The Study of Role of Ethnic Identity in Sustained Security: Case Study of Iranian Kurdistan (Kurdish Ethnicity)

In countries like Iran where there is ethnic and religious diversity the question of attracting the ethnic group to national mainstream which leads to national integration is important for maintaining a durable and sustained security. The present article wants to examine the obstacles on the way of attracting the Kurdish ethnic group to national mainstream and formation of a national identity. The Iranian Kurdistan province due to its proximity to Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkey’s Kurdish populated provinces and separatist and ethnic propaganda and unrest and tension gets affected. For this reason it becomes necessary to pay special attention to this region for maintaining peace, stability and security. The underlying hypothesis of the present article is that Iranian Kurds have kept their affinity with mainland despite distorted and divisive propaganda but this relation is facing challenge and obstacles. These challenges relate to economic problems, unbalanced regional development and separatist propaganda and security oriented look to the region. Therefore there is a need to have a comprehensive and expert look at the region to evaluate the problems and find solution for it. The present article gives suggestion for solving the problems of Iranian Kurdistan province in four sectors, i.e. political, cultural, economic and religious. The authors are of the view that the existing approach to region should be revised.