Breaking taboos under banner of national unity

By Ebrahim Beheshti

Staff writer - IRAN DAILY

The Iranian government appointed Mansour Bijar, a Sunni Baluch, as the governor general of Sistan and Baluchestan province. This is a first for the southeastern province, as Bijar is both a native son and a Sunni Baluch. Simultaneously, the Parliament has given the green light to the resignation of Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh, a lawmaker representing of Naqadeh and Oshnavieh from Kurdish regions of Iran, paving the way for his appointment as vice president for rural development and deprived areas. Hosseinzadeh is the first Sunni Kurd to hold this position in the past four decades, thereby opening the door for Sunni representation in the cabinet.

Previously, Mohammad Qasim Osmani, a Sunni Kurdish MP, had made it to the Parliament’s presiding board, while Shahram Irani, a Sunni Kurdish military officer, had been appointed as the commander of the Army’s Naval Force by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution. However, until now, Sunni citizens had been shut out of the cabinet.

Although the public had expected the introduction of Sunni ministers, as promised by President Masoud Pezeshkian during his election campaign, this expectation was not met. Nevertheless, Pezeshkian has vowed to make up for this in other government positions.
Now, for the first time, native governors have been appointed for Khuzestan, Kurdistan, and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces, representing their respective Arab, Kurdish and Baluch ethnic groups. The presence of minority groups and ethnicities in executive positions is not limited to this list, as capable individuals from these groups have also taken on responsibilities in lower management ranks.
President Pezeshkian has dubbed his administration the “Government of National Unity,” striving to bolster internal cohesion by appointing competent managers from various political factions, ethnicities, minorities, women, and youth. It appears that under the banner of national unity, the president has managed to shattered a 45-year-old taboo, lifting the “Do Not Enter” sign for Sunnis in high-level executive positions. This broken taboo has not been met with any overt opposition from other branches of power, and has instead been welcomed, with experts and elites noting that it helps to heal social rifts.
This new experience should be taken as a good omen, and we should be hopeful that, under the umbrella of national unity and consensus among governing bodies, political factions, and elites, other self-imposed taboos stemming from incorrect assessments, misinterpretations, or even benevolent considerations that do not serve national interests or citizen rights will also crumble. These taboos have deprived the people and the political system of opportunities and capacities, and breaking them will be a shot in the arm for the country.