Hicri: Progressive forces should support democracy in Iran

Speaking in the European Parliament in Brussels, in the conference “For a New Agenda for Peace and Justice”, organized by the Socialists & Democrats Group /  Progressive Alliance, Mustafa Hicri, leader of Iranian Kurdistan Democrat Party (KDPI), criticized the current brutal mullahs regime in Iran and asked for international support for democratic future of the country.

By Mustafa Hicri, Leader of Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan

The Iranian regime regards itself as God’s government on earth. Therefore, this regime believes to be entitled to a superior position, inside as well as outside of Iran. This is reflected in the ideology and worldview of the Iranian regime, in its treatment of the different nations living within the borders of Iran, and in its treatment of dissidents. It is also reflected in the regime’s hegemonic policies outside of Iran, in its exportation of the Islamic revolution, in its nuclear ambitions, and in other destructive policies of this regime during the past 37 years.

The internal policies of the Islamist regime in Iran have resulted in violations of human rights, in poverty, in widespread social problems, in staggering corruption, and in factional infighting over power in pursuit of the plundering of the state’s resources and assets. The external policies of the regime have resulted in the worsening of sectarian conflict and war, in terrorism, in destruction and in a destabilizing influence in the Middle East region in particular. It is for these reasons we, as the PDKI, say that as long as the Islamic Republic exists, the Middle East will not achieve lasting peace and meaningful stability.

Therefore, it is not realistic to expect that the citizens of Iran will achieve their rights under this regime. This is particularly true for us Kurds, because from the very beginning when this regime came to power, it has viewed us as an enemy, as counter-revolutionary, as agents of the enemies of Iran, and even as enemies of Islam. This regime has for example declared “jihad” or holey war against us Kurds.

Based on our experience of 37 years of struggle against this regime, we believe that achieving rights in Iran can be accomplished in two ways.

First, by overthrowing the regime and establishing a democratic government in which all the different nations of the country participate.

Second, by creating a wide and strong opposition whereby all citizens of Iran who want freedom, and especially the oppressed nations of Iran, join forces in order to pose a serious challenge to the regime.

We have two cases where the regime has backed down and compromised, and in both cases it faced serious challenges to its survival.

First, following eight years of war between Iran and Iraq, which resulted in great human and material cost, the survival of the Iranian regime was at stake. As a result, Khomeini accepted UN Security Council Resolution 598 which, in his own words, was like “drinking poison.”

Second, when international sanctions in response to the regime’s nuclear weapons program affected Iran to the extent that they endangered the survival of the regime, supreme leader Khamenei was willing to accept the conditions of the international community and Iran signed the nuclear agreement.

There are no other ways to achieving rights in Iran other than those mentioned. And those who hope that civil resistance or complaints at the United Nations about human rights violations will compel the Iranian regime will change its policies, are having wrong expectations.

The Iranian regime does not allow any form of civil resistance. In fact, we have seen increased violations of human rights and executions in Iran.

There is a simple reason for why this is the case; the Iranian regime is fundamentally opposed to the idea of human rights as understood in the civilized world and as defined in the charter of the United Nations.

Therefore, it is not realistic to expect that the Iranian regime will respect human rights when it does not believe in them as a matter of principle.

Based on this analysis as well as the demands from the Kurdish people in eastern Kurdistan that we should intensify our struggle against the Islamic Republic, the leadership of our party became convinced of the necessity of increasing the presence of our Peshmerga Forces among the Kurdish people.

The increased presence of our Peshmerga Forces among the people will strengthen the morale of the civilian population. Our goal is to link the struggle of our Peshmerga Forces in the mountains with the struggle of the civilian population in the cities.

In addition, we want to tell the outside world that the Islamic Republic is not the “Island of stability” it propagates in order to attract multinational corporations to invest in Iran. At the same time, we want to demonstrate that the Iranian regime’s claims about the dissolution of the Kurdish opposition forces are false.

We want to present an alternative to the existing regime when it insists that the people have no other choice but to accept its backward and antihuman laws. We want to give the people hope about a democratic future as an alternative to the dictatorship of the Islamic Republic.

We hope that the progressive and democratic forces of the world, especially our sister parties, support us in our struggle for a better future for our region and for the Kurdish nation.