GD Item 9

Sudwind is very concerned about the ongoing xenophobia in the Islamic Republic of Iran especially toward Afghan citizens, who are for the most part Muslims.

According to UNHCR there are about 3 Millions of Afghans living in Iran. The migration of Afghans to Iran started in 1979 and meanwhile the third generation is growing up in this country. However Afghans don’t receive a birth certification and are denied citizenships, driver permissions, properties or the use of the same sport facilities as Iranians. Their children are not allowed to enroll in public schools. Afghans are cheap and hard workers, working on high risk jobs as well as in agriculture. Those who had moved to Iran after 1992 have no access to health insurance. They are mostly hired illegally for very low wages.
Extremism based on national and/or religious totalitarianism propagates hate not only against migrants and refugees but also against ethnic and religious minorities. The murder of Ataollah Rezvani, a well known believer of Baha’i faith, on August 24th at Bandar Abbas in south Iran is a very distressing and concerning example.
We are also very much concerned about the developing trends of Pan-Iranism, Pan-Turkism, Pan-Arabism, Pan-Kurdism and Pan-Islamism; those movements are important drivers in the growth of hate and extremism.
Sudwind stresses on the duty of States to take prompt, decisive and appropriate measures to eliminate all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.