Newroz in East Kurdistan: Iranian state’s suppression and Kurdish people’s resistance

As changes in West Kurdistan (Rojava) are developing at a fast pace following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, the Kurdish people’s struggle for identity in East Kurdistan (Rojhilat) continues in a different way.

Pre-Newroz celebrations in various parts of East Kurdistan, from Maku to Îlam, as well as Kurdish-inhabited areas across Iran, such as Khorasan in the North East, the Caspian Sea coastal areas, and Azerbaijan, started in early February with Kurdish traditions, singing, and showcasing of national symbols and collective dances.

In early February 2025, social media accounts and influencers affiliated with Kurdish political parties from East Kurdistan called on people to wear traditional Kurdish costumes in khaki and the Camane, a traditional Kurdish headscarf, while attending various celebrations, including weddings and the upcoming Newroz festivals.

This initiative was widely embraced by the public despite numerous reports of threats against individuals and even tailors who provided garments in the specified color.

As the Kurdish New Year approached, the Iranian state, along with its military and intelligence institutions, intensified pressure and threats against Kurds celebrating the festival. Historically, the Iranian government has imposed restrictions on Newroz celebrations in East Kurdistan, viewing them as expressions of Kurdish identity and potential dissent. While Newroz is officially recognized as a national holiday in Iran, its celebration in East Kurdistan and other Kurdish-inhabited regions in northeastern and northern Iran often includes cultural and political elements that the state perceives as a challenge to its authority.

Newroz is deeply tied to Kurdish identity and has historically been associated with resistance against oppression. The Iranian state fears that large, organized Kurdish celebrations could turn into anti-regime demonstrations, potentially reigniting pro-Kurdish sentiments. Given the history of Kurdish uprisings against Iran (e.g., the Republic of Mahabad in 1946 and later Kurdish movements), the government remains highly sensitive to any expression of Kurdish solidarity and identity.

The Iranian government enforces a strict Persian-centric national identity and suppresses ethnic minorities’ cultural expressions. The open celebration of Kurdish identity through Newroz challenges this narrative, making the regime uneasy.

Iran worries about the influence of Kurdish movements in neighboring countries, particularly Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, where Kurdish groups have gained varying degrees of autonomy and political power. Iran does not want Kurdish Newroz celebrations to serve as a catalyst for increased Kurdish unity and activism within Iran.

This year, the widespread sharing and production of content on social media significantly increased enthusiasm for participating in Newroz and embracing Kurdish culture across East Kurdistan. This growing interest has drawn considerable attention from other parts of Kurdistan and the diaspora, inspiring more people, especially the youth, to engage in these cultural celebrations on an unprecedented scale. Such large-scale participation has not been observed in previous years. As a result, the The Iranian state has grown increasingly concerned, responding with heightened security and military measures in Kurdistan.

Banning Public Gatherings

Iran heavily regulates public gatherings, fearing that any large event could turn into an opposition movement. The fact that Newroz is often celebrated in public squares, mountains, or rural areas outside government control makes it particularly concerning for Iranian authorities.

They often prohibit large public celebrations, especially those such as Newroz that come with Kurdish themes. Security forces frequently disrupt gatherings, citing “security concerns” by limiting the public’s access to the celebrations or surveillance using drones and identification cameras.

In mid-March 2025, armed forces from various institutions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Special Unit, attempted to suppress Newroz celebrations in the cities of Kermanshah (Kirmaşan), Oshnavieh (Şino), Bukan, and Saqqez by violating the Kurdish people’s right to freedom of assembly.

Iranian government forces, equipped with heavy machine guns such as DShK, established checkpoints at the entrance to the village of Singan in Oshnavieh to prevent Newroz festivities from taking place.

Additionally, IRGC and police forces established checkpoints, dispersed gatherings, and deployed units in the villages of Kani Sork and the Qalatok hill to obstruct celebrations in Tachinavi, Oshnavieh. This intervention ultimately led to physical clashes with protesters, during which some government forces were reportedly disarmed.

Published footage shows that government suppression forces, armed with heavy weaponry, took control of the entry and exit roads of Oshnavieh (Şino) to restrict movement.

In Bukan, IRGC forces blocked citizens from reaching Targheh Peak, the designated location for the Newroz celebration, effectively preventing the event.

Meanwhile, in Saqqez, government forces attempted to halt the Newroz celebration at Mount Jaqal by erecting barricades, soil embankments, and checkpoints. However, despite government drones monitoring the gathering, the event proceeded with widespread participation.

Similarly, in the Derre-Drej neighborhood of Kermanshah, security forces were deployed to suppress Newroz celebrations. Despite delays and restrictions, the event ultimately took place. Special Unit vehicles patrolled the city in a clear attempt to intimidate residents.

Arrests and Crackdowns

Kurdish activists, cultural figures, and ordinary citizens who take part in Newroz celebrations frequently face arrest, imprisonment, and harassment. Each year, numerous reports emerge of individuals being detained simply for their participation.

Since early 2025, following the Kurdish parties’ call to wear the Camane and take part in Newroz festivities, hundreds of Kurdish youth have been summoned, threatened, and arrested for donning traditional Kurdish attire, highlighting the ongoing repression of Kurdish cultural identity.

By late March, thousands of Kurds had been summoned and interrogated by Iranian security agencies, with at least 41 individuals, including six children, arrested in connection with Newroz celebrations across East Kurdistan.

Amid the Newroz festivities, Kurdish human rights organizations reported an unlawful raid by Iranian security forces on a boys’ high school in Bukan. Officers entered the schoolyard, insulted and threatened students, and singled out those wearing Kurdish attire and the Camane, ordering them to stand apart from the others. The principal and vice principal of Boroujerdi High School intervened, ultimately persuading the forces to leave without making any arrests after assuring them that such incidents would not recur.

In another incident, on Friday, March 7, 2025, Iranian authorities summoned 60 young Kurds from Mariwan for wearing the Camane and khaki clothing during Newroz celebrations. They were detained for several hours before being temporarily released on bail of 100 million tomans each. Additionally, they were warned against participating in future Newroz events while wearing Jamana or khaki clothing, further underscoring the state’s crackdown on Kurdish cultural expression.

On Wednesday, March 12, 1403, the Intelligence Department in Şino summoned more than 20 Kurds and warned them to refrain from wearing what was called “symbolic clothing and symbols of Kurdish parties” during Newroz ceremonies; otherwise, they would face legal action. These individuals were released under pressure after several hours of interrogation.

On Thursday, March 13, 2025, Hassan Kakaei, a 64-year-old singer from Bukan, was coerced into signing a commitment not to participate in the Newroz ceremony. The Iranian intelligence repeatedly summoned him, subjecting him to hours of interrogation and pressure before releasing him.

On Monday, January 6, 2025, Khalil Mohammadi, a poet and cultural activist, and Kiyomars Mirzabeigi, a researcher and teacher, were summoned to the Noorabad Intelligence Department regarding the holding of the Agar Newroz ceremony.

According to informed sources, the Agar Nowruz ceremony was held in the village of Hezarkhani in Noorabad to mark the first day of January and the beginning of winter. This ceremony is held in a number of regions of Kurdistan every year.

On March 18, 2025, in a historic moment, Kurds in Urmia successfully held a large-scale Newroz celebration in the city for the first time in years, despite longstanding oppression and denial from the Azeri-Turks, who hold significant political influence in the region due to its strong ties to the Iranian government.

With over 150,000 attendees, the event set a record for the largest Newroz gathering in East Kurdistan. However, the celebration was met with harsh backlash from Azeri-Turkish nationalists, who launched anti-Kurdish hate campaigns on social media.

Additionally, Iranian authorities arrested several participants, including minors and women, for wearing traditional Kurdish attire featuring Kurdish symbols, further highlighting the state’s ongoing suppression of Kurdish cultural expression.

Heavy Security Presence

The government usually deploys security forces, including riot police and intelligence agents, to Kurdistan during Newroz to intimidate and suppress potential protests.

IRGC forces used a reconnaissance drone to identify people attending the Newroz ceremony in Gogtepe, Mahabad

The ceremony was held on Friday, March 7, 2025, despite threats and pressure from security agencies and the establishment of checkpoints along the route and blocking the road leading to the Newroz ceremony in Gogtepe. These institutions set up checkpoints, searched citizens’ mobile phones, clothing, and clothing color, and insulted and disrespected them, yet thousands of people attended.

Media Control and the Promotion of Anti-Kurdish Sentiments by Both Pro-Regime and Anti-Regime Media and Figures within Persian and Turkish Society

The Iranian state heavily censors Kurdish cultural expressions, including songs, dances, and speeches during Newroz celebrations. Public performances of Kurdish music and displays of Kurdish symbols, such as the Kurdish flag, are particularly targeted.

Additionally, Kurdish activists who use social media to encourage participation in Newroz festivities face harassment, threats of arrest, and imprisonment by Iranian authorities.

At the same time, Iranian opposition media and public figures—despite their stance against the regime—actively spread anti-Kurdish racism on social media. They attack Kurds for celebrating Newroz, using dehumanizing narratives that portray Kurds as “uncivilized” or falsely claim that Kurds have “stolen” the holiday. Another frequent tactic is to post photos of Kurdish men dancing at Newroz celebrations, alleging that Kurdish men do not allow women to participate—despite the fact that women are central to Newroz celebrations and are often the ones who ignite the bonfires, a key symbolic act of the festival.

These baseless accusations also attempt to undermine the “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (“Women, Life, Freedom”) movement by falsely portraying Kurdish society as hypocritical. However, in reality, women participate equally in Newroz celebrations across Kurdistan, demonstrating the inclusive and unifying nature of the festival.

Observing social media trends reveals significant dissatisfaction among many Iranians regarding the way Kurdish people celebrate Newroz. This discontent has escalated into an anti-Kurdish campaign, where Kurds are targeted with dehumanizing rhetoric and misrepresented through various narratives.

One prominent example, which gained hundreds of thousands of views on X (formerly Twitter), came from a well-known Voice of America-Persian representative who attacked Kurdish Newroz celebrations, describing them as “dirty, disgusting, and misogynistic.” His remarks sparked widespread backlash from Kurds, who responded by sharing hundreds of videos from Newroz festivities proving his claims false. Facing intense criticism, he eventually deleted his post after a few days.

In another instance, a Kurdish girl shared a photo of herself wearing traditional Kurdish men’s attire, which quickly went viral, amassing over a million views on X. However, it was met with a wave of racist and sexist slurs from Iranian nationalists, illustrating the deeply ingrained hostility toward Kurdish cultural expression.

Following the historic Newroz celebrations in Urmia, an official ceremony with governmental and religious significance was held, organized and promoted by known Azeri-Turkish ultranationalist figures, including Nader Qazipour and a group of Shia Muslim clerics, all affiliated with the IRGC and the Iranian state. During this gathering, thousands of Azeri-Turkish residents, wielding clubs, chanted slogans targeting the Kurdish community in protest of the Kurdish Newroz celebrations.

These slogans—accompanied by symbols such as the Gray Wolves salute—have been explicitly described as right-wing in nature, aiming to deny the identity and presence of Kurds in Urmia. Some chants even invoked Mullah Hasani, an Azeri-Turkish cleric notorious for his role in the post-1979 oppression and killing of Kurds and other minorities in Urmia province, effectively calling for violence against the Kurdish population.

These tensions stem from policies implemented over past decades by the Iranian state, as well as Turkey and Azerbaijan. These policies have sometimes been aimed at deepening divisions among local communities and weakening social cohesion, especially by promoting anti-Kurdish racism and empowering the Turkish residents in Urmia Province.

Religious and Political Justifications

Iranian authorities frequently oppose Kurdish Newroz celebrations, citing religious or political reasons. Some officials argue that certain Newroz traditions are “un-Islamic,” while others claim that the events promote separatism.

On March 7, 2025, Sadegh Hosseini, commander of the IRGC’s Amir al-Mo’menin unit in Ilam province, stated in state-affiliated media that no institution is authorized to grant permits for Newroz celebrations. During a Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Committee meeting, he alleged that some individuals were organizing these celebrations and collecting money from the public, which he deemed illegal. He also emphasized that identifying and targeting those promoting such activities, both online and offline, was a priority for his office.

Likewise, on March 13, 2025, authorities in Selmas, Urmia Province (West Azerbaijan), issued a public statement prohibiting Newroz celebrations, justifying the ban by citing the overlap with Ramadan.

The suppression of Newroz celebrations has continued to this day, with Kurdish human rights organizations regularly publishing reports on mass arrests, interrogations, and threats carried out by Iranian authorities in East Kurdistan. However, Newroz remains a powerful expression of Kurdish identity, resilience, and defiance against oppression. Despite the Iranian government’s continued efforts to restrict Kurdish cultural celebrations through bans, arrests, and military crackdowns, Kurds across East Kurdistan have once again demonstrated their determination to preserve their identity. The growing participation in Newroz celebrations, particularly among the younger generation, shows that these traditions are not fading but instead becoming a stronger symbol of unity as well as adhering to the Kurdish identity.

The Iranian state’s fear of Kurdish cultural expression reflects a broader policy of suppressing ethnic minorities and enforcing a strict Persian-centric national identity. By targeting Newroz, authorities attempt to weaken Kurdish solidarity and prevent gatherings that could turn into political demonstrations. However, Kurdish people celebrating Newroz despite threats and restrictions highlights their refusal to be silenced

At the same time, the spread of anti-Kurdish sentiment on social media, even from Iranian opposition figures, shows that discrimination against Kurds goes beyond the government. Despite this, Newroz continues to unite Kurds, not only in Iran but across all parts of Kurdistan and the diaspora. The festival has become more than just a celebration of the Kurdish New Year—it is a statement of cultural survival, resistance, and hope for a future where Kurds can freely express their identity without fear of persecution.