Iranian Provinces

This week in Iran, a member of a minority faith sets himself on fire to protest discrimination, reformists in Bushehr celebrate their first legal gathering in years, one person is arrested attempting to attack the shrine of Imam Reza, sanctions continue to exact a human toll, government deals with unrest in two counties, and 12,000 teachers remain unpaid for last month's work.

First Official Gathering of Reformists in Bushehr Since 2009
Following a four-year ban on all official activities in the province, more than 300 reformist activists and former officials came together in Bushehr to celebrate their first gathering since 2009. Mohammad Dadfar, a former member of parliament representing Bushehr, told attendees, "We have returned with pride." He added that the eight years of Ahmadinejad's government "should be remembered as the most difficult era for reform activism."

12,000 Teachers Yet To Receive Wages For Previous Month
In its last month in government, the administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has failed to pay the wages some 12,000 teachers and school administrators in South Khorasan province. As of this writing, no official explanation has been given by the Ahmadinejad government. This has prompted widespread speculation in the province of a shortage of available funds in the national treasury. Provincial authorities blame mismanagement and lack of bureaucratic coordination in Tehran. 

One Person Arrested For Alleged Insult of Holy Shrine
A resident of Mashhad was arrested for attempting to throw a flammable object at the shrine of Imam Reza. In a statement by Gholamali Sadeghi, chief prosecutor of the province, the incident was blamed on "influence by opposition satellite TV stations." Visitors to the shrine stopped the man before he could throw the flammable material, and was promptly taken in custody by security forces in the area. Sadeghi, in seeming contradiction to his remarks accusing satellite TV, added that the arrested individual has undergone medical evaluation in which he's been deemed mentally ill and is currently under the provision of mental health specialists while the legal aspects of his case are being considered. 

Self-Immolation In Front of Iranian Parliament
A follower of the Yarsan faith set himself on fire in front of the Iranian parliament this week. According to reports, the act of self-immolation was a protest against government-sponsored religious discrimination toward members of the faith. The victim, identified as 25-year-old Mohammad Ghanbari from Qazvin, was taken to Motahari Hospital in Tehran where he died hours later from severe burns. The incident was the third of its kind by Yarsan followers, the other two occurring in June near another government building in Hamadan. 

Counting the Cost of Sanctions
According to the Society for Support of Cancer Patients, an Arak-based charity organization, 13% of the city's cancer patients have discontinued medical treatment following a four-fold increase in the cost of specialized medicine. The group's director, Ahmad Ghorbani, said in an interview with ISNA, "Most patients use imported medication, which tend to cost more, and no existing insurance coverage sufficiently brings down costs to an affordable level." 

Elsewhere in Tehran, two Iranian labor unions sent a letter this week to five international labor federations warning of the detrimental impact of new sanctions on the average Iranian. The letter, specifically addressing sanctions that took effect in July, lists a number of harmful consequences on the civilian population, including the signatories’ belief that the government will exploit the sanctions to justify further crackdowns on unions and union activists. The letter asks for efforts to be made in the West against the imposition of these sanctions. 

Demonstrations Against Government Plans to Divide Two Historic Counties
More than 500 residents of Mehdishahr (previously Sang-e Sar) in Semnan province, staged demonstrations in front of the Iranian parliament this week, continuing protests that began over a month ago against a government decision to divide the county. The latest demonstration took place after negotiations on the plan between a number of MPs and protestors ended with no agreement. This follows earlier demonstrations in Mehdishahr that saw thousands of local residents blocking a key road in Semnan province. Opposition to the breakup primarily stems from a lack of government transparency on the plan and the failure to include local residents in the decision making process. Additionally, residents cite the county's continuity as a unique unified entity dating back thousands of years. Mehdishahr, whose name was changed from Sang-e Sar following the Iranian Revolution, is known as an ancient center of pre-Islamic religions with a unique language. Protestors held signs pledging to continue their opposition until the decision is cancelled. 

A nearly identical situation is taking place in the city of Khormouj, capital of the coastal county of Dashti in Bushehr province. Residents have staged peaceful protests against the breakup of the ancient county originally inhabited by Elamite settlers thousands of years before the Indo-European migration to Iran. According to petitions signed by thousands of local residents, the historic continuity of the area gives its various districts a unified identity and has served as the birthplace of hundreds of prominent figures in Iranian history. Residents complain, among other things, that the decision was made in secret and without explanation.