Road to Democracy: Full political and human rights in Iran

Mustafa Hejri is the Secretary General of the Kurdistan Democratic Pary of Iran (PDKI), one of the major Kurdish political movements in Iranian Kurdistan. The following speech was delivered by Mr. Hejri at the “Road to Democracy: Full Political and Human Rights in Iran” conference, which occurred on 30 May at the Russell Office Building of the US Senate in Washington, DC.


Honorable Members of Congress, Ladies, and Gentlemen,

In the early days of establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, the regime without any due regards for the international law, took the American embassy diplomats hostage for 444 days.

Today 27 years later, the overwhelming majority of the Iranian public are hostages of the regime. Women, journalists and free-minded people in general and oppressed nationalities in particular are amongst the worst. This extensive oppression and brutality are the direct results of the Islamic belief and ideology of “Velayete Motlaqe Fageh” or indisputable rule by Islamic jurisprudence, which is a peculiarity of the Islamic Republic regime.

The Islamic theology of the Velayete Motlaqe Fageh treat women as second-class citizens. Calls for freedom and democratic rights are portrayed as interference with the divine rules and are heavily punished. Any question of political rights is considered divisive and seen as weakening Islam. Demand for national rights is labelled as a separatist movment supported by America and Isreal and is most brutally suppressed.

So far, the regime has prosecuted thousands of national rights activists of Kurdish, Arabs, Baluch, Turkeman and Azeri’s with separatist offences. They have been forced to flee their homes; their belongings have been confiscated; they have been imprisoned and even executed. To further illustrate the effects of the regime’s policy towards nationalities, I refer to the Kurdish situation as an example.

The Kurdistan Democratic Pary of Iran (PDKI), which is at the forefront of the Kurdish democratic movement in Iran so far, has lost two of its general secretaries as the result of the regime’s terrorist acts. First in 1989 in Vienna, Dr. Qasemlu was assassinated by the regime’s diplomats while negotiating with them in search of a peaceful solutions to the Kurdish question. The agents of the regime also murdered Dr. Sharafkandi in 1992 prior to the meeting of the Socialist International in Berlin. Consequently, the Berlin court found the highest-ranking members of the regime, namely the supreme leader and president, guilty of plotting the murder of Dr. Sharafkandi and his colleagues.

The Islamic Republic regime has also ordered the murder of hundreds of other activists of the KDPI and other organizations both inside and outside Iran. It is quite normal in Iran for a peaceful demonstration by the people to end with the regimes forces up killing and injuring of tens of demonstrators. These are but a few examples of the brutality experienced by the people at the hands of the regime on daily basis.

These are all in a addition to the poverty, unemployment and abuse of narcotics, which is high, and on the increase particularly amongst the youth. The sense of hopelessness and lack of a bright future has resulted in a sharp increase in various psychological disorders amongst this group in the past few years.

In short, this is the general situation today in Iran, which is the direct result of a small group imposing their rule on society and taking over all the levers of power. As I mentioned previously, all of Iran’s people, its wealth and fortunes are hostage in the hands of this group.

The internationl aspects of the regime’s policies are probably clearer for my honorable friends. Interference in the international affairs of other countries, supporting and encouraging the extremist elements in Palestine and in other neighbouring countries, particularly in Iraq in the last few years, is the cornerstone of this policy.

The regime’s unquestionable support for international terrorism and ultimately the nuclear energy standoff has put peace in the region in jeopardy. The implications of this policy are becoming increasingly more serious for the international community. In his speech of 11th of April, president Ahmadinejad informed the world of the news that they have been able to enrich uranium. We have no doubts that the ultimate intention of the regime is to acquire nuclear weopons.

What I have briefly explained is an accurate account of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policies in the past and present, which in my opinion will continue to the future. However, in each stage, the regime may implement the policy differently in the most cost effective way for them. This means that the government of Iran is determined in their strategic goals and not prepared to retreat from it. What may be in question are the tactics the regime uses to achieve their ultimate goals.

If we can analyse the actions and policies of the regime from the early days of coming to power up to now, both inside and outside Iran, their tactics will become clearer to us. From the early days of the revolution to the eight years war with Iraq and bringing to power of the so-called reformist group, from the stage- managed election for the parliament and presidency and appointment of Ahmadinejad to the post of president, these are all survival tactics of the regime.

The main problem for the international community and a section of Iranian society (this section is very much reduced in number lately) is the lack of understanding of the true nature of the regime. The main reason for this lack of understanding, in my opinion, is that the regime uses lies and deceit as the main pillar of its national and international policy. The Islamic Republic of Iran has theological justification for it. To prove my point, it is enough to listen over a period of a week to the contradicting comments made by various high ranking members of the regime concerning a key issue such as nuclear energy. These contradictions are not the result of various people expressing different opinion, but it is a deliberate and orchestrated effort by the highest authority, Velayete Motlaqe Fageh, to muddle the world opinion.

Now, I believe the world has two alternatives in dealing with this monster. The first alternative is for the international community to appease the regime as it has done up until now, resulting in an Islamic Republic, with nuclear weapons, destabilisng the region further and extending its violation of human rights inside Iran and support for terrorism outside the country. The above situation will also result in strengthning the separatist tendencies amongst the nationalities forming Iran. This could lead to the break up of Iran in a chaotic manner.

The second alternative is the complete and peaceful removal of the Islamic Republic and relieving the people of Iran from this regime. This will lead to establishing democratic process in Iran and will gurantee full support for human rights.

Internationally, the peaceful removal of this regime, which is the world’s strongest supporter of terrorism, will benefit the Palestine-Israeli peace process and help to stablize the region, particularly in Iraq.

To achieve this, the international community particularly the West, must be united and speak with one voice. So far, the regime has gained the most from the differences in approach between Europe and America in dealing with Iran. In addition, they must redirect their support to the democratic opposition forces both inside and outside Iran.

In relation to the above, I would like to point out the necessity of helping the Iranian nationalities, including the Kurds, in achieving their autonomy within a united democratic and federal Iran. These nationalities could be the backbone of the united movement oppossing the regime.

We must not forget that the best solution to power sharing in post Islamic-Republic Iran will be to empower the Iranian nationalities in a federal structure based on ethnic geographic federalism. The Kurdish nation and other oppressed nationalities in Iran will totally support such a structure that will put and end to the inequalities of the past.

In conclusion, to move the democratic process in the region forward and to eliminate the threat of terrorism from the world will require the unity and cooperation of the international community with the nationalities in Iran.

We in the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, as the main player of the Kurdish movement in Iranian Kurdistan, consider ourselves as part of the front opposing terrorism and for democratization of the region and are fully prepated to fulfill our duties.

June 02, 2006