Securitization of Ethnic Groups in Post-revolutionary Iran

• In Event: Poster Session: Racial and Ethnic Politics & Security and MENA Politics
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Security and MENA Politics

Abstract

The change in the geopolitical landscape in the aftermath of the Cold War, marked by events such as the USSR's collapse, Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Gulf War responding to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, has propelled the Iranian ethnic issue into a new realm. Changes in the political status of kin ethnic groups in neighboring countries and domestic challenges post the Iran-Iraq War and Khomeini's passing have contributed to the complex scenario. Despite efforts by President Khatami's reformist government between 1997 and 2004 to address ethnic issues and promote de-securitization, a resurgence of ethnic uprisings ensued.

This study delves into major ethnic unrest in Iran during 2005–2007, encompassing attacks by Kurdish militants, a Baluchi insurgency, and outbreaks among ethnic Arabs. Even the well-integrated Azeris exhibited heightened ethnic mobilization. Despite the government's oppression, ethnic movements strengthened, prompting concerns acknowledged by the Majlis Center for Research in 2005.

The research aims to investigate how kin ethnic groups influence the mobilization capabilities of ethnic groups in Iran, especially post-1991. Examining political developments in regions like the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kurdistan in Iraq, and Shi'a Arabs in post-2003 Iraq, the study explores the impact of kinethnic groups on Iran's policy to securitize its ethnic groups. Additionally, it scrutinizes the role of cross-border kinethnic groups in ethnic mobilization and securitization. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses to explore the mobilization and securitization of Iran's four ethnic groups from the 1980s to 1991 and compare them with the period after 1991, incorporating developments in the Republic of Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Iran from 1991 to 2021.

Author

• Shukriya Bradost, Virginia Tech University