ment and British and American oil companies led to a massive influx or skilled workers and managers from the dominant Persian stock. Arabs Arabs were pushed down to the lowest positions and vicious policy of tion' was imposed on them, pushing their culture underground and outlawing even the right to have an Arab The overthrow of the Shah led to an upsurge of Arab struggles in the area. Demands for complete cultural freedom were linked to a desire for greater regional autonomy tor a programme of development for Khuzestan to provide jobs and schools, to be financed out of oil revenues.
Khomeini and Bazargan couched their reply in the shape of gunboats and bombs. Hunkilled, many others imprisoned and summarily executed Islamic kangaroo courts. Among those imprisoned were the 14 Trotskyists in Ahwaz.
wave repression retarded the Arab struggle for the rest of the year. But since. January there have been growing signs of renewed activity.
Demonstrations have again taken place in Khorramshahr Socialist Challenge But the occupation of the embassy also raises questions about methods of struggle. The Al-Nassar Martyrs however briefly, plight of Arabs in Khuzestan and more particularly drawn attention to the overfilled jails around Ahwaz and KhorramBut Marxists should ask how far the activists who were in the embassy have carried forward the struggle in Khuzestan. Their demands have brought of Hassive against Arabs Foreign Minister Ghotbzadeh. Rooftops The liberation of the Arab people from oppression and exploitation will not be won on the streets and rooftops of Kensington and Knightsbridge.
They wilbe mass activity of masses sizesta WCIC together with the oil and steel workers, the Kurds and Azerby baijanis, and all the working people of Iran.
What can be done in this country is for British socialists and trade unionists to say No to Us and UK aggressions against he Iranian people, and at the same time to refuse to condone the repression of all national minorities and the oppressed by the islamic government.
8 May 1980