Let’s stand up against the fascist-racist wave against refugees from Afghanistan living in Iran! + video clips

By Hasse-Nima Golkar

Let’s stand up against the fascist and racist wave targeting Afghanistan refugees in Iran!

According to social media reports, Seyyed Mehdi Mousavi, a 15-year-old legal refugee from Afghanistan, was tortured by the fascist police force associated with the ruling capitalist Islamic State of Iran. The police reportedly beat his head on the ground and pressed a knee into his neck and back, mirroring the brutal actions of the Minnesota police in the USA against George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Mehdi’s neck and vertebrae were broken in the assault.

In a video clip shared on social media depicting the police’s actions in the Damavand district (northeast of Tehran), Mehdi’s mother can be seen at the scene of his arrest. Pleading in a Hazara accent, she tells the police, “His hearing is weak!” Mehdi groans, “Uncle, let me go free!” but the police continue to apply merciless pressure on his neck.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, millions have fled to neighboring countries, including Pakistan and Iran. With the significant increase in Afghan refugees and immigrants, now estimated to be between 6 and 8 million people, there has been a rise in fascist and racist attacks against them. These attacks have been supported by government officials, supporters of the defeated monarchy, and a large, politically ignorant segment of the population, and they are becoming more intense every day.

In response to this fascist and racist wave against defenseless Afghanistan refugees living in Iran, a campaign has been launched under the hashtag #EndFascismInIran by the Federation of Anarchism Era, along with various anti-fascist forces. We invite all anarchist and anti-fascist groups worldwide to join us in international solidarity and take any necessary and appropriate actions to support this cause.

• To escape oppression and tyranny, hardworking people have no choice but to flee!
• No human being is illegal anywhere in the world!
• #EndFascismInIran