STRASBOURG, France – Kurdish cultural activists have begun preparations to mark Newroz as Iran intensifies efforts to suppress celebrations, citing “sensitive times” and threatening legal action against anyone celebrating the day publicly.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday “firmly warned” 13 activists from the city of Shabad against promoting and carrying out Newroz celebrations, a Shabad-based activist told The New Region.
“Times are very sensitive, and anyone who tries to celebrate Nowruz will face legal action,” the activist cited the IRGC, as telling him.
Separately, security authorities in the city of Ilam on Thursday have reportedly contacted activists preparing to celebrate the day, warning them that they would face court warrants and arrest if they failed to comply with their warnings, a source from Ilam province’s Badra city told The New Region, speaking on the condition of anonymity, fearing retributions from the state.
On Wednesday Ilam authorities held a meeting, where they decided that they would ban Newroz celebrations and take legal measures against all who promote it.
Following the Women, Life, Freedom (Jin, Jiyan, Azadi) protest movement in the Fall of 2022, the situation has completely changed, as Tehran has grown even more sensitive than before to Newroz celebrations, treating it as a financial and geopolitical threat.
Following the death of Zhina Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl who was arrested in 2022 for violating Iran’s dress code, who died under vague circumstances under police custody, extensive protests broke out against the Iranian regime, ultimately leading to the creation of the Jin, Jiyan, Azadi movement. The women-led Kurdish movement fights for increased freedom for women in Iran.
Iran fears the possibility of these celebrations in Kermanshah and Ilam, which share extensive borders with Iraq and house 12 percent of Iran’s oil, would lead to growing unity between them and the rest of Iran’s Kurdish territory, strengthening the Kurdish political movement in Iran.
Newroz, which is celebrated by Kurds, Persians, and many other people across the world, has never felt so different for the Kurds in the Middle East, especially those living in Iran.
The Kurds in Iran often celebrate the arrival of the new year for almost a month, which has led many other nationalities to believe that such celebrations should become a uniting element for all of Iran’s people in the fight for their rights and freedom.
The Iranian regime, by banning Newroz celebrations, aims to drive a wedge between the northern and southern Kurdish regions under its territory, disallowing them from taking up the same symbols, narratives, and activities.
Ilam's IRGC commander Sadiq Hosseini had earlier warned the province’s bodies against issuing licenses for Newroz celebrations, saying that the Islamic Republic's adversaries use the celebrations to their advantage.
After facing backlash for the ban, Ilam’s IRGC branch released a statement on Saturday, going back on their previous decisions, saying that people have “misunderstood” their previous decisions and that the celebrations have to be carried out within the boundaries of the law and follow guidelines.
The New Region understands that activists in Ilam are planning to organize celebrations in multiple cities within the province while calling on families to join and celebrate the national day with them.
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