Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, January 16, 2019
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| Ibrahim Ramazani |
Ibrahim Ramazani, a researcher at the Tabriz Research Institute, believes that a federal structure is a suitable means for achieving the goals of Iran's various communities. In an interview with Voice of America, he commented on the criticism of the draft constitution for the Iranian Federal Republic, which the institute released in recent weeks.
He explains that he views federalism not as a goal, but as a convenient means for achieving democratic goals:
“Different periods might bring different desires. However, in the current situation of Iran, we thought a federal structure is a suitable one. We see it not as a goal, but as a means to achieve goals.”
Ibrahim Ramazani emphasizes that federalism is a suitable means for everyone fighting for democratic rights in Iran.
According to the researcher, “It is a means for anyone who wants democracy. It’s a means for Persians, Kurds, Turks, for everyone, and it’s another chance. We reflected this opportunity in the project.”
He adds, “When I say federalism is a means for those who want to achieve their goals, I mean those who want democracy, education in their mother tongue, and the chance to try living together.”
One of the criticisms directed at the project proposed by the Tabriz Research Institute concerns the official languages for the Iranian Federal Republic.
According to the draft constitution, the Iranian Federal Republic consists of the unity of the provinces of Azerbaijan, Ahvaz, Balochistan, Turkmen Sahra, Khorasan, Fars, Kurdistan, Gilan, and Lorestan. Each province would have its own official language, in addition to Turkish and Persian, which are designated as the official languages of the federal state.
Ibrahim Ramazani says, “The official status of Turkish throughout Iran is our red line. Some of the criticisms we’ve received suggest that Persian should be paired with English. We see the language issue not just as a means of communication, but as a matter of power... Considering the influence, history, and population distribution of the Turks in the country, having their language as an official one on the federal level is their right. According to the project, other languages are already official in the provinces.”
Ibrahim Ramazani also comments on criticism regarding the presidential system, stating that it is not suitable for a federal state.
He defends the governance system proposed in the project but notes that such criticisms could be considered in future editions of the proposal.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
İbrahim Ramazani: Federalizm hədəf deyil, vasitədir