Middle East´s Most Influential and Most Unknown Factor/While great focus is erroneously being made on Abkhazia and South Ossetia, while colonial interests generate fantastic publicity about the malignantly called "normalization" of the Turkish – Armenian relationship, and while great geo-strategic concern is "seriously" expressed about the militaristic purposes of the criminal Iranian clique around the pseudo-Islamic "imam" and the paranoid president of Iran, little is said about the Middle East´s most unknown and most influential factor
the Southern Azeris who constitute – along with the Turkish minority – Iran´s greatest ethno-religious component, and the most oppressed and persecuted nation in the evil realm of the Ayatullahs.
No less than 35 millions of Azeris and Turks live today in Iran. When it comes to Iran´s Azeris, they outnumber almost 3 to 1 their compatriots who live free in Azerbaijan, on the northern side of the divisive, fake and therefore provisory Iranian – Azerbaijani borderline. Three North-Western provinces of Iran, Ardebil, Azerbaijan – East, and Azerbaijan – West, are inhabited in their totality by Azeris, with only minor non Azeri populations. The three provinces make ca. 30% of Iran´s landmass, and the local populations total more than 10 million people. In all adjacent provinces, Zanjan, Hamedan, Kermanshah, and Kurdistan, in the capital (Tehran), and in several other provinces great masses of Azeris and Turks live under conditions of terrible oppression that takes the form of Shia religious paranoia. It ends up with the total prohibition of the use of Azeri language, and the most severe persecution of the Azeri national and cultural life.
As it comes, it appears very odd that although the colonial regimes of London and Paris, and their Washington D.C. subordinates, express so great and so ridiculous care for the free use (in Turkey, Syria and Iraq only) of the different languages that they – falsely, anti-academically, and anti-historically – designate as "Kurdish" (whereas these languages are diverse and different from one another), the said regimes do not care at all about the prohibition of the Azeri language in Iran, although this is a single language, and it is spoken by far greater numbers than all the different languages that the colonial pseudo-academia shamelessly call "Kurdish". The National Liberation Movement of Southern Azerbaijan leads the struggle for the liberation of South Azerbaijan and the subsequent merge between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Southern Azerbaijan into a powerful Oriental, Asiatic state of ca. 110 million people. I will shed more light on the colonial crimes performed by the evil regimes of London and Paris against the Azeris, and more particularly the Southern Azeris, in many forthcoming articles.
Herewith I republish two insightful editorials from two Southern Azerbaijani portals that make clear first, the multifaceted oppression of the Azeris by the Ayatullahs´ loathsome regime, and second, the chaotic cultural and national differences that separate the Southern Azeris from the Persian elites that tyrannically – and with the support of the Freemasonic regimes of France and England – rule the world´s most fake state, Iran, which consists in Asia´s most disparate mosaic of nations and ethno-religious groups. The ruling Persians are a minority in Iran, which automatically makes very clear the reasons for which Turkey and Azerbaijan should deploy all possible efforts and methods to urgently, effectively and irrevocably dismember and destroy the tool of the most evil Freemasonic game in the Middle East: the pseudo-Anti-Western Iranian tyranny of the Ayatullahs.
Reactions to the Insulting Article Published in Iranian Newspaper about Azerbaijanis n 2006
Following the publication of the insulting cartoons in the nationwide newspaper "Iran", hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis protested against "Persian chauvinism" in the streets of Tabriz on Monday, May 22nd. The cartoons made analogies such that the Azerbaijani people were compared to cockroaches that should be exterminated by cutting off their food source (excrements). The May 22nd demonstration was a continuation of protests by Azeri students in Tabriz, Urmia, Ardebil, Tehran and Zanjan. Below is a report describing this demonstration: Hundreds of demonstrators started to protest in front of "Rasteh kucheh" and the Bazaar of Tabriz and moved towards the Eastern Azerbaijan´s governor´s house.
At the same time and in other part of the city, students of Tabriz University began peaceful demonstrations by asking for basic human rights for the Azerbaijani nation.
Many onlookers joined in while they were moving from the University towards the governor´s house. Special Forces and the police blocked the university movement and did not let the groups to unite. By the time the "Rasteh kucheh" group had reached the governor´s house, their numbers had increased several times.
The protesters shouted slogans such as: "Down with Chauvinism!", "Azerbaijani nation will not bow to such abasements!", "When North and South Azerbaijan will unite, Tabriz will be its center!" [Translator´s Note:
"Northern Azerbaijan" is the Republic of Azerbaijan which is located in the north of Araz river and "South Azerbaijan" lies in North western Iran, south of Araz River], "Death or Independence!", "Coward governor, come and answer to this!", "Iran newspaper has to be closed!" and "Sattar khan, Bagher khan, your sons have all been awakened!" [Translator´s Note: Sattar khan and Bagher khan are two Azerbaijani Freedom heroes who fought for democracy and freedom in "Constitutional Revolution". They were honored by the title of "Sardar-e Melli" (National General) and "Salar -e- Melli" (National Leader) respectively by the order of the Assembly.] None of the governor´s officials appearedin front of the protestors. Meanwhile under police attack, the demonstration´s path changed to "Bank -e- Melli" (National bank) and Amin´s T-section (name of the street). Interference by fire trucks and the attack of the police using tear gas caused chaos among the protestors.
The tear gas had caused people to run from the governor´s office. Some of them started to throw stones at the government building and resulted in an increased force from the police. Police pursuit forced demonstrators to move towards Shariati Avenue. Confronting a huge crowd of people, the officers from the Police Station #12 retreated inside the building, which allowed people to go on. Demonstrators reaffirmed their slogans and without any violence continued moving towards Tabriz University passing through Clock Tower Square, Mansour crossway and Abresan crossway.
Special Forces and Revolutionary Guards quietly continued to repress the movement by stopping and arresting those who were filming and photographing. Some shootings had been heard around Tabriz University. Forty-eight people have been reported injured. Some unconfirmed sources talk of six people killed. Approximately 187 demonstrators were reported to have been arrested. Some of injured at the Behbood hospital (police hospital) are under arrest, three of them are injured because of gun shootings. The number of demonstrators has been estimated to be between 200 and 300 thousand people. This is the largest protest of Azerbaijanis against the violation of their human rights since 1979.
The newspaper, like all other governmental newspapers, must have all of its content thoroughly checked and approved by the Iranian government prior to publication. This is not the first time a cartoon of this nature has been published, which has infuriated University students in Azeri cities in Iran, and has raised protests and hunger strikes in Tabriz, Urmia, Tehran, Ardebil, Maragheh and Zanjan Universities. Students have not forgotten the racist survey that was distributed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in 1995 that insulted Azeri Turks.
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Students have also seen their mother language ridiculed in movies and in soap operas which are broadcast by the single TV outlet which is government monopolized. Today, "Persian" is the only official language in Iran even though articles #15 and #19 of the constitution specify that education and the development of culture and language of other ethnic groups are guaranteed. This article has never been implemented towards Azeri-Turks and other minorities in Iran. Azerbaijanis (also Azeri(s), or Azeri-Turks) are the largest ethnic "minority" group in Iran. Of the sixty million total population of Iran, the Azeri nation comprises over 30 million people, residing mainly in Western and Eastern Azerbaijan, Ardebil and Zanjan provinces. As a comparison, the population of the neighboring Republic of Azerbaijan (north of Iran) is eight million. During the last few decades, Azeris in Iran have been subjected to humiliations under the chauvinistic rules of the Shah and Islamic Republic.
Why Does the Babek Citadel Scare Iranian Officials?
The "Babek Citadel", a place closely known by the world public opinion in recent years, is a conceptual symbol of a people´s 23 years of defense and struggle. The words of "defense" and "resistance" that were laid down 1200 years ago as concepts and content are still maintained with the same meaning in the Babek Citadel. This historical search for identity that left a mark in the memories of millions of Southern Azerbaijani Turks, concretizes the concepts of "returning to the essence" and "struggle" in the Babek Citadel. The resistance of Babek and his brothers in arms against the Arab abusers for 23 years is still maintained today with "the resistance against the assimilation policies of the Farsi fascists", symbolized with the Babek Citadel marching of the Southern Azerbaijani Turks.
Through the expansion of the Southern Azerbaijan National Movement and the process of "the struggle to acquire national rights" by the students/intellectual circles of the society, the people of Southern Azerbaijan want to traditionalize the annual Babek Citadel marches, organizing them regularly. The current demands for national rights in Southern Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani-Turkish identity, tend to merge with the demands to break off from Iran that appeared during the period of the struggle for independence. In parallel, following the independence of Northern Azerbaijan, these demands gradually started to become widespread.
"The Babek Citadel March" that appeared right at this period has become a turning point for the search of the Southern Azerbaijani Turks for their national identities and rights. Although this ceremony of returning to one´s roots originally happened to be a small ritual planned by late historian Prof. Dr. Zehtabi and a group of his student associates, it gradually turned into "a center of power" and "a ceremony to resist the Farsi nationalists". Held on July 4-5, 1999 for the first time, this ceremony came into being as a celebration of poetry and music with a political context, participated by hundred thousands of people.
Through the speeches delivered in the Citadel and the communiquιs issued, they underlined that this movement was an unprecedented, the most civilized, civilian and democratic movement of protest in Iran and Southern Azerbaijan. The Babek Citadel March potentially constitutes the main dynamism of the political process in Southern Azerbaijan. On the other hand, the world public opinion has been following the Freedom Movement of Southern Azerbaijan by means of the Babek Citadel Ceremonies.
Although the ceremony held in the Babek Citadel originally appeared as a small student movement, it turned into a social movement comprising several strata of the society in a short while. The participation of all social strata of Southern Azerbaijan changed the meaning and essence of this social movement. The first comments of the Islamic Republic regime indicated that this ceremony was merely of "entertainment" character. Due to the broad participation of people, there were comments on the
Babek Citadel that "since alcohol, gambling and music were prohibited in the cities, people wanted to violate this prohibition in the mountains".
However, this proved to be wrong in a very short while and they understood that the gatherings in the Babek Citadel had a very deep and multifaceted sociological content, beyond mere entertainment. In the framework of assimilation policies, the Farsi nationalists have long tried to shape the historical memory of the people of Southern Azerbaijan to their liking for a very long time. Several diverse interpretations exist on "Babek Khorramdin". Farsi nationalists depict Babek Khorramdin as "an Iranian national hero who resisted against the Arab occupation".
Clerics like Ayatollah Golpayegani and Ayatollah Mousavi Erdebili, and a broad part of the Iranian State, on the other hand, regard Babek Khorramdin as an "infidel" and a "bandit". Babek Khorramdin was excommunicated by several clerics on the pretext that he was an "infidel". Several clerics described participation in this ceremony "against the religion" and called people not to join up.
However, the Babek Citadel ceremonies evidently displayed that the efforts of both the Pahlavis (1924-79) and the Islamic Republic to change the historical memories of Southern Azerbaijanis have proved futile. Babek Khorramdin is known as "the national hero of Azerbaijan" in Azerbaijan (South and North). Through their placards and chants in the Babek Citadel, the Southern Azerbaijanis demonstrated that they regarded Babek as the national hero of Azerbaijan, not of Iran. Hundred thousands of Southern Azerbaijanis still participate in this ceremony despite the "excommunication" fatwa of the state and the clerics. Recently (the 8th day of month Tir), Azerbaijanis, particularly our young people hit the road to meet with Babek once again, wearing scarlet outfits. They headed for the citadel to commemorate the great hero of Azerbaijan and the people murdered during the Southern Azerbaijan incidents that took place 40 days before.
This year´s Babek Citadel ceremony had a very different meaning, because it was also the 40th day of the death of our people who gave their lives and blood for the sake of Azerbaijan. The Iranian state took security measures specifically for this week. Keeping at hand several thousand troops belonging to the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij forces, the regime sent a few thousand troops in civilian cloths among people. On the day of the ceremony, people from all over Azerbaijan started to move to the citadel. However, this time it would not be so easy to celebrate this innocent ceremony.
Most of the roads coming from Tabriz and Erdebil to Keleyber region and the Babek Citadel were closed and checkpoints were set up at six places at the entrance and exit routes of the city of Ahar. In the cities, Basij forces and security units in civilian clothes started to attack people, but when people responded the Basij forces withdrew and escaped. They besieged the cities of Erdebil, Ahar and Keleyber, and strictly checked people entering and leaving these cities. Stopping the cars and asking about their destinations, the security forces attached barcodes on vehicles and warned them "not to travel to the Citadel".
Furthermore, they distributed communiques indicated that "the participants of the Citadel ceremony would be in trouble" to all vehicles and passengers. However, the people of Southern Azerbaijan wanted to head for the Citadel in determination and on their own will only, and to maintain their struggle on the way to freedom and independence. Despite all these strict measures, upon the request of Abbas Lesany, who is currently in prison, several young activists of the Azerbaijan National Movement managed to reach the Babek Citadel and conquered it, although symbolically. During the ceremonies, some of the honorable Azerbaijanis living in the surrounding villages were captured.
The only crime these innocent people committed was to help people traveling to the citadel, showing them concealed routes and giving them bread and water! Despite all the political, cultural and ideological pressures and practices of the Farsi nationalists, Southern Azerbaijanis claimed Babek Khorramdin worthy of a national hero of Azerbaijan and wanted to hold an extensive and vivid ceremony in the citadel, displaying genuine desires, concerns and wishes of this people. The Babek Citadel has become a historical place where people used to express the broad Azerbaijan-Turkish identity in Iran after its appearance as a political fact. From now on until forever, it will stay as a symbol. The choice of the Babek Citadel by Southern Azerbaijanis indicates that they are in a search for liberation. Southern Azerbaijanis are yearning for a liberation that would accomplish their objectives and a new political searching based upon their Azerbaijani-Turkish identities. In other words, "Southern Azerbaijan is seeking its new Babek". Note Picture: South Azerbaijan under the Iranian pseudo-Islamic tyranny of the Persian Ayatullahs.
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis Orientalist, Historian, Political Scientist, Dr. Megalommatis, 52, is the author of 12 books, dozens of scholarly articles, hundreds of encyclopedia entries, and thousands of articles. He speaks, reads and writes more than 15, modern and ancient, languages. He refuted Greek nationalism, supported Martin Bernal´s Black Athena, and rejected the Greco-Romano-centric version of History. He pleaded for the European History by J. B. Duroselle, and defended the rights of the Turkish, Pomak, Macedonian, Vlachian, Arvanitic, Latin Catholic, and Jewish minorities of Greece. Born Christian Orthodox, he adhered to Islam when 36, devoted to ideas of Muhyieldin Ibn al Arabi. Greek citizen of Turkish origin, Prof. Megalommatis studied and/or worked in Turkey, Greece, France, England, Belgium, Germany, Syria, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Egypt and Russia, and carried out research trips throughout the Middle East, Northeastern Africa and Central Asia. His career extended from Research & Education, Journalism, Publications, Photography, and Translation to Website Development, Human Rights Advocacy, Marketing, Sales & Brokerage. He traveled in more than 80 countries in 5 continents.
