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Azerbaijan in Iran
24-Aug-2007
Among nationalist Azerbaijani circles of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iranian Azerbaijan it is believed that the population of Iran's Azerbaijanis is around 30 million or even greater. That would make some 42% of Iran's population. It is of course a gross exaggeration that serves no purpose, even the purpose it has been promoted for; to make Iranian Azerbaijanis feel they are powerful so they can rise, or resist, against their unfair conditions. However it more likely serves the purposes of the opponents of Azerbaijan as a whole because of simply giving exactly the same false sense of power, which creates an atmosphere of complacency among Iranian Azerbaijanis rather than a sense of dissociation from the Iranian regime and its policies.
Azerbaijani nationalists are probably simply unaware rather than intentionally making up hugely exaggerated numbers. Azerbaijanis, those who consider themselves to be Azerbaijanis (that is the definition, but those whose one or both parents are Azerbaijanis but do not consider themselves to be Azerbaijanis ARE NOT Azerbaijanis, PERIOD), are almost all the inhabitants of the provinces of East Azerbaijan, Ardebil and Zanjan. And some 60% or so of the population of West Azerbaijan are probably Azerbaijani Turks, the rest being mostly Kurds. Then there are the provinces of Gilan, Qazvin, Tehran, Hamedan, Markazi and Kurdistan where the Azerbaijani population probably totals some 20% of the whole. Tehran's Azerbaijani population may also be around 20% but if we take into account the parentage and ancestry of Tehran's population, more than 30% of them must be originally from Azerbaijan.
However areas where Azerbaijanis are in the minority they are in a disproportionate cultural disadvantage compared to the Fars (ethnic Persian) population, due to state policies of Persian/Fars chauvinism and assimilation, and their children are very likely to adopt a Persian culture and ideology rather than preferring marginalisation as being part of an ethnic minority. This in time reduces, and has already reduced, the Azerbaijani population of Iran in areas where they have become minorities. So, the trend is, and has been for decades, against the Azerbaijanis and their proportion of Iran's population is on a steep decline. The proportion may have been some 30% during the rule of the Qajar (who had migrated from Ganja in present-day Republic of Azerbaijan to Mazandaran while keeping their Azerbaijani identity alive) who were Azerbaijani Turks (and considered themselves to be) and it can easily be 20% now, and falling.
So, how did this happen that such a powerful nation (if we may call them so), the Azerbaijanis, became such an insignificant one, under the pressure of almost disappearing in time? One third of the Azerbaijanis were lost to the Russians, now freed, and the remaining two-thirds are in the state of an identity-theft long in the process of completion.
It is astonishing that modern Iran, where currently almost everything is supposed to be Fars (or Persian) and any talk of anything but Persian culture, language, and traditions is either banned or seen as taboo, has been built, protected and cherished mostly by Azerbaijanis, not Persians. Persians (ethnic Fars) have usually been silent participants in the making of events in a brutal world of the years 1100 to 1900, ruled by Turks, mostly Azerbaijani Turks. Modern Persian nationalism that took over Iran almost eight decades ago by Reza Pahlavi's coup has re-written Iran's entire history, manipulated everything and given an extremely elusive image of a nation (supposedly a united Iranian nation) in which Aryan/Persian RACE has been the cause of any good, and everything else has been irrelevant or evil! This policy and ideology has been pretty much exactly copied by the clerical regime that currently rules Iran.
Manipulating history in third-world countries where there is little sense of reality, but more of conspiracy, is nothing abnormal. People have got used to conspiracies so much even natural news or events are almost always interpreted as conspiracies.
The Persian Empire, or what is known in the region as Iran, disappeared after the invasion of the Muslim Arabs, until the Safavid, Azerbaijani Turks from Azerbaijan proper (the Iranian part), re-established it over pretty much the same area the historical Persian Empire had lied. The Safavid preserved their Azerbaijani identity for a very long time, though as it is well known, the Azerbaijani Qizilbash, who brought them to power and protected Iran against its enemies, were unhappy about the Fars (Persians) participating in the leadership after the capital had moved to Isfahan, a non-Azerbaijani city, and feuds broke out. Feuds that have probably always existed though Azerbaijani and Fars, fearing the numerous Ottoman Turks, united under the Iranian flag in order to protect their SHIA religion and dominion. There was no talk or idea about Iranians being Persians, Aryans, or anything alike.
It was the Azerbaijanis, the Safavid family and the Qizilbash, who for almost two centuries protected Iran, built its capital in central Iran, Isfahan, and gave Iran its most beautiful city to this date. The only non-Azerbaijani (or non-Turk) Iranian rulers have been the Zand who were not able to take northern Iran and only ruled southern and central Iran, who were mostly Fars populated. And the Zand state fell by the Qajar onslaught, who were again, as mentioned earlier, Azerbaijani Turks themselves.
Neither the Fars nor the Turk of Iran, take pride in the Qajar family, for one reason or another, or maybe just luck. Their rule has been associated with loss of huge territories, and some Iranian pride, to some of the world's powerful empires othe time, more specifically the British and the Russians. Nevertheless the Qajar kept most of Iran together, built Iran's current capital city, Tehran, and just like the Safavid, considered both Fars, Turk, and other Shia citizens as being Iranians (they did discriminate against the Kurds). Both the Safavid and the Qajar protected and cherished Persian (Fars) literature and more often wrote in Farsi rather than in their own language (even the Ottoman Turks usually wrote in Farsi rather than Ottoman Turkish, especially their poetry), simply because they considered Farsi to be more beautiful, in a literary sense, which can hardly be denied.
I have no wish to insult the Iranian Fars (Persians), or to try to diminish their significance or importance, in making the modern Iran, however it is a very well known fact that it was not just the ruling families of Iran but also most of the fighting forces (the army) who were Azerbaijanis. Those folks built the modern Iran and protected it against outsiders.
And the same Azerbaijanis have, for several decades, lost the country they so heavily participated to build to some Nazi-nostalgic Aryan/Persian extremist nationalists! Ever since the non-Azerbaijani (so they considered themselves to be, although they had partial Azerbaijani genes, from their mothers) Pahlavi took over, to this date, Azerbaijanis have become ETHNIC MINORITIES, who don't even have ethnic minority rights. Their existence is more like a nonsense to what is preferred to be an ARYAN/PERSIAN state. They are treated like undesirable, but tolerated (as long as they behave) guests in the country they mostly built.
Well, it is true that they got pretty much, very badly, screwed, and they know and accept it. As they say, shit happens! The post-Pahlavi time has even tried, and mostly succeeded, to erase the true identity of the Azerbaijanis by giving them a new name, Azeris, or Azaris; something that my parents, when heard, thought I was speaking a foreign language. Using Azerbaijani language has been banned, and acknowledging being Azerbaijani, or Azerbaijani Turk, can end you up in prison, tortured or killed.
Many Azerbaijani-rights activists have indeed been killed, hanged, tortured, disappeared and at least intimidated. Little is known about them and most Iranian human-rights activists have ignored the faith of the Azerbaijanis who have been killed by Iranian regimes. Many Azerbaijanis have been forced to flee their country for simply acknowledging their existence and true identity. Iran's so-called ISLAMIC regime has even aided and is still aiding Christian Armenia, while Armenia has occupied 20% of the Republic of Azerbaijan!!
Azerbaijani presence among the Iranian politicians may be presented as extraordinary and significant by giving the example of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, though he does not speak Azerbaijani as his langauge at home, or almost anywhere else (though he can, at least to some degree) and does not consider himself to be Azerbaijani, even if both, or one of, his parents seem to have been originally from Khamene (in Iranian Azerbaijan) who migrated to Khorasan. The fact of the matter is that Azerbaijanis have largely been distanced from Iranian politics in the past 80 years or so and their presence has not been proportionate to their percentage of the population.
And the results have been obvious. Iranian Azerbaijan, for the past decades, has received the least investments and development funds from the Pahlavi, or Islamic, regimes, and as the result Azerbaijanis have largely moved to Tehran and other non-Azerbaijani cities for search of better lives. Almost all Azerbaijani families in Iranian Azerbaijan have at least about 1/4 of their relatives in Tehran, Karaj and other non-Azerbaijani cities.
In Iran's intoxicated and manipulated spheres of talk or even academia, belonging to a nation or group is linked to the ugliest and most disputed word of all, the RACE, while true belonging to a group or nation is about choice, not race, especially when it is a collective identity. After-all Iranians, Turks (Middle-Eastern type, not central Asian type), Europeans, Arabs etc are all Caucasians, scientifically speaking. There is no Aryan RACE, except within the intoxicated minds of post-Pahlavi, still dreaming, nationalist Iranians, and Afghans. And some neo-Nazis, pardon me forgetting! I think they have formed virtual, Internet, clubs where they regularly discuss.
Where is this process going to reach and what is to do with it? The wrongs that have been done to nations within countries, Kurds in Turkey and Iran, Azerbaijani Turks in Iran, and other smaller nations, are burdens on the preferred nations on whose names they are done. Persians in Iran on whose name the Azerbaijanis and others have been pressured and discriminated against are not entirely guilty because the acts have been done by authoritarian regimes, not democratic ones. However there are many extremists out there and the Internet is full of them who for the mere expression of being an Azerbaijani will accuse you of pan-Turkism, Turanism, treachery and so on.
There is indeed a significant proportion of the population of Fars/Persian in Iran who do support Iranian policies of national persecution and discrimination. Maybe they are sincere in their pursuit of what they have been taught at home and school. While pan-Turkism (whatever that may be) is the worst of any possible and imaginable word, pan-Fars-ism (whatever that may be too) is considered sacred and noble! While Turan-ism is the most evil of all evils, Iran-ism is the greatest of the great, especially when it is written Arian-ism.
Playing with words in order to placate and intimidate is nothing new. Those who give these apparently horrifying titles shall read some history, without the usual Persian/Iranian interpretations, and understand that maybe it was the same 'torke khar' (who are indeed 'khar' because they have proved to like giving rides) that saved Iran from the some perceived Turanism or pan-Turkism. Could they imagine their Aryan folks having fought against the Ottoman Turks? There are some Aryan/Persian folks left outside the Iran that Azerbaijanis have mostly built, and they are called Afghans and Tajiks! Their Aryan/Persian glory is exported to the outside world every single day, after having been processed in Pakistan, sometimes labelled as Heroin, other times as Cocaine, Crack and so on. Not that there is anything wrong about being a Fars/Aryan/Persian, but there is no disputing realities.
Iran was not supposed to be a country of the Persian, or the Aryan, nation, because the Persians are just about half of the population, or maybe less, and there is neither an Aryan nation or an Aryan race to build a country upon. But it could be just like any country, a union of peoples or nations, where there is no preferred one, and each nation within the country can decide about their own affairs in case they wish to. Breaking up countries is too costly and not worth any attempt, but discriminatory policies of authoritarian regimes are creating the right atmosphere that over time lead to social discontent that can overflow and cause serious problems at any moment. And the preferred nation, Fars in Iran's case, may be seen as the guilty silent participant of a huge injustice for many generations.
The intention of this article is nothing but to point to a problem that exists, and many people may not be aware of it. The current regime of Iran does not care about human rights whether the human-being is Fars, Turk, Kurd or whoever. So there can be no talk about human rights while there is nothing even distantly similar to human rights in an Iran in which, just like the Middle Ages, individuals are hanged in public so the leaders can be feared.
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ya right
by mrclass on Tue Aug 28, 2007 02:30 PM PDT"Using Azerbaijani language has been banned, and acknowledging being Azerbaijani, or Azerbaijani Turk, can end you up in prison, tortured or killed. "
what a bunch of rubbish! Yes so many Iranians died and continue to so from the islamo facist system that is runing the country, but I have yet to hear or see any where that some one got tortured and killed because they said they are Azarbijani! give me a break. (well of course it's possible that those bastered aryans blank out the news!!!!)
It is not just the regime... I guess
by Ben Madadi on Tue Aug 28, 2007 02:20 PM PDTUnfortunately there are enough who support the regime simply being ntionalists, Persianists or Aryanists (or whatever they call themselves) though they do not support the IRI religious policies. However I doubt they are the majority of the Fars population, but simply the majority (non-aggressive) are silent and do not participate in anything. They are also, like the Azerbaijanis in Iran, uneducated.
Facts clarification - pro-Armenia stance of IRI
by Babek on Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:52 AM PDTWe can often hear about Elchibey as the reason for anti-Azerbaijan and pro-Armenia stance of IRI. However, a closer examination of facts reveals Elchibey is only used as a scapegoat.
1) Iran had a diplomatic representation - de facto embassy - in Azerbaijan since Soviet days, at least since early 1980's. Turkey did not have such a representation, and neither did anyone else. Only Iran, as well as Iraq, had such diplomatic representations. Hence, Iran enjoyed a great advantage of both information collection about Republic of Azerbaijan and propanganda. Iran also had a book store, al-Khoda, allowed to operate and sell books and newspapers in the center of Baku -- right in front of the National Academy of Sciences. Turkey or other countries did not have such a right. Thus, Iran clearly held a great advantage, and had regular dialog and exchange with both government and ordinary citizens of Azerbaijan.
2) Yet, despite this, Iran was not the first to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in December 1991. Nor was it second. The first one was Turkey, and second was Pakistan, followed by other countries, such as United States. Such a small fact is very well remembered in Azerbaijan, since independence was re-established in recent, modern times. This is of course well before Elchibey, who was elected President only on 17 June 1992, and ousted one year later.
3) Despite mediating (twice) the NK war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Iran was very liberal in its approach and non-commital. Each time Iran "mediated", Azerbaijan lost more territory (e.g., Shusha city on 8-9 May 1992) occupied by Armenia. Iran did not pressure Armenia in any way, aside from, perhaps, some verbal statements. Again, this is before Elchibey's presidency. This was during the presidency of a very friendly President Mutalibov, who has recalled many times in his interviews, how he pretty much begged then-President Rafsanjani and then-FM Velayati to help, to intervene, etc.
4) Unlike Turkey, which closed the border with Armenia completely in 1993-1995, and since then kept the overland border closed, Iran did not close the border at all. In fact, the traffic between Armenia and Iran only increased and kept on increasing year-on-year from 1991. Obviously, all this allowed Armenia to fuel its tanks and first occupy some 16% of Azerbaijan, and then hold on to this. Had it been denied fuel, spare parts, food, etc., it would obviously be unable to sustain its occupation.
5) The massacres of the population of Northern Iran by Armenians during WWI is not researched at all in Iran, and no condemnation whatsoever is done. Instead, Armenians are allowed to hold "Armenian genocide" protest marches in Tehran. Of course, no such thing is allowed to the Azeris or Kurds about either Khojaly (1992), or Urmiye, Sulduz, etc., massacres in 1914-1920 period.
6) Many post-Elchibey anti-Azerbaijan statements from Iranian officials and even generals. Or for example the way then-Minister Bitaraf acted, first announcing that Iran will help Armenia to build an electric power station on the Araxes river on the occupied Azerbaijani territory (!), and then coming to Baku, repeating this to then-President Heydar Aliyev, and acting surprized when Aliyev did a diplomatic slap and humiliating Bitaraf by simply walking out from the meeting and ejecting Minister Bitaraf from Baku.
So all this created more
than enough reasons spoiling relations, and clearly all this started before Elchibey.
And then persistent attacks from pan-Iranists on the very
identity, history, culture of Azerbaijan and Azeris. I don't even mention
the cultural and otherwise human rights of ethnic Azeris in Iran -
that's yet another issue. As you see, the laundry list is extensive,
and clearly the fault lies on well-established and wealthy IRI, not on
a poor, post-Communist, war-ravaged Azerbaijan, that was just re-learning
how to stand tall without uncle Boris' massive arms holding him firmly.
Okay
by irandoost on Tue Aug 28, 2007 09:13 AM PDTThanks for being logical. So your blaming Iran's alleged support for Armenia and taking out on Afghanistan because they speak Persian! As far as I can tell, Iran was neutral, but its relationship was cold with Azerbaijan republic, specially during the era of Elchibey. Now it is getting better. I haven't read a comprehensive non-biased article on this issue. The problem is that USSR Azerbaijan SSR was used as a ethnic gravity pull to detach Azerbaijan during the Pishevari era. So a sort of natural fear from the establishment of the IRI probably existed. But I think had the Azerbaijani republic government approached its issue with Iran better (not in the elchibey manner), Iran would have been pro-Azeri.
Anyways , if we are Iranians, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan republic are secondary. If Afghanistan's president tried to detach Khorasan and said Iran will break up in 2007, then we need to collectively stand against Afghanistan's government (not people).
Hope you calm down.
Let me add this...
by Ben Madadi on Tue Aug 28, 2007 09:04 AM PDTYou know what most affected me, and most other Azerbaijanis, and has since added to their feelings against the Iranians regime???? It was Iranian regime's help to Armenia. Believe me that this is the ticking point. Azerbaijan may have been the aggressor (which it wasn't) but Iran, being the homeland (we thought so, and still do, right?) of world's largest Azerbaijani community, sided (still does) with Armenia. What does this tell you? This has been such a catastrophic mistake by the IRI regime. Or maybe it hasn't been a mistake. But it did, and does, anger Azerbaijanis a lot, because they (Iranian Azerbaijanis) have faced a very open dilemma: IS THIS (IRAN) OUR COUNTRY, OR MAYBE NOT???? IF IT IS OUR COUNTRY WHY CAN'T WE SIDE WITH OUR KIND THEN? Maybe Armenians are Aryans while Azerbaijanis are not. I know this was not the reason for IRI dising with Armenia, but fearing a strong Azerbaijani Republic arousing Azerbaijani self-awareness inside Iran.
Aryan
by irandoost on Tue Aug 28, 2007 09:04 AM PDTI think you should read a good article on Aryans so it is not abused in every term..
Okay if you do not want to be Persian or Aryan (Although Azeri identity is synthesis between Aryan/Turkic elements) is your choice .
//www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/EJVS-7-3...
But I would at least try to understand the definitions of these terms before using it in every sentence:
//dictionary.reference.com/browse/aryan
//dictionary.reference.com/browse/Persian
As per Afghanistan, it fought against USSR, then had a civil war, and then had the Pakistan/Saudi supported Taliban and tons of foreign influence. It has nothing to with "ethnicity". Or else we can say why is Turkomanistan with so much Gas a dictatorial nation where many people are in poverty despite their small population. So connecting the situation of Afghanistan with Aryan/Persian ethnicity is really racist on your part.
The process of "Persianization" is due to modern communication and Persian being official language as well as Azeri Iranian nationalists reacting to the Ottomon invasion of WWI:
//www.azargoshnasp.net/recent_history/atoor/r...
These issues need to be discussed scientificaly and not emotionaly (myself guily).
Also just because others are "disrespectful" does not give you an excuse to be disrespectful.
My time is LIMITED... as you see, I respond...
by Ben Madadi on Tue Aug 28, 2007 08:49 AM PDTLike any human being, my time is limited. I faced reapeting the same things so many times, so I stopped repeating. I do not support any sort of nationlism. Please read my other writings as well. You cannot call this ultra-natiolism. How can it be? Please read other people's writings who insult me and my people by various references. Please read how these people repeat talking about how Aryan Iranians are, while they are bothered about me writing how I do not understand that! This Aryan-ist arrogant attitude is not something to be neglected. It is on top of the list to replace Islamic extremism in Iran. I am not stupid. I am not nationlistic. I have said it several times that I DO NOT SUPPORT disintegration of Iran but I dare to loarth Iran's identity being hijacked by those who shamelessly call themselves ARYANS, try to distroy the identity of Azerbaijanis and shamelessly aid the enemies of Azerbaijanis. My style may not be pleasant to some people, but the simple fact that I have written for IRANIAN.COM for so long is a clear fact showing that I feel being an Iranian. BUT I do not feel being an Aryan or Persian. You know very well that there is a process of Persian-ization in Iran that has succeeded to a large degree for the past eight decades antagonising non-Persians. You can read Aryan-ist Persian/Iranian individuals' posts, blogs and writings on the Internet and you will see (you probably already know) how disrespectful and openly racist they are. I am neither nationlistic, nor racist, and I have no intention even to talk badly about Afghans who are some of the world's most unlcuky people. But most of Afghanis are what these Aryan-ist folks call ARYANS, and their country have not been built in any way by any help from Azerbaijanis. Why haven't they faired so well? Why has Iran faired better? You can make up your own mind!
Mr. Madadi if you don't have time to respond ...
by manesh on Tue Aug 28, 2007 08:28 AM PDTWhy do you start a blog then?
I am an azari who consider myself 100% PERSIAN/IRANIAN. I don't care for all this divisive talk about Azari/Azarbaijan/Aryan BS.
It's not about race or geography. It's about the fact that we have a shared history.
It's about culture and literature.
Both sides seem to parse history to make you point.
You have to take history as a whole. There are certainly problems
in Iran with regards to ethnicities. It's been a stupid policy to force
everyone to abandon the very rich heritage in favor of a modern
identity. Azaris, Kurds, Gilanis, etc. are definately restricted legally
from autonomy. They are also humiliated in public for their ethnicity.
The jokes about turks, rashtis, etc. are all stupid and self-destructive. I personally do not tell ethnic jokes and will not allow
anyone to tell them in my presence.
But, the way to combat this is through a more enlightened approach. Mr. Madadi's confrontational ways won't bear fruit. Ultra-nationalism is wrong and dangerous. It will lead to Balkanization. Not only will the Fars suffer, but your own people will suffer too. The way to be proud of your Azarbaijani heritage is not to take an ax and chop the country.
Obviousely, you have been hurt by discrimination and this is your
way of getting back at society.
Nice comment
by irandoost on Tue Aug 28, 2007 08:06 AM PDTLook ben, no hard feeling. if you are a serious person, you would not make such arguments.
"Their Aryan/Persian glory is exported to the outside world every single
day, after having been processed in Pakistan, sometimes labelled as
Heroin, other times as Cocaine, Crack and so on. Not that there is
anything wrong about being a Fars/Aryan/Persian, but there is no disputing reality"
Such lines will simply tick off other respondants. Drugs are cultivated everywhere in the Middle east and although Afghanistan is now the center, you must remember that this country is multi-ethnic, the provinces that export heroin are mainly Pashtu (okay Aryan speaking), ..and more importantly it fought a devastating war against the USSR (maybe other USSR countries should thank them and help them given the fact that they were a major reason for the downfall of USSR), and then a civil war and then a pakistani supported Taliban. Anyways Afghanistan and the republic of Azerbaijan are their own countries. As per my comments: "Turks were brutual", it should be seen in this light of your article and furthermore history books says that the Central Asian Turks that invaded Iran were brutual, so we can not really always say "We are victims and everyone else is brutual". If Pahlavids were brutual (and they were most Azeri by bloodline), it does not make "Persians" brutual. Or else the same game can easily be played with the numerous Turkic invasions of Iran. So I think it is better to be calm and mature, and not make outbursts or put words in people's mouth or constantly use the term Aryan in each sentence and then relate it to Jews/Nazis. So I would really revise your way of writing.
About Iranian officials being Azerbaijanis...
by Ben Madadi on Tue Aug 28, 2007 07:34 AM PDTMany, most of whom are arguing for the purpose of Aryan-ism in Iran, say that many (if not most) Iranian officials and politicians are Azerbaijanis. COMPELTELY WRONG!!!!! Very very wrong!!! There are indeed many Azerbaijani CLERICS in Iran but high-ranking politicians in Iran are probably 80% FARS, or semi-Fars (non-Fars parentage who consider themselves Fars). Khamenei was not born in Azerbaijan, but in Khorasan... his one, or both, parents were from Khamene (near Tarbiz). He is not Azerbaijani himself, but has Azerbaijani parents. Does that make him Azerbaijani???? Only if he truly believes so, which he DOES NOT. He does not speak Azerbaijani at home, he has said it often enough not to be misunderstood. Being Fars, Azerbaijani, Kurd or any other nationality etc is all about CHOICE! I knew one guy whose both parents were from Nakhjivan and had terrible accent speaking Farsi, however he (the kid) spoke only Farsi and was one of the biggest Fars-ist/Aryan-ist Iranians I have ever seen. It is his choice and as long as he does not make that choice for others it must be respected.
Okay
by irandoost on Tue Aug 28, 2007 07:07 AM PDTBro
This is iranian.com
We have two Azerbaijanis (you and AT) from the republic of Azerbaijan who are welcome, but I think we should keep the issue on the internal affairs of Iran. Horrific Khojaly massacare is condemned (I am learning about this conflict since it is a hot topic in different websites) much like Armenian genocide is condemned.
But , the Azerbaijan government of Elchibey isolated itself from Iran strategically and that is why Iran titled to Armenia. What can Iran do when a leader of a country publicly says"Iran will breakup in 1997". Do you want it to support that government? Please be reasonable and at least accept 1% of the blame!
Iran's government was stupid also during the Iran-Iraq war when the US and USSR both sides with Iraq and provided him with chemical weapons. Because it went against two major powers and so many Iranians passed away. I can gaurantee that most of those businessmen (not Iranian government) who are doing business with Armenia are also Azeris and not non-Azeris. The Armenia/Azerbaijan is really too complicated for 99% Iranians to understand (I don't fully understand it but got interested after seeing it flareup in a internet site), but I think we all support the principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and also condemn the khojaly massacare and any wrong doings by both side (what i notice is that no one wants to take even 1% of the blame).
A.D.
Safavid
by irandoost on Tue Aug 28, 2007 06:47 AM PDTSafavids for all practical cases considered themselves Shi'ites and desendants of the Prophet Muhammad. Azeri or Persian were secondary. Their actual ancestry is debated in other places not here.
Nice
by irandoost on Tue Aug 28, 2007 09:05 AM PDTOkay so you don't have time read it. Others might though. Just your last comment itself: "Sorry, don't have time for the rest of your Aryan stuff. Find some other chat-buddy" shows I believe that you are here to push your point of view down everyone's throat. Also I didn't know you owned Iranian.com. If you do, then I will leave, but if you don't, then I am a free to post my comment. As far as I can tell, Iranian.com does not condone censorship (except in the case of vulgarity).
Azerbaijani is not official as you confirmed. But it is not banned. It also has university level courses (teachers: MOhammad Zadeh Sadiq and another guy Dashghin) and summer courses. Kids speak it regularly in schools among themselves and with their teachers, but it is not thought. You can find it regularly spoken in institutions. But it is not the schooling and institution language. It is not offical language. But then again, 50 languages and dialects (including Persian dialects like Larestani, Delijani, Raji..) are not offical either. So if you think the country should not have one official language say it. But do not lie that "Azerbaijani is banned".
Just like Sunni Islam or Christianity and Zoroastrians are not official eligions, but Shi'i Islam is. But Armenian Christians and Zoroastrians are not banned, but they are not official. Baha'ism is banned. (this is of course all a bad comparison since if you are a christian or zoroastrian you can not have official positions where-as supreme leader, many generals and ministers are not ethnic Persians).
Being "Banned" is different than not being "official". In France, Arabic (10% of the population) is not banned. But it is not official.
Also Azerbaijani is used in state t.v. and radio programs (Barnaamehaayeh Ostani) (Provincial programs) and there is even broadcasts in such areas as Karaj in Tehran. So it has government funding with this respect.
As per the constitutional revolution, it was written in Persian and Persian alone. So the official language was chosen as Persian also in 1906. Heydar Baba of Shahryar (probably the greatest poem in the language ever written) was published in the Pahlavid era. If Rezashah (half Azeri) and Azeri Iranians nationalists were against the Azeri language, it was due to the Ottomon invasion of Azerbaijan during world War I where pan-Turkism was pursued. A friend of mine on his website has mentioned this in detail by copying a full article:
//www.azargoshnasp.net/recent_history/atoor/r...
So Rezashah (half Azeri) implemented the ideas of Azeri Iranian nationalists who had a very negative reaction to the Ottomon invasion. This needs to be taken into account if you want to study history objectively.
But in the current Islamic Republic of Iran, Azerbaijani is not banned anywhere or at all. One of the oldest journals, Varliq (which takes many anti-Iranian lines even once in a while), has been published countinously since the revolution and is well known amongst even Azeri nationalists. So it is not banned! َYou can find Turkish books of Maz'oon Qashqai, Shahryar, Omran Salehi and many others published in Iran.
Stop misuing the term Aryan. Calling me "Aryan", "Nazi" or whatever just because your POV is wrong, is simply absurd. Your article is actually a racist article. Note we do not have such attitude as the Karabagh conflicts where Armenian governments destroys historic mosques and Islamic monuments and the other government does the same. Some people are pushing to cause such ethnic discord in Iran by burning Persian books, calling fellow Iranians as enemies.. and etc. I think as an Iranian (if you consider youself one), you have a responsibility to read my other comments (even if you disagree with them) and perhaps think about it.
True Azeris
by Bedir Memmedli on Tue Aug 28, 2007 06:31 AM PDTOne thing that always bothers me is when some Iranian Azeris keep arguing about the identity of some leading Iranian activists or celebrities or government officials by claiming that they are ethnic Azeris. So what? Are we (I mean all Azeris) benefiting from their being Azeri? Who cares if Khamenei is Azeri or Azeri Turk? What has he done for his ethnic Azeri citizens or Azeris who live on the other side of Araks River? Has he or other Iranian-Azeri officials ever questioned why Armenia is still holding 20% of Azerbaijan under occupation or why some parts of Iranian-Azerbaijani border is being patrolled by Armenian troops rather than Azerbaijani? When these high-ranking people allow a handful of Iranian Armenians to commemorate Armenian “genocide” by marching through the streets of Tehran, have they ever thought about Khojaly massacre committed by Armenian troops in 1992 that led to the mass killing of almost 700 civilians in one day? Why can’t they let Iranian Azeris, who always attempt to do so, to commemorate Khojaly massacre or occupation of Karabakh region of Azerbaijan? Instead of condemning Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, they reward Armenia by building gas pipelines, offering humanitarian aid to this country, closing their eyes to Iranian Armenians who smuggle arms to Armenia to fight Azeris, and creating favorable conditions for Iranian businessmen to do business in Armenia. Iranian regime, including its high-ranking “Azeri” servants always curse and threaten Jews for occupying Palestine, but when it comes to Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijan, instead, they reward Armenia. This is not only anti-Azeri, but it is also anti-Islamic. Speaking of education, if these key officials are true Azeris, have they ever thought what prevents Azeris from receiving education in their mother tongue? So, with all due respect, it seems to me some Iranian Azeris are very obsessed with numbers rather than quality.
Please
by irandoost on Tue Aug 28, 2007 06:09 AM PDTMy Friend
0) Yes wrong link and now it is corrected. And yes I am Ali Doostzadeh.
1)
Do not put words in my mouth. I said that "Azerbaijani is banned" is a lie. You can go in the Bazar of Tehran and hear it all over Tehran. Azeris can be proud to be Turks or whatever they want to be proud of. There are Azeri broadcast, TV,book stores, radio, television, newspapers, magazines and Azeri dance classes (in Tabriz where I have a friend) even occasional university courses. Azeri is not banned. It is just not the official language in Iran based on the constitution of 1906. Now if people do not like this rule, they should change it through a democtratic process or whatever and even get rid of Persian and make Azeri official or whatever they feel. But to say "Azerbaijani is banned" is a outlandish lie. The author needs to take responsibility for this lie.
2)
Turkish DNA is minimal. Even if there is Turkish blood in the region, it is very small. Iranian literature describes Turks as narrow-eyed and flat face and this is proven by archeological evidence (statues of Seljuqs , Gok Turks and etc) as welll as Central Asian Turks and Yakuts. So Turks did not have a big impact on the genetic pool. Even if I was 100% pure Oghuz Turk and didn't know it, the Oghuz Turks themselves were mixed with Iranians before coming to the region (Kashgari). Even say I am 100% Yakut, it doesn't manner, culturally I am Iranian.
Nevertheless, Iranians are proud that even after Turkish invasion (like the Arab invasion) we were able to keep our culture and identity. the point was this. If "Persians" did bad stuff to Turks as it is alleged, Turks have done bad stuff 1000x times. I can dig up many massacares big and small through history book. So isn't better to stop this sort of victim role?
"how about Koroglu, Shah Ismayil Khatai, Nasimi, Fuzuli, Destan of Dada Korkut. "
Dada Korkut is really more Ottomon but nevertheless Nasimi, Fuzuli, wrote a large portion of their work in Persian. The poetries of Nasimi, Fuzulu, Ismail Khatai are not comprehensible for a modern Azerbaijani speaker lacking in Persian. It is classical Azerbaijani which is heavily Iranized and Persianized. Anyways Azeris can be proud of being Turk or part Turk or not Turk. That is not my point. My point is that by defining Azeris=Turks, then automatically you have started the history really from the Turkification of Azerbaijan. So that is why pan-Turkist nationalists say Babak is really Bay-bak and he was a Khazar Turk.. You get into the trouble of revisionism due to the fact that symbosis and synthesis between different elements.
3) Yes, I think the Azerbaijani government during the era of Elchibey was a fascist afterall the grey wolf nationalists are fascists. But if he was partly smart, he would have used the Shi'i connections and made Mullahs support him (Once the mullahs here the word Shi'i their mouth waters). But he was stupid! So that is why I used the term "donkey" (not as a ethnic thing), but because he was stupid. If I was the president of Azerbaijan republic, I would have done my best to use both Iran and Turkey. But Elchibey instead said"Our road is through Tabriz", "Iran will break in 1997".. Okay with these statements, he made a very stupid strategic mistake! (I would bet 99% would be smart enough to figure it out).
4) "You say, Babak Khorramdin was not a Turk, thus all Azerbaijanis
should forget being a Turk." Never said that! Don't put words in my
mouth. Assume good faith ;) (joke)
I meant I have READ (not
by Ben Madadi on Tue Aug 28, 2007 03:24 AM PDTI meant I have READ (not written)
About the Safavid
by Ben Madadi on Tue Aug 28, 2007 03:21 AM PDTI have written in some other places too that Sheick Safi al-din Ardebili is supposed to have written in Tati, some things. That is TWO HUNDRED years before Shah Ismail. God! My ancestors 200 years before may have been anything! If they were gypsies and I am an Azerbaijani now... so what? That is no argument anyway. Safavids were Azerbaijanis, and these pan-Aryanist Fascist racists are intoxicating the web (just like the pahlavis intoxicated history)... I know. However Azerbaijanis have always protected the whole IRAN... not just their own!
on history
by azerbaijani on Tue Aug 28, 2007 02:13 AM PDTDear Ben,
Safavid Shahs were Azerbaijanis from the beginning. The stuff that you read about them supposedly writing poetry in Taati or being supposedly Kurdish is put on Wikipedia exactly by people who claim here that Turks are animals which killed Iranians. THey just can't live with the fact that Safavids who defined the modern identity of Iran, were Turks. The sad part is that Safavids themselves actually never felt in nationalistic or anti-Persian way, they promoted and courted Persian culture as well to built great Iran.
Anyways, don't take everything written somewhere as truth, the objective of such people is to drive wedge of division between nations and countries, find more enemies for Iran, and cause conflicts along ethnicities who live in peace.
Yashasin Azarbaijan.
Some Questions about Truth
by azerbaijani on Tue Aug 28, 2007 02:05 AM PDTIrandoost,
1. your post:
"Rezashah himself was half Azeri and half Mazandarani. (You are
excluding Mazandarani from being Persian but they are Aryan anyways).
So he spoke Azeri well:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZu2zqFE_gI
The wife of Rezashah was Azeri (Daughter of Qajar Teymur Khan Ayrimlu)."
looks awefully similar to this one:
//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk%3AS...
How using a link to Armenian video against Republic of Azerbaijan, twice, is supposed to make point about the history of Azerbaijani Turks in Iran.
2. You say:
"Turks were brutal people and killed many Iranians. But they did not
have a culture. So from 1100 to 1900, it was Persian culture that
dominated."
How do you expect an Iranian Turk reading this to respect your opinion at all? Perhaps, you're forgetting that after 1000 years of Turkish royal dynasties and domination in Iran, you, yourself may have Turkish blood partly flowing in your veins too. Isn't it shameful to insult part of your identity in such a way?
3. You say, Babak Khorramdin was not a Turk, thus all Azerbaijanis should forget being a Turk. Bon, how about Koroglu, Shah Ismayil Khatai, Nasimi, Fuzuli, Destan of Dada Korkut. We should all erase that just for the sake of being Persian? Can't you just live with the fact that Iranian identity is rich and encompasses many cultures, not just Persian. And why is cultural genocide of Turkish identity is necessary to become Iranian? Don't you think the word "fascist" that you use to blame Republic of Azerbaijan, actually is exactly what applies in such case?
Let's clear this... last time!
by Ben Madadi on Tue Aug 28, 2007 12:15 AM PDTI don't have enough time now to read all this. I just want to clear this out so that everyone knows, AZERBAIJANI IS BANNED in Iran in schools and officials. You cannot kill people for speaking their own language among themselves but the use of Azerbaijani in AZERBAIJN is not permitted in any official sense. THIS IS BANNING AZERBAIJANI. There is no Azerbaijani usage officially, because IT IS BANNED. Constitutional movement were mostly Azerbaijani, as Sattar Khan and Bagher Khan are very well known, and the constitution chose the official language of IRAN (not the Azerbaijan province of Iran) to be Farsi. But Azerbaijanis ended up, after Reza Shah, having their own langaueg banned in their own land. Sorry, don't have time for the rest of your Aryan stuff. Find some other chat-buddy!
Nice try again, but your arguments are weak.
by irandoost on Mon Aug 27, 2007 09:42 PM PDTgain no proof just slogan.
1)
You lied that Azerbaijani is banned. That makes you
lose credibility. But now you say is banned from official use. That
is nonsense. Kids can talk it in school and people can talk it in
institution. It is just not the official language, just like Talyshi
is not the official language of Azerbaijan republic. Is Azeri used in
government buildings in London officially? No. The fact is the
official language was chosen in 1906 by the constitutional revolution.
Azeri's had a major role that.
You said: "Using Azerbaijani language has been banned, and acknowledging being
Azerbaijani, or Azerbaijani Turk, can end you up in prison, tortured or
killed."
I say that is a blatant lie. Even Rafsanjani says they are proud to
have Khaemeni who is a Turk. And Azerbaijani is not banned. That is a
lie. Have you watched Marmulak? An Azeri friend of mine has taken
picture of even Azeri book store in Tehran. If you want, I can give you
the address of Azeri book store in Tehran. So simply your lying.
2) Turks(not Azeri) are known for their brutality in
history. The mongols were mainly Turkic tribe (with a ruling mongol
class) who destroyed Iran az bikho bon. Don't forget that the Vazirs
of all the so called "Turkic" empires were Persian. Don't forget these
Turks like Ghaznavids or Seljuqids did not leave a single piece of
Turkish writing. So while they controlled the country military, they
did not make culture or run the daily affairs. So indeed it was
Iranians who took the important steps
Aryans (look it up in www.dictionary.com) is equivalent to Iranian. It is not fake name.
4)
So what is Shah Ismail wrote in Turkic. Shah Tahmasp wrote in
Persian. Shah Ismail's son (Sam Mirza) wrote a whole book in Persian
and says Shah Ismail had Persian poetry as well. The fact is Shah
Ismail also dedicated Shahnameh Tahmaspi to his son. So he wasn't
really "Turkic". He chose his vizirs to be more powerful than the
ghezelbash men.
//www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v8f6/v8f66...
The Shah tried to weaken Turkish influence as much as possible. He gave the every day affairs to Persians.
5) OKay here is the video of rezashah and ataturk. Have fun:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ql0Oe42Nk8
Your saying Mazandarani is not Persian. So then Rezashah is simply
half Azeri half Mazandarani. His wife was Azeri (something everyone
knows). Making his son 75% Azeri. So if you have a problem,blame
youself.
6) Yeah it is uneducated to compare Kurds in Turkey to Azeris in
Iran. Kurds predate Turks by about at least 1500 years in Anatolia and
are natives who are being wiped out. Turkish language (not Azeri's
perse) entered Azerbaijnan say 600 years ago and it wiped out a Persian
dialect in Azerbaijan. Before Safavids, Tabriz was a Persian speaking
city. Qajar kings took out the eyes of 30,000 Iranians in Kerman.
Also why is there not any Greek or Armenian left in Turkey! Nice
respect don't you think?
7) Nonsense hysterical stuff. I would read something educated about Aryans here:
www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/AryanHome.pdf
Once you read the above carefuly (and I would read it instead of throwing slogans) and understand what is Aryan, then maybe you will stop misusing the term in every sentence and relating to jews/nazis. The two have no connection. The Nazis commited a genocide on Jews just like Turks did to Armenians. It is not the responsibility of the veda/avesta/old-persian if the Nazi's somehow thought they were related with them. So read alittle, so you won't abuse the term.
8)
I don't have a problem with my Iranian identity. But pan-Turkists
Azeri's have a problem with their artificial turkish identity. Because
Turkification of Azerbaijan is a recent phenomenon so they have to make
up that Babak is a Turk and hundrends of other figures are a Turk.
Also don't make yourself spokeman for all Azerbaijanis.
9)
Point nine is what we sho'ar. And thanks for comparing me to
Elchibey..but at least I did not do something to lose the land of my
country. So there, I did more than Elchibey by not being dumb.
Really though, read some history. When Elchibey publicaly claims "Iran
will break up in 1997" what do you want Iran's government to do?
Doesn't matter if it is Mullah, Ayatollah, Pahlavi or whatever.
Whoever is in charge will obviously not support the republic of
Azerbaijan which such rhetoris. Elchibey created the problem, everyone
knows this.
10) Azerbaijani is not banned. Even the supreme
leader (you can take him with you) talks it when he visits Azeri
provinces. Here is a book just published:
//www.foroneiran.com/index.php/nation/more/33...
When
you blatantly lie that Azerbaijani is banned, you simply lose all
credibility. Azeri is used in many films including Marmulak (see the
nice song in the end). You might want to visit Iran and see that
there is radio, t.v. , newspaper, books, magazine s.. It is not an
official language (granted), but then again official language was
chosen in 1906. Anyone is free to learn it, it is just not state
sponsered. It is much more than Kurdish in Turkey. Your comparison
is also invalid from economic point of view, since Azeri's run the
economy (Azeri is spoken in the Bazar of Tehran regularly! So much for being banned!) and are the richest group where-as Kurds are poorest in Turkey. If anything, other ethnic groups should be talabkar for the chavaunism of Qajars.. So stop trying to cause ethnic discord.
I am lost in reality, you are lost in history!
by Ben Madadi on Mon Aug 27, 2007 04:10 PM PDTI don't wish to reply to this person but to point to signficant issues that he has brought out, so that readers can be informed, rather than misinformed.
1) Azerbaijani langauge use in ANY OFFICIAL way, schools, institutions is banned in Iran, IN PRACTICE, though not legally (the constitution respects all Iranian local langauges).
2) Turks did not have a culture and they were brutal people who unfortunately did not kill your ancestors, you survived under their rule for hndreds of years (and faired quite well) and stole the history YOU did not create on your name! This does not go for proud Iranians who are proud of being Iranians, whoever they are, but to the type of this person who still speak of their Aryan aberration. This person has no fault in having had rubbish education under ARYANS.
3)... not wroth
4) Safavids were "not" Turks if you wish so, becasue some say that their forefathers some 200 years before Shah Ismail who founded the Safavid Empire (who first established Azerbaijan as their kingdom then conquered the whole ancient Persian Empire) is said to have been non-Turk (Azerbaijani) becasue he wrote in Tati langauge, and his foefatehrs are said to have come, probably, some Kurdish area. Shah Ismail and other Safavid wrote and spoke in Azerbaijani and Shah Ismail's poetic pen-name was Khati, and he wrote in Azerbaijani Turkic.
5) The video took me to some Armenian stuff!!!!!
6) It is indeed UNEDUCATED to compare Kurd in Turkey to Iranians of any sort becasue Turks in Turkey have the least respect to human dignitiy not to hang people for political reason in public squares.
7) Azerbaijanis are Iranians themselves. Are you blaming them? I doubt you do, but you need to blame someone right? If no-body else, Jews, Turks, etc, were guilty Aryans were ruling the wrold today, right?!
8) You have a problem, not Azerbaijanis, because YOU need to study your own history better. Azerbaijanis turned, or were, Turkic since whatever time they wished to, that's not YOUR problem.
9) Elchibey was there before problems started. So, Iran was, and is, supporting its ARYAN (I guess, is it so?) Christian brethren in Armenia against Shia Azerbaijanis, from the start. Elchibey was probably an idealistic idiot, just like yourself, though he sacrificed his everything for it (and did some harm to his nation too without wanting) but you are doing nothing for your "Aryans" brethren in Afghanistan so your puppy production can increase significantly. What about uniting with Afgnaistan? I insist.
10) Azerbaijani is not banned, we talk Azerbaijani at home, believe me! Does that calm you? It is just about people being hanged etc... nothing interesting.
Most of the comments that
by Ben Madadi on Mon Aug 27, 2007 11:07 AM PDTMost of the comments that are from angry Aryan/Persian nationalists are proof to the open-minded to judge on their own.
Selective History
by wazik on Sat Aug 25, 2007 07:47 PM PDTI think "Irandoost" has given you and yours an opportunity to refresh your historical knowledge. also, I always encourage my Azari compatriots to try to make a distinction btween the following: 1- Nationality 2- Citizenship 3- Race It seems like there is a tendency to mix up the above to reach a desired conclusion... Your Nationality is Iranian, your Citizenship is whatever passport you may hold (dual, triple, etc.) and your race is very very mixed. Oh, by the way, you may speak Azari these days which is liguistically a sub dialect of Turkic languages, but you are certainly not a Turk, or Kurd, or Mongol, Saka, or....you may be all of the above like me. What is important is asking the question; why are we suddenly so sensitive about our long trampled rights at this juncture of our country's history? Is it not true that the Azari Leader of the IRI and his multi-ethnic gang is systematicaly selling the Iranian soil and soul to the lowest bidder? Get your priorities straight my Azari compatriate..
Backward horseshoe
by manesh on Sat Aug 25, 2007 07:15 PM PDTYou are obviousely trying to confuse the term Persian so that nobody can be proud of it. It's part of an effort to de-value our heritage. You've done this before. Why? Only you know.
<br>
Persian does not refer to the language, or any other "ethnic" division INSIDE Iran. It's the name of the ancient world-renown country, culture and civilization. You don't seem to value that universal recognition.
Your lost
by irandoost on Sat Aug 25, 2007 06:12 PM PDT1) Azerbaijani is not banned in Iran. That is a big lie. It is just not an official language. The official language was chosen in 1906 to be Persian. So the government has a responsibility to teach Persian. The constitution of 1906 was also written in Persian.
2) Turks were brutal people and killed many Iranians. But they did not have a culture. So from 1100 to 1900, it was Persian culture that dominated. The Turks were mainly in the army.
3) Aryan (Iran) is the name of the land in Sassanid times. There is Aryan ethnic group and it is attested by historians. Look it up in Encyclopedia Britannica.
4) Safavids were not Turks per se. Their ancestry goes back to Shaykh Safi al-Din Ardabili who is acknowledged as being Kurds (Aryan). There was rivarly between Persians and Qizilbash elements in that empire, but the kings usually supported the Persian element and by the era of Shah Abbas, the Qizilbash element was weakened and almost completely eradicated.
5) Rezashah himself was half Azeri and half Mazandarani. (You are excluding Mazandarani from being Persian but they are Aryan anyways). So he spoke Azeri well:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZu2zqFE_gI
The wife of Rezashah was Azeri (Daughter of Qajar Teymur Khan Ayrimlu).
Mohammad Rezashah thus is 75% Azeri and he married Farah who is an Azeri.
6) On the IRI side, the current supreme leader is Azeri and many of the groups. It is really uneducated to compare this to Kurds of Turkey! And don't tell me Khomeini was a Persian nationalist! His background according to good amount of sources goes back to India.
7) If we are to talk about injustice, one must talk about all the brutal invasions and massacares comitted by Turks since they entered Iran in 1100. If you look at the chronicles, millions of Iranians perished as a result of Turco-Mongol (most of the soldiers of Mongols being Turks) invasions.
Zoroastrians used to be at least 10% of the population of Iran before Safavids. So you have the Pahlavi regime and IRI.
8) Azerbaijan had its own Indo-Iranian Persian dialect before the advents of Turks. This is well known. Many Azeri's do not want to identify with Turks as Turks are Turkomens, Kyrghiz, Uzbeks and etc. Babak Khorramdin for example was not a Turk. He is acknowledged as Persian. So Azeri nationalists have a problem on their hand. Since Turkic presence is relatively new in Azerbaijan. 9) Iran did not support Armenia, but was neutral after the Azeri fascist leader Elchibey said Iran will break up in 1997. That is what I call a real donkey, because had he been smart, he would actually use the Shi'i connection to lure in the Mullahs and win the war. But he was indeed a donkey for not even recognizing that you can not antagonize Iran while fighting Armenia. Iran was more pro-Azerbaijan republic before Elchibey came. 10) In Iran today there is Azeri magazine, books, tv, newspaper, music and even university level courses. The fact that Persian is dominant culture has to do with history and numerical majority. It is nothing like the fascist republic of Azerbaijan where there was 80,000 Talysh in 1926 and now the government claims there are 77,000 in 2006. So please stop making up that Azerbaijan is banned. It is not banned. Also the use of the term "Donkey" was started by Ottomon Turks.