‘We work for a united front to achieve political independence for Eastern Kurds’

Part 1 of KT Interview with Mustafa Shamamy, Republican Movement of Kurdistan (RMK):

Mustafa Shamamy (also known as Dyako) was born in the city of Sardasht in East Kurdistan. During the beginning of the Iranian revolution, he was a mathematics teacher and he later joined the democrats. In 1983, at the suggestion of Dr Qassimlo, he emigrated to Spain for further education and he has resided there ever since. Dr Shamamy is a political scientist and General Coordinator of the Republican Movement of Kurdistan (RMK) in Eastern Kurdistan (EK /Kurdistan of Iran).

KT: Why is a new party needed for Kurds in Iran when there are already so many?

MS: The Republican Movement of Kurdistan in Eastern Kurdistan, as a new movement has its own supporters, and does not intend to become an alternative or opponent to the already existing parties. It has been born as result of an extensive research of the Kurdish movement ‘historical and modern’ and to fill the gaps in the current unorganised party political set-up in EK.

The founders of the movement have studied the current crisis, as well as taking into account the history of national movement and going back to the origins of the ideology and philosophy of the Kurdistan Republic. Hence the movement is offering a modern as well as traditional approach to its supporters, using a road map to build foundation for Eastern Kurds.

Unlike other classical parties, this movement is a platform for all sections of the society. In other words, the movement shall represent all sections of the society equally, in its organisational structure and strategy, like a mirror. As I said, the movement is nothing like other classical parties; it is based on political realism and political pragmatism while avoiding idealism, radicalism, dogmatism and romanticism. We work for a united front to achieve political independence for Eastern Kurds and the right to determine our future.

KT: What differentiates your party in terms of its programme, strategy and tactics?

MS: The main difference between our movement and other parties is that our movement is neither a party nor has components like a classical party. The movement is made up of various social groups spread among the society; its activists are allowed to be members of other political parties and organisations. In other words, this is an ideal platform for everyone to gather and understand one another. The strategy of the RMK is based on forming a united front in order to achieve independence for Eastern Kurds. We are certainly not against other political parties but, for the greater good, RMK has a project aimed at developing the way in which politics is done from within small groups on to a larger pluralistic platform.

I would like to emphasis on this a little further. In political science, politics has various definitions, but one of them defines politics as follow: “Politics is the art of achieving mutual goals between groups with antagony and opposition, the ideal mechanism to which it can be used to guarantee this achievement is democracy”. Hence the RMK has formed itself in order to achieve this pluralistic agreement. The RMK among the parties’ topographic system can be defined as a platform for all (or catch-all), and this can serve as an inclusive platform for all sections of the EK society, including left, centre, right, religious and nationalists. Nonetheless the RMK has a clear strategy, method of campaign and political transparency, compared to other parties: the aim of the RMK is achieving political and national rights for self-determination for Eastern Kurds. This alone differentiates us from other political parties of EK. Thus the RMK operates with political realism and, under the present circumstances, it will seize every opportunity to realise self-determination which means, like other parties, it does not have the policy of ‘either all or nothing’. We believe there are one hundred numbers between one and a hundred. In other words, the RMK does not conduct politics according to idealistic or nationalistic politics, but real politics in the present moment, choosing the number that best fits our goals – self-governing, autonomy, federalism and or independence.

Against this background, and in order to resolve the Kurdish question and achieve self-determination, the RMK is ready to engage in dialogue with central government and put aside the Anti-Islamic Republic slogans. It is obvious that this is another difference between the RMK and other parties.

KT: What do you have in common with the Gorran party?

MS: From my point of view, we have many things in common, in terms of short and long term strategy, power and attitudes to Kurdistan political parties. This is because both movements are working towards political independence, national wellbeing, freedom and fighting for changes. However, in terms of tactics, methods and mechanism, we have differences too. Furthermore, the Kurdistan Republican Movement and the Change movement (Gorran) are both using democratic mechanisms and peaceful means and many other things that I may not be able to address them one by one on this occasion.

KT: What do you think of the recent agreement between Komala and the KDPI?

MS: The agreement is a positive step, because any agreement between two parties or more require at least one of them to take the initiative and, in this case, both parties have come forward to address their weaknesses as they have endured undesirable democratic systems that has caused democratic crisis of the majority and minority and, as the major parties of EK, they have paved the way for organisational, identity and even strategic crisis. It is right for them to take the initiative at some point – to resolve their issues. Although their agreement lacked many technical details, it is still a good step towards a united front and must be given credit.

NOTE OF CLARIFICATION: Since this translated version was published, Mustafa Shamamy has informed us that he would have preferred the term ‘political sovereignty’ to be used instead of ‘political independence’.

Visit the RMK website http://komarixwaz.com/

Contact the RMK via komarixwaz2011@gmail.com