Six Kurdish organizations operating in Iran recently took a significant step amid the ongoing war between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (I-KDP), Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), Kurdistan Workers' Community (Komalaya Zehmetkêşin Kurdistan), Organization of Struggle of Iranian Kurdistan (Sazman-ı Xebat), and Revolutionary Workers' Community of Iranian Kurdistan (Komala) agreed to act jointly under the name “Coalition of Iranian Political Forces.”

 

The decision by organizations with differing political views and decades-long histories of struggle was welcomed by Kurds and generated considerable excitement. Following the alliance’s formation, Iran launched more than 800 attacks on camps belonging to the participating groups. Nearly 30 people were killed in the attacks.

 

Çîmen Ciwanroyî, a committee member of Komalaya Zehmetkêşin Kurdistan, spoke to our agency about the developments. She said Iran has been at war both with its own people and with the outside world since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

 

She said: “In schools, the slogans were always ‘Death to America, death to Israel.’ The regime opposed Israel and then launched a confrontation against the American embassy. It established the Revolutionary Guards and created a military structure functioning like a state within a state."

 

Çîmen Ciwanroyî pointed out that women were the regime’s first target: “The first thing it did was impose the headscarf on women. It introduced new laws targeting women. Alongside the laws, it enforced the fatwas of the mullahs. Even if it was not written in the law that women could not ride bicycles, the clerics’ fatwas imposed that restriction."

 

She stated that over the past 47 years, the regime had turned men against women. Çîmen Ciwanroyî said: “Fathers and brothers followed the laws of the Iranian regime. The regime could not station an army in every street and every home, but when you look inside the homes, you see a self-operating army. Women could not protect themselves. Many women were forced into marriage at a young age. Some were killed in the name of ‘honor.’ During the ‘jin, jiyan, azadî’ revolution, that fear was broken. Darkness turned into light."

 

‘THE REGIME WAS PREPARING FOR WAR’

 

Çîmen Ciwanroyî said Iran remains in a deep crisis: “There are no economic opportunities, unemployment is widespread, and many other problems exist. This has increased drug use among young people, prevented them from marrying, caused them to lose consciousness, and destroyed their lives. It pushed people toward wanting Israel to attack the regime. Some were even waiting for this war, asking, ‘When will the United States come and overthrow the regime?’” 

 

Çîmen Ciwanroyî noted that many people believe Iran would collapse without Ali Khamenei, but argued that this was a mistaken assessment. Çîmen Ciwanroyî continued: “The Iranian regime has long been preparing for war. Iran’s mountains are filled with weapons. Huge investments were made into this, and military structures were built outside Iran as well. The most important thing now is to fully analyze society. There is enormous unemployment, widespread drug addiction, and massive homelessness. In Tehran, hundreds of women are selling drugs, engaging in prostitution, or begging. There are thousands of homeless men and children. The regime recruited these people into the Basij forces, armed them between 4 p.m. and midnight, and dressed them in special uniforms. During the recent protests, 40,000 people were killed. Everyone was forced to work for the regime in exchange for a certain amount of money."

 

Çîmen Ciwanroyî added: “They do not dare to do this in Kurdistan. However, there are collaborators in Kurdistan, and the regime has armed them. Even so, the regime does not fully trust them. Behind every collaborator stand two others. If someone takes a wrong step, they will be eliminated.”

 

‘THE KURDISH ALLIANCE WAS A DEBT OF LOYALTY’

 

Çîmen Ciwanroyî said the Kurdish alliance emerged in response to all these conditions. “The situation imposed unity upon us. If parties try to act alone in Kurdistan, they cannot succeed and will fragment. This demand did not emerge overnight. It could have happened earlier. The unity of the six main parties gives strength to the people. In other words, we can say this alliance is a pillar supporting Kurdistan’s survival. Six different ideologies, six different perspectives — but when they unite and hold onto each other, that becomes an alliance. The alliance is a major part of the struggle. It is a debt of loyalty to all the families who have suffered and lost loved ones over the past 47 years,” she said.

 

‘OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS THE LACK OF UNITY’

 

Responding to criticism that the alliance may not yet be capable of meeting the people’s needs, Çîmen Ciwanroyî said: “The answer to whether the alliance can meet the people’s needs will become clear in the future. We hope they can reach an agreement on resolving the Kurdish issue. They must unite around the solution to the Kurdish issue. Throughout history, the main problem the Kurdish people have faced has been the absence of unity. At moments when unity was necessary, it was not achieved. These contradictions created openings for enemy intervention. Wherever there is division, the enemy uses it. But wherever there is unity, the enemy cannot defeat the Kurdish people.

 

Çîmen Ciwanroyî concluded: “We know the Iranian regime, which has always been the Kurdish people’s main enemy, opposed the Kurds during the Shah era as well. Now they are trying to create a figure like Reza Pahlavi, who has no real organization, party, or official structure behind him and who is also opposed to the Kurds. They want to use him as a shield before the outside world.”

 

MA / Adnan Bilen