Kurdish people in Iran are under dual suppression

Briefing European Parliament by Hodjat Naryndji!
Kurdish people in Iran are under dual suppression!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak about the ethnic groups in general and the Kurdish people specifically in Iran.
In Iran, there are several ethnic populations that have lived in relative peace throughout the history of this country. Persians, Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and Baluchi are among the most populous ethnic groups in Iran.
Like other ethnic groups in Iran, Kurds are under pressure by the government because of the ethnic belonging and non-religious secular nature of their struggle; and also, because the majority of Kurds, unlike the official religion of the Islamic Republic, follow the Sunni branch of Islam; they experience double pressure. This also applies to the ethnic Baluchi as well. For example, during the recent ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, almost two-thirds of all killings occurred in the Kurdish and Baluchi areas. Both regions are among the poorest and less developed, with high unemployment levels in the country.
The Kurdish population in Iran is estimated to be around 6 to 8 million, it is making them one of the largest ethnic groups in the country.  According to the latest official statistics, the unemployment rate in Kurdistan province is 20% and Kermanshah province with 15%, have the highest unemployment rate in the country. The unemployment rate in the whole country is about 10%. One of the results of the high unemployment rate in Kurdistan is that people turn to Koolbari (carrying goods on their backs) in the border towns and make a living through goods smuggling, which is associated with high risk and sometimes the cost of their life. Many of these Koolbars have university degrees, and, due to unemployment and the need to make a living, risk their lives for a small amount of money.
From the beginning, of the Islamic Republic’s existence, the government has ruled the atmosphere of killing, distrust, and armed conflicts in this part of the country also the regime is following the same perception in social planning for Kurdistan. One of the reasons for the non-expansion of investments in the production, industries and services should be considered under the same perception.
And a few words about our proposal:
While one of the pillars of The Left Party of Iran is Internationalism but we understand the demands of ethnic groups and religious minorities to be an important aspect of people’s struggle in Iran. Our solution to eliminate ethnic inequality in Iran is Federalism. Within this framework and context, we believe Kurds could achieve their long-lasting goals such as: The freedom to practice religious or non-religious activities; To establish the type of education system where the Kurdish language is thought alongside Farsi; To establish self-autonomous regional government whereby the authorities are elected in free elections by the people and among local politicians; To enjoy equal rights than other ethnic groups including equal opportunities economically, politically, culturally, etc.
As a Kurdish member of the Left Party of Iran, I have been subject to double oppression by both Pahlavi and Islamic Republic governments. I have seen the bloody battles between ordinary Kurdish people and the regime’s military forces. Like all other Kurds in Iran, I believe a free, democratic, self-autonomous and secular regional state of Kurdistan is only achieved by passing from the current regime to a secular and democratic establishment.
Thanks again for having me in this meeting.
July 13, 2023