ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Despite campaign promises by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani nothing has changed for Iranian Kurds since he took office some 100 days ago, a former Kurdish MP said, adding that the fault lies with hardliners inside the government.
Hasil Dasa, a prominent activist and former member of the Iranian parliament, said he had been told by Iranian authorities that extremist elements inside the government were responsible for the recent execution of three imprisoned Kurds.
“The government listens to and accepts our argument, but in Iran the government doesn’t have a say in everything,” Dasa said. “There are other power centers who do as they wish and sometimes even browbeat the government.”
Ali Younesi, Rouhani’s advisor for minority affairs, complained after the execution of three Kurdish activists since last month that, “The hardliners were the ones who hanged the Kurds.”
Dasa admitted that, because of the hardliners, little had changed since Rouhani took office on August 3. “But at least we (Kurds) now have supporters in the government,” he said, referring to moderates like Rouhani and his administration.
Dasa, who recently met with Iran’s vice president, told Rudaw that in order to garner greater support among Iran’s political elite Iranian Kurdish leaders should also reach out to powerful clerics in the Islamic Republic.
“There are different powerbases in Iran but the Kurds are only able to (exercise influence) in the presidency and in parliament,” he said. “They have ignored talking to the powerful Shiite clerics in Qom who have great influence on the decision-making process and hold the key to many issues.”
Dasa said that in meetings with senior Iranian officials he had warned that the Kurds must be granted at least some basic rights.
“I told them that if the government doesn’t pursue friendly relations with the Kurds Iran itself will pay the price by losing the Kurds’ trust,” Dasa said.
During his election campaign in June, Rouhani focused a great deal on Iran’s Kurdish areas, where he promised to address cultural and economic issues. He won the second-largest number of overall votes in the western Kurdistan province. In some Kurdish cities 84 percent of people voted for Rouhani.
“Now Rouhani himself and his government feel indebted to the Kurds,” Dasa claimed.
Rouhani had promised to appoint a vice president for minority affairs, but after taking office he settled for an advisor on minority issues, disappointing many Kurdish activists.
