesty:

Halt execution of ethnic Arabs after secret trial

http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/11/11/iran14560.htm

Iran: Ethnic minorities

http://www.hrw.org/reports/1997/iran/Iran-06.htm

Reports of ethnic violence suppressed

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/05/10/iran10602.htm

Retry ethnic Arabs condemned to death

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/26/iran13609_txt.htm

Overview of human rights issues in Iran

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/18/iran12214_txt.htm

The Arab minority in Iran

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGACT600112006?open&of=ENG-2MD

Land confiscation and population transfer - Appeal case
The case of the Ahwazi Arabs

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130602006?open&of=ENG-2D2

Ethnic minorities singled out for attack in Iran

http://web.amnesty.org/wire/October2005/Iran

New government fails to address dire human rights situation

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE130102006?open&of=ENG-394

Following are links to this year's articles in the British media:

Tehran's secret war against its own people
By Peter Tatchell
10 October 2006

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1072-2395978.html

Iran blames Britain after bombings hit border town
By Angus McDowall in Tehran
26 January 2006

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article341037.ece

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/16/wiran216.xml

The barbaric deaths meant to spread fear
15 November 2006

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=416514&in_page_id=1811

Two bombs rock Iranian oil cities
27 February 2006

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=378401&in_page_id=1811

Iran's theocracy 'won't be toppled from outside'
Simon Tisdall in Tehran
21 June 2006

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1802752,00.html

US encouraged by Tehran's enemy within
Simon Tisdall
31 March 2006

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1743778,00.html

Iran links Britain to shooting of 21 officials
Robert Tait in Tehran
18 March 2006

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1733655,00.html

Drumbeat sounds familiar
Simon Tisdall
7 March 2006

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1725272,00.html

Tough talk from Tehran
Leader
2 February 2006

http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1700119,00.html

Bomb blast hits Iranian oil city
3 March 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4769724.stm

Iranians hang two Ahwaz bombers
2 March 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4765962.stm

Bomb blasts hit Iran oil cities
27 February 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4754446.stm

Eight killed in Iran bomb attacks
25 January 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4642170.stm

What Iran could gain from US talks
7 April 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4886678.stm

Iran calls for UK Iraq pull-out
17 February 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4723714.stm

Iran accuses UK of bombing link
25 January 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4646864.stm

Tehran says US offer of Iraq talks was propaganda
By Gareth Smyth in Tehran
26 May 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?queryText=Khuzestan&y=4&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060526007632&x=8

Britain dismisses Tehran bomb claims
By Frederick Studemann, Political Correspondent, and Gareth,Smyth in Tehran
26 Jan 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?queryText=Khuzestan&y=4&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060126001115&x=8

Bomb blasts kill four in Iran oil city of Ahvaz
By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran and agencies
24 Jan 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?queryText=Khuzestan&y=4&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060124011251&x=8

US study probes Iran's ethnic mix
23 Feb 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?queryText=Khuzestan&y=4&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060223008630&x=8

Iran minister calls for British to leave Iraq
By Gareth Smyth in Tehran and Steve Negus, Iraq correspondent
17 Feb 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?queryText=Khuzestan&y=4&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060217009004&x=8

Iran minister calls for British to leave Iraq
By Gareth Smyth in Tehran and Steve Negus, Iraq correspondent
18 Feb 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?queryText=Khuzestan&y=4&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060218000936&x=8

Iran nuclear talks display a glimmer of compromise
By Daniel Dombey and Roula Khalaf in London
3 Mar 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?queryText=Khuzestan&y=6&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060303008132&x=11

Iran's spring festival brings spirit of optimism amid ethnic unrest
By Gareth Smyth in Tehran
21 Mar 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?queryText=Khuzestan&y=6&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060321000816&x=11

Iranians prepare for nervous new year
By Gareth Smyth in Tehran
20 Mar 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?queryText=Khuzestan&y=6&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060320007891&x=11

Kidnapping brings ethnic mix into relief
By Gareth Smyth in Tehran
31 Jan 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?page=2&queryText=Khuzestan&y=6&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060131000223&x=11

Iran rejects US money for 'promoting democracy'
By Gareth Smyth iin Tehran
21 Feb 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?page=2&queryText=Khuzestan&y=6&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060221009425&x=11

US marines probe tensions among Iran's ethnic minorities
By Guy Dinmore
24 Feb 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?page=2&queryText=Khuzestan&y=6&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060224000964&x=11

US marines probe tensions among Iran's ethnic minorities
By Guy Dinmore
24 Feb 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?page=2&queryText=Khuzestan&y=6&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060224000980&x=11

Kidnapping brings ethnic mix into relief
By Gareth Smyth in Tehran
30 Jan 2006

http://search.ft.com/searchArticle?page=2&queryText=Khuzestan&y=6&javascriptEnabled=true&id=060130007260&x=11