Representatives of all Kurdish political parties and organizations from eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan organized a commemoration event in Hawler (Erbil), the capital of southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan, for the victims of Iran\u2019s \u201choly war\u201d against the Kurdish people. On August 18, 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, declared jihad or \u201choly war\u201d against the Kurdish people in eastern Kurdistan. Iranian forces massacred tens of thousands of Kurdish civilians. <\/p>\n
Khomeini declared jihad against Kurdistan in response to the Kurdish people\u2019s demands for democracy and self-rule. Following this declaration of \u201choly\u201d war, the post-revolutionary Islamist regime deployed hundreds of thousands of troops, including the newly formed Islamic Revolutionary Guards and their execution squads, to Kurdistan.<\/p>\n
The Peshmerga Forces of PDKI and other Kurdish organizations, as well as civilians, fought bravely against the Iranian forces. Unfortunately the Peshmerga Forces could not prevent the Iranian forces from killing tens of thousands of Kurdish civilians.<\/p>\n
Similar to the terrorist organization ISIS, Iranian forces beheaded women, elderly and children in order to create fear and break the will of the Kurdish people.<\/p>\n
Although Islamist organizations have declared \u201choly\u201d war against the West in recent decades, it was the Islamic Republic of Iran that waged the first war of this kind against Kurdistan in modern history.<\/p>\n
The people of Kurdistan and Kurdish organizations commemorate the victims of this religiously justified war on August 18. But this date has also become a symbol for Kurdish resistance against Iranian aggression. It is also a symbol of the relentless Kurdish struggle for national liberation and democracy.<\/p>\n
This year, representatives of all Kurdish political parties and organizations from eastern Kurdistan gathered in Hawler to commemorate the victims of Iran\u2019s \u201choly war\u201d against the Kurdish people, but also to reaffirm their commitment to the struggle for national liberation and democracy.<\/p>\n
Hassan Sharafi, deputy leader of PDKI, held a speech during the event in which he said that August 18 has a double meaning for the people of Kurdistan. <\/p>\n
\u201cAugust 18 marks a black day in our history because it was on this date Khomeini made an evil declaration of war and issued an unjust fatwa of Jihad against the Kurdish people,\u201d Sharafi said. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut it also signifies a bright day, since we responded [to Khomeini\u2019s declaration of jihad] through resistance, which continues to this date,\u201d he averred. <\/p>\n
Mr. Sharafi also called on the Kurdish people in all parts of Kurdistan to support the independence referendum in southern Kurdistan and that it should be \u201cviewed it as a matter of highest national interest.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Representatives of all Kurdish political parties and organizations from eastern (Iranian) Kurdistan organized a commemoration event in Hawler (Erbil), the capital of southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan, for the victims of Iran\u2019s \u201choly war\u201d against the Kurdish people. On August 18, 1979, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4895,"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":[38],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/980213-deaa50cc6fc0591bf7fb536a288e0358.jpg?fit=500%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p12yuy-1gV","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5389,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/pdki-leader-no-iranian-terrorist-attacks-or-threats-will-stop-our-struggle\/","url_meta":{"origin":4893,"position":0},"title":"PDKI Leader: \u201cNo Iranian Terrorist Attacks or Threats Will Stop Our Struggle\u201d","author":"Admin English","date":"September 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In his first televised message to the Kurdish nation following the Iranian regime\u2019s ballistic missile attack on PDKI\u2019s headquarters and adjacent refugee camps on September 8, Mustafa Hijri, the leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), vowed to intensify the party\u2019s combined military and civil resistance campaign known\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Latest"","block_context":{"text":"Latest","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/latest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Kak-Mustafa.jpg?fit=345%2C468&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5402,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/iranian-officials-threaten-the-kurdish-people-following-general-strike-in-kurdistan\/","url_meta":{"origin":4893,"position":1},"title":"Iranian Officials Threaten the Kurdish People Following General Strike in Kurdistan","author":"Admin English","date":"September 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Cooperation Center of Iranian Kurdistan\u2019s Political Parties, of which PDKI is a founding member, called on the Kurdish people to go on strike to condemn the Iranian regime\u2019s use of ballistic missiles against PDKI\u2019s headquarters and the adjacent refugee camps, as well as the execution of Kurdish political prisoners,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Latest"","block_context":{"text":"Latest","link":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/category\/latest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/24790.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/24790.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/24790.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/24790.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pdki.org\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/24790.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5052,"url":"https:\/\/pdki.org\/english\/pdki-representative-highlighted-irans-human-rights-violation\/","url_meta":{"origin":4893,"position":2},"title":"PDKI Representative Highlighted Iran\u2019s Human Rights Violations in Geneva","author":"Ali","date":"September 21, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Forced disappearances in Iran was discussed at a side event of the 36th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on September 20. 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