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We begin tonight’s edition of A Window to the Fatherland with Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh reading one of his poems from the book of his collected works.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
We continue the program with an interview with our special and dear guest Kak Abdullah Mohtadi, the leader of Komala Party of Kurdistan of Iran, who would update us about the latest news of the Kurdistan of Iran and developments of the region.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
Kak Mohtadi! Welcome to our program. It has been quite a while.
Abdullah Mohtadi:
As you know, the headquarters of our Party is based in the Kurdistan of Iraq in the cities of Sulaymaniyah and Arbil and our Peshmerga forces are deployed along the borders with Iran and as such most of my time is spent in shuttling between there and London.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
The Iraqi Kurds seem to have resisted all pressures from the Islamic republic regime.
Abdullah Mohtadi:
We must not forget that we have already been accepted as guests by the Iraqi Kurds in their territories and they have supported us too, while we have also been helpful to them.
You mentioned that the Islamic republic regime has not been silent. You are quite right, because during the last year the regime assassinated a number of political activists in the Kurdistan of Iraq by setting traps for them and planting roadside bombs, which were defused by our security personnel as the roads that they targeted are very busy with traffic as well as pedestrians. You can never assume that you are safe from the murderous acts of the Iranian regime as it is always after your life.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
Your forces played a crucial role in defeating the ISIS (Daesh) in the north of Iraq region.
Abdullah Mohtadi:
Our Peshmerga forces were stationed in the Kirkuk area for more than fifteen months and we suffered a number of casualties too. However, our contribution to the defeat of Daesh forces helped us build closer relationship with the local people.
In addition, the American, French and Italian military personnel had set up training courses in which our Peshmergas took part.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
I read in one newspaper that one of the Peshmerga commanders had said that the moment their forces left Kirkuk the Daesh people had been emboldened.
Abdullah Mohtadi:
Mohammad Javad Zarif had once said that if it were not for the Islamic republic, Daesh would have captured the entire Kurdish region. I must say that it is actually completely the reverse and if it were not for the Kurdish people’s resistance Daesh would have captured Iran.
In the case of Kobani, in addition to our resistance, the forces of Mr Barezani also played a crucial role.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
When do you think the problems with the Turkish government will end?
Abdullah Mohtadi:
I think sooner or later the Turks will realize that it is to their interest to solve this problem. The Kurds at one stage had 79 MPs in the Turkish Parliament and the Turkish society, unlike Iran, has experienced democracy and civil and human rights. They cannot afford to become an ideologically driven state.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
The independence referendum was a mistake as the Kurds lost Kirkuk.
Abdullah Mohtadi:
The referendum was a popular demand. More than 93 percent of Iraqi Kurds voted yes in it. However, the interference of the Islamic republic regime coupled with America’s indifference inflicted heavy blow to the idea. The current Shia-Sunni sectarian problem in Iraq is the direct result of the Iranian regime’s policy of dividing the people.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
What happens if the Iranian regime puts pressure on the Kurdish Regional Government and demand that all armed Iranian Kurdish groups must leave the Iraqi Kurdistan?
Abdullah Mohtadi:
It is not that easy. The Kurdistan Regional Government will resist such plot from the Iranian regime and would never accept it. However, we must always be ready for any eventuality.
For the last forty years Kurdistan has been a safe refuge for all those Iranians who have been fighting against the Iranian regime, including people like the followers of the Tudeh Party who had sided with regime against us.
Dr. Alireza Nourizadeh:
Are you a separatist?
Abdullah Mohtadi:
We have time and again made this clear that our party’s manifesto and that of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan does not call for partition of Iranian Kurdistan. Our struggle is for Democracy for Iran and Self-Governing for Kurdistan within Iran.
We believe in fact the continuation of the Islamic republic regime will lead to the partition of Iran.
I believe we must now come up with a new definition for being an Iranian, which is contrary to what the regime has created by dividing our people on the bases of their language and religion.
The Iranian opposition forces must have a plan for this for the post-Islamic republic Iran.
