Iran: Kurdish people are banned from wearing their traditional dress in public.
The clothing ban announcement came from the Security Council of Oshnavieh, West Azerbaijan Province in north-western Iran, on Monday June 11, just prior to the traditional Cherry Feast in Kurdistan.
The Information Bureau and the Revolutionary Guards threatened that citizens must be stopped from wearing Kurdish clothes at the Cherry Festival, public places, and meetings.
After a joint meeting of the Security Council, the Department of Intelligence and the Revolutionary Guard Corps in Oshnavieh, the agencies issued a warning according to which citizens will be faced with a court order if they don’t pay attention to this warning given by the Information Bureau and the IRGC.
n addition, the Department of Intelligence and the IRGC have told the Oshnavieh government that they have to stop citizens from talking in Kurdish in public.
Kurdish activists believe the measure aims at suppression of Kurds through suppression of their mother tongue, culture and traditions.
The Cherry Feast is a local traditional celebration of the people of Oshnavieh where they sell their garden products. Men and women of Oshnavieh used to participate in this feast with their folklore and traditional outfits but they were prevented from doing so this year.