Say (No.)              : 391/ 2006

Tarix (Date): 29 Sept 2006

 

 

 

 

Taken from http://www.urmunews.blogspot.com/

Mrs. Harrison, Amnesty International, London    

 

CC       The Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva ,

Please circulate this letter to Independent Expert on Minority Issues; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions; and Special Rapporteur on the right to education of Children

 

 

Dear Mrs. Harrison

 

Please find enclosed report for your perusal, titled “the aftermath of the first national campaign to save mother tongue of Southern Azerbaijan .”

 

The reports pools together various information items and aims to project an insight into the ongoing events in the context of the national movement of Southern Azerbaijan .

 

Hopefully, Southern Azerbaijan is in a new dawn, as substantive evidence grows that our nation will safeguard our national and human rights and increasingly human right organisations as well as mass media and politicians speak up for our nation.

 

We would like to express our gratitude to your organisations and other similar organisations for their role and look forward to your campaign for the unconditional release of some 50 cultural activists reported here, who are undoubtedly prisoners of conscience. We thank you in advance for your campaign.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Boyuk Resuloglu

 

The Committee for the Defence of the Rights of World Azerbaijanis

 


 

REPORT

 

THE AFTERMATH OF

 

THE FIRST NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

 

TO SAVE MOTHER TONGUE OF SOUTHERN AZERBAIJAN     IS

 

The Objective:                          To organize a protest for the reinstatement Azerbaijani Turkic as the official language of Southern Azerbaijan

The Tactics:                              Civil disobedience and peaceful street protests

The Strategy:                            Secure the national and human rights of Southern Azerbaijanis

The Mission :                             The right for self determination of Southern Azerbaijan seemed a feasible necessity some 10 years ago but now it is within sight

The Roots and Milestones:      The Constitutional movement in 1906; proclaiming independence in 1920; forming national government in 1945-46; Azerbaijan acted as the hotbed of dissident movements since 1946 until 1990; taking off of the national movement as an outcome of the coalition of the various dissidents as well as due to the impetus of the research works of Prof. Kirishchi (Zehtab); forming the Babek Assembly by Prof. Kirishchi; Daring individuals to write petitions since 1990; the Qarabagh (Sarcheshme) Mosque sit-in protests in Erdebil in 2004. All leading to the new era of the Mass protests of the May 2006

Significance of this Protest:      This is another new chapter                

Monolithic Authorities:            Iranian authorities are inventing a new doctrine of “quiet aggression,” defined as: break any rule as you may wish but do not talk about it or anything goes if conforms to Persian racism.

Where we go from here:           Gather the momentum using democratic means, final triumph is within reach, the future is ours

 

List of Contents

1.                   Introduction

2.                   The Realisation of the Campaign

3.                   Tactics Deployed by the Authorities

4.                   Analysis

5.                   Overview


1.            Introduction

The first campaign at a national scale for the reinstatement of the official status of mother tongue of Southern Azerbaijan was opened as a new chapter on 23 September 2006. We would like to outline our insight in a report format into the main features of the campaign with appropriate news clips confirmed by various sources, including our own and with English translation of some of them. The most updated information on the detainees is tabulated.

 

The campaign met expectations despite intimidations applied by the authorities and therefore at a price to the Azerbaijani participants. The plan was to orchestrate civil disobedience and street protests throughout Southern Azerbaijani cities even if intimidated by the authorities. At the very wake of the campaign, the authorities resorted to intimidation by deploying the following tactics: (i) using arbitrary sentences as a deterrent, (ii) disinformation, (iii) suppressing protesters by creating tense environments, and (iv) acting repressively by arresting innocent cultural activists and taking them blindfolded to undisclosed locations. These are described in this report.

 

2.               The realisation of the Campaign

2.1            Roots of the Campaign

The loss of the official status of our mother tongue has deeply troubled every Azerbaijani, particularly since the illegal overthrow of our popularly elected national government in December 1946 by the invading Shah’s army of Iran . For instance our Committee has taken every opportunity to make this point in our correspondence to the UN Office of HCHR, Amnesty International, or when we addressed the General Secretary of the UN. Similar initiatives are widespread among other Southern Azerbaijani organisations.

 

Although protest campaigns for saving our mother tongue were organised over the years, a nationwide campaign was only materialised recently after the May 2006 mass protests. As stated in our letter of 22 September 2006, Ref.: 387/2006, these protests were seen as the mandate for resolutely safeguarding our human rights on our mother tongue.

 

2.2            Preparations

The Campaign on 23 September 2006 was the culmination of the calls by both rank-and-file activists of the Southern Azerbaijani national movement and the various organisations such as the Association of (Southern) Azerbaijani Academics, the Students Movement of Southern Azerbaijan, which were warmly received by all the Diaspora organisations and political parties. The English translation of the calls for the campaign by both of the above mentioned organisations was submitted to Amnesty International and the UN OHCHR, please refer to our letter Ref: 383/2006 on 18 September 2006. As a result, two tactics emerged, as follows:

1.      Civil disobedience

2.      Street protests.

 

3.            The Tactics Deployed by the Authorities

3.1            Arbitrary Sentencing to Deter Activists

The authorities apparently tried some 27 activists in Sulduz on late August 2006 and leaked the sentence on 2 September. Although the signed version of the sentence specified the date of 4 September 2006, it was only published on 14 September 2006. Curiously, this is after the call for the boycott of the commencement of the academic year in Southern Azerbaijan by both the Association of (Southern) Azerbaijani Academics on 11 September 2006 and by Students Movement of Southern Azerbaijan on 12 September 2006. We are yet to submit the translation of these sentences to Amnesty International.

 

We were one of the first organisations to receive a copy of the written sentence and this was on 20 September 2006. Therefore our letter Ref: 382/2006 on 17 September referred to the leaked version of these sentences and expressed our surprise on the matter. It is clear that the authorities were waiting for the outcome of the campaign and as soon as the call for the campaign gathered momentum, the sentences were published as a deterrent.

3.2            Disinformation Measures Deployed by the Authorities

The authorities continuously show hostility towards the Southern Azerbaijan TV station broadcasting from Chicago , which is known as GünAzTV (Güney Azərbaycan Televiziyası). This is the only TV station for Southern Azerbaijan funded by voluntary contribution of the mainly Azerbaijani Diaspora (both Southern and Northern) and to some extent by Azerbaijanis from inside Azerbaijan . The Iranian authorities resort to all sorts of ploys including intimidation and illegal acts to hamper this station and in the last 6 months they have succeeded in three occasions. It was not a coincidence that the third Iranian conspiracy against this TV was just two weeks ahead of this campaign, when the campaign seemed feasible. For further information, please see the appended Document 1. The authorities have also resorted to the following illegal acts:

·        Exerted a total information blackout on the callouts for the democratic protests and therefore the activists took upon themselves, at a great risk, to inform the public.

·        The power of landline and mobile telephones were reduced substantially

·        The Internet was filtered.

·        Forcefully entering houses to collect satellite dishes in Southern Azerbaijani cities, e.g. the case of Hemedan, as mentioned in our letter Ref:385/2006 on 21 Sept 2006.

The role of disinformation is of the paramount importance and in its simplest terms, it refers to the situation where one’s left hand is unaware of the actions of the right hand. This was the situation in Southern Azerbaijan during May 2006 mass protests and again during the campaign to save our mother tongue. Consider the May 2006 events as they rolled out. This is outlined in Box 1 , below:

 

Box 1 : Illustrating the Role of Disinformation

Southern Azerbaijan was engulfed by a deadly disinformation, under which:

  • 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 on the day.
  • 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 .

This is disinformation in full swing – two modern cities 200 km apart both engaged in making their future and yet barely aware of each other at a mass scale. This is the miracle of the Iranian style disinformation and this is what we mean that the left and right hands may be unaware of each others actions.

  • 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 in a much larger scale than of those 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 am 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 .

The events as they rolled out exposed the disinformation waged by authorities as lies once again. In the subsequent days the support for the Iranian government dwindled and the mass protests gathered momentum, reaching 2 millions. On this occasion, the campaign of disinformation by the authorities failed drastically.

However, due to a good planning, the BBC reported the protest in London with detailed background information and an interview with a Southern Azerbaijani activist – please refer to Document (News Clip) 2.

 

  .  

Southern Azerbaijanis demonstrating in front of Bush House, BBC

 

The disinformation ploy of the authorities was also foiled by the coverage of the campaign by the Voice of America. The windfall of the campaign was that some of the Southern Azerbaijani members of the Iranian parliament have confirmed the campaign, despite the official decree to the mass media in Southern Azerbaijan forbidding them the coverage of the events.

3.3            Suppressive Measures Deployed by the Authorities

It is difficult to describe real-time events in each city but knowing the roll out of events in the various cities, they can be described by the following generic pattern:

3.3.1          Scale

Street protests were planned in Erdebil, Khoy, Maki, Maragha, Merend, Qoshachay, Sulduz, Tebriz, Tehran , Urmu and Zenjan within Southern Azerbaijan, as well as by Azerbaijani Diaspora in a number of foreign cities including Gothenburg, Köln, London , Oslo , Stockholm , Toronto and Vancouver .

3.3.2          The Authorities Tactics of Suppression

The authorities resorted to intimidation of members of the public by displaying their military muscle and by commandos marching up and down peaceful cities. We have reported news items earlier and a collection of them are presented here as Ref387/2006 on 22 September 2006.

3.3.3          The Civil Disobedience Method of Campaign

Due to disinformation, it is difficult to estimate the success of this initiative but despite all odds, a relative success was reported on 23 September 2006. Azad Tribun (http://www.azadtribun.net/Fa_2.htm) reported that the response to this call was significant and apparently some families had organised open air classes for children who were taught in Azerbaijani Turkic – an initiative that emerged rather spontaneously.

 

3.3.4          The Street Protest Method of Campaign

Putting together a host of information sources, including our own sources and eyewitness accounts, it appears that four categories of people were involved:

(i)      Passer-by persons.

(ii)     Rank-and-file members of the planned protests. They were ordinary members of the public with intention of participating in the protests.

(iii)    Activists.

(iv)    Commandos of the armed forces: These units in their combatant gears together with plain-clothe security agents intimidated the public for a number of days in main roads and city squares. Reportedly these commandos were interfering with any individuals coalescing and stopping together even for a chat by bullying them and forcing them to move on.

 

Inability to stop and coalesce had given rise to moving crowds in the city squares creating tense atmospheres. Activists were seeking for opportunities to act as catalysts for initiating their protests. There are various eyewitness reports indicating that brief and short-lived protests took place in a number of towns and cities. However, in Urmu, protesters managed to join together for some what longer period of time. Main participants of Urmu demonstrations were female students who were later forcibly dispersed by security forces. A defiant mode was displayed in Zenjan, and various organisation issued statements condemning the unwise acts of the authorities, please refer to the appended Document 3, for more details (not translated).

 

3.4            Repressive Measures Deployed by the Authorities

Southern Azerbaijanis have already experienced the bitter taste of the iron fist of the Iranian authorities since May 2006 mass protests. This did not deter majority of the people willing to take part in the Babak Assembly in 29-30 June 2006 when, another wave of repressions inflicted against Southern Azerbaijan . The ongoing campaign is yet further evidence that Southern Azerbaijanis are resolute to reinstate their national and human rights by peaceful and democratic means. Activists were out in full force to make their point and without being deterred of the repressions imposed on them by the authorities. The following categories of repression are recognised.

3.4.1          Detaining Children

Consider the following news item released by ASMEK highly respected for their release of only reliable information on political prisoners. The detained children also includes Murtuza Evezpur (16 years old) and Mehemmedrza Evezpur (14 years old).

 

ASMEK reported on 26 September 2006 on the evening of 23 September 2006

Sina MEDEDI  USALU, a 16 Years old Teenager was arrested on 26 September 2006 in Urmu. He was arrested by security agents, who refuse to respond to his parents questions.

Similar arrest was carried out in Sulduz and the name of this boy student is Aresh MEKKARI.

Source: http://asmek.blogfa.com/ on 26 September 2006

بازداشت دانش آموز 16 ساله در اورمیه

در پی تجمع اول مهر ماه مردم اورمیه در اعتراض به عدم تدريس زبان ترکی در مدارس آذربایجان یک دانش آموز 16 ساله اهل اورمیه توسط نیروهای حفاظت اطلاعات نیروی انتظامی دستگیر شد. بر اساس خبر های دریافتی سینا مددی اوصالو دانش آموز 16 ساله از عصر روز شنبه اول مهر ماه در بازداشتگاه حفاظت اطلاعات نیروی انتظامی به سر مي برد و نیرو های امنیتی از جوابگویی به خانواده او خودداری می کنند.

همچنین عصر روز شنبه همزمان با این دستگیریها یک دانش آموز دیگر به اسم آرش مکاری در نقده بازداشت شده است. 

3.4.2          Detaining Journalists

To our knowledge the following journalists have been detained.

 

The Profile of Mr. Esedullah Selimi

Name and SURNAME: Esedullah SELIMI

 

Specific Details of Detention: 9 September 2006, at which time he was reportedly carrying leaflets in connection with the campaign

Father’s name: Ebdulhuseyn

Year of birth: 1954

Occupation: Owns a production factory in Urmu

Place of birth: Urmu

Marital Status: Married, one year old son called Sumer

Activities: Journalist, writer, researcher on Turkic languages, history teacher, a writer in Ferday-e Ma newspaper published in Urmu and a member of their writers’ board, in charge of the pages in Azerbaijani Turkic, and a teacher of the Centre for Research on Scientific Research, called Bilim Youl ( Scientific Ways )

Previous detentions: Active even before the Islamic revolution, arrested by SAVAK (the date is unclear); wounded by SAVAL gunshot and after hospitalization he was imprisoned 6 months. No specific information on his detention in this round.

 


 

 

The Profile of Mr. Resul Jeferi

Name and SURNAME: Resul JEFERI

 

Specific Details of Detention: He was arrested in the afternoon on Saturday, 23 September 2006 in his house, with his computer, some of his books, and publications being confiscated. His family has been informed that he would be taken to the Revolutionary Court on Tuesday, and they could meet him on Wednesday.

Father’s name: Mehemmed

Year of birth: 1984

Place of birth: Urmu

Education: Mining Engineering student of the University of Urmu

Activities: A journalist and writer in the weekly periodical of Yarpaq. A member of the Writers Council and the representative of Urmu, a reporter of the weekly Feday-e-ma, Editor-in-charge of Urmiye – the periodical of the University of Urmu

3.4.3          Forcing Protesters to Break up

According to UrmuNews as given below the protesters in Urmu were arrested but our own sources with eyewitness accounts (also confirmed by GunAzTV) is that protesters were also beaten up and several people were injured including a female whose arm was broken.

 

Source: http://www.urmunews.blogspot.com/ issued on 26 September 2006

OUTLINE TRANSLATION: (highlighted in yellow) … after the initiation of the protests, anti-riot police, already stationed in the backyard of the offices of the Ministry of Education, attacked the protesters. In this attack several individualsa were arrested including female participators and taken too an undisclosed locations. Their slogan in Azerbaijani Turkic was “schooling in Azerbaijani Turkic” and “Viva Azerbaijan .”

خبری از اعتراضات مردمی اول مهر ماه مردم اورمیه  در پی اعتراضات مردمی اول مهر ماه ملت آذربایجان که در اکثر شهرهای آذربایجان به اعتراضات عمومی تبدیل شد، از شهرهای مختلف خبر می رسد تعدادی از اعتراض کنندگان توسط نیروهای امنیتی بازداشت و به مکا نهای نامعلومی انتقال یافته اند. در شهر اورمیه نیز مردم معترض به آموزش اجباری زبان فارسی در مدارس آذربایجان بعد از تجمع در چهار راه خیام حوالی ساعت 6 عصر شنبه اول مهرماه بعد آغاز تظاهرات مورد حمله پلیس ضد شورش که در حیاط اداره کل آموزش پرورش مستقر شده بودند گردیدند. در این حمله تعدادی از زنان شرکت کننده و مردم که شعار تورک دیلنده مدرسه- مدرسه و یاشاسین آذربایجان سر داده بودند بازداشت شدند. بنا به خبر های نیمه رسمی تعداد بازداشت شدگان ما بین 5 الی 15 نفر می باشد که بدلیل انتقال به مکانهای نا معلوم از وضعیت آنها خبر دقیقی در دست نمی باشد.
اورمونیوز (۳ مهر ۱۳۸۵ )

 


 

3.4.4          Re-arresting recently Released Activists

Re-arresting Mr. Mustafa Evezpur, & his younger brothers Murtuza & Mehemmedrza

·  Re-arrested:

·  The City of Residence : Tebriz

·  Three brothers of Ages: 25, 16 and 14 years old

·  Occupation: students, Mustafa is a university graduate

 

 

 

Re-arresting Mr. Chingiz Bekhatver

·  Re-arrested: on 20 Sept 2006; he was imprisoned in the past

·  The City of Residence : Tebriz

·  Age: 50

·  Marital Status: married with 1 daughter and 2 sons

·  Occupation: Civil servant in the National Powers, Tebriz

A cultural activist who has suffered a previous 5 years of imprisonment and two years ago while all his family members were scaling up to Babek Castle on the occasion of the Babek Assembly, security agents looted their musical instrument saz. Mrs. Bekhtaver had shouted “take me or my son but never my sacred saz.”

 

The Profile of  Mr. Hesen Erk (Hesen Eli Ebullu)

·  Re-arrested: 21 Sept 2006

·  The City of Residence : Tebriz

·  Age: 47 or 48 or possibly 53

·  Marital Status: married

·  Occupation: self employed in the business of handicrafts of bags

He is a thinker and an arduous writer and his fellow cultural activists owe a great deal to his stimulating contributions. He lost his father when he was just detained.

 


 

Re-arresting  Mr. Qulam Rza Emani

·  Re-arrested: 22 September in Tebriz; (he was also jailed in 1999-2003)

·  The City of Residence : Tebriz

·  Age: 32

·  Marital Status: Married

·  Occupation: Agricultural Engineer

A distinguished cultural activist who, in his wedding ceremony, proudly attended with his bride the Baghir Khan Memorial in Tebriz, as a gesture of their valour and gallantry.

 

The Profile of  Mr. Yashar Hekkakpur

·  Re-arrested: after 23 September 2006 (was also arrested in May 2006)

·  The City of Residence : Maragha

·  Age: 23-24

·  Marital Status: single

·  Occupation: A student of architecture, University of Zenjan

 

Re-arresting  Mr. Davud Ezimzade

·  Re-arrested: after 23 September 2006 (was also arrested in May 2006)

·  The City of Residence : Maragha

·  Age: approx 42

·  Marital Status: married with 2 children

·  Occupation: High School Teacher and a keen sportsman

3.4.4          Detaining Rank-and-File Activists

Estimates of the number of rank-and-file protesters arrested by the authorities vary and some fear that it may reach more 100. We have integrated the data coming from different sources including our own and compiled them in a tabular form given below.

 

The Updated Table of Recently Detained Activists – Integration of the names lists from various sources

No

Name SURNAME

City

Date Detained

Further Information

1

Behruz ELIZADE

Erdebil

26/09/2006

Re-arrested: http://haqqimiz.blogfa.com/

2

Ekber KHUB

Erdebil

 

Re-arrested / http://haqqimiz.blogfa.com/

3

Eli Seidi

Erdebil

26/09/2006

http://haqqimiz.blogfa.com/

4

Elirza Yusufi

Erdebil

 

Re-arrested (our latest information was that he was in detention for more than 3 months)

5

Emin Jiddi

Erdebil

 

 http://asmek.blogfa.com/

6

Mensur Jiddi

Erdebil

19/09/2006

See, Ref.: 381/2006 on 16 September 2006

7

Shapur Nusret pur

Erdebil

18/09/2006

A cultural activist / http://asmek.blogfa.com/

8

? Ibrahimi

Erdebil

19/09/2006

http://asmek.blogfa.com/

9

Person 1

Erdebil

A few days ago

As reported in http://www.azadtribun.net/Fa_5.htm two individuals were beaten up in Erdebil by security agents

10

Person 2

Erdebil

11

Adil Shukru

Maki

23/09/2006

 

Apparently were arrested while distributing leaflets calling people to take part in demonstrations

http://asmek.blogfa.com/

12

Huseyn Shemsi

Maki

23/09/2006

13

 Mehemmedrza Hatemi

Maki

23/09/2006

14

Rza Movlai

Maki

23/09/2006

15

Sohrab Reshtberi

Maki

23/09/2006

16

Davud  Ezimzade

Maragha

23/09/2006

Summoned / http://asmek.blogfa.com/

17

Hamid Musevi

Maragha

23/09/2006

Still in detention  /our own sources &  http://asmek.blogfa.com/

18

Hamid Yegane pur

Maragha

23/09/2006

 

Summoned our own sources &  http://asmek.blogfa.com/

19

Mejid Pejuhi fam

Maragha

23/09/2006

20

Taghi Edl

Maragha

23/09/2006

Apparently released (our own sources)

21

Yashar Hekkak pur Maraghi

Maragha

23/09/2006

Arrested, our own sources &  http://asmek.blogfa.com/

22

Aresh Mekkari

Sulduz

23/09/26

A teenager student / http://asmek.blogfa.com/    

23

Isgender Mirzai

Sulduz

14/09/2006

See, Ref.: 381/2006 on 16 September 2006

24

Mehdi Vahidi

Sulduz

14/09/2006

See, Ref.: 381/2006 on 16 September 2006

25

Chengiz Bekhtaver

Tebriz

20 /09/2006

Rearrested / http://asmek.blogfa.com/

26

Eli Sediq Beyreq

Tebriz

16/09/2006

See, Ref.: 381/2006 on 16 September 2006

27

Hesen Erk

Tebriz

21/09/2006

 

 

Rearrested / http://asmek.blogfa.com/

28

Mehemmedrza Evezpur (14)

Tebriz

23/06/2006

29

Mustafa Evezpur  (16Yrs)

Tebriz

23/06/2006

30

Murtuza Evezpur

Tebriz

23/06/2006

31

Qulamrza Emani

Tebriz

20/09/2006

32

Rza Seyyah

Tebriz

18/09/2006

Summoned, http://www.azadtribun.net/Fa_16.htm

33

Sina MEDEDI Usanlu

Urmu

23/09/2006

A 16 year old teenager student/ http://asmek.blogfa.com/

34

Emir FEREJ ZADE

Urmu

23/09/2006

http://asmek.blogfa.com/

35

Eseddulah Selimi

Urmu

17/09/2006

Detained in Tebriz /http://asmek.blogfa.com/

36

Ferdin MUKHTARI

Urmu

23/09/2006

 

Own sources and http://asmek.blogfa.com/

37

Firidun MEHDI PUR

Urmu

23/09/2006

38

Mejid Makui

Urmu

 

Summoned / waiting a jail term /http://asmek.blogfa.com/

39

Mrs. Pinar (Hemide) Ferej zade

Urmu

21/09/2006

Summoned / http://asmek.blogfa.com/    

40

Mehdi JELALI

Urmu

23/09/2006

 

Own sources and http://asmek.blogfa.com/    

41

Mejid TEQIZADE

Urmu

23/09/2006

42

Memmed Huseyn PUR QURBANI

Urmu

23/09/2006

43

Resul JEFERI

Urmu

23/09/2006

44

Zulfeli MEDEDLI

Urmu

 

http://haqqimiz.blogfa.com/

45

Meherremeli Urfani

Zenjan

23/09/2006

 

Own sources and http://asmek.blogfa.com/

46

Mejid Nezeri

Zenjan

23/09/2006

47

Seid Metin pur

Zenjan

23/06/2006

His house has been raided : http://asmek.blogfa.com/   

48

Unknown Person 1

Zenjan

23/09/2006

 

Arrested in a Zenjan square / http://dustaq.blogsky.com/ as transcribed in Document 4

49

Unknown Person 2

Zenjan

23/09/2006

50

Unknown Person 3

Zenjan

23/06/2006

 

 

4.            The Analysis

Spearheading Persian racist policies in Iran for the last 80 years led to the decline of the Azerbaijani culture. The national government of Southern Azerbaijan (1945-46) was a backlash to these policies and the very first episode of the cold war. Our popularly elected national government was ruthlessly overthrown by the invading army of Iran . The imposed cultural decline was damaging but failed to be total, as it triggered new genres in our defiant culture. Nonetheless, a nation not educated in mother tongue is doomed and therefore the authorities spearheaded an onslaught on our language. They scored a relative success in three main Southern Azerbaijani outpost cities of: Qezvin, Hemedan and Erak by temporarily sidelining native Turkic to coexist with the invading language.

 

It became extremely worrying when this pattern started showing up in the hinterland of Southern Azerbaijan in cities such as Erdebil and Zenjan in the last 20 years. However, this triggered a strong reaction from all headquarters of Southern Azerbaijan . It is not surprising that Erdebil, Urmu and Zenjan are now hotbeds of Azerbaijani nationalism, clustering around their capital city of Tebriz . Today, Tebriz is not alone in defending Azerbaijan but every inch of Southern Azerbaijan beats the same tune:

·        “Haray, haray mən Türkəm,” which means my heart cries that I am a Turk or

·        “Mənim dilim dönən deyil; Fars dilinə çönən deyil,” which means My language can neither change nor can it be replaced by Farsi

Thus, 80 years of Persian racism was rejected at one stroke on May 2006, giving the mandate to the nation of Azerbaijan to demand the reinstatement of Azerbaijani Turkic as the official language of Southern Azerbaijan .

 

Single-minded Persian authorities pursue a monolithic policy and display an amazing appetite for naivety. This is not a claim but a fact. Consider fifteen years of petitions lodged by Southern Azerbaijanis, requesting (sometime reminding or warning) the authorities of their legal obligations. The authorities were either complacent or naïve but consistently neglected these petitions. For a collection of these petitions please refer to

·        http://www.azbiltop-gis.blogfa.com  or

·        http://tomarlar.blogspot.com/  (the letters go back as much as 10-12 years)

 

The authorities thought they have silenced Azerbaijan to the point of destruction and still believe that these petitions were expressed by isolated pockets of individuals! To make their victory total, they sponsored defamation of the integrity of the Turkic Azerbaijan, by a cartoon in the state-owned daily newspaper, Iran on 12 May 2006. They never anticipated any backlash but how wrong could they be. This triggered initially student protests and then mass protests swept Southern Azerbaijan – the May 2006 mass protests.

 

This episode transformed the national movement of Southern Azerbaijan to Azerbaijani nationalism solely founded on human rights proclamations. This is a mature movement that stays clear of violence, as in the Independence movement of India and resolute, as in the antiapartheid movement of South Africa .

 

Today the national movement of Southern Azerbaijan moves from strength to strength and the campaign to save our mother tongue is an example. In contrast, the aggressive Persian racism has started showing signs of fatigue. Again this is not a claim but the signs are out there for detection. For instance, at the inset of the campaign to save our mother tongue, the authorities detained Chingiz Bekhtaver and Qulamrza Emani. After a while the news was out that they were released but then this was denied. Maybe the authorities were deliberately confusing the activists, or perhaps there were fair-minded individuals inside the state apparatus that were fed up with the ongoing arbitrary detentions. These are possible explanations but not as likely as that of fatigue engulfing the authorities.

 

The Iranian grip on disinformation broke up, thanks to the BBC (http://www.voanews.com/azeri/iranAzerbaijanisactions.cfm), VOA, Amnesty International (MDE 13/108/), and an Urmu MP apparently confirming the campaign and supporting it. The latest authority breaking the ice is the US State Department, where Mrs. Julie Reside has spoken in support of human rights of Southern Azerbaijanis http://www.voanews.com/persian/2006-09-28-voa16.cfm) on 28 September 2006.

 

It looks that our forbearers have created us a calendar full of honourable events and milestones. Mr. Qulunju of ASMEK has indicated that the next planned demonstration will be on November with two important milestone in this month: the commemoration of the national government in 1945-46, and the date when the invading Iranian authorities burnt books in Azerbaijani Turkic, a language that has proven kinship with the Sumerian language.

 

5.            Concluding Remark

The Babek Assembly started with a humble origin of 23 trekkers in 1996; grew to formidable forces in a few years time; and eventually led to the May 2006 mass protests, albeit sparked off by the abuse of the integrity of our nation. The Babek Assembly and mass protests are at the root of this new chapter for saving mother tongue of Southern Azerbaijan . With the slogan of “the future is ours” and promoting and adhering to human rights, is it difficult to see the future status of Azerbaijani Turkic and the proclamation of the right for self determination in Southern Azerbaijan in a few years time? Let us hope that not before long pluralism, secularism and democracy will have a new home, called Southern Azerbaijan , as an extension to all existing cherished ones.

 

 

 


APPENDICES

 N
o

Documents

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Translated Document No 1  http://xeberci.blogfa.com/post-70.aspx   Date 21 September 2006

Translator’s Note: The news clip below was published on 26 July 2006 regarding the interference against GünAzTV by Iranian authorities. Since then the problem was rectified but as soon as the planned campaign to save our mother tongue was seen feasible, the authorities resorting to interference again.

 

 Iranian government interfered with the only Azerbaijani television broadcasting from Chicago, USA .

A report by Baybek, Wednesday 26 July 2006.

 

Broadcasting networks by Kurds, Arabs and Persians carry on their broadcasting without any problem.

 

Iranian regime used strong parasite frequencies and interfered with the broadcasting activities (up-beam transmission) of GünAzTV (transmitted through the HOTBIRD Satellite). The spokesman of for HOTBIRD Satellite has regarded this as the only reason for the discontinuation of the GunazTV`s broadcasting without giving further information.   They have stated that other networks should not really suffer because of the interference with GünAzTV.

 

Currently GünAzTV is transmitted only through Telestar 12.

 

GünAzTV is the first and only independent Southern Azerbaijani television station. Approximately, two months after it started broadcasting from HOTBIRD satellite, its programme were interfered with by the fascist regime of Iran .

 

The activities of this TV led to changes in the policies of Persian chauvinism, as well as promoting the awareness among the people. This TV has been attacked frequently by the government both physically and politically.

 

GunazTV broadcasts its cultural and open discussion sessions with an emphasis on its independence. It is funded by voluntary contributions of its audience. This TV has managed to emerge as a trustworthy institution which organizes debates and discussions among any groups and individuals who are concerned about Southern Azerbaijanis immense cultural and national problems. forum  and accelerate debates towards independence deploying authoritative politicians

شوونيسم فارس با استفاده از لابي اروپايي خود ٫ پخش تنهاترين تلويزيون آذربايجاني را مختل کرد

بای بک | چرشنبه, 4ی مرداد 1385 @ 23:10 | اخبار

شبکه هاي کورد ٫ عرب و فارس بدون هيچ مشکلي به پخش خود ادامه ميدهند.

رژيم ايران با پخش پارازيتهاي قوي باعث اختلال در کار گون آذ تي وي و شبکه هاي ديگر (نزديک به فرکانس) شده بود. مسئولين ماهواره هات بيرد اين موضوع را تنها مانع ادامه پخش معرفي نموده اند ولي از ارائه توضيحات بيشتر خودداري کرده اند. آنها اعلام ميکنند که شبکه هاي ديگر نبايستي بخاطر گون آذ تي وي از ادامه کار بازداشته شوند.

در حال حاضر اين تلويزيون از ماهواره تله استار ۱۲ پخش ميشود

گون آذ تي وي ٫ نخستين و تنهاترين تلويزيون مستقل آذربايجان جنوبي که از حدود دو ماه پيش بوسيله ماهواره هات بيرد پخش ميشد ٫ توسط حکومت فاشيست اسلامي ايران مختل شد.

فعاليت اين تلويزيون باعث تغيير در سياستهاي شوونيسمي فارس شده و در بالا بردن سطح آگاهي مردم تاثير فراوناني داشته است. اين تلويزيون بارها و بارها بصورت فيزيکي و سياسي مورد حمله حکومت فاشيست ايران قرار گرفته بود.

تلويزيون گون آذ تي وي بصورت مستقل برنامه هاي آموزشي و بحثهاي آزاد خود را با بودجه مردمي پخش ميکند. اين تلويزيون توانسته است رهبري قانونمند حرکت ملي را بصورت واقعي بدست گرفته و با استفاده از سياستمداران مورد اعتماد مردم حرکت بسوي استقلال را سرعت بخشد.

ماهواره هات بيرد کانالهاي مخالف ايران را ميزباني ميکند ولي اين برخورد با شبکه تلويزيوني گون آذ تي وي سوالات فراواني بوجود مياورد. شبکه هاي فارس اين ماهواره توسط رژيم ايران تغذيه شده و بصورت غير مستقيم سياستهاي رژيم را اجرا ميکنند ٫ به همين دليل هيچ مخالفتي با پخش آنها نميشود. اين ماهواره بر اساس اساسنامه خود ٫ ميبايستي از پخش برنامه هاي مخالف دولتها خودداري کند ولي شبکه هاي کورد ٫ عرب و فارس بدون هيچ مشکلي به پخش خود ادامه ميدهند.

رژيم ايران با پخش پارازيتهاي قوي باعث اختلال در کار گون آذ تي وي و شبکه هاي ديگر (نزديک به فرکانس) شده بود. مسئولين ماهواره هات بيرد اين موضوع را تنها مانع ادامه پخش معرفي نموده اند ولي از ارائه توضيحات بيشتر خودداري کرده اند. آنها اعلام ميکنند که شبکه هاي ديگر نبايستي بخاطر گون آذ تي وي از ادامه کار بازداشته شوند.

در حال حاضر اين تلويزيون از ماهواره تله استار ۱۲ پخش ميشود و نيز بصورت همزمان بصورت آنلاين (اينترنت) پخش ميگردد.


 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

Document No 2 –  http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/story/2006/09/060923_mf_azeris.shtml  - Date : 23 September 2006

 

اعتراض به عدم تدريس زبان ترکی در مدارس ايران

 

.

دولتمردان ايران تاکنون مشخص نکرده اند که چرا با وجود عدم منع قانونی، غيرفارسی زبانان امکان فراگيری زبان و ادبيات مادری خود را در مدارس ندارند

همزمان با روز اول و آغاز سال تحصيلی جديد در مدارس ايران، گروهی از آذربايجانيهای ايرانی مقيم انگلستان در مقابل ساختمان بخش جهانی بی بی سی گرد آمدند تا به عدم تدريس زبان ترکی در مدارس ايران اعتراض کنند.

اصل پانزدهم قانون اساسی ايران، تدريس ادبيات زبانهای محلی و قومی را در مدارس، در کنار زبان فارسی آزاد دانسته است اما تنها اقليتی که در ايران از امکان تحصيل به زبان مادری برخوردارند، ارامنه اند که اساساً مدارسشان جداگانه و تحت نظارت نهادهای مذهبی ارمنی اداره می شود.

انحصاری بودن تدريس به زبان فارسی در مدارس موضوع اعتراض جمعی حدود سی نفر از آذربايجانيهای مقيم انگلستان شده است که در قالب گروهی با عنوان آکسيون آذربايجانيهای جنوبی يا همان آذربايجانيهای ايران دوساعتی را مقابل ساختمان بخش جهانی بی بی سی گرد آمدند و به زبانهای انگليسی و ترکی شعارهايی از اين قبيل می دادند: "مرگ بر فاشيسم فارسی"، "مرگ بر نژادپرستی فارسی"، "از نسل کشی فرهنگی در ايران دست برداريد" و "زبان ترکها نمی ميرد، به زبان فارسی تبديل نمی شود".

بشنويدگزارش راديويی در مورد اين تجمع را اينجا بشنويد

شاهرخ مظهری، يکی از برگزارکنندگان تجمع می گفت: "امروز اول مهر است و ميليونها فرزند ترک آذربايجانی امروز به مدرسه می روند ولی هيچيک از آنها حق فراگيری زبان مادری شان را ندارند و کليه دروس به زبان فارسی است که اين بر خلاف موازين بين المللی است".

از شعارهايی که تجمع کنندگان در لندن می دادند پيدا بود که عدم تدريس زبان ترکی يا ديگر زبانهای قومی در ايران را ناشی از انگيزه های سياسی حکومت ايران می دانند

وی افزود: "هر انسانی بايد به زبان مادری خود تحصيل کند و دولتها موظفند که امکانات لازم را برای آن بخش از مردم که زبانشان غير از زبان رسمی کشور است فراهم آورد اما در ايران حتی يک مدرسه به زبان ترکی وجود ندارد و بچه ها بايد از همان اول به زبانی غير از زبانی مادری تحصيل کنند که اين امر از کيفيت تحصيلی افراد کم می کند و نهايتاً از قدرت رقابت آنان در جامعه می کاهد".

از شعارهايی که تجمع کنندگان در لندن می دانند پيدا بود که عدم تدريس زبان ترکی يا ديگر زبانهای قومی در ايران را ناشی از انگيزه های سياسی حکومت ايران می دانند.

تحليلگران نيز معتقدند که حکومت ايران چه پيش و چه پس از انقلاب از آن بيم داشته که تحصيل قوميتها به زبانهای خود در مدارسشان آغازی برای تنشهای قومی و جدايی طلبی در کشور ايران باشد که آميزه ای است از قوميتهای گوناگون.

از سوی ديگر، با اينکه ايران در سراسر تاريخ خود زيستگاه اقوام مختلف بوده اما کودکان آن همواره تحصيل را به زبان فارسی آغاز کرده اند و حتی در زمانی که ايران تحت حاکميت فرمانروايان ترک بوده، کودکان ترک زبان نيز به زبان فارسی در مدارس تحصيل کرده اند.

زبانهای ترکی و کردی تنها در دوره ای يکساله در سالهای 1945-46 ميلادی در مدارس تحت اداره دولتهای خودمختار فرقه دموکرات در آذربايجان و قاضی محمد در مهاباد تدريس شده است.

طی يکی دو سال اخير که ايران صحنه نا آراميهای قومی تازه ای در آذربايجان، کردستان و خوزستان شده، موضوع تحصيل به زبان مادری از جمله خواسته های اصلی فعالان قومی در داخل و خارج از ايران بوده است.

 

 

 

 

 

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3

Document 3:  Source: http://www.azadtribun.net/Fa_3.htm - The Defiant Zenjan just after the government crackdown of Southern Azerbaijanis on 23 September 2006

24 September 2006

امروز: ‪یکشنبه، ۲ مهر ۱۳۸۵

   

بسمه تعالي

بيانيه جمعيت اسلامي دانشجويان دانشگاه زنجان به مناسبت اول مهر ماه (روز نسل كشي خاموش ملل غير فارس زبان)

دیگر نمی­خواهم به "چؤرک" نان بگویم و "آنا" را مادر بنویسم! من تورکم!

   وقتی که از حفظ، تقویت و توسعه فرهنگ یک جامعه سخن به میان می­آید، زبان نیز به عنوان یک عامل اساسی مطرح می­شود، چرا که زبان در حکم رشته­ای است که فرهنگ گذشته و حال را به هم پیوند می دهد. آموزش به زبان مادری و بومی از نظر اجتماعی و از نظر روحی و روانی در اعتماد به نفس کودکان تاثیر عمیقی می­گذارد و آنها راحت­تر می­توانند ابراز احساسات نموده و ارتباط فکری و زبانی راحت­تری را با دیگران برقرار کنند. از نظر روان­شناختی، آموزش به زبان مادری سبب درک بهتر مطالب درسی شده و پیشرفت شناختی دانش­آموز را افزایش می­دهد. از نظر اجتماعی سبب جذب راحت­تر کودک در محیط اجتماعی گردیده و از نظر عاطفی نیز باعث بوجود آمدن پیوند عاطفی ناشی از استفاده از زبان مادری در زندگی تحصیلی می­گردد. و بالاخره از نظر آموزش، استفاده از زبان مادری سبب بالا رفتن کیفیت و کمیت ارتباط درون مدرسه­ای و درون کلاسی می­شود. برای كارشناسان بیش از پیش مسلم است در صورتی كه كودكان در مدرسه به هر دو زبان مادری و زبان رسمی آموزش ببینند به نتایج بهتری دست می­یابند و از شخصیت قوی­تر و ثبات بیشتری در زندگی اجتماعی و خانوادگی برخوردار می­شوند. به دليل همين اهميت والاي زبان مادري است كه كویچیرو ماتسورا مدیر كل یونسكو در پیامی در 21 فوریه به مناسبت روز جهانی زبان مادری پیشنهاد كرد: «زبان­های مادری باید از همان ابتدایی­ترین سنین در نظامهای آموزشی مورد عنایت قرار گیرند». از کشورهای عضو سازمان ملل که سیستم آموزشی چند زبانه را به کار گرفته­اند، سوئیس، نروژ، هلند و هند نمونه­های موفقی هستند که با استفاده از این سیستم، به اهداف یونسکو جامه عمل پوشانیده و مردم را به فراگیری چند زبان  ترغیب نموده­اند.

  دانشجويان آگاه و انسانهاي آزاديخواه و عدالت طلب          

روز اول مهر ماه روز آغاز و پايان مي باشد. روز آغاز مدارس و دانشگاهها، روز آغاز آشنايي كودك با سيستم تبعيض فرهنگي و تحصيلي، روز آغاز سياستهاي شوونيستي فارس به كودكان اين مرز و بوم در قالب برنامه تحصيلي، و روز آغاز...

   ملت آذربایجان در راستای حفظ هویت ملی آذربایجان اعتراض و فریاد هویت­طلبی خود را با راه و منش مسالمت­جویانه به گوش حاکمیت کشور و جهانیان ‌رساند كه چگونه ملتی 35 میلیونی را از حقوق اولیه و انسانی خود كه همانا تحصیل به زبان مادری است محروم كرده‌اند و در عصری كه كرامت انسانی در سر‌لوحه شعارهای نهادهای مدنی دنیا و نیز سازمان ملل متحد قرار گرفته است ملتی را در زیر انواع تحقیرها و توهین‌ها سركوب کرده و زبان و فرهنگشان را نابود کرده و آنها را بسمت آسیمیلاسیون سوق می‌دهند تا به خیال خود ملتی یكدست در زیر لوای فرهنگ و زبان فارسی فراهم سازند و با قوم‌كُشی و امحای فرهنگ‌های دیگر ملل ساکن در کشور به نفع یك قوم خاص به صحنه‌گردانی بپردازند .         

 حركت اعتراضی خرداد ماه 1385 ملت آذربایجان و جنبش پیشرو دانشجویی آن با اعتراض به كاریكاتور توهین­آمیز روزنامه ایران آغاز شد. ولی، چنانچه اكثر آگاهان امور نیز متفق القولند، تداوم این اعتراضات فراتر از یك كاریكاتور بوده و ریشه در مسائل عمیق اجتماعی، فرهنگی و تبعیضات اقتصادی و سیاسی دارد. از این رو لازم است که دولت با بینشی وسیع از این به بعد به احیای حقوق اولیه مليتها بپردازد.

    با پيگيريهاي مستمر طي ساليان متمادي و در نهايت اعتراضات مردمي بهار85 و دادن شهدا و مجروحان فراوان  و نيز زندانيهاي گسترده و همچنين وجود به رسمیت شناخته شدن حق تحصیل به زبان مادری برای اقوام در اصول 15 و 19 قانون اساسی کشور و استفاده از این اصول در مورد اقلیتهایی همچون ارامنه پنجاه هزار نفری کشور به نظر می‌رسد که دولت نه تنها قصد اجرای این اصول برای 35 میلیون ملت تورک آذربایجان(آذربايجاني كه مفتخر است اولین مدرسه به سبک جدید توسط میرزا حسن رشدیه به سال 1267 شمسی در تبریز بنیان­گذاری شده وکتاب­های «آنا دیلی» و «وطن دیلی» که هر دو به زبان تورکی آذربايجانی نوشته شده بودند در اين مدرسه تدریس می­گردیدند.)   و سایر ملل ساکن کشور را ندارد، بلکه به روش­های مختلف در صدد آسمیله کردن و از بین بردن زبان و فرهنگ آنها میباشد. علیرغم عضویت کشور در سازمان ملل متحد و امضای تعهدات بین­المللی مبنی بر عدم تعرض بر هویت ملی و قومی که جزو حقوق اولیه هر انسانی است ،دولت کمترین اهمیتی برای احقاق حقوق ملل غیرفارس­ کشور قائل نیست. دولت و حاکمیت هیج امکاناتی در راستای تحصیل به زبان مادری ملل ساکن کشور فراهم نکرده و  کانال تلویزیونی به زبان اصیل آنها تأسیس نمی­کند! آنها را از داشتن مطبوعات به زبان مادری خود محروم کرده و اجازه هیچ گونه عرض اندام برای فرهنگ باشکوه آنها نمی­دهد. با توجه به وضعیت حاضر چه باید کرد؟

جمعيت اسلامي دانشجويان دانشگاه زنجان ضمن اعتراض به تداوم سياستهاي شوونيستي در دستگاههاي اجرايي بويژه سيستم آموزشي كشور و عدم امكان تحصيل به زبان مادري ميليونها نفر در آذربايجان(وساير مليتها)، نسبت به پيامدهاي تداوم اين گونه سياستهاي تبعيض آميز به دولت هشدار داده ومصرانه خواستار احقاق حقوق ملت شريف آذربايجان (و ساير مليتها) واجراي مطالبات به حق و قانوني آنان كه به دفعات اعلام گرديده ، مي باشد. اميدواريم اين بار دولت به فرياد عدالت خواهي ملت پاسخ مناسب دهد چراكه در هر صورت راه ملت حق است وحق پيروز است.. همچنين دانشجويان عزيز نيز به عنوان قشر آگاه جامعه و چشمان بيدار ملت بايد در اعتراض به اين بي عدالتيها اقدامات مؤثري انجام داده و پيگير خواسته هاي خود باشند.

                                                                                                                                                      گله جك بيزيمدير

 

 

 

4

Document No 4  http://dustaq.blogsky.com/  Date 23 September 2006

 

شنبه 1 مهر ماه سال 1385

موج دستگیریها به مناسبت یک مهر در زنجان

دیزوز جمعه محرمعلی عرفانی فعال حرکت ملی آذربایجان در زنجان در منزل خود بازداشت شد ومامورین اداره اطلاعات کامپیوتر شخصی و کتابهای وی را همراه خود برده اند محرم علی عرفانی فوق لیسانس علوم سیاسی و دبیر دبیرستانهای استان زنجان ویکی از فعالین شناخته شده مطبوعاتی در سطح استان میباشدهمچنین امروز مهندس مجید نظریان در خانه خود به دست مامورین اداره اطلاعات بازداشت شد

هنوز هیچ اطلاع دقیقی از وضعیت وی در دست نیست  همچنین امروز شنبه در جریان تجمع اعتراض آمیزمردم به مناسبت یک مهردر شهر زنجان (سبزه میدان) 3 تن دیگر نیز دستگیر شدند که از اسامی این افراد اطلاعی در دست نیست تجمع کنندگان خواهان آموزش به زبان مادریشان(ترکی) در مدارس بودند