President Hassan Rouhani said all ethnic groups are entitled to equal, full civil rights without any discrimination.
Delivering a public speech in Mahabad, West Azarbaijan Province, on Tuesday, Rouhani said all Iranians, whether Shia or Sunni, should enjoy equal civil rights. “No one is allowed to discriminate against any religious sect or ethnic group because in the Islamic Republic system, everyone must be treated on merit … There must be no difference between Iranian Turks, Arabs and other ethnic groups,” he was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Mahabad has a predominantly Kurdish population of about 150,000 people, a majority of whom practice Sunni Islam. Rouhani lamented the fact that there is only one Sunni ambassador of Kurdish origin in the service of the Islamic Republic. In addition, the president highlighted moderation as key to effective development of various national sectors, particularly tourism.
“We should tread the path of moderation to stave off religious, ethnic and factional extremism and violence that lead to nothing but more destruction,” he said. Pointing to the critical security situation in neighboring Iraq and Turkey, and in Syria, Rouhani said, “Iranian Kurds enjoy much higher security than those in neighboring countries.”
