The FBM Seminar: Zahedan Massacre reawakened the Baloch

LONDON:  The Free Balochistan Movement organized a seminar in London against the massacre of Baloch people in Dozap/Zahdan city of Iranian Occupied Balochistan by Iranian security forces in September 2022.

  The representatives Arab of Al-Ahwaz, Kurdistan, Tamil Elam, Turks of South Azerbaijan and Bahraini Human Rights activists also participated in the FBM seminar to share their experiences of Iranian state brutalities and to express their support and solidarity with the Baloch people.

In his opening remarks, Rasheed Baloch the organiser of the Free Balochistan Movement UK chapter said that on September 30 last year,  when the Baloch were protesting against the rape of a Baloch daughter, Mahu Baloch, the Iranian IRGC and other security forces opened indiscriminate firing at them killing at least 100 Baloch and injuring more than 300.

The participants offered tributes to Baloch martyrs including martyrs of the Zahedan Massacre and strongly condemned Iranian state atrocities against oppressed and occupied nations. They also emphasised the need for unity and cooperation among non-Persian nations to intensify their struggle for freedom.

Dr Shahzavar the Vice President of the Free Balochistan Movement in his introductory speech explained Iran’s continuous atrocities against the Baloch people and the occupation of Balochistan. He said that incidents such as Bloody Friday are not isolated occurrences, Baloch people face such atrocities every day.

He said that Iranian media including the leftist anti-regime group either deliberately ignore the state brutalities against the Baloch or use the sacrifices and suffering of the Baloch for their only petty political gains.

Aso Kamali the Chairman of the Kurdistan People’s Democratic Assembly in Britain said that the colonizers of our lands divided Balochistan and Kurdistan into many different parts. She emphasised joint efforts to regain freedom and justice.

Abdul Rahman from the Patriotic Arab Democratic Movement in Ahvaz said that the identity of Baloch, Arabs, Kurds, Ahwazi and Azeri Turks was diluted by the Persians in the name of Iran.

He added that the Arabs of Al-Ahwaz were being subjected to similar brutalities as Baloch and other oppressed nations. He said that the nations under Iran’s occupation should strengthen their ranks if they wanted to get rid of the occupiers and have prosperous and peaceful lives.

Abdullah Arif, Director of the Baloch Activists Campaign, presented a slide show to explain the facts and figures about Iran’s human rights violations in Balochistan. He said despite sending factual reports to media the pro-regime media of Iran and elements in opposition groups continue to ignore the gravity of Balochistan’s situation and ongoing human rights violations.

He said Iran call Baloch people Iranian citizen and if we accept that assertion of Iran, their treatment and attitude toward the Baloch people contradicts their claims.

The representative of Baluchistan Raaji Zrombesht (Baluchistan National Movement), Mehrab Sarjau in his speech said that the struggle for independence for Balochistan from Iran was as old as the Iranian occupation of Balochistan. “The movement against the Persian occupation of Balochistan did not start with the Zahedan Massacre last year. The Zahedan incident was one of the many acts of slow-motion genocides that the Iranian forces committed in Balochistan and this will not be the last one,” he added.

He said since Tehran imposed war on Makki Masjid in Zahedan the leader of Masjid Maulavi Abdolhamid has taken his responsibilities very seriously and he has the support of the Baloch people. He said Maulavi was demanding justice for last year’s massacres in Zahedan, Khash and Shamsar. He said, “We stand with Maulavi as long as he expresses people’s general demands.”

However, Mehrab emphasised that one should not expect the Maulavi to deliver federalism for Iran or independence for Balochistan because it was the responsibility of political parties to fulfill their manifesto and commitment.

Mehri Rezai, representing Kurdistan, said that we should not expect the UN to come and liberate us, we should first unite our ranks with on respective nations and then build a unity of all occupied nations to get our rights and freedom.

Faisal Marmazi the official spokesman of the Ahwazi Popular Democratic Front said that instead of relying on others for our freedom, we have to unite ourselves against Iran. He expressed his solidarity and support to the people of Balochistan saying that “when my Baloch brothers and sisters are in difficulty and suffering I stand with them and count myself as one of them.”

Mr Marmazi also reminded the Gulf states that if they wanted to live in peace and without Iran’s interference in their affairs then they should support the oppressed nations’ struggle for freedom. “Their silence as well as the silence of the international community which has limited themselves only to statements of concerns doesn’t help end Iranian state barbarism against our people”, he said.

Tivaan from Tamil, an activist of Tamil Elam, also urged for unity among the oppressed nations and said that many powers assured support to Tamils but later on they abandoned Tamil’s struggle for freedom. He added that at one point 35 countries voted against the Tamils at UN forums which means those 35 countries collaborated with Sri Lanka against the Tamils.

He said that if we get united and remain steadfast in our struggle, we won’t need the foreign powers or international community’s support to liberate us.

The Secretary General of Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society, Faisal Fulad, said that Iran has occupied the lands of Baloch and other nations and is funding terrorism in the world and trying to build nuclear weapons with their resources whereas the people of these occupied regions are deprived of the basic facilities of life.

Fulad who also served as a member of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s upper chamber of parliament, the Consultative Council, from 1996 – 2010 said that Baloch and Arabs have historical and blood ties but have their own separate national identities. He emphasised that we should frequently organise such events to expose Iran’s brutalities against oppressed nations and its support for international terrorism.

The Baloch pro-freedom leader and president of the Free Balochistan Movement Hyrbyair Marri in his speech said that Zahedan Massacre for the Baloch people was another reminder that if and when the Baloch try to raise their voice for justice, freedom and democracy, they will be massacred and silence. He said, “Our enemies Iran and Pakistan keep forgetting that nations cannot and will not be subdued by the sheer use of military might. Their guns and bombs may kill us, but they cannot silence our voices forever.

“The Zahedan massacre reawakened the Baloch and there have been continuous protests and anger since.”

He said that the Baloch people were realising that those who are trying to mix the Baloch national question with demands of federalism or regime change are playing into the hands of the enemy. That is why the main slogan of Baloch people currently has become “Neither Shah nor Sheik are our well-wishers.”

He further added that Pakistan and Iran have been hand in glove since the 1970s, working against the Baloch Independence movement. In the 70’s the Shah regime provided financial aid, military advisers and Air force to Pakistan to suppress the Baloch freedom movement. Now the Iranians have provided Kamikaze drones to Pakistan, with the blessing of China, which has invested in both parts of occupied Balochistan.

He said, “Although there is a long list of atrocities committed against the Baloch people, including but not limited to the Chamalang massacre, multiple mass graves, countless disappeared people, thousands murdered under the ‘Kill and dump’ policy, and the recent Zahedan massacre. We should brace ourselves for more such atrocities if we stay divided along the lines of ideologies. Our occupiers don’t see us based on our religious, democratic, socialist or communist groups- they see us as Baloch.

“So, my message to my people is that we have to stay strong and keep going, and accept and respect each other’s ways and values, in order to achieve our common Baloch goal. We have suffered enough. We have been deceived enough. Now is the time to unite. We should stop using terms such as “Iranian Baloch” and “Pakistani Baloch” — we are one. The Baloch were on this land well before these nations even existed.”

Mr Marri also thanked representatives of other oppressed nations including Arabs, Turks, Kurds, Tamil and all others who participated in the FBM seminar and expressed their solidarity with the people of Balochistan.

Read full text of Hyrbyair Marri’s speech on Free Balochistan Movement website: https://freebalochistan.com/transcript-of-the-speech-by-hyrbyair-marri-president-of-the-free-balochistan-movement-at-fbm-seminar-in-london/