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Iran's
population of some 69 million people is ethnically
and religiously diverse. But successive Iranian
governments, whether theocratic or monarchic, have
stressed the Persian nature of the state and tried
to eliminate minority interests by emphasizing
linguistic, religious, and cultural unity. It is
noteworthy, therefore, that candidates campaigning
before the 17 June presidential election are
pandering to minority groups.
Conservative front-runner Ali Larijani said during a
29 March gathering of Sunni Muslims in Aq Qala,
Gulistan Province, that all of the country's ethnic
groups are important and praised the country's
Turkmen minority, Fars News Agency reported.
Mohsen Rezai, another conservative candidate, met
with tribal leaders in Abadan on 24 March and said,
"When I talk about justice I mean that there should
be no difference between the provinces or tribes and
we should not have first and second class citizens,"
Fars News Agency reported. "In order to realize
this...we must treat all ethnic groups equally. In
fact a change in our view towards ethnic groups is
extremely important and the next government must
courageously pursue this issue."
Hojatoleslam Mehdi Karrubi visited Ahvaz, Khuzestan
Province, in early March. He noted the economic
importance of the oil-producing province and said it
has been protected by brave young people,
"particularly Arab, Lur, and the tribes of
Khuzestan," "Aftab-i Yazd" reported on 13 March.
Susangerd parliamentarian Jasem Jadari told Karrubi
there is propaganda suggesting "various ethnic
groups living in Khuzestan have excessive and
unreasonable expectations." But local people only
want their constitutionally-guaranteed rights, he
said.
The majority of Iranians are Persians who practice
Shi'a Islam, but the country also includes Shi'a-practicing
Azeris and Arabs, as well as Baluchi, Kurdish, and
Turkmen minorities that practice Sunni Islam.
Christian Armenians and Assyrians also live in Iran,
as do practitioners of the Bahai, Jewish, and
Zoroastrian faiths. The Iranian Constitution states
that Shi'ism is the state religion but other schools
of Islam will be respected fully, and in regions
where the minorities predominate, local regulations
will respect their faith. Christian, Jewish, and
Zoroastrian practices will be respected, too,
according to the constitution. All Iranians,
regardless of their ethnic group or tribe, are
supposed to enjoy equal rights. Bahais, however, are
not recognized and face intense repression.
The Iranian government stresses national unity, and
Minister of Intelligence and Security Hojatoleslam
Ali Yunesi frequently claims that foreign elements
are trying to stir up sectarian differences (see "RFE/RL
Iran Report," 20 December 2004). He most often makes
this claim about the southeast, where many Baluchis
live.
Furthermore, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati cautioned
presidential candidates not to promote ethnic issues
in his last two Friday Prayer sermons in Tehran. On
23 February Jannati said Iran's survival depends on
the unity of all ethnic and religious groups, state
radio reported. He advised candidates not to discuss
issues "in certain areas" because "ethnic
sensitivities will be provoked and this will result
in discord."
The next month Jannati warned that the U.S. is
determined to exploit rifts, and in Lebanon and Iraq
it has "fanned the flames" of ethnic and religious
differences, state radio reported on 18 March. "The
same plots are hatched against Iran," he said. "Some
of the prospective candidates are raising such
problems in order to win votes."
As secretary of the Guardians Council, Jannati plays
a major role in vetting prospective candidates for
elected office. His warning to the candidates --
"The likelihood of them being qualified for such a
post is very low indeed" -- and his advice to the
judiciary to deal with these individuals could have
an impact.
But it is likely that Jannati's comments are meant
for the reformists, not the conservatives.
Executive branch spokesman Abdullah Ramezanzadeh, a
Kurd who previously served as governor of Kurdistan
Province, made some very controversial statements at
a 3 March reformist conference on Kurdish issues in
the western city of Kermanshah, Fars News Agency
reported the next day. "We, [the Kurds] will only
take part in the elections and vote if we are
guaranteed to have a share in the power."
Conservatives criticized Ramezanzadeh, pointing out
that Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar-Zanganeh,
Health Minister Masud Pezeshkian, and other
prominent officials are Kurds. As a result of this
outcry, President Mohammad Khatami reportedly barred
Ramezanzadeh from participating in any more election
meetings, Fars News Agency reported on 7 March.
Yet one conservative legislator, Alaedin Borujerdi,
swam against the tide. He said the Kurds are
supporters of the Islamic Republic, Fars News Agency
reported on 4 March. But he also noted that
"Kurdistan, like several other provinces, needs
greater attention, the honorable government must pay
greater heed to that province."
It is not immediately clear why the candidates are
focusing on minorities right now. Khatami traveled
the country to gather support and encourage voters
during his 1997 campaign, and he included minority
group members like Ramezanzadeh in his cabinet. The
candidates' appeal to provincial groups is not
without precedent, therefore. It is also possible
that because candidates do not present very specific
platforms during their campaigns, they must appeal
to voters in other ways. (Bill Samii)
www.rferl.org
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