PJAK’s leader, Rahman Haji Ahmadi was interviewed by Roni Alasor from World Security Network and he said that Turkey, Iran and Syria are attempting to wipe-out Kurds from the Earth.
Roni Alasor : Mr. Rahman Haji-Ahmadi, you are a well-known Kurdish politician who has not been in war but you are leading one Kurdish political and military organisation fighting against the Iranian regime. What are the main goals of your party Free Life Party of Kurdistan, PJAK?
Mr. Ahmedi : Free Life Party was founded on 4 April 2004. PJAK’s main objective is the formation of democratic secular system in Iran, where all the Iranian ethnical and religious minorities, including the Persians, could practice freely their culture and language and express their identity according all fundamental Human Rights basics within the territorial integrity of Iran. In addition to that, gender equality also is one of our main and fundamental goals.
Roni Alasor : PJAK has just announced a seven points’ declaration for cease-fire and possible peace with Iran. Could you please shortly present this declaration? What was the reaction of the Iranian regime?
Mr. Ahmedi : Well, let me first explain that PJAK believes in peaceful and democratic solution of the Kurdish issue and the other questions in Iran within the territorial sovereignty of the state. But Iran is now in a sensitive situation. As the PJAK highlighted in its declaration, the Iranian government is struggling with internal crises in many areas – political, social, economic, security and cultural crisis. All this is coming in addition to the external crises which as a result is isolating the government from the International community, and undermining its legitimacy.
The Islamic regime has two options, which are interdependent. It has to solve the internal crises peacefully and democratically, which as result will pave the way for the regime to be re-embraced by the International community or, if not, the last hundred years’ history will be repeated in Iran.
For the settlement of aforementioned crises, PJAK identified 7 seven significant and fundamental points which are as following:
1. Formal recognition of Kurdish issue and its solution with the application of dialogue and democratic methods.
2. In order to approach a solution in a democratic and political environment, background for negotiation should be considered.
3. To prepare the ground for dialogue, negotiation and a political solution, a peaceful environment devoid of any violence where the politics can play its role, is needed; therefore the immediate cessation of the military operation is required.
4. In order to reach a solution and to implement people’s political, economic, cultural and civil rights including the right to free speech which are necessary for development of the essential will of people, all these rights should be guaranteed and all the present difficulties for their achievement must be eliminated.
5. Formal recognition of freedom of assembly and political-democratic activism.
6. People without access to their own language, will not be able to represent themselves or make manifest of their being as a people, consequently no one would be able to discuss their being as a people since they will be emptied of their own cultural, ethnical and national essence. Therefore, the legal recognition of different languages in Iran particularly the Kurdish language in education and in all administrative and non-administrative institutions is the initial condition.
7. In order to eliminate the atmosphere of fear and terror, and to generate a free and political environment for free participation, the freedom of the political prisoners and the nullification of death penalty is undeniable requirement.
However, despite PJAKs hard and constructive efforts, Islamic regime of Iran has still not reacted positively or has not taken any reasonable steps toward the solution of the issues democratically and peacefully.
Roni Alasor : Why do you think Iran is silent about your proposal for peace and democracy for Kurds and all ethnical and religious groups in Iran, including the Persian people?
Mr. Ahmedi : Constructive contribution toward the solution of the issues requires democratic system in Iran, and a democratic system could only be achieved by means of secular and democratic constitution and government. Islamic regime lacks two cornerstones of democratization: democratic constitution and democratic government.
Roni Alasor : Earlier, your organisation accused Turkey to supply the Iranian regime with intelligent information, military education and to cooperate with the Iranian army against PJAK’s military wing. Your organisation also accused Turkey for giving intelligent information from USA-NATO to Iran. Does this cooperation still continue?
Mr. Ahmedi : The cooperation between Turkey and Iran is increasing on daily basis. Turkey still provides Iran with intelligence information obtained from USA-NATO. The cooperation is not restricted to the provision of information. Turkey, Iran and Syria are attempting to wipe-out Kurds from the Earth. The Turkish government is taking an advantage of its position in NATO and its using it against the Kurdish movements. Although the Iranian Islamic regime diplomatically “to some extent” has been isolated, the Turkish Islamic government certainly is supporting Islamic regime in Iran against PJAK and the Kurdish people, and is aiming to do what the Iranian regime itself cannot do diplomatically.
It is important to underline that the cooperation between Iran, Turkey and Syria against the Kurds is in direct conflict with international law and basic Human Rights, particularly it is in conflict with the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, Art 53, which considers states treaties void and null if a provision of the treaty or the treaty is found in conflict with peremptory norms. Of course the aforementioned states cooperation against the Kurds has been approved between themselves in several bilateral and multilateral treaties. Basic Human Rights are of peremptory norms (Jus Cogens) characteristic; their violation will give a raise to obligation Erga Omnes and the whole international community must stand up against the violations. What Iran, Turkey and Syria are doing constitutes, without any doubt, violation of their international obligations but the International community as whole still remains silent toward the breaches of peremptory norms.
Roni Alasor : PJAK is fighting against the USA enemy Iran. But why USA put PJAK on the terrorist list?
Mr. Ahmedi : PJAK has been designated as terrorist by the US Treasury department, under executive order 13224, by virtue of Section 1: the section plainly highlights the circumstances which the Treasury department must take into account when designating a group or individual as terrorist.
PJAK is not fighting with the Islamic regime because of the nature of its hostility towards USA or other Western countries. PJAK’s uninterrupted struggle is purely and plainly designated toward the democratization of Iran, and the obtaining of Kurdish basic Human Rights and national identity.
Treasury departments’ decision is purely politically motivated rather than having any legal basis. Iran pressed Turkey to use its influence within the USA’s administration in order to designate PJAK as terrorist. We consider the decision as baseless and against the Kurdish people as whole.
Roni Alasor : PJAK has been accused for being the Iranian wing of PKK. What kind of cooperation PJAK has with PKK?
Mr. Ahmedi : Regarding the Kurdistan Worker Party, there is no institutional connection between PKK and PJAK. We are two separate organizations with different institutional structure, but both PKK and PJAK pursue the same ideology. As PJAK we have strong and good relation with other Kurdish political parties across Kurdistan. However, if the Islamic regime and the Turkish government intensify their cooperation in order to destroy us, we Kurds have no other alternatives than cooperating between each other against the Turkish and Iranian aggressive offences.
Roni Alasor : In earlier talk, you said that USA, Europe, the West and the rest of the world is not very clear about the role and the mission of the Iranian regime for the political Islam. What do you mean by that? Iran has been always accused for having close cooperation with “Islamic” terror organisations, especially in the Middle East. What is the relation of the Iranian regime with worldwide Islamic organisations?
Mr. Ahmedi : On the one hand, Iranian regime is attempting to dominate and engage world’s politics over its nuclear activities dispute. On the other hand, it’s systematically attempting to increase the influence of the political Islam all over the world, especially in the regions where the atmosphere is suitable for such missions.
The Islamic regime is trying to exploit the time for its own advantage, periodical postponing the re-engagement in talks with the European Union and USA. This is more likely a tactic which the regime uses to take an advantage of the time. Regime tactics are aiming to achieve two interdependent goals, firstly to obtain nuclear bomb and secondly, to promote and increase its influence, and create a suitable atmosphere all over the world in order to help the resurface of fanatic political Islam.
Iranian political Islam is spreading all over the region, especially in Iraq and Lebanon. The political and social atmosphere there is dominated by the political Islam which is moving forward. In addition to Iraq and Lebanon, Iranian regime is also still trying to use Turkish Hezbollah to plant political Islam in Turkey. Because of the characteristic and nature of the Turkish society, the atmosphere is very appropriate, and Iran is taking profound advantage of the current political and social atmosphere in Turkey. What the Iranian regime is currently doing is foreseeable threat and risk to the regional and international peace and security as a whole. On the basis of various evidences, the Lebanese Hezbollah is an off-shot of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Certainly the re-emergence of the Turkish Hezbollah will enhance the level of the foreseeable risk and threat to the world’s peace and security.
Although Turkish government is aware of the Islamic regimes’ influence over the Turkish Hezbollah, it has yet not taken proper measures to tackle the issue, but it rather exploits Turkish Hezbollah against the Kurds. The Turkish Hezbollah is responsible for the killing of several hundred Kurdish intellectuals and patriots during the first half of 90s.
Roni Alasor : You self was a close friend of Dr. Abdurahman Qasimlo, a well-known social democrat and President of Kurdistan Democrat Parti-Iran. Dr. Qasimlo and many of his friends have been killed in Europe while they were in dialog talk with Iranian regime for peace. Do you trust to Iranian regime to talk to them for peace?
Mr. Ahmedi : As Kurds, we have experienced unlimited atrocities during the last 31 years of Islamic regimes governing. In the beginning of every dialogue there is lack of assurance and trust between the two parties, even though the nature of a dialogue is to form such a trust and assurances.
In each dialogue there are some common principles and methods which must be respected and followed by both parties. If they are not respected, it is not possible to classify it as dialogue. Then it is a pre-plan to wipe out one of the parties in the dialogue. Such unprincipled methods of dialogue will not lead to constructive achievements.
Roni Alasor : Any important message to World Security Network ?
Mr. Ahmedi : The Middle East geopolitics posses unique characteristics which are considered so important to the world, and particularly to the developed countries. It possesses 56 of the worlds’ oil field and it is producing 46% of worlds’ energy. If we don’t count Israel as democratic country for its own citizens, there is no any single democratic government in the region. The West and USA’s unconditional support to those dictators and tyranny regimes in the region is provoking the local people against the Western people. By the end of the 20th century the anger has reached a level where it facilitated the promotion and raise of fanatics in the region. Fanatics and clerics took an advantage of the situation to recruit and organize the people of the region against what they call it “unbelievers” by which they mean “Western people”. Currently they focus more on recruitment of young male and female Jihadists.
The source of their support is the Islamic Republic of Iran, because it is only in the benefit of the Islamic regime. It does not matter from where they emerge or how they emerge, what matters is the character of the emergence of those radical groups. As stated previously, the different versions of political Islam throughout the world are strongly relying on each other in Middle East, EU or USA. The success of one of them will strengthen the rest throughout the globe. The triumph of the Iranian regime in the formation of the Iraqi government has an impact on other countries where the off-shot regimes are operating and active.
In the Middle East the only nation on which the radical political Islam has not been capable to dominate is the Kurdish nation. And this is because of the uninterrupted Kurdish political parties’ struggle in the region and within their people. However, despite all that, for the last 15 years the Islamic regime systematically made an effort to creates such radical groups. I believe that until now the Islamic regime has failed in Kurdistan. However, it does not mean that there are no chances for the regime to re-organize such groups. I believe that it is of great importance to take into account all the factors surrounding the situation and be very, very careful.
Political Islam is not just a mere threat to the West, on contrary it is threat to the democratic process, peace and security in the world. It is threat to secularism and democracy in the region too. Because of its violent nature, it is barrier to the peace and to all democratic organizations and democratic political parties. Although it shows itself as an enemy of the West, in reality, if it succeeds, it would be source of violence and aggression among the Muslims and the nations of the region.
Kurds as one of the largest nation in the region are placed between two radical Islamic sects: Sunnizm and Shiazim. What I want to highlight and which really makes me concerned is the new Kurdish generation. If we as Kurdish political parties disappoint them, there is high probability that they will join the Islamic radical groups such as Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah to fight USA and West along side with the Islamic regime of Iran. I also believe the secret relation between the Al-Qaeda and the Islamic regime of Iran will soon cross the secrecy phase and it will be announced publicly, because the Iranian regime has no principles and limits in its war against the West and particularly USA.
Killing team is still existing in Europe
Agents from Iranian State Intelligent secret services and its terror network has killed many ten of people abroad, also in Europe and they are still active. In Wien and in Berlin they killed the leaders and high rank of Kurdistan Democrat Party (Iran). We have information that such killing team is still existing in Europe and they are waiting decision from Teheran to kill Kurdish politicians and Iranian oppositions in Europe.
My last message is, Kurds as one of the largest nations in the region currently possess very strong secular power, and aims in establishing democracy and peace in the region. I believe that such strong democratic power can have very positive impact in the region and can have a vital role in the democratization of the region, if the Kurdish issue is solved.
Roni Alasor : Mr. Ahmed, thank you to talk to us.
Mr. Ahmedi :I thank to the World Security Network.
The interview was firstly published in World Security Network:
http://www.worldsecuritynetwork.com/showArticle3.cfm?article_id=18508