Who marches on fault lines of Urmia, why?
By Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh
International
affairs analyst
The authentic traditions of Iran have always been upheld by the Iranian ethnic groups. One of the characteristics of Iran is that throughout various upheavals, invasions, wars, and hostilities, it has been these diverse ethnic groups and languages in Iran that have prevented the entity known as Iran from being challenged or weakened.
What has happened is that certain Nowruz traditions are being revived by various ethnic groups in Iran, and indeed, the country is indebted to those who preserve such ancient traditions. On the other hand, we see that there have always been groups and movements that have tried to exploit Iran’s ethnic and identity diversity to break up the country.
I believe that the red line for all authentic Iranian ethnic groups is the entity called Iran. Although these groups uphold their own traditions and customs, whenever any movement has leaned toward separatist policies or slogans, they have quickly been pushed aside by the people themselves.
We have had such separatist movements in Iran since World War II, and it was the Kurdish and Azeri people of Iran who prevented the country’s disintegration. After that, especially after the Islamic Revolution, we saw various separatist movements emerge, which again faced public backlash. Iranian ethnic groups know that it is through Iran that they can take pride in their identity in the world — this is a fact.
Dangerous dichotomy facing nation’s joy
The second reality is that no one can stand in the way of people’s happiness. What has taken shape in recent years is that some of the country’s joyful traditions are being revived, and this joy is rooted in Iranian culture. Any dual exploitation of this joy is condemnable.
Reactionary and extremist movements that oppose people’s happiness are, in practice, harming the foundation of this country and its joyful way of life. After all, a family that smiles does not fall apart. A country where people live joyfully can always maintain its dynamism. I believe any opposition to joy harms the country. On the other hand, any exploitation of joy for separatist purposes is also condemnable.
In any case, people come together during special occasions to celebrate. Iran is a country with two main pillars to its culture: Iranian identity and Islamic identity. Even in official development plans, the first clause emphasizes these two dimensions, and cultural policies must accordingly preserve them. Thus, people have always tried to uphold mutual Islamic and Iranian values in this culture, using them for coexistence rather than conflict.
Officials should avoid political bias
Next year, the first day of the new year coincides with Eid al-Fitr, and naturally, this will be a double celebration. These are the realities. Unfortunately, however, some past and present officials, ignoring these facts, have acted in ways that lead to ethnic exploitation and division — something I find indefensible.
I believe the current government under Mr. Pezeshkian could and should have performed better. I don’t want to politicize the issue, but Mr. Pezeshkian’s votes came amid unprecedented solidarity between Kurds and Azeris, and other ethnic groups like the Baluch also supported him. This reflects a non-political rainbow in the country.
In such circumstances, government officials — who may themselves be of Kurdish, Azeri, Baluch, or other ethnic backgrounds — must adopt a national perspective on these matters. Instead of taking ethnic or linguistic stances, they should act as unifying figures.
The article first appeared in
Persian on IRNA.