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Iranian Kurdish parties prefer dialogue with government

The Kurdish national parties in Iran, which boycotted Iran’s presidential election last year, may be losing support.
An Iranian Sunni Kurd walks at a bazaar while shopping in Marivan in Kurdistan province, 512 km (318 miles) west of Tehran, May 12, 2011. Iranian Shi'ite and Sunni Kurds live in harmony with each other in Marivan, although Sunni is the religion of the majority of the people. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR2MC6O

Despite a recent wave of executions, mass arrests of Kurdish activists and the banning of newspapers, Kurdish parties in Iran prefer dialogue over taking up arms against the Iranian government. While Syrian Kurds are taking steps toward more Kurdish autonomy, in Iran, Kurdish parties are slowly losing support in exile.

The Kurds make up an estimated 15-17% of the population in Iran and suffer from human rights abuses.

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