"The armed struggle, despite costing many lives, has been the most effective means of reviving the Kurdish identity in Iran..."

Speech made by Mustafa Hijri, member of PDKI’s politburo on the ’Peshmarga Day’, Kurdish freedom-fighters day

Dear Leadership committee of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan

Cadres and courageous Kurdish Freedom Fighters, the PISHMARGA force

Dear Sisters and Brothers

Ladies and Gentlemen

26 of Sarmavaz,(December 17) the “PISHMARG Day” is a good occasion to commemorate and to honour “PISHMARGA”, those who sacrifice their lives to free the Kurdish nation.

Without a doubt the ultimate freedom of an oppressed nation depends directly on all kinds of sacrifices that the individual members of that nation make. It means that the children of the nation make sacrifices based on their different life style, degree of understanding, and above all, the level of patriotic affection and understanding of their rights within a given society, thus it is duty that members of nations struggle for freedom.

Once a nation is librated and freedom is totally embraced by that nation, there are always special members of society who stand out more than others whom ultimately are remembered for their outstanding sacrifices that they have made. The Kurdish nation, despite having a long history of sacrifice, is among those people who are still oppressed. The brave people who started joining PISHMERGA force from and during the Republic of Kurdistan in 1945 and since then have been sacrificing their lives courageously are among the most appreciated and well-respected members of the Kurdish society. “PISHMERGA” to Kurds in itself represents the highest level of sacrifice, untainted and liberator. This sage of purity has been achieved by a long history of struggle against their oppressors. During the long struggle against oppression many PISHMERGA have lost their lives ; they sacrificed their lives without any expectation because of their love for Kurdistan and freedom. The PISHMERGA are sacrificing their lives to pave the way for the future generation, and so the future Kurdish nation can live in peace, freedom and prosperity. This sense of sacrifice is now seen in the daily lifestyle and culture of every Kurd.

Ordinary Kurds, sympathizing and valuing the PISHMERGA, have sung many patriotic song and poems, named their children after martyrs and publicly, even though forbidden, have acknowledged their efforts. Consequently, to honour and recognize the PISHMERGA, the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, PDKI, has named 26 of SARMAVEZ, the PISHMERGA day. On Sarmavez 26, 1945, the people of the city of Mahabad crushed the last military base of the central government of Iran ; therefore, on this day, the Kurdish people, for the first time, enjoyed freedom and self-rule...

Dear Comrades,

Now that the Kurdish struggle, particularly the armed struggle in other parts of the region is enjoying success, the name of PISHMERGA brings with itself hope to every Kurdish heart for a bright political future. Having said that, it is also alleged that the armed struggle, particularly of the PDKI, has brought adversity to the Kurds in Iran. It is also said that if the PISHMERGA forces particularly those of the PDKI, had not resisted the Iranian forces militarily, the destruction of Kurdish region in Iran, oppression and despotic behavior by the Iranian regime would not had followed. The Islamic Republic of Iran therefore would have rebuilt the Kurdish region. The Kurds, particularly intellectuals, would have enjoyed more freedom and life in general would have been better for the ordinary Kurds.

First of all, the Islamic regime of Iran has used these kinds of propaganda to wrongly represent itself like a regime with just values and fair principles. The regime to justify its destruction in Kurdistan has wrongly blamed the Kurdish armed resistance.

However, to the dismay of Iranian regime, the Kurdish people in Iran have a clear understanding of the regime and the Kurds know that the Islamic Regime of Iran is against their basic rights. This kind of propaganda by the Islamic regime has backfired and many more patriots have joined the PISHMERGA force more than ever to fight the regime’s oppression.

We should remind ourselves that, although, the armed struggle of the PISHMERGA against the Islamic Republic of Iran has cost us many lives, however, it has been the most effective method of reviving the Kurdish identity in Iran. The loss of a PISHMERGA, the destruction of a village by the regime ruling Iran and the pain of such a struggle have worked as an awakening call for the Kurds in Iran. This has caused the Kurds in Iran to search and be more inquisitive about their national identity. The Kurds in Iran now ask themselves ; Why the clerics ruling Iran kill Kurds ? Why the Kurdish farms being burned ? Why Kurdish intellectuals face arrest ? Why Kurdish Villages get destroyed ? Why the Kurdish region is kept in a total calamity ? Why Kurds are prevented from running their affairs ? The Kurds know that all of these occur because of who they are.

Patriotic feelings are growing within the Kurds ; they have a sense of belonging to a nation, and more importantly the military resistance against the regime has actually caused the Kurdish people to renew their sense of identity for the first time in many years.

The Islamic regime started the oppression of minority rights from its reign to power, and crushed the uprising movements of Baloch, Turkmen, Arabs minorities and their armed resistance simultaneously. The question remains whether the minorities, which have had no military resistance against the central government of Iran, enjoy more rights than the Kurds that still have not given up their armed struggle against the central Islamic regime of Iran ? Is their region more developed than Kurdistan ? Are there more employment opportunity, factories and economic prosperity in their region compared to Kurdistan ? Of course, the answer is no to all those questions.

On the other hand, thanks to the Kurdish armed resistance against the Islamic regime, there is a political maturity among the Kurds in Iran that does not exist among other minorities in Iran. The Kurds also recognize and struggle for their rights more than others and have a stronger sense of nation-building ; the Kurdish political parties are more advanced and Kurds are now certain to play a role in the future of Iran.

Those who look at the political system in Iran superficially, allege that since the reduction of the Kurdish armed presence against the Islamic regime, the government has allowed more freedom of press and cultural activities and as the results intellectual expression has flourished. One should realize that if there is a “change” in Iran, it is not because that the regime has democratized or it has started to respect the minorities’ rights, rather, this insufficient “change” is the product and the results of the political and bloody armed resistance that the Kurds have taken part in for years. The Kurds in Iran have not laid down their arms, and if the Islamic regime has assured that the Kurds will do that one day, it will start to take back all the apparent “changes” that exists now. The Kurds do know that the Islamic regime with this perceived “change” is quietly attempting to control Kurdish youths and intellectuals and prevent Kurdish public from raising their voices.

Let’s look at more examples ;

The TODEH party believed that the Islamic regime was anti-imperialism ; therefore, it took all the necessary measures, including military campaign against the organizations, which opposed the regime, to ensure that the Islamic regime succeeds. At last, it was eventually eliminated from the political scene in Iran.

In order to further explain the attitude of the Islamic regime toward its citizens, a more deliberate scrutiny at portions of its record for the past 23 years is necessary : Daryosh Feroher and his wife, tens of other writers and intellectuals were, abducted, imprisoned and killed. Shahpor Bekhteiar, Ferydon Ferrokhzad and many more were assassinated while living abroad. One should ask, whether all these outspoken Iranians promote military resistance against the regime ? Moreover, people like Abdullah Nori, Yosef Ashkeveri, Saeed Hejarian and tens of other Religious-Nationalists not only opposed any armed action against the government, in contrary, at one time, they fought militarily for the for the regime to stand still. They were all sentenced with extensive prison terms. Ayatollah Montezeri, who was the closest comrade of the founder of Islamic regime, Ayatollah Khomeni, has been under house arrest for years.

Furthermore, the Kurdish freedom fighters do not fight the regime in cities of Tehran, Ghezveen and Ghom ; instead, they resist the regime forces that come from those cities to occupy Kurdistan. The military resistance, therefore, has been imposed on the Kurds and Kurdish freedom fighters.

The PDKI has been committed to a peaceful solution right from the beginning, and it has paid a big price for it ; the Secretary general of the PDKI, Dr. Abdullrahman Ghassemlou was assassinated in Vienna in 1989 while “negotiating” with the regime. The history of military resistance in Kurdistan does disclose the fact that there is a direct relation between the armed struggle and Kurdish nationalism ; the region with the longest history of military resistance has the highest degree of Kurdish nationalism.

Now that the Islamic regime has subjugated the Kurds by every means, at these sensitive circumstances the Kurds must not restrict their resisting avenues and they should not overlook one method, including the military one, over the others. The Kurds must now engage further in cultural, diplomatic, political, organizational, artistic, scientific and many more methods of resisting and above all they must prepared themselves for one of the most effective method of resistance, the armed struggle.

Those that allege that Kurdish misery is the result of Kurdish military struggle against the Islamic regime have not recognized the true face of the Islamic regime. The Kurdish intellectuals must now lead Kurds to a full recognition of their rights and they must promote all kinds of struggle against the Islamic regime including the military one as well, if necessary.

The Islamic regime is not like democratic western governments elected by its people that work for the best interest of its citizens, rather, only the rights of the most powerful are respected ; therefore, to take back their rights, the Kurds must also establish a powerful entity and generate methods aimed at supporting and enhancing their cause. Certainly, this should include the build up of a strong and effective military force.

The PDKI respects all those who have fought against the Islamic regime of Iran. We respect and admire especially the Kurdish freedom fighters, the PISHMERGA.

Once again, happy PISHMERGA Day to you and to the PISHMERGA families and all the Kurdish people.