Protesting Farmers Turn Their Backs on Friday Prayer Leader in Isfahan

Farmers from eastern Isfahan, who have held various protests in recent weeks over the lack of water rights and agricultural water issues, turned the last Friday prayer of the year 96 into a scene of protest on Friday, February 25. Images shared on social media from the last Friday prayer in Isfahan show a significant number of protesting farmers sitting with their backs turned to the Friday prayer leader. Additionally, videos from this protest gathering reveal that the protesting farmers chanted 'Back to the enemy, facing the homeland' while turning their backs to the Friday prayer leader. In this gathering, protesters also shouted slogans against the Islamic Republic's state television, IRIB, and the government of Hassan Rouhani, including the slogan 'Liar Rouhani, where is our Zayandeh Rud?' which had previously been heard in protests by farmers in Isfahan. A report published by the Isfahan Friday prayer organizing committee did not mention the farmers' protest but quoted Mojtaba Mir-Damadi, the Friday prayer leader of Isfahan, stating that 'the rights of farmers have been usurped for years and due to the wrong decisions of some officials in the past, these problems have persisted for years.' He advised the farmers of Isfahan to 'be more patient and observe the efforts of all agencies' and to ask God for 'rainfall and help in solving the problem.' The farmers' protests against the transfer of Zayandeh Rud water to Yazd have been ongoing in recent years, including an incident in 2012 when a group of farmers from eastern Isfahan broke water transfer pipes, leading to clashes with law enforcement and injuries among them. Last November, they also parked their tractors at the entrance of Isfahan in protest. However, a new wave of protests emerged on Thursday, March 8, when a significant number of farmers from the Varzaneh area in eastern Isfahan marched in protest against the lack of water rights allocated to them, chanting slogans demanding their water rights, including against Hassan Rouhani. Their central slogan 'Liar Rouhani, where is our Zayandeh Rud?' refers to Rouhani's campaign promise to protect Isfahan from drought and restore water to the Zayandeh Rud river. Last Friday, March 9, following the protests by Varzaneh farmers and the 'throwing of two electricity poles' by some protesters, the water transfer to Yazd was halted. According to IRIB news agency, approximately 90 million cubic meters of water is currently being transferred from Zayandeh Rud to Yazd, while it was initially planned that the third Kouhrang tunnel and its dam would be operational first, and surplus water from Zayandeh Rud would be transferred to Yazd. Water scarcity and water transfer plans in some provinces of Iran have led to protests and clashes between the people and law enforcement in recent years. In this context, several residents of Khuzestan have also repeatedly protested against water transfer plans from the Karun river sources to Isfahan. Reports indicate that with the drying up of Zayandeh Rud, the largest river in central Iran, and the transfer of its water into the desert in Yazd and Qom to revive water-intensive industries, earning a livelihood through agriculture in these lands is no longer possible as it was in the not-so-distant past. Moreover, agricultural lands in eastern Isfahan, where wheat, barley, and alfalfa were predominantly cultivated, currently have no harvestable products and have become sources of dust storms. Officials from the Farmers' House in Isfahan province have announced that the living conditions of nearly one million farmers residing in this province, most of whom live in eastern areas, have faced a crisis in recent years due to the lack of water. Issues such as bounced checks from banks, the issuance of arrest warrants for some of them, and ultimately leaving their homes are among the problems faced by these individuals. Previously, Gary Lewis, the UN Development Programme's resident representative in Iran, told Reuters that water scarcity has now become the main human security challenge in Iran. In addition to drought, mismanagement and improper use of existing water resources have led to the drying up of many vital lakes, rivers, and wetlands in Iran in recent years. In this regard, some analysts use the term 'water war' to describe potential future conflicts over water in Iran or between countries, with some going so far as to predict that a potential future world war may begin over water.