Lecture and discussion with Hiwa Bahrami, representative of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in Germany and Austria.

Chair: Michael Spaney (MFFB)Tuesday, June 25, 2013, 7.00 p.m.Venue: Amadeu Antonio Stiftung, Linienstraße 139, 10115 Berlin Event in German language The Iranian people voted, but the “elections” in Iran have nothing to do with democratic elections. The Guardian Council selected eight hand-picked candidates out of 686 applicants, women were excluded. The Internet was partially shut down, editors and journalists are controlled, arrested, tortured or declared to be enemies of the state. Repression in Iran is particularly directed against national minorities. The Islamists in Tehran saw the freedom movements in the provinces of Khuzestan, Baluchistan or the North of the country always as a threat to their rule. In August 1979 religious leader Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for a war against the Kurds and called the PDKI a "party of the devil." According to Khomeini Kurds are "infidel conspirators with whom one has to deal harshly", they are "pagans and foreign collaborators” and it was the “duty of every Iranian Muslim" to kill them.

Hiwa Bahrami explains the relations of the Iranian regime to the various national minorities, and also analyzes the situation after the election. What changes can be expected under a President Hassan Rohani? What role do the so-called moderates play in Iranian foreign and domestic policy? Please register at: info@mideastfreedomforum.org