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The Revolt of Iran's Turkmen Minority
[New York Post] Amir Taheri - In addition to ethnic revolts in both Baluchistan and Kurdistan, in Golestan the ethnic Turkmen community is seething with anger after a gunboat of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shot and killed a Turkmen fisherman on Jan. 4 in the Caspian Sea. As news of the incident spread, bands of angry Turkmen attacked government offices and set vehicles on fire. Eyewitnesses say the riots lasted until Jan. 6, ending after more than 300 people were arrested. Turkmen anger was so strong that the government in neighboring Turkmenistan halted its flow of natural gas to Iran. The revolt highlights the failure of a narrowly based ideological regime to understand the pluralist nature of Iranian society and the legitimate aspirations of its diverse component parts for dignity, equal opportunity, and a fair share in decision-making.