Three 'Yarsan' Followers Sew Their Lips in Protest During Rouhani's Visit to Kermanshah

Three followers of the 'Yarsan' faith sewed their lips shut in protest against 'discrimination' faced by adherents of this faith, coinciding with Hassan Rouhani's visit to Kermanshah province. The Kurdistan Democracy and Human Rights Center reported on Sunday (July 27) about the protest and 'day of silence' by these three Yarsan activists. The identities of these individuals have been revealed as Siavash Hayati, Amin Abasi, and Nushad Taheri, who undertook this action in response to 'discrimination and neglect of the demands of the Yarsan community.' They also issued a statement declaring that they sewed their lips after their 'years-long efforts of the Yarsan Civil Activists Advisory Assembly to meet' with the President proved fruitless. They stated that the purpose of meeting with Rouhani was to 'find a solution to mitigate the discrimination imposed on the Yarsan people.' Another point of contention raised by these activists was the lack of transparency regarding the reasons for the non-implementation of the President's electoral promises related to the rights of ethnic groups and religions. They also protested against 'neglect of the backwardness and lack of development in Kurdish regions' and the 'presence of an ineffective non-local power mafia in Kermanshah province.' Followers of the Yarsan faith in Kermanshah have long protested against 'discriminations' and 'injustices' faced by adherents of this faith, with some protests resulting in self-immolation. In August 2013, one Yarsan follower set himself on fire in front of the Parliament building and died after being transferred to the hospital. Yarsan followers, along with another group of residents in Kermanshah, have once again protested during Rouhani's visit to the province to urge officials to address their demands. Ali Yunusi, the President's special assistant for ethnic groups and religious minorities, previously met with several followers of the Yarsan faith and confirmed that there are some 'narrow-mindedness' towards them in the country, promising to defend their 'citizenship rights.' On Sunday, during Rouhani's speech to a group of people in Kermanshah, slogans were chanted protesting 'unemployment' and 'discrimination.' On July 23, the Kermanshah Representatives Assembly published a letter addressed to Rouhani, stating that 'if the proposal for creating a free and economic zone and completing the railway in Kermanshah is not implemented,' they would not accompany his caravan. According to Mohammad Shariatmadari, the President's executive assistant, during Rouhani's visit to Kermanshah, it was announced that 69 projects would be inaugurated, of which 51 were related to the decisions of previous governments.