Social Media Users Criticize Presence of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces in Iran’s Flood-Affected Areas
The entry of Iraqi quasi-military forces of the Popular Mobilization Forces, known as the Iraqi Mobilization, into the flood-affected provinces of Khuzestan and Ilam under the guise of providing assistance to flood victims has triggered multiple critical reactions on social media.
Some users, by posting their comments under a Voice of America poll, while calling this group terrorist, wrote that they are “subordinate to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” and their presence in Iran is “highly suspicious and unacceptable.”
Other users, in recent days when images of the entry of Iraqi quasi-military forces were released, wrote that the Islamic Republic intends to show this way that these forces are not only consumers of Iran’s aid and are repaying their debt to the Islamic Republic.
One user compared this action to attacks by government-affiliated media on the benefactors of the “Imam Ali Society” and wrote: “The members of the Imam Ali Society are called spies, but they celebrate the presence of Popular Mobilization Forces in #Khuzestan.”
به بچه های #جمعیت_امام_علی میگن جاسوس! اونوقت برای حضور نیروهای #حشدالشعبی تو #خوزستان کِل میکشن. خوزستان و مردم ایران ۸ سال با دست خالی یک وجب از خاکش و دست دشمن ندادند و عقب نشینی نکردند، الانم در برابر سیل و مصیبتش قد خم نمیکنه، تا وقتی این نسل ادامه داره.. نیازی به شما نیست pic.twitter.com/gaYL9qSBVq
— yaghmafashkhami II (@yaghma_fashkham) April 13, 2019
Some users also referred to the presence of Popular Mobilization Forces quasi-military in Khuzestan as an “occupation.”
Several Khuzestan citizens on Monday, April 16, through messages sent to the “On the Line” program of Voice of America announced that there is capacity within the country to deal with the floods and compensate for their damages, and there is no need for the entry of quasi-military forces from Iraq.
The flood crisis in Iran, which began in the last days of last year, has so far caused significant damage and directed many criticisms at the government and responsible institutions in crisis management and relief efforts. Weakness in crisis management has also led to clashes between protesting people and security forces. According to reports, at least one person in Khuzestan lost their life in these clashes.
Source: Voice of America
