Kurds mark 71st anniversary of Republic of Mahabad

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Do YOU know why 22 January is important?

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My daily market shop has the name of that event

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Mahabad

The Republic of Kurdistan was a sadly short-lived self-governing state in present-day Iran.

The capital of Republic of Kurdistan was the city of Mahabad, in northwestern Iran. The state encompassed a small territory, including Mahabad and the adjacent cities of Piranshahr and Ushnaviya.

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The Greatest and Bravest Kurd

Qazi Mohammad

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Clashes break out between Kurds and Iranian forces on anniversary of ‘Kurdistan Republic’
Reporting by: Wladimir van Wilgenburg

Clashes broke out between Kurdish rebels and Iranian forces outside of the town of Mariwan during the 71th anniversary of the creation of the Republic of Kurdistan on Friday.

“Clashes erupted 21:30 local time between Peshmerga and Iran’s IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guards] outside Mariwan, eastern Kurdistan,” the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDK-I) said in a statement. “The Kurdish flag was raised in Sardosh district in Mariwan,” the PDK-I added.

It was not immediately clear whether the clashes resulted in any casualties.

“A clandestine group called Zagros Eagles claimed the responsibility for the operation. It wasn’t PDK-I,” representative of the PDKI to the U.S., Arash Saleh, told ARA News.

The Republic of Kurdistan was a short-lived self-governing state founded in January 1946 in present-day Iran.

This is not the first time clashes erupted between fighters of Iranian Kurdish parties and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

On 8 January, the Zagros Eagles unit claimed responsibility for an attack on an IRGC base near Baneh, in western Iran.

Tensions have increased between Iranian Kurdish parties and the Iranian regime since the former decided to resume their armed struggle last year.

The parties are principally seeking an autonomous Kurdish government in Iran, analogous to the KRG in Iraq.

Iran retaliated by bombing the PDK-I offices in Erbil on 26 December, 2016. At least five PDK-I members and two Kurdish security forces were killed in the twin bombing. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) condemned the attacks.

http://aranews.net/2017/01/clashes-brea ... -republic/

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Kurds mark 71st anniversary of Republic of Kurdistan

Kurds are marking the 71st anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Kurdistan in Mahabad.

The short-lived republic, with its capital in Mahabad, northern Iran, was declared on January 22, 1946. It gained support of Kurds from other parts of Kurdistan, mainly Iraq, where former Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani, joined the republic, along with thousands of Kurdish fighters.

It was founded by the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) under the leadership of Qazi Muhammad, who became the president.

“The republic was an island of liberty and democracy,” the PDKI said in a statement marking the anniversary, noting that gender equality was prioritized, Kurdish was the official language, and the Peshmerga were the official army.

Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani was born in the fledgling republic on August 16, 1946.

On December 15, 1946, Iranian forces entered Mahabad, bringing an end to the Kurdish state.

“In spite of being short-lived, the Republic of Kurdistan is a millstone in Kurdish history and it is a point of reference for other Kurdish movements in other parts of Kurdistan in pursuit of the Kurdish nation’s legitimate right to self-determination,” the PDKI stated.

Qazi Muhammad was publicly hanged on March 31, 1947. His son, Ali Qazi, was 13 when his father was executed. In a 2014 interview with Rudaw, he said, “the Kurdistan Republic is a golden page in the history of the Kurdish liberation struggle."

Members of the Kurdistan Regional Government, which is planning to open discussions with Baghdad on independence, have taken the occasion of this anniversary to reaffirm Kurdish independence aspirations.

Falah Mustafa, head of foreign relations, tweeted that the dream of Kurdish independence will become a reality.

Rep of #Kurdistan was declared 71 yrs ago today.Since then we've strived to secure independence,once a dream now a reality that'll come true
— Falah Mustafa (@FalahMustafa) January 22, 2017

Government spokesperson Safeen Dizayee took the opportunity to "reaffirm" the right to independence.

As we commemorate the Republic of #Kurdistan in Mahabad, we reaffirm our right to independence and self-determination.
— Safeen Dizayee (@SafeenDizayee) January 22, 2017

Sulaimani University commemorated the anniversary with a ceremony attended by a number of artists and poets.

http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/220120171