Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat) are demonstrating solidarity in the face of threats from security forces, particularly from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the main Kurdish national holiday of Newroz approaches on 21 March.
The Kurdish people have ensured that Newroz ceremonies continue across all cities and villages of Iranian Kurdistan in defiance of a statement from the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran’s Ilam province Sadegh Hossaini, who declared in early March that the holding of Newroz celebrations was against the principles of the Islamic Revolution.
Referring to the so-called agendas of “enemies” and “anti-revolutionary groups”, particularly in matters of clothing, performance styles and dialect, Hossaini said:
Such celebrations do not align with our Muslim culture, and we cannot act in accordance with revolutionary and religious values and standards.
In reaction to these remarks, Kurds in various parts of Ilam province started to celebrate the new year on 14 March by dressing in traditional Kurdish costume, dancing and singing Kurdish songs, in defiance of the restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic.
A ceremony was held in Kermanshah (Kirmasan) on 14 March, with a collective outpouring of spirit and enthusiasm among the Kurds.
Also on 14 March, the city of Saheb, near Saqqez, a convergence point between the two provinces of Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan, witnessed a gathering of thousands of Kurds from both provinces. In an act of civil disobedience, participants sang epic songs, performed traditional Kurdish dances and lit fires, also in defiance of the cultural and ideological constraints imposed by the Islamic Republic.
In response, Iranian military and security forces have intensified their efforts to suppress Newroz celebrations in Kurdish cities, deploying heavily armed units, erecting checkpoints and summoning activists in a concerted attempt to prevent the public gatherings, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) has reported.
The IRGC has set up checkpoints in Oshnavieh (Sino), West Azerbaijan Province, using Soviet DShK heavy machine guns to stop and search vehicles, interrogating passengers to intimidate Kurdish residents. Armed patrols are roaming the streets, heightening tensions and deterring some celebrations.
Similar measures were reported in Bukan, where IRGC forces blocked access to Mount Targheh, a traditional Newroz site.
Meanwhile, Kurdish activists in Oshnavieh and Bukan were summoned and warned against organising unsanctioned celebrations.
Security forces targeted Newroz organisers in Kermanshah’s Darreh Direj, issuing threats to try and halt events.
Kurdish communities appear to be remaining resolute in celebrating Newroz, for them a symbol of cultural identity and resistance, in spite of the crackdown.
