Deutsche Welle Persian - June 12, 2009
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| From left to right: Mohsen Rezaei, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi – the presidential candidates in Iran. |
During the election campaign leading up to the presidential elections, the four main candidates attempted to win the hearts of ethnic minorities and religious minorities in the country. Does this phenomenon reflect political changes in Iran, or the increasing role of national groups?
The political structure of the Islamic Republic is based on the principles and values of Shiite Ja’fari Islam, which does not recognize separate rights for national and religious minorities. Over the past thirty years, non-Persian ethnic groups and followers of non-Shiite religions have consistently criticized the government for treating them as second-class or non-citizens.
In particular, the Turkish and Arab citizens have accused Persian rulers of exclusivism, which has created tensions in provinces such as Azerbaijan and Khuzestan. Furthermore, Sunni Muslims, in addition to citizens of the officially recognized religions (or the "people of the book"), often criticize the Islamic Republic for its discriminatory policies towards them.
A noteworthy and new phenomenon in the recent presidential elections was that the candidates promised to advocate for the rights of the country’s ethnic minorities and establish equality among all citizens, regardless of national or religious affiliations. Some candidates even wore the traditional clothing of ethnic minorities and spoke in the languages of non-Persian groups.
A Call for Equal Citizenship Rights
Political activists from Kurd, Turk, Turkmen, Baloch, and Arab communities emphasize that ethnic minorities have no role in the political power structure and face neglect and humiliation. The Islamic Republic has consistently met the cultural demands of these ethnic groups with hostility and even violence.
The four main presidential candidates defended the rights of national minorities and religious minorities during their repeated provincial trips, promising to rectify past shortcomings and ensure that in the future, all citizens of multi-ethnic Iran would have equal participation in the distribution of power and wealth. These promises have been repeated over the past thirty years, particularly during the eight years of Mohammad Khatami’s presidency, but little progress has been made in implementation.
According to many experts, alongside civil liberties for women and youth, securing the rights of ethnic and religious minorities is so important for maintaining national unity and stability that no realistic politician can ignore it.
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