Via translator
Thank you. I am glad to be here and I want to thank the Washington Kurdish Institute for organizing this panel. I would like to discuss the reality of the Kurdish region in Iran. You all know that the Iranian regime is a brutal and dictatorship regime based on darkness. This regime has a role and leverage in the whole region as well. They were able to aid Syria and kill up to 500,000 people and displaced more than ten million. The recent protests in Iran proved once again the way that the regime handles peaceful protests, whether in Iraq, Lenbennon, or Iran and that is by killing people. We have learned two lessons in the recent demonstrations in Iran, the first is that the regime’s reaction to the minorities protesting was more brutal and deadly like against the Kurds and Arabs. The second lesson is that all Iranians of all backgrounds are not asking for minor reforms or have simple demands anymore, but rather for the regime to leave power. The protestors demanded that in their slogans during the protests.
The current Iran is not the same as before the recent protests. The support from outside Iran to the people have been a solidarity support or a compassionate one but this is not enough. The support needs to follow actions not only vocal one. The Kurdistan region could play a significant role in the future political situation in Iran. The Kurdish parties have been in constant talks and developed a good communication with each other. The Kurdish movement in Iran is based on secularism and democracy, therefore we have relationships with all of the Iranian parties have shared our vision and seek freedom. Today we are experiencing that one of the reasons of the Iranian regime remaining in power is due to the lack of a united opposition front. Otherwise, I think the regime could have been gone even a decade ago. Inviting the Kurdish parties and Iran’s opposition parties for joint talks with each other would have a good impact on the future of Iran’s by those who would want to help Iran. We as Kurdish parties and the united Kurdistan front, which include several Kurdish parties, are trying to hold open talks with non-Kurdish parties of the opposition. The Kurdistan region is part of Iran. Its people support the Kurdish parties who have Peshmerga forces and longstanding history of struggle against the regime. Among the people of Iran, there are love toward the Kurdish region. These elements will take the Kurds to a different level inside Iran. As Iranian Kurds, we do realize that the Iranian regime influence in Syria and Iraq have played a negative role against the Kurds of those places. They play a destructive role against the Kurdish movement. The end of the Iranian regime is in fact will free the Kurdish movement and all the democratic movements.
Therefore, we think it’s vital to support all the democratic movements of Iran and not to leave them in the hands of the regime as results they will be unable to even use the internet. Or prevent them from delivering their voices. We are not seeking the military support, but media support for all the opposition groups to deliver their voice to the world. We also think the US presence in Iraq and Syria is a positive step and we are not asking the Americans to send troops to the Kurdish region of Iran, but to lift the ban imposed by the administration on meeting the Kurdish opposition parties. Finally, removing Iran from Iran, Syria, and Lebanon will help all the movements seek freedom. Thank you for listening to me.