Taher Shir Mohammadi - Deutsche Welle Persian - May 13, 2010
The first anniversary of the Green Movement's protests is approaching. How have Iran's ethnic groups participated in this movement? This question is explored in a conversation with Yousef Azizi Benitorof, an Iranian Arab writer, and Hassan Shariatmadari, an expert on ethnic affairs.
Hassan Shariatmadari had written an open letter to the people of Azerbaijan, urging them to join the protests for the annulment of the election results rather than criticizing the past. However, the people of Azerbaijan and other ethnic groups did not actively participate in the Green Movement.
Shariatmadari explains the reasons as follows:
"In the dominant discourse of the Green Movement's leaders, there is little to attract ethnic groups and nationalities, such as attention to ethnic diversity, linguistic variety, religious freedoms, equal opportunities for marginalized communities in Iran, more investment for them, job creation, and similar issues."
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| Hassan Shariatmadari |
"As long as the leaders of the Green Movement, as central figures, fail to understand these sensitivities, the civic demands of the center and the periphery will remain parallel, passing by one another. Each will fight for their own civic rights without connecting. Ethnic groups and nationalities also need to realize that without linking their demands to central demands, their chances of achieving their rights diminish."
Zahra Rahnavard: Autonomy for Ethnic Groups
Some ethnic intellectuals affirm that Zahra Rahnavard's Nowruz message had a positive impact on bringing ethnic groups closer to the Green Movement. In part of her message, Rahnavard emphasized:
"Iran is a land composed of diverse ethnicities, nationalities, races, and languages. In the terminology of contemporary social sciences, Iran is a multicultural country. Thus, it possesses a great opportunity for national creativity and flourishing. They (ethnic groups) seek autonomy, not separation."
Political activists from ethnic groups believe that explicitly addressing ethnic demands by the Green Movement's leaders could reduce the gap between ethnic groups and the movement.
Contact Between Ethnic Representatives and Green Movement Leaders
Representatives of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, Baluchis, and Turks met with Karroubi and Mousavi several times before the elections and after the results were announced. However, such contact was severed following the post-election crackdowns.
Yousef Azizi Benitorof, an Iranian Arab writer and member of the Iranian Writers' Association, remarks:
"The Azerbaijani movement has a unique characteristic compared to some other ethnic groups—it lacks an armed wing, which allows them more maneuverability. Let’s not forget that their numbers and societal weight in Iran surpass those of other non-Persian ethnic groups."
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| Yousef Azizi Bani-Torof |
Benitorof attributes the severance of these contacts to the imprisonment of ethnic representatives:
"Before the elections, Kurdish reformists frequently met and publicized their meetings because figures like Ramezan-Zadeh, former spokesperson for President Khatami's administration, and Jalali-Zadeh, among others, were active. However, they are now either in prison or marginalized. Azerbaijanis currently have a reserve of activists who have not been significantly affected and can carry out such activities."
"After Tehran, the Most Executions Occurred in Khuzestan"
Yousef Azizi Benitorof cites Amnesty International statistics in his interview with Deutsche Welle:
"In recent years, the highest number of executions after Tehran has taken place in the Khuzestan region. For example, according to Amnesty International, 177 Ahwazi Arab political activists were executed in 2006, and 28 more in 2007. In 2009, Khuzestan saw the second-highest number of executions after Tehran."
Benitorof notes that Arabs and other ethnic groups have been brutally suppressed due to demands such as speaking and teaching their mother tongues at the elementary level. He criticizes the Green Movement’s passivity regarding the struggles of non-Persian ethnic groups. However, he acknowledges that in the past six months, the Green Movement's leaders have emphasized non-Persian ethnic demands, marking a significant development.
He also believes that the recent executions send specific messages to the Green Movement and ethnic groups. He elaborates:
"One reason is that the regime perceives ethnic groups as peripheral. Another reason is related to the execution of a woman, suggesting the regime's retaliation against the women's movement. These severe crackdowns signal ethnic groups to distance themselves from the Green Movement while also instilling fear in the Green Movement to deter any actions on the anniversary of the elections in June."
Fueling Tensions Between Ethnic Groups and the Green Movement
Benitorof points to suspicious activities aimed at separating ethnic groups from the Green Movement. He argues:
"In domestic and foreign media, as well as among ordinary people, we observe a rise in Persian nationalist sentiments, often anti-Arab and anti-Turkish. For instance, during a match between Tabriz's Tractor Sazi team and Kerman's team in Kerman, anti-Turkish slogans were chanted. Similarly, during a football match in Isfahan between a local team and a team from the region, anti-Arab slogans were heard. These slogans are perceived as racist. While the regime's hand may be behind them, there is also grassroots support, which is very dangerous. This could deepen mistrust between non-Persian ethnic minorities and the Green Movement, widening the gap even further."
Benitorof believes that the leaders of the Green Movement should condemn and denounce the "racist actions" occurring in stadiums, various public spaces, and the media against Arabs, Turks, Turkmen, and other ethnic groups. He stresses that these tendencies negatively affect the unity and solidarity of the country's reformist and pro-democracy forces.
"Mousavi and Karroubi Should Have Intervened"
Hassan Shariatmadari, an expert on ethnic affairs, agrees with Benitorof’s views and warns that the Ministry of Intelligence is behind recent provocations, aiming to radicalize the political atmosphere.
He further explains:
"I think they are trying to incite ethnic conflict, and behind this, one can see the Ministry of Intelligence's project. This is precisely the kind of situation where Mr. Mousavi should have intervened and condemned such actions. I don’t believe this is something inherently tied to Persians—perhaps some are misled—but it’s more likely that certain hands are at work to radicalize the environment. This is exactly where Mr. Mousavi and Mr. Karroubi could intervene, resolutely condemn such racist slogans, build trust, and connect themselves to the movements of Iranian ethnic groups."
"The Starting Point Could Be Azerbaijan"
Shariatmadari concludes his remarks by stating:
"Mr. Mousavi needs to start somewhere. The best place is where he himself is affiliated—Azerbaijan. If he builds trust there, tomorrow Kurdish, Baluchi, Arab, and other elites will also trust him."
Many political activists from ethnic groups believe that a clear stance and condemnation of executions by the Green Movement leaders would draw ethnic groups closer to the movement. They predict that the inclusion of ethnic groups could bring a decisive shift in the trajectory of the ongoing protests.
Editorial Team: Shahran Ahadi
The link to the original article in Farsi on Deutsche Welle Persian.