Cyprus-Forum.com

[Turkey (( *]

In continued disturbances in Iran's northwest Kurdish area, rioters attack public buildings and stores, with several people possibly killed

TEHRAN - AFP

Fresh clashes erupted in Iran's northwest Kurdish region on Wednesday as rioters ravaged public buildings amid unconfirmed reports that several people had been killed.

The Iranian judiciary also closed down two Kurdish newspapers.

"Disturbances took place in Saghez," some 400 km (250 miles) west of Tehran, a Kurdish official told AFP on Thursday.

"According to my information public buildings and stores were attacked," he said, adding he was not aware of any casualties.

However, the conservative Internet site Baztab reported that a ceremonial gathering place for religious Shiites had been torched and "several people were wounded or killed."

A security official quoted by Iran's official news agency IRNA said "rioters attacked and damaged public buildings, banks and stores."

But he added that security forces had restored calm to the area.

The conservative daily Joumhouri Eslami said the perpetrators were "a group called the Organization of Fighting Students that attacked stores, banks and official buildings.

"They threw rocks and other objects at banks and even attacked the Saghez prefecture," it said.

"Security forces fired on them when two troublemakers tried to take soldiers' weapons," the newspaper said.

The judiciary in the nearby city of Sanandaj closed down two Kurdish newspapers. The daily Achti and the weekly Assou were forbidden from operating, the student-run news agency ISNA said.

Iran's population is 90 percent Shi'ite, whereas Kurds are mainly Sunni Muslims and make up about seven percent of the Islamic republic's population.

Kurdish regions in Iran have seen unrest and agitation in recent months.

Following the inauguration of former rebel leader Massoud Barzani in June as the first president of neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan, hundreds of jubilant Kurdish demonstrators clashed with police on the streets.

In July, a young Kurdish man who was wanted by police was shot and killed during his arrest in the Kurdish stronghold of Mahabad.

Subsequent clashes between residents and police killed one policeman and resulted in dozens of arrests.

Worse than Turkey!!

[ChomskyFan]

I have an Iranian friend who goes back to Tehran every summer Holiday, he tells me that the Kurds in Iran are treated like dirt. They have all the worst jobs and live in really bad Poverty, clashes like this have been occurring for some time though. The entire Muslim World seems to take it upon themselves to treat the Kurds like shit.

[brother]

I have to agree that the kurds have and are being treated appalingly, this is an embaressment to islam and humanity, i have many kurdish friends and they are very good people.

[cannedmoose]

Not knowing much about the Kurds, what is the historical reason for their being viewed as essentially second-class people in the middle east? It seems that they've been historically treated as such in all the countries within which the Kurdish region lies - Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey.

[magikthrill]

is it because they are not muslim. what is their religion?

[brother]

They have been split into small groups in 4-5 different countries and as such only forming a minority and as we saw in Cyprus, is what is happening to the kurds but if you were to put the whole togethar if i am not mistaken they are about 40 million people spread over these 4-5 countries.

[brother]

is it because they are not muslim. what is their religion?

They are definately muslim but another branch of it.

[Turkey (( *]

Well the main reason according to my observation is that foreign countries implemented hatred against Kurds, so that other nationalities in the area would attack them.The reason was simple, mainly this was USA's plan, after all the attacks USA would come to rescue and ask for petrol in exchange to their help to protect Kurds. There would be a Kurdistan, USA would use petrol from there, all the powerful countries in the area such as Iran and Turkey would be divided, and their forces would weaken. This is my version, I don't know if others have different views about this.

[magikthrill]

Well the main reason according to my observation is that foreign countries implemented hatred against Kurds, so that other nationalities in the area would attack them.The reason was simple, mainly this was USA's plan, after all the attacks USA would come to rescue and ask for petrol in exchange to their help to protect Kurds. There would be a Kurdistan, USA would use petrol from there, all the powerful countries in the area such as Iran and Turkey would be divided, and their forces would weaken. This is my version, I don't know if others have different views about this.

makes plausible sense i must say.

[cannedmoose]

Surely this discrimination isn't such a recent phenomenon though...?