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A
group of Iranian Kurds has created a movement aimed
at "peacefully" promoting democracy and demanding
rights that they say have been neglected. Some
Kurdish activists believe, however, that the
creation of the Kurdish United Front is simply an
attempt by reformist groups to regain some political
power.
Prague, 3 January 2006 (RFE/RL) -- A group of
Iranian Kurds has formed a movement that aims to
"peacefully" demand rights that they say have been
neglected or denied Iran's sizable Kurdish minority.
The Kurds account for about 7% of Iran's 68
million-strong population, making them one of the
country's largest ethnic groups. Most live in Iran's
western provinces, amongst the least developed in
the country.
The group claims to have the backing of Kurdish
activists, NGOs, and several thousand supporters.
Speaking to RFE/RL, Bahaeddin Adab, the founder of
the Kurdish United Front, said that democracy and
equal rights are key aims of the group.
"There is very little freedom in areas with a
Kurdish population, and democracy for all Iranian
people -- especially for Kurds -- is a necessity,"
he said. "The second issue is equal rights," he
continued, claiming that "Kurdish areas suffer from
discrimination and [official] contempt in all
political, economic, social and cultural areas of
life. Kurds have no share in the distribution of
power or regarding economic development; the four
Kurdish provinces of our country are not developed
and are deprived. They face limitations in their
cultural activities, which is preventing cultural
development."
Adab blames inequality and neglect for a "social
problems that never before existed in Kurdish areas.
Divorce, suicide, and addiction, for example, are
widespread now."
Violence And Nonviolence
He also linked these problems to violent clashes
with the authorities seen in several Kurdish cities
in the summer of 2005. In July, the shooting in
Mahabad of a Kurd, Shavaneh Qaderi, by security
forces led to demonstrations and dozens of arrests.
The unrest spread to other cities -- including Baneh,
Sanandaj and Sardasht -- and reportedly resulted in
the deaths of several civilians and police officers.
Adab sees a lack of representation as a major
contributory factor in the unrest, which he believes
demonstrated the need to create the Kurdish United
Front.
"Because such issues are brought up and pursued
individually, there are no results. That leads to
the use of violence by the government," he contends.
"That has a high cost for the nation and that is
not, we believe, in the interests of the people or
of the government because it widens the gap between
the people and the establishment."
Iranian authorities blamed the unrest on "hooligan
and criminal elements" and charged that "public and
state-owned buildings, including banks, were
damaged."
A number of rights activists and journalists were
jailed after the killings, some of them for long
terms. Human rights organizations have called for
their release and for an investigation into the
deaths.
Adab, who says the summer's violence "offended the
majority of the people," promised that the Front
would work within the framework of law and would
eschew violence.
Advancing The Front
The Kurdish United Front says a recent opinion poll
in areas with Kurdish population showed that most
people supported the creation of a front that would
enable them to pursue and assert their legitimate
rights.
Adab insists that the movement is not an official
party or a nongovernmental organization. Such groups
require the state's permission to meet, advertise,
and register new members. A number of Kurdish
parties are banned in Iran.
The Front plans to help Kurdish representatives gain
seats in city councils and in the national
parliament, as well as to raise Kurds' awareness of
their rights.
In August, the UN’s special rapporteur on housing
and land rights Miloon Kothari concluded at the end
of a 12-day visit to Iran that minorities in Iran,
including the Kurds, face discrimination when it
comes to gaining access to housing, civic services,
and land.
While Adab is optimistic that his group will be able
to achieve positive results, other Kurdish activists
in Iran express doubt.
"Our current president [Mahmud Ahmadinejad] also
talks about the same issue. He says he wants justice
for all Iranians," says Mohammad Sadegh Kabudvand,
head of the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan.
"Mr. Adab also says the same thing, or he talks
about democracy. The reformists also spoke of
democracy. But do the Kurdish people have democracy
and justice? No."
Kabudvand is similarly skeptical about the prospects
that Kurds' language rights will be observed. "Mr
Adab says we will work within the framework of law.
The law says ethnic languages can be taught. These
laws have been in place for the past 25 years, but
will the government let them be applied? No step has
been taken in an issue as basic as this, let alone
regarding the other rights that Kurdish people are
demanding."
Kabubvand instead sees the formation of the Kurdish
United Front as a personal political vehicle for
Adab and other members of the movement. "Most
activists believe that this front wants to gain a
share of power once more. That is all," he says.
Adab, an outspoken former member of parliament, was
barred from running again for parliament in 2004
after the Guardians Council, which oversees
elections and vets legislation, disqualified him
from the race, along with thousands of other
independent and reform-minded candidates.
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