In the last 39 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has done everything in its power to suppress Kurdish people. The Rojhelat (Iranian Kurdistan) is probably the most exposed area in Iran. The Kurdish region is intentionally deprived of industry; there is no developed infrastructure, the agriculture sector is still on the level of subsistence farming, and primitive agricultural techniques are still prevalent. The school system is substandard, and the health sector provides very limited services. The unemployment rate has always been very high. Thus, Kurds are forced to go to other places in Iran in order to get simple seasonal work which hardly provides them with an income. The only secure work is to be loyal to the state and be a part of the Para-military system. The state uses this “artificially” imposed poverty to push Kurds into surrender. Financial despair, addiction, suicide rates, and the number of political prisoners are far higher in Rojhalat than in other parts of Iran.
This racist and discriminatory policy which is constitutionally, institutionally and structurally organised and implements in all areas by loyal people of the regime, has stripped Kurdish people of any power. Kurdish people are entirely excluded from any decision-making. The aim is to keep the Kurdistan region as backward and as underdeveloped as possible. The Islamic Republic of Iran denies the democratic, national and human rights of the Kurdish people.
Due to Iran’s theocratic and totalitarian government, there is no political freedom, no political parties or organizations, no NGOs, no freedom of speech or other freedoms.
The aggressive and expansionist policy of Iran is well known when it comes to intervening in neighbouring countries and beyond as Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. From its first years, it has fueled and encouraged sectarianism and anti-Semitism in the region and has practised state terrorism and international terrorism.
Back in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran, under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini waged a war of extermination against Kurdistan. The Kurdish cities of Sanandaj, Saqiz, Mehabad, Meriwan and other cities were under heavy bombardment, bombed beyond recognition. The Kurdish civilian causalities were not by the hundreds, but by the thousands. The arbitrary killing and hanging of innocent Kurdish people, annihilating hundreds of them by execution or group-extermination, the imprisonment of thousands of Kurdish women and men, political persecution, threatening people for thinking politically, and even prohibiting music, traditional dances and cultural activities make up the daily lives of Kurdish people.
The atrocities have continued through the years. Hundreds of innocent Kurdish people, mostly youth activists who express their criticism, been sentenced to death publicly by hanging. Iran’s revolutionary courts with their arbitrary arrests and judgments characterise the Iranian judiciary system.
The latest atrocities of the Iranian regime against Kurdish people, which unfortunately will not be the last one, is the murder of five wonderful environment volunteers by shelling the forest fire area with heavy artillery.
Deliberate and maliciously set fires to Kurdish forest areas by Turkey and Iran is nothing new as they try to minimise Kurdish guerilla movements and to “punish” Kurdish villagers; and also to harm Kurdish harvest. Anyone can watch so many documents of how the Iran and Turkey are burning Kurdistan.
On Saturday, the 25th of August, people witness a suspect deliberately set the fire in the forest areas between the towns of Pile and Silasi of the region of Mariwan. At such disasters people usually rush to do their best to limit the damage and there are more and more people who have started to be active as environmental volunteers, not only to put out the fires, but also to help and assist people in other natural catastrophes, for instance, earthquakes, as the government doesn’t show any care.
As average people and these brave volunteers fought against the huge fires on Saturday, the Iranian artilleries started to shell the area. The army had helicopters in the sky and people have witnessed close military communications in the surrounding regions.
The result of this insane state terrorism five brave environmental volunteers (Sherif Bajor, Omed Koneposhi, Rehmet Hekimi Niya, Mohammad Pejohi and Omed Hassanzadeh) have been massacred in cold blood. Since Saturday, people have started to demonstrate and ask the
authorities for an answer.
It is time for democrats and freedom loving people in the world to stand by Kurdish people and other suppressed people in Iran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran must not be seen as only a nuclear problem as it is, along with Turkey, a source of instability and a threat to the stability of the Middle East. The heads of Iran’s regime must be held accountable for all domestic crimes in the last 39 years.
Only a total constitutional change and restructuring of the state power, decentralisation of power like a democratic confederate state, can change the current state of Iran.
Comments