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Road to Democracy: Full political and
human rights in Iran
Friday, June 02, 2006
KurdishMedia.com - By Mustafa Hejri
Mustafa Hejri is the Secretary General of the Kurdistan Democratic Pary of
Iran (KDPI), one of the major Kurdish political movements in Iranian
Kurdistan. The following speech was delivered by Mr. Hejri at the “Road to
Democracy: Full Political and Human Rights in Iran” conference, which
occurred on 30 May at the Russell Office Building of the US Senate in
Washington, DC.
Honorable Members of Congress, Ladies, and Gentlemen,
In the early days of establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in
1979, the regime without any due regards for the international law, took
the American embassy diplomats hostage for 444 days.
Today 27 years later, the overwhelming majority of the Iranian public are
hostages of the regime. Women, journalists and free-minded people in
general and oppressed nationalities in particular are amongst the worst.
This extensive oppression and brutality are the direct results of the
Islamic belief and ideology of “Velayete Motlaqe Fageh” or indisputable
rule by Islamic jurisprudence, which is a peculiarity of the Islamic
Republic regime.
The Islamic theology of the Velayete Motlaqe Fageh treat women as
second-class citizens. Calls for freedom and democratic rights are
portrayed as interference with the divine rules and are heavily punished.
Any question of political rights is considered divisive and seen as
weakening Islam. Demand for national rights is labelled as a separatist
movment supported by America and Isreal and is most brutally suppressed.
So far, the regime has prosecuted thousands of national rights activists
of Kurdish, Arabs, Baluch, Turkeman and Azeri’s with separatist offences.
They have been forced to flee their homes; their belongings have been
confiscated; they have been imprisoned and even executed. To further
illustrate the effects of the regime’s policy towards nationalities, I
refer to the Kurdish situation as an example.
The Kurdistan Democratic Pary of Iran (KDPI), which is at the forefront of
the Kurdish democratic movement in Iran so far, has lost two of its
general secretaries as the result of the regime’s terrorist acts. First in
1989 in Vienna, Dr. Qasemlu was assassinated by the regime’s diplomats
while negotiating with them in search of a peaceful solutions to the
Kurdish question. The agents of the regime also murdered Dr. Sharafkandi
in 1992 prior to the meeting of the Socialist International in Berlin.
Consequently, the Berlin court found the highest-ranking members of the
regime, namely the supreme leader and president, guilty of plotting the
murder of Dr. Sharafkandi and his colleagues.
The Islamic Republic regime has also ordered the murder of hundreds of
other activists of the KDPI and other organizations both inside and
outside Iran. It is quite normal in Iran for a peaceful demonstration by
the people to end with the regimes forces up killing and injuring of tens
of demonstrators. These are but a few examples of the brutality
experienced by the people at the hands of the regime on daily basis.
These are all in a addition to the poverty, unemployment and abuse of
narcotics, which is high, and on the increase particularly amongst the
youth. The sense of hopelessness and lack of a bright future has resulted
in a sharp increase in various psychological disorders amongst this group
in the past few years.
In short, this is the general situation today in Iran, which is the direct
result of a small group imposing their rule on society and taking over all
the levers of power. As I mentioned previously, all of Iran’s people, its
wealth and fortunes are hostage in the hands of this group.
The internationl aspects of the regime’s policies are probably clearer for
my honorable friends. Interference in the international affairs of other
countries, supporting and encouraging the extremist elements in Palestine
and in other neighbouring countries, particularly in Iraq in the last few
years, is the cornerstone of this policy.
The regime’s unquestionable support for international terrorism and
ultimately the nuclear energy standoff has put peace in the region in
jeopardy. The implications of this policy are becoming increasingly more
serious for the international community. In his speech of 11th of April,
president Ahmadinejad informed the world of the news that they have been
able to enrich uranium. We have no doubts that the ultimate intention of
the regime is to acquire nuclear weopons.
What I have briefly explained is an accurate account of the Islamic
Republic of Iran’s policies in the past and present, which in my opinion
will continue to the future. However, in each stage, the regime may
implement the policy differently in the most cost effective way for them.
This means that the government of Iran is determined in their strategic
goals and not prepared to retreat from it. What may be in question are the
tactics the regime uses to achieve their ultimate goals.
If we can analyse the actions and policies of the regime from the early
days of coming to power up to now, both inside and outside Iran, their
tactics will become clearer to us. From the early days of the revolution
to the eight years war with Iraq and bringing to power of the so-called
reformist group, from the stage-managed election for the parliament and
presidency and appointment of Ahmadinejad to the post of president, these
are all survival tactics of the regime.
The main problem for the international community and a section of Iranian
society (this section is very much reduced in number lately) is the lack
of understanding of the true nature of the regime. The main reason for
this lack of understanding, in my opinion, is that the regime uses lies
and deceit as the main pillar of its national and international policy.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has theological justification for it. To
prove my point, it is enough to listen over a period of a week to the
contradicting comments made by various high ranking members of the regime
concerning a key issue such as nuclear energy. These contradictions are
not the result of various people expressing different opinion, but it is a
deliberate and orchestrated effort by the highest authority, Velayete
Motlaqe Fageh, to muddle the world opinion.
Now, I believe the world has two alternatives in dealing with this
monster. The first alternative is for the international community to
appease the regime as it has done up until now, resulting in an Islamic
Republic, with nuclear weapons, destabilisng the region further and
extending its violation of human rights inside Iran and support for
terrorism outside the country. The above situation will also result in
strengthning the separatist tendencies amongst the nationalities forming
Iran. This could lead to the break up of Iran in a chaotic manner.
The second alternative is the complete and peaceful removal of the Islamic
Republic and relieving the people of Iran from this regime. This will lead
to establishing democratic process in Iran and will gurantee full support
for human rights.
Internationally, the peaceful removal of this regime, which is the world’s
strongest supporter of terrorism, will benefit the Palestine-Israeli peace
process and help to stablize the region, particularly in Iraq.
To achieve this, the international community particularly the West, must
be united and speak with one voice. So far, the regime has gained the most
from the differences in approach between Europe and America in dealing
with Iran. In addition, they must redirect their support to the democratic
opposition forces both inside and outside Iran.
In relation to the above, I would like to point out the necessity of
helping the Iranian nationalities, including the Kurds, in achieving their
autonomy within a united democratic and federal Iran. These nationalities
could be the backbone of the united movement oppossing the regime.
We must not forget that the best solution to power sharing in post
Islamic-Republic Iran will be to empower the Iranian nationalities in a
federal structure based on ethnic geographic federalism. The Kurdish
nation and other oppressed nationalities in Iran will totally support such
a structure that will put and end to the inequalities of the past.
In conclusion, to move the democratic process in the region forward and to
eliminate the threat of terrorism from the world will require the unity
and cooperation of the international community with the nationalities in
Iran.
We in the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, as the main player of the
Kurdish movement in Iranian Kurdistan, consider ourselves as part of the
front opposing terrorism and for democratization of the region and are
fully prepated to fulfill our duties.
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