In an interview with Seth Frantzman of the Algemeiner Mustafa Hijri, PDKI\u2019s leader, discusses PDKI\u2019s view on Iran\u2019s role in the region Iran and the Kurdish nation\u2019s struggle in Iran. Below is an excerpt of the interview:<\/p>\n
Mustafa Hijri, the General Secretary of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) was recently in Washington, DC to discuss politics across the border. Born in 1945, he has keen memories of life under the Shah and the suppressions after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. He sees Iran as a threat to the region, asserting that it is exporting its revolution among Shia parties in the area from Yemen to Lebanon and Iraq: \u201cBy supporting these different groups the Islamic Republic of Iran attempts to create instability and conflict all around the region in order to increase its own power and influence, and this policy have both direct and indirect impact on the Kurds. Iran chooses to spend billions of dollars on terrorist groups outside of Iran instead of investing inside the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dissent by the Kurds is totally crushed by the regime. \u201cThe regime sees the Kurds as a threat to its security and uses all forms of brutal methods to crack down on any form of dissent in Kurdistan,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
When ISIS attacked last year, the PDKI volunteered to send its own fighters [Peshmerga] to help the KRG forces. Eventually the regional government asked them to withdraw their units. This is likely due to the KRG\u2019s own fears that it will cause tension with Iran. The KRG plays a balancing act between antagonizing either Iran or Turkey, both of which fear Kurdish independence.<\/p>\n
Like all the Kurds we spoke to, Hijri wishes the US would do more for Kurds in Iraq and Iran. \u201cWe believe that the United States should help all Kurds and especially Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan in their struggle to become free from the oppression of the regime in Iran. This support is needed in order for the Kurds in Iranian Kurdistan to become a beacon for democracy in the region, just like the Kurds in Iraq are. Supporting us will help strengthening and spreading democracy in the region as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another insight that Hijri has is asserting that there is a misunderstanding of Iran\u2019s support of the war against ISIS. ISIS provided Iran an excuse to extend its tentacles into Iraq. The long-term impact of the Sunni extremists is to embolden the Shia and Iran to totally control Iraq. In the long term this will threaten the Kurds, not only because the Kurds are Sunni, but because Iran, like Turkey, does not want the Kurds to have too much independence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In an interview with Seth Frantzman of the Algemeiner Mustafa Hijri, PDKI\u2019s leader, discusses PDKI\u2019s view on Iran\u2019s role in the region Iran and the Kurdish nation\u2019s struggle in Iran. Below is an excerpt of the interview: Mustafa Hijri, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4503,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[53],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Hidgri-Iran.jpg?fit=500%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p12yuy-1aB","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4323,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/mustafa-hijri\/","url_meta":{"origin":4501,"position":0},"title":"Mustafa Hijri","author":"akamr","date":"August 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Mr. Mustafa Hijri is the current leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI). Mr. Hijri was born in 1945 in Nagahadeh. He graduated from the Teachers\u2019 College of Agriculture in Urmiye in 1963 and took up a post as a secondary school teacher in the city of Saghez.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Learn More About PDKI"","block_context":{"text":"Learn More About PDKI","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/learnpdki\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Mustafa-Hijri.png?fit=576%2C470&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Mustafa-Hijri.png?fit=576%2C470&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Mustafa-Hijri.png?fit=576%2C470&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4603,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/mustafa-hijri-we-believe-the-independence-of-kurdistan-is-a-right\/","url_meta":{"origin":4501,"position":1},"title":"Mustafa Hijri: \u201cWe believe independence of Kurdistan is a right\u201d","author":"akamr","date":"September 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In an interview with Reese Erlich of the Global Post Mustafa Hijri, PDKI\u2019s leader, sheds light on the purpose of his latest visit to Washington DC and the PDKI\u2019s view on the nuclear ambitions of Iran and the rights of the Kurdish nation in Iran. Below is an excerpt of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Interviews"","block_context":{"text":"Interviews","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/mustafa-hijri\/interviews-mustafa-hijri\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Mustafa-Hijri.png?fit=576%2C470&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Mustafa-Hijri.png?fit=576%2C470&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Mustafa-Hijri.png?fit=576%2C470&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3790,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/pdki-leader-meets-u-s-senators-and-members-of-congress\/","url_meta":{"origin":4501,"position":2},"title":"PDKI Leader Meets U.S. Senators and Members of Congress","author":"akamr","date":"March 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Mustafa Hijri, leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), visited Germany at the end of May and met with German officials. Mr. Hiri is currently in the United States and has held meetings with members of U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. senators and human rights organizations\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Foreign Relation Activities & Reports"","block_context":{"text":"Foreign Relation Activities & Reports","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/foreign-relation\/activities-reports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Hidjri-visits-Germany.png?fit=620%2C284&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Hidjri-visits-Germany.png?fit=620%2C284&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Hidjri-visits-Germany.png?fit=620%2C284&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4614,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/mustafa-hijri-irans-military-doctrine-is-aggressive-not-defensive\/","url_meta":{"origin":4501,"position":3},"title":"Mustafa Hijri: \u201cIran\u2019s military doctrine is aggressive, not defensive\u201d","author":"akamr","date":"September 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In an article, published on PDKI\u2019s official website Kurdistanmedia.org, Kurdish leader Mustafa Hijri raises questions on a classified Defense Department assessment on Iran\u2019s military doctrine. The Pentagon report, delivered to Congress on July 7, has leaked to the press. The thrust of the report, which departs from Pentagon\u2019s previous assessments\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/mustafa-hijri\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Hijri-Article.jpg?fit=515%2C240&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5032,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/iran-renews-threats-against-pdki-and-southern-kurdistan\/","url_meta":{"origin":4501,"position":4},"title":"Iran Renews Threats against PDKI and Southern Kurdistan","author":"Admin English","date":"September 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Iran\u2019s latest threats against PDKI come against the backdrop of southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan\u2019s planned independence referendum and PDKI\u2019s support for it. 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PDKI leader Mustafa Hijri said in an interview that the party\u2019s Peshmerga Forces\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Press Release"","block_context":{"text":"Press Release","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/pressrelease\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/4bka8176903b6dggum_800C450.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/4bka8176903b6dggum_800C450.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/4bka8176903b6dggum_800C450.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/4bka8176903b6dggum_800C450.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5361,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/73rd-anniversary-of-the-democratic-party-of-iranian-kurdistan\/","url_meta":{"origin":4501,"position":5},"title":"73rd Anniversary of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan","author":"Ali","date":"August 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Today marks the 73rd anniversary of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, or PDKI. 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