A Member of Parliament Calls for Attention to the Demands of Various Ethnicities and Religions in Iran

Gholamreza Heydari, a member of the Iranian Parliament, and Molavi Abdolhamid, the Sunni Friday prayer leader of Zahedan, called for attention to the demands of ethnic groups and religious minorities in Iran, referencing the independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In an interview with ILNA news agency on Sunday, October 1, Heydari stated that the issues of Iranian Kurds should not be linked to those of Kurds in other countries. He emphasized that Iranian Kurds have a strong attachment to their homeland and national pride, adding that reactions to the referendum should not be hasty or emotional. The referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has fueled discussions in Iranian civil society and social media about the status of Kurdish areas in Iran. Meanwhile, reports indicate that over 60 participants in street celebrations related to the referendum were arrested on October 4 and 5 in western Iranian cities, with some still imprisoned. Kurdish activists have criticized the 'poor economic conditions', 'higher unemployment rates compared to other regions', 'security crackdowns', and 'appointments of non-local managers' in recent years. Additionally, due to the exclusion of Sunnis from key positions in Iran, Sunni Kurds have not been able to hold high government offices. Heydari, a member of the Hope faction in Parliament, called for attention to the demands of various ethnicities and religions in Iran, stating that due to 'some shortcomings' in addressing Kurdish rights, 'the government must devise fundamental measures to respond to these legitimate rights'. He also criticized the lack of a Sunni governor and the failure to invite Molavi Abdolhamid to Hassan Rouhani's swearing-in ceremony as 'a clear example of mismanagement'. He added, 'When we say these individuals are citizens of Iran, we must accept their right to participate in the governance of the country. It is not right to ask for their votes during elections and then forget them.' The issue of Sunni rights was raised in the recent presidential election, where prominent Sunni figures supported Hassan Rouhani, with Kurdistan and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces giving him the highest votes at 75% and about 73%, respectively. Molavi Abdolhamid criticized the unfulfilled demands of the Sunni community during Rouhani's first term. After Rouhani's victory, the Sunni representatives in Parliament requested that 'the proposed ministers of the twelfth government include prominent Sunni figures', but ultimately no Sunni minister was appointed. Following this, Hasel Daseh, a Kurdish political activist and former parliament member, stated anonymously that 'some Shia clerics, in contact with Hassan Rouhani and some reformist leaders, requested that a Sunni minister not be introduced'. The appointment of a Sunni governor for predominantly Sunni provinces was also among the demands from Rouhani's government, but this has not been addressed either. In a Friday prayer sermon on October 7, Molavi Abdolhamid advised the central governments in the region to 'recognize their ethnicities and religions' so that, according to him, 'evil powers do not tempt them with whispers and wrongful thoughts'. He noted that 'our Kurdish brothers have been greatly oppressed in Iraq, but we still advise them to maintain Iraq's unity'. He also referred to what he called 'the enemies' plan' for the disintegration of Islamic countries, including Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Iran, and Pakistan, stating that 'the territorial integrity and national independence of our homeland and all Islamic countries are vital and important'. Abdolhamid listed 'observing the rights of all ethnicities and religions', 'respecting different cultures', 'maintaining the sanctity of beliefs and orientations', and 'equal treatment and justice' as key factors in preserving national security and the integrity of Islamic countries. He urged all government institutions in the Islamic Republic to take the recent letter from the Supreme Leader seriously and not consider this directive as merely a matter of expediency. In a rare move in September, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to a letter from Molavi Abdolhamid criticizing 'discrimination' against Sunnis, stating that the pillars of the Islamic Republic are obliged to 'not discriminate among Iranians based on the Constitution'. This letter was signed by Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, the head of Khamenei's office. The Supreme Leader's letter and his emphasis on eliminating discrimination 'based on the Constitution' comes at a time when Article 12 of the Iranian Constitution declares the official religion of the country to be Twelver Shia Islam, and Article 115 restricts high-ranking positions, such as leadership and presidency, to Shia Muslims, excluding Sunnis and followers of other religions from holding these positions. Additionally, institutions under the Supreme Leader have prevented the construction of Sunni mosques in Tehran and have arrested several Sunni clerics in recent years. Institutionalized discrimination in the laws of the Islamic Republic has led to the exclusion of religious minorities, dissidents, and opponents of the principle of Velayat-e Faqih and the Islamic Republic from the electoral competition. Apart from government officials and military institutions, 210 members of the Iranian Parliament have also strongly criticized the independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. However, Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, warned officials against being 'overly sensitive' to this referendum, stating that 'the issue is ethnic and the Kurds support the referendum'. Motahari emphasized that 'currently, the people of Iraqi Kurdistan should be persuaded, and Kurds within the country should also be convinced that the independence of the Kurdistan Region will not be in their favor'. Meanwhile, Gholamreza Heydari echoed Motahari's sentiments, stating that the Islamic Republic 'while cooperating peacefully and understanding mutual and regional interests, must allow the issue of the referendum to be managed by the central government in Baghdad and through interaction with the officials of the Kurdistan Region'. Heydari also described the referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as 'hasty' and stated that holding this referendum has 'challenged development in this region'. Several representatives from Kurdish areas in Iran, including Mohammad Qasim Osmani, a representative from Boukan, opposed this referendum. In contrast, a group of lawyers in Iran issued a statement considering the holding of the independence referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as 'a fundamental right and in accordance with international law', emphasizing that 'the country of Kurdistan' will not have detrimental effects on Iran. Among the signatories of this statement are Saleh Nikbakht, Masoud Shamsnejad, Behrouz Nalbandi, Mohammad Javad Zarei, Mohammad Akbari, and Ismail Rahimi.