‫سازمان مردمی کُرمانج‬ Sazimana Xelkî Kurmanj ‫سازمانی خه لکی کورمانج‬ Organisation of Kurmanj People (10th Session of the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues, November 2017) Geneva - Switzerland Kurmanj people in the region of North Khorasan Under A huge language discrimination and a severe language apartheid Our native mother language is completely banned in regional Schools and completely forbidden in the regional Universities, in North Khorasan Iran is an ethno-linguistically and religiously diverse country Ethno-linguistic minorities make about %65 of Iran’s population. Minorities of Iran face oppression and marginalization due to cultural & linguistics, politic affairs, poverty, gender and religious factors. Islamic government has also implemented a systematic and organized policy of integration of all minorities, and assimilation of their cultures and languages with cruelty and cruelly. Ethnic minorities in Iran are the poorest people in the society. They lack access to political power, no ethnics political parties allowed, no ethnics cultural forums allowed, we face discrimination and severe human rights abuses. What we want is: our very basic rights to be protected and promoted by international community. It is crystal clear that recognition of minorities and indigenous peoples' rights is crucial to establishing and maintaining just, stability and peaceful societies. There are 11 main ethno-linguistic minorities in Iran, which are roughly as following: 1 - Persian [Fars / Pars, (34.6%)] 2 - Azeri Turks (25.4%) 3 - Kurds (15.5%) 4 - Lor & Bakhtiyari (6.2%) 5 - Arab (2.8%) 6 - Mazendarani (4.4%) 7 - Gilaks (3.5%) 8 - Baloch (3.2%) 9 - Turkmen (1.1%) 10 - Talyshi (1%) www.kurmanj.org info@kurmanj.org Tel: + 44 (0) 79692 71697, Fax: + 44 (0) 2076919328