Date
(Tarix) 28 May 2006
Ref (Muraciət):
Press Release
Dear
Sir,
Re URGENT
APPEAL – TODAY IS THE CULMINATION OF THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT OF
SOUTHERN AZERBAIJAN
We
would like to draw your attention to real time incidents as they roll out in
Southern Azerbaijan
, currently governed by the
Islamic Republic of Iran.
You
are fully aware of the nuclear ambitions of
Iran
and the subsequent threats
posed to the world security. After all,
Iran
as a state has been renowned
for sponsoring terrorism; has a dismal track record on human rights; implicated
with drug-dealings; and still engaged in the medieval practice of amputating
hand and stoning women as a punishment for steeling and adultery, respectively.
Islamic
Iran
, a copycat of Shah’s racist policies, is allured to the pure
“Aryan” racial ideology, killed off inclusion within
Iran
. The parallel of the racist
ideology of the Islamic Iran with the Soviet empire is striking and doomed with
certain disintegration.
The
national movement of the 30 million Southern Azerbaijanis is gathering momentum
through a peaceful protest demanding our national rights as a spontaneous
uprising but you are yet to be convinced of this uprising. The gap between your
evidential knowledge and the maturity of the national movement of Southern
Azerbaijani is disinformation superimposed by Iranian racists, as another
instance of their doomed fate. We attach the statement by Amnesty International
to authenticate the movement and kindly request you to read our urgent appeal.
Our concern is that at this very minute Iranian racist machinery is preparing an
extreme measure against Southern Azerbaijan but your keen interest in covering
Southern Azerbaijan
can stop it.
Southern Azerbaijan
is engulfed by a deadly
disinformation, under which:
- The
22nd of May 2006:
The population of Tebriz, the historic capital of
Azerbaijan
, joined the student
protests, reaching an estimated number of more than 250 thousands as a
culmination of the protests against the state sponsored defamation of
non-Persian Turks. The news of this incredible mass protest reached the
Azerbaijani Diaspora but hardly to other Southern Azerbaijani cities.
- The
23rd of May 2006:
The population of Urmu, the second largest Southern Azerbaijani city, was
turned into the wellspring of a similar protest, whilst in dark with the
events in their capital city of
Tebriz
.
- The
evening of 23rd of May 2006:
The state radio and television urged everyone to march through Tebriz to
express their solidarity with the state against unrests instigated, so to
speak, by the so called foreign agents. The intrigued people all over
Southern Azerbaijan
immediately phoned one
another and learned about the ongoing mass protests much outside the scale
of student protests.
- The
evening of 23rd of May 2006:
The national movement immediately devised the strategy of: (i)
boycotting the state sponsored protests at 11.00 in Tebriz on 24th
May 2006 and (ii) called everyone
for an all-Azerbaijani mass protest in the afternoon of the same day.
- a.m.
24th of May 2006:
The turnout for the state-sponsored march was a dismal figure of less than
two thousand, exposing the rag-tag nature of the support for the government;
- p.m.
24th of May 2006
– a historic date: Mass
protests were materialised all over
Azerbaijan
, reaching its far
corners of Qezvin, Hemedan and Bijar, revealing the maturity of the national
movement of
Southern Azerbaijan
.
- 25th
and 27th of May 2006:
The confused Iranian regime deployed the similar trick of stage-managed
marches through Urmu and Erdebil (the third largest Azerbaijani city),
respectively. These rag-tag marches of not more than 2000 were rebuffed by
mass protests of Azerbaijanis in the afternoon at both cities at the
respective days, exceeding 300,000 participants.
- 28
May 2006 – Sunday, today:
Mass protests are being staged throughout
Azerbaijan
, as well as in
Tehran
with the single focus of
proclaiming the national rights of
Southern Azerbaijan
.
- It
is remarkable that some of the security agents of Iranian government has
already deserted their posts and joined the protesters in Tebriz on 22 May
2006. Now the racist
Iran
is deploying mercenaries
imported from foreign countries and Persian provinces of
Iran
to maintain the grip of
their iron-fist racist policies over peaceful demonstrators.
So
much so for the national movement of Southern Azerbaijan, but what about the
response of Mr. Ahmedinejad’s new regime which came to power with the dismal
%14 of the electorates vote? Already the infamous Islamic security agents are
engaged in a crackdown operation by storming in and arbitrarily arresting
innocent individuals, the estimates have reached 2000; firing at will and
injuring and maiming peaceful protesters, the estimates have reached 200; but
what is completely unacceptable is that already up to 20 of peaceful
demonstrators have paid the ultimate price.
A
parallel development of concern is that
Iran
has invited Igor Ivanov, the
Secretary for the Russian Security Council and an old hander in troubleshooting
through suppression. We are concerned with his arrival to
Iran
on the pretext of the so
called nuclear negotiations and believe that this is a shield for his
consultancy to Iranian Masterplan on the crackdown. Now the safety of thousands
of Southern Azerbaijanis is in the hands of the world mass media, organisations
safeguarding human rights and international organisations responsible for the
right of self-determination.
We
understand that a number of reporters have penetrated through the disinformation
network of racist
Iran
. Hopefully, today is the day
for cracking the iron curtain of Iranian racism as their authentic news
bulletins leak out. Undoubtedly, you will do your best to expose the ills of
Iranian racism and will genuinely report on the heroic struggle of Southern
Azerbaijanis towards securing their right for self-determination.
Yours
faithfully
Southern Azerbaijan Campaign Group