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Southern Azerbaijan to Secede from Iran - Middle East?¡­s Most
Influential and Most Unknown Factor
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
March 16, 2009
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 25 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
http://southazerbayjan.blogspot.com/
Follow ing 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. 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?
http://www.oursouthazerbaijan.com/Engl ish_THE%20BABEK%20CITADEL.htm
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 communiqu?¦És 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".
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.
He defends the Human and Civil Rights of Yazidis, Aramaeans, Turkmen,
Oromos, Ogadenis, Sidamas, Berbers, Afars, Anuak, Furis (Darfur),
Bejas, Balochs, Tibetans, and their Right to National Independence,
demands international recognition for Kosovo, Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and Transnistria, calls for
National Unity in Somalia, and denounces Islamic Terrorism.
Southern Azerbaijan to Secede from Iran - Middle East?¡­s Most
Influential and Most Unknown Factor
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
March 16, 2009
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 25 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
http://southazerbayjan.blogspot.com/
Follow ing 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. 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?
http://www.oursouthazerbaijan.com/Engl ish_THE%20BABEK%20CITADEL.htm
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 communiqu?¦És 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".
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.
He defends the Human and Civil Rights of Yazidis, Aramaeans, Turkmen,
Oromos, Ogadenis, Sidamas, Berbers, Afars, Anuak, Furis (Darfur),
Bejas, Balochs, Tibetans, and their Right to National Independence,
demands international recognition for Kosovo, Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and Transnistria, calls for
National Unity in Somalia, and denounces Islamic Terrorism.