Iran: Province of Khúzistán

by Moojan Momen

1994

This province lies in the south-west corner of Iran. It was predominantly Arab in population but during the twentieth century with the discovery of oil there an increasing population from the rest of Iran moved to this province to work the oilfields. Apart from dates, crops can only be grown with irrigation by canals and free-flowing channels.

Being distant from the main centers of Bábí activities, there were few converts in Khúzistán. Mullá Hasan Khazá'í owned land in the village of Zaytán. He became a Bábí and later a Bahá'í. He moved to the village of Manyúhá were he succeeded in converting some twelve further persons. A certain Muhammad Khazaví was among those who put forward a claim to leadership of the Bábí community in the period after the attempt on the life of the Shah in 1852.

In 1314/1897, there was a persecution of the Bahá'ís and Mullá Hasan Khazá'í was arrested and imprisoned. He was eventually released on the intervention of his son-in-law Shaykh `Arabí.