The recent remarks by Reza Pahlavi regarding “territorial integrity” and setting red lines for the political future of Iran and Kurdistan represent a continuation of the same centralist and authoritarian perspective that has repeatedly opposed the right of nations to self-determination throughout Iran’s contemporary history.
The Kurdish nation has struggled for more than a century to gain recognition of its identity, language, and political will. During the dictatorships of Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, policies of systematic denial of national identity, prohibition of education in the mother tongue, and violent repression of political forces in Kurdistan were implemented. Demands for independence and equal participation were met with military intervention and securitization, and “unity” became a tool for silencing differing voices.
After the fall of the Pahlavi monarchy, the Islamic Republic continued the same path with even greater pressure. Khomeini’s jihad fatwa against Kurdistan in the early years after the revolution was an open declaration of war against a people who had formed their own councils, organizations, parties, and civic institutions and were demanding democratic control over their own destiny. That fatwa was not a response to violence but an attempt to crush a revolutionary and freedom experience that was taking shape in Kurdistan.
The right to self-determination is a fundamental and essential right recognized in international documents. This right does not necessarily mean separation from coexistence but emphasizes that any political coexistence must be voluntary. A people who can decide freely and equally can also freely determine the form of their relationship. Denial of this right is, in practice, a denial of democracy.
Revolutionary Kurdistan is a politically organized, aware, and active geography. Decades of party organization, civic activity, and social struggle have made it one of the most politically engaged regions. In such a context, statements made without recognizing the right to self-determination and without acknowledging national plurality lack legitimacy and are measured against the historical memory of the Kurdish people. Kurds clearly remember that whenever power has spoken of “unity” without speaking of equality, the result has been repression.
We at Kolbarnews believe that sustainable coexistence can only be built on social equality, the elimination of national discrimination, and the recognition of the free will of nations. No army and no threat can replace the conscious consent of the people. A free and equal future is only possible when nations themselves decide on the form of governance, the degree of centralization of power, and the nature of their political relationship.
In conclusion, we emphasize that the era of determining the fate of nations from above has come to an end. Kurdistan, with its memory of struggle, experience of organization, and political awareness, will not allow its rights to be ignored again. Any force that seeks to ignore or marginalize the will of the Kurdish nation will face deep-rooted and organized resistance. This is a reality that the history of Kurdistan has proven many times.
Kolbarnews Board of Directors
