Jalal Jalali Zadeh, the representative of Kurds and Sunnis in the people of Sanandaj, Divandareh, and Kamiarans in the sixth parliament, in an exclusive interview with the peace line, says: “In my opinion, the best solution to solve the problems of Kurdistan is to respect the demands of the Kurdish people, establish justice, and remove discrimination.”

He emphasized that while a security approach may seem to calm and quiet the people on the surface, it can never extinguish the flames of demands. He added, “Just as in the fight against drugs, with executions and similar actions, we have not been able to prevent such a phenomenon in the country, dealing with an ideology, thought, and belief by killing its followers and supporters has never been effective. I believe that the best way is peaceful methods such as the best struggle, dialogue, and negotiation.”

Recently, a wave of death sentences has been issued for Iranian citizens, with the common accusation by security forces being membership in Salafi groups. It is worth noting that the majority of these individuals are Sunni and Kurdish. Mr. Jalali Zadeh, could you please explain what these Salafi groups are and what their beliefs or political agendas are?

As you know, “selfie” is derived from the word “self” and means “predecessors”. The term “pious predecessors” is a common term among the people of the Sunnah, and it refers to the way and method of the Companions, followers, and the tradition of the Prophet. Therefore, the discussion of Salafism and Salafism has always been common among Muslims. However, in the last two centuries, after the emergence of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in Arabia, this issue became more prominent among Muslims and attracted more supporters and followers in different Islamic countries. Among scholars of different sects, individuals became attracted to this Salafi movement and became advocates of Salafism. In Kurdistan, among some of the enlightened, reformist or modernist religious scholars, there were individuals who were against superstitions and tried to eliminate the superstitions that had entered religion and prevent people from being inclined towards them. Individuals like Mulla Hadi

But this Salafi group, which has gained popularity in recent years in Kurdistan and has many supporters, unfortunately does not have prominent scholars, thinkers, and well-known individuals; it is mostly an emotional group. Due to various national and religious issues and insults and disrespect towards the beliefs of Sunnis, many young people have joined these groups and have become influenced by specific emotions and biases in matters of faith and religion. Unfortunately, in recent years, some actions have been carried out by individuals associated with this group, leading to the arrest and imprisonment of some of them in various prisons such as Tehran, Karaj, Zanjan, Sanandaj, etc., and death sentences have been issued for some of them. The government believes that these individuals are affiliated with so-called Takfiri Jihadi groups, and the policy of these groups is armed struggle and violent actions. Salafi groups deny such a policy, but in any case, what is important, in my opinion, is that as long

From your perspective, to what extent do the demands of these groups conflict or align with the demands of the people of Kurdistan?

See, the people of Kurdistan are either religious or Shia or Sunni. Sunni Kurds in Iran have different tendencies such as being part of a school, Ahl-e-Haqq, or Salafi, and some have also been active under the cover of Sufi and Dervish groups in Kurdistan, and perhaps even some of their actions have not been considered appropriate or correct according to their own Shafi’i beliefs, but in any case, the level of tolerance and understanding of the people has been suitable. However, sometimes the presence of Marxist groups or nationalist groups among the Kurds and their anti-religious statements, as well as government pressures and insults from group media towards the beliefs of Sunnis, have led to the emergence of a faction against them. Considering the various issues such as difficult selections, unemployment, and incitement of young people’s emotions, it has led to the growth of sectarianism and the increase of these groups in Kurdistan.

Do you think that by executing these individuals and other political and security prisoners, the security problems in the region, which officials believe will decrease, will actually be reduced? Is execution a suitable solution?

See, I do not believe in physical confrontations or harsh actions such as killing, torture, assassination, and other similar matters, as well as other harsh measures like long-term imprisonment, expulsion from offices, and economic pressures. I believe that just as the government has not been able to stop drug trafficking through execution and similar actions, dealing with an ideology, thought, and belief by killing its followers will not yield positive results. I think the best way is peaceful methods such as the use of the best argument and dialogue and negotiation to preserve freedom of expression and belief. So that everyone can freely express their beliefs and the other party can be convinced through dialogue and negotiation. Seeking physical confrontations and violence in the fight against the opponent is wrong and doomed to failure from both a Quranic and a modern society perspective, and will not lead to positive results.

Why have such groups mainly grown in Kurdish areas? Have the changes and developments in the region played a role in this, or have these groups been active and under the influence of these changes, it is the government that is dealing with them?

In any case, the developments in Iraqi Kurdistan have been effective in creating these Salafi groups, as seen today in Kurdistan. The emergence of these groups is also due to the weakness of mosque leaders and religious schools in Kurdistan, as well as the presence of superstitions and innovations among the people in Kurdistan. The approach of secular groups or even the actions of the government in Kurdistan towards the Sunni people may also be among the factors contributing to the emergence of these Salafi groups in Kurdistan.

In your opinion, to what extent is the security approach to Kurdish regions, which has existed since the early years of the revolution, correct and why does such a view exist?

The security gaze may appear to calm and silence the people, but it can never extinguish the flames of hope and demands in their hearts and attract them to the government. In my opinion, the security gaze creates grudges and animosity among the people and as soon as the space and freedom open up, it reveals itself and may even lead to the formation of underground groups and cores in society. In any case, in my opinion, the security gaze cannot have a positive result in society.

Do you think, as a former representative of Kurdistan, considering the autonomy of Iraqi and Syrian Kurdistan and other developments, alongside historical roots, do you imagine the discourse of independence in Iranian Kurdistan society, as many claim, to be a serious matter?

In Iranian Kurdistan, the discussion of independence is not taken seriously, but considering that physical borders have become meaningless in today’s world and people are always aware of news and various events through group media, undoubtedly such events that have occurred in Iraqi and Syrian Kurdistan directly affect Iranian Kurdistan and Kurds in Iran. I believe that the government, especially in the cultural realm, should give more freedom to the people. Now that the Minister of Education and Mr. Rouhani have mentioned in a 10-point statement about teaching minority languages in schools, I think it demands more attention to Kurdish issues in Iran, including economic, cultural, and political demands, to fill the political, intellectual, and economic gap that is clearly visible in Iranian Kurdistan, so that Kurds do not have a narrow view of other Kurdish regions.

The issue of Kurdistan, from a cultural and historical perspective, as well as in terms of ethnicity, language, religion, and international relations, is a complex issue in the political landscape of Iran. In your opinion, what is the real solution to solving the problems of Kurdistan?

In my opinion, the best solution to solving the problems of Kurdistan is to respect the demands of the Kurdish people, establish justice, eliminate discrimination, and also implement the constitution and use qualified Kurdish forces in various responsibilities, eliminate deprivation in Kurdistan, fight against poverty and addiction, and other demands and problems that exist. In other words, in my opinion, the best solution in the current situation, considering the promises made by Mr. Rouhani, is to create positive developments in Kurdish areas. Considering the eight years of imposed war in which Kurdish areas were deprived of economic resources and did not experience development and progress, officials should make efforts to truly compensate for the damages of the past few years in these areas and take action towards the development of universities and educational centers, as well as the establishment of factories and extraction of underground resources, and the development of infrastructure such as airports and the construction of highways, and also the creation of free zones, so that the people can witness a fundamental transformation in Iranian Kurdistan and

Mr. Jalali Zadeh, as you are aware, recently five border guards in the Sunni region of Balochistan have been taken hostage by the Jeysh al-Adl group. This group has always carried out such attacks under the pretext of violating the rights of the Sunni people, and you have also expressed sympathy for the families of these border guards and mentioned discrimination against Sunnis during your trip. Where does this discrimination stem from and what expectations do we have from the new government?

See, the root of these discriminations among the Sunni people of Iran is caused by prejudice that unfortunately exists among some officials and religious authorities towards Sunnis. No official is willing to bear the cost of implementing the constitution and showing solidarity with their fellow Sunni citizens, nor are they willing to delegate responsibility to Sunnis. In my opinion, we need to create a humane perspective towards Sunnis in Iran today, and considering the emphasis on justice in Islam and the Quran, we must pay more attention to our Sunni compatriots who live in different regions of Iran and have been guarding and protecting the borders of our country for years.

According to research that has been conducted, there are many rich mines and resources in many Sunni areas that are considered deprived and poor regions; however, unfortunately, this same security and religiously biased perspective has hindered the extraction of these resources, which could have a significant impact on the growth and development of the region and the well-being of its inhabitants. It is not right that in Iran, which has a rich civilization and history, we see 15% of our compatriots being deprived of their talents and being prevented from progress and utilizing their financial and spiritual capabilities, simply because of their different beliefs or ideologies from the majority of the population. This goes against the teachings of religion, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and human morality. Today’s officials must allow the Sunnis to be utilized in Shia regions with a different perspective from a religious point of view. Nowadays, it has become impossible for any Sunni to hold a government position in Shia regions, and even in Sunni regions, as far

Mr. Jalali Zadeh, do you think that the Jaysh al-Adl group will release their hostages? What message do you have for them?

In my opinion, the world today is no longer a world of war and killing. The fight for justice must be carried out peacefully and through legal means. We should not think that by killing a few innocent soldiers who are just doing their duty, we will achieve our goals. Fratricide and any kind of violence only lead to more division, revenge, and hatred, and it also causes pessimism among others. We must not resort to violent methods for the sake of justice. Of course, some may be happy with creating violence and insecurity in Sunni areas and use it as an excuse to prevent Sunnis from using these areas. Now, with the promises made by Mr. Rouhani regarding Baluchistan and the efforts of the Baluchistan governor to eliminate discrimination and utilize Baluch forces, as well as attracting investors to invest in the region, making the area unsafe will only harm the Baluch people. We should not engage in such actions that would make people lose hope in investing or

Now that you have spoken about the new government, and as a final question, let us ask you: To what extent have the drafters of the Bill of Rights for Citizens emphasized the rights of minorities in this charter and adequately considered those rights?

The Citizen Rights Charter in the discussion of respecting the rights of Sunnis is very weak and, in fact, I have repeatedly mentioned these points since its publication. In the Citizen Rights Charter that is being drafted, the demands of Sunnis and other ethnic groups should be highlighted so that officials pay more attention to these rights that have not been respected so far, and the ground is provided for equal treatment of Sunnis with other compatriots in various areas such as cultural, political, and economic rights. I hope that the drafters of the Citizen Rights Charter, after considering the opinions and suggestions of various individuals, will be able to realize a complete Citizen Rights Charter, along with the implementation of all principles, especially the forgotten principles of the Constitution, so that all Iranians can enjoy equal rights.

Thank you for providing us with your time for our monthly magazine.