Iranian of the Day

This blog

is getting really out there now! Persian "the language of Islamic invaders". That is news to me I thought Islamic invaders spoke Arabic. My mistake I guess I have my languages mixed up. Koran must be written in Persian :-) 

Folks there are 3 kinds of Persian: 

• Old Persian - Known as Avestan went out as the Achaemenid did. Most of us will not understand more than 10-20% of the words.
• Middle Persian - Known as Pahlavi {not the Shah!}. It was the language of Sassanids. We probably understand about 50-60 % of it.
• Modern Persian - Known as Farsi. It ia an amalgam of Middle Persian and other words from Arabic; Turkish and others. Spoken in Iran.

None of these are that of "invaders". I have no idea what Simorgh is talking about. The subject of this blog if I get it is the use of Farsi in provinces. Most of which have their own local variants differing from Farsi.

RG

As I said to Simorgh I am not getting in the middle of you and Baron. Have a go at it by yourselves. I have not accused you of supporting any of the above. Nor do I think you are supprting them. 

Your fight it with Baron not me. I have said you support Kurdish rights just as I do. That is not "libel". It is a good thing and I figure you agree with me. Now back to arguing with Simorgh over Trita Parsi!

Simorgh

I have not accused RG of anything. Regarding you I have no "proof" that you are in the pay of anyone. Therefore I have not made any such accusation. I don't know who is being paid by anyone. How would I?

However I have seen your posts be partial to Israel. That is all. As for RG he seems partial to some groups. But I am not out to pick a fight with him. So he wants to support Kurdish right. Great so do I and no problem.

Regarding NIAC this is your obsession. Just see on the thread that has nothing to do with it. You bring up Trita Parsi! What does he have to do with this blog. But since you did I will respond best I may. But first know that I do not work for NIAC and am not their voice. NIAC is connected to IRI no question about it. Why: because IRI is the government of Iran. To do business of any kind in Iran you need to deal with it. Many Iranians go back and forth. To this day! Hence cutting off relations is not an option. That does not mean they love IRI. It means they are forced to deal with it.  They don't want NIAC membership to get them in trouble. Hence NIAC has to keep a half decent relationship with IRI. 

VPK: Please keep out of this.....

The user ID "Baronavak" needs to prove his specefic libelous and salnderous accusations against me on

"supporting MKO, supporting Pjak, supporting the separatist movements" 

No "mast maali" would do.......

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

VPK

What proof do people have that Baron is paid by anyone? 

What proof does Baron have (and indeed even you, I'm afraid) of accusing people like me and Roozbeh Gilani of being in the pay of Israel or neo-con 'ghost writers'? Is it your wonderful instincts again?

Read the posts carefully on this thread and on others and you can see who is instigating the conspiracy theories and making insulting personal accusations?  

I have asked for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be assassinated and he has a beef with me for saying this. Every Iranian across the political divide regardless of their ideologies would have no objection to me asking for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be assassinated. But Baron Avak does. I couldn't care less whether Iranians do it or Israel but it doesn't mean I am an agent of the latter.   I want Ahaminejad to be shot in between his eyes do you have a problem with that, too? 

The woman who is subject of this thread, is probably a separatist but she is less of a threat to Iran than people like Trita Parsi and NIAC which Baron Avak and you have lent their support to. Its a crime to be seen sympathising with Azari Iranians who like other Iranians have been spurned by this regime but you have absolutely no objection to someone like Parsi who met, wined and dined with the UN Islamic Republic Ambassador to Iran. Instead of you and Baron (your new friend like Molah Nasradeen recently) exploring why Azaris are angry and why Azari separatist sentiments maybe increasing (which it is not) you automatically assume we are under the Mosaad pyroll. We should be united against the IR. 

The Funny thing is that it is always people like Baron Avak and Iranian Military Forum who criticize people for having "fake" avatars but do not have the gutts to come clean with their own identity.

Death to the IR. Death to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and please support military action.  

RG and Baron

I have been reading your posts. It is too bad that there is so much fighting. 

Baron has a valid point in opposing separatism. And opposing attacks on Iran. You do not have to be in the pay of IRI to oppose attacks. What proof do people have that Baron is paid by anyone? 

Folks just opposing separatism or war does not mean supporting IRI. I see a ton of baseless attacks here. But no proof. One person claimed this blog is full of hate. I asked examples of the hate and they changed the subject! But people who say Zamani is a separatist have shown proof. They posted her own words "so-called country of Iran". Who am I going to believe. People who back up their words with proof. Or people who scream racist and human rights but show no proof.

Savalan

Azarbaijanis are Iranians, by culture, race, history, and heritage.  They are also bi-langual in Persian and even the Azarbaijani language itself is a Persian-Turkish hybrid language developed in the region only a few hundred years ago.  The Persian-Turkish hybrid is not native to Azarbaijan and even today in the remote mountains of Azarbaijans they speak an Iranian language called Azari, which is related to Gilaki and Talysh.  

Mr Savalan

If what you say were true then it is the policy of an Azarbayjani. His name Khamenei! I am not at all convinced of your claims about banning speaking at home. But I am sure the parents want their kids to learsn Persian. 

When people come to America they need to learn English. This even though vast parts used to belong to Mexico. If you want to succeed you need English. Not French; not German or Spanish. I came here; I learned English. I teach my kids English even though I love to have them speak Persian. But they need English or won't succeed. If I move back to Iran with my kids they will need to brush up their Persian. Try getting a job in USA with just Spanish and you will not get half as far.

Why should Iranian system offer a choice of language? Does Turkey let Kurds study in Kurdish? Very few nations are multi-linguaal. Not even those offer "choice". Maybe two like Candada with English and French just in one region.

You have to switch your identity to become successful in Iran .

You have to switch your identity to become successful in Iran .

That is what those in elite did.

Many Non-Persian and Azerbaijani families suffering from identity crisis. Parents were trying to speak to their children in Farsi, because children from Azerbaijani families had difficulties in school. humiliated for their accent, they could not be as successful as their Persian mates in literature, history. However, they are good in subjects like math and physics.

Psychology of elites by Boal (if I am not mistaken) says that elites can not represent the nation because they lost their strings with it. As simple as that. Moreover, their success in career becomes a source for frustration in masses. They stop seeing the root of the problem; they think that they are losers. Namely the assimilated elite with switched identity is a source of frustration, because masses blame themselves in being losers. (We were not able to switch our identity, so our kid will not be lawyer or politician, engineering will be the best scenario)

My understanding of human rights says the language and identity is something that comes with your family, but is a matter of choice. And my question is: whether this choice is given?

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

There is no freedom of choice if:
* there are no schools in Azerbaijani like in Iran
* people teaching Azerbaijani in their houses, reading Azerbaijani books are jailed (I have examined court documents and can prove this)
* people are sentenced for panturkism (while panturkism as a crime is not defined in the Criminal Code of IRI)
* people get extra prison term for refusing to speak Farsi in the court (while according to law he has to be provided with translator)
etc.

HOW MANY?

How many people do care about identity? Good question.
Let's go back to 1945-46 or as late as May 2006. Even after major crackdown in May 2006 intimidated and harassed Azerbaijanis do not give up.
February 22 after the large wave of arrests in all Azerbaijani cities, there was a rally in Tebriz and guess what they were demanding? Schools in Azerbaijani. The main slogan was:
"Turk dilinde medrese olmalidir her kese".
I have seen those videos and let me say numbers are impressive and I have no doubt saying that these people have more rights to be considered as representatives of nation than handful of those who do not even call themselves Azerbaijanis (turks)and represent Iranian elite with its fascism-smelling Aryanism.

Pan Iranian nationalism has become a state policy starting from 1925 when Pehlevis put the end to a thousand years long Turkic dominance in this area.

IF THEY WOULD HAVE CHOICE

But what if they would have choice?
May be they would have chosen to study in any other language: Kurdish, English, Russian, French, Amharic?

But that would be their choice and I strongly believe that loyalty to any language is strictly directed by market rules. If there is more information available in Persian, I am sure, that Azerbaijanis will learn Persian, may be not as the first language but the second one. That is what the freedom of choice is about. And those who are under arrest in Iran or harassed for their cultural rights activity want this freedom of choice.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQSRTKE-zw8

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcbakcuGgHs

"Baronavak" shameless regime supporting liar

 You and other user ID's like you on this site are here for one reason only:

Support the islamist regime by character assasinating it's outspeken opponents through shameless lies and propaganda.  

Now prove to the rest of the blog this accusation you shameless regime supporting liar:

" have the nerve to advocate war against Iran, terrorism against Iran by PJAK and the MKO, and seperation of Iran and destroying its territorial integrity forever"

And you are fooling no one with your "Long live Iran", or "death to nobody". We know what you and other user ID's like you on this site are, and which entity pays you to be here attacking the opponents of islamist regime. We just cant say it because we'd have our comments removed by the site admin... 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

UrmuFarzin

Have you been appointed the spokesperson for "Azaris"? If so when was the vote taken and who voted for you. If not then you speak for yourself only.

From all accounts people in Azarbayjan speak whatever they want. No one is stopping them from speaking. But in school they need to learn the national language. Just like in America you learn English. It is normal. 

How is anyone crushing the "Azari" culture? Some of the most ardent advocates of a united Iran are "Azari" say Ahmad Kasravi. Are you telling me that Khamenei the leader of Iran is not an Azari? Then is he discriminating against his own "minority" group! It doesn't make any sense. As for  Zamani many provided links and quotes that prove she is a separatist. Her own words quoted here are the proof. By the way I am still waiting for you to prove to me all the "hate" you accused us of.

What the Azeris want

One last thing. We all wonder why Iranian minorities are not supporting the Green Movement. Well, the Greens don't support the rights of those minorities. These minority groups will continue to hold out from protests until the Green Movement or subsequent democracy movements legitimately address their concerns: language, cultural, economic, social, gender rights. Until then, Iran will be stuck in limbo while the rest of the Middle East progresses toward democracy.

The Syrians recognize this... why can't we?

//english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/09/2011912135213927196.html 

What the Azeris want

I'm not going to argue with anyone. For those of you who haven't already made up their minds about how cultural and linguistic homogeniety is ideal in Iran, there are past examples to prove that the policy doesn't work. Language has always played an important role for one's identity. In 1978, Moscow threatened to impose a new Constitution on Georgia, one that removed the Georgian language (kartuli) as the official language of the republic. The infuriated and vivacious Georgians took to the streets chanting "Deda Ena", which means Mother Tongue. After an appeal from Eduard Sheverdnadze, the Georgian party boss at the time, Moscow changed its mind averting a possible crisis in Georgia. If everyone thought the way you did, then the entire Soveit Union would have destroyed the multitude of languages that existed in its borders.

China is the same way. Should the culture and languages of the Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Inner Mongolians be completely crushed for Chinese nationalism?

Forced assimilation does not keep a state cohesive, especially if half of that country is comprised of ethnic minority groups i.e. Iran. This policy only divides people and makes them feel marginalized. Nobody is saying that there shouldn't be a lingua franca in Iran. We are talking about allowing regions to additionally teach their languages in schools. 

It is no secret that there is growing ethnonatioanlism within Iran's ethnic minority groups. This is because above all for some reason, the IRI maintained the ultra-nationalist policies of the Shah of Iran. Time and time again, we have learned that nationalism does not work in the Middle East. It's a European concept that was created during the French Revolution and idolized by Nazi-symathizers in WWII. The ideal system is to allow everyone to represent themselves, their interests. That is REAL democracy, otherwise you all will have the same ethnic democracy that you have in Israel, something most of you vehemently oppose. 

This is the 21st century, the age of oppenness, information, and freedom. Why do we insist on clinging to policies that didn't work during the shah and the IRI. We Iranians put too much emphasis on the history of Iran from 2500 years ago and fail to rationally address our problems within the past 50 years. If we want to progress toward democracy we have to hear ALL voices, not shut them down because they don't jive with what you grew up learning in the schools of the Shah's Iran. By labelling Fakhteh Zamani as a separatist and trying to quiet her makes you no different from the agents of the current government. Let everyone's story be told.  

Hey Tiger, You are right, Iran only has around 35% of the

worlds known gas reserves, so how could it be about gas?  Must be something else. Like shrimp.

Reality Bites Jan

I do not mean to speak for BaronAvak. But my take on him is different. I do not see him disagreeing with Roozbeh about the Islamic Republic. It sounds like he believes Roozbeh is advocating separatism. Now I do not see RG advocating separatism. But I think the real question would be if Baron would provide some posts by RG. If he does show posts by RG supporting separatism then the accusations have merit. If not then they do not.

Just like I responded to UrmuFarzin. The burden of proof is on the accuser. This person also made a lot of accusations without any proof. In general it would be nice if people backed up any accusation with solid proof. 

This is not hard to do if the accusation is true. Just find the post and refer to it with a link or cut and paste the relevant part. 

UrmuFarzin

Would you be so kind as to please give some examples of your claim. Who is trying to "rid" the country of anyone? I don't see these comments. Accusation is simple proof is hard. 

If I and others say that Khamenei the VF is from Azarbayjan is that false? Is that "intimidation". You throw a lot of accusations: prove them or retract them please. Who is filled with hatred. The only hate I see comes from the pan Turks like Savalan. Show me the "hate" coming from others. A good portion of my family is from Azarbayjan. I don''t hate them but I truthfully say the prefer to speak Persian. Is that intimidation or hatred in your definition. 

I am really sick of baseless charges of racism. Whenever someone wants to attack Iranians they bring up "Aryan" and "Hitler". Shame on those who make accusations without proof. 

BaronAvak, explain this to me

Your signature says:

Long Live Iran, democracy and secularism.

Roozbeh's comments are about condemning the Islamic Republic, which is a regime that is anti-Iran, anti-democracy and anti-secularism.

And yet you've thrown a lot of accusations at RG, all of them highly offensive and utterly without foundation.

I mean, going by your signature, you come across as anti-IR (correct me if I'm wrong) and so is RG. So how come he is an "Anti-Iranian neo-con" and you are not?

Wow

You all should listen to yourselves. You guys sound like Assef from the novel the Kite Runner who wanted Afghanistan to be a purely Pashtun state, ridding the country of the Hazaras. If you ever read the book, he was the one that respected Hitler as a "great leader".

I hope the younger generations in the Iranian diaspora will be much more liberal-minded and not filled with so much hatred. You all should relax and try to stop intimidating anyone that brings up the ethnic minority issue in Iran. If anyone wants someone to bully, you guys can come find me. I'll gladly be the recipient of your bullying :)

Savalan

I will keep exposing the real racists who are the pan Turkists. If you don't like it too bad! I have plenty of relatives from Azarbayjan. None of them consider themselves "Turk". 

All were brought up with "Azarbayejani". But all of them chose to speak Persian. No one forced them but it was their choice. Just like the great Ahmad Kasravi did. 

The racist charge is utter nonsense because they are the same race as others. Besides if Iran is so "racist" why is its VF from Azarbayjan. It is hard to claim a nation is racist when its top leaders are from that region. By the way talking about racism: who killed over a million Armenians? Was it "Persians" or the Turks. Hint: ask Armenians they will tell you. To this day Turkey refused to take responsibility.

Stop attacks on human rights activists and minorities!

In recent years we have witnessed the emergence in Iranian Diaspora of a group of hooligans and, if you will, intellectual thugs, who run around and blatantly attack whoever talks of Iran’s Azerbaijani or Turkic population, a population which numbers over 20 million. Whoever defends the rights of this particular community, even the scholars who do objective research on the situation of this community in Iran, and even those members of the community who self-identify as Azerbaijani-Turks are attacked by these racist thugs who, using various pseudonyms, label these individuals as “pan-Turkist” and so forth.

In today’s Iran,these are taboo topics among Iranians, regardless of whether they are inside Iran or in Iranian Diaspora outside, and regardless of whether they are a part of the current Islamic regime or a part of its opposition. This is an act of daring, a speaking of truth to power. And when you do that, the power reacts. This reaction takes many forms, from the blocking of your publications in Iran-related and Middle East-related academic journals to attacking you in conferences and seminars to threats of getting you expelled from your job and so on and so forth.

Stop attacks on human rights activists and on minorities!

Take it easy ...

"... anti-Iranian disinformation mongers trying to use anti-regime sentiment  ... "

A real tongue twister that one. (really impressed)      :)))

"Roozbeh_Gilani"

Despite your lovely buzzwords like "anti-Islamist regime" and "pro-justice", these are simply masks to cloak your anti-Iranian neo-con agenda.  Just like Khomeini used buzzwords like "freedom" and "justice" to sucker Iranians  in 1978.  

 While you speak of such lovely words, you AMAZINGLY have the nerve to advocate war against Iran, terrorism against Iran by PJAK and the MKO, and seperation of Iran and destroying its territorial integrity forever.  The proof is in the pudding and these show your true anti-Iranian face.  

So we can conclude very easily that you and the other fake anti-Iranian neo-con profiles on this site are an anti-Iranian disinformation mongers trying to use anti-regime sentiment to destroy Iran itself. 

Long Live Iran, democracy and secularism.

Death to Nobody. 

Why was

my response deleted? I did not insult anyone. Just posteed in response to RG who asked people to write in Persian. Here is another response: Many people on this site are not Iranian. Plus some who are don't speak Persian.

Therefore it is better to write responses in English. It makes it possible for sll to read it. Or we restrict discussion to Farsi speakers only. Now I have been challenged as whether I speak Persian; proved it and switched back to English.

I am telling you separatists are nothing new and supported by enemies of Iran. Dear JJ I disagree with you about the reason. It is not due to Tehran it is due to Washington; Baku and Neocon.

"baronavak"

The question as to why you and user ID's like you are allowed to roam around this site,  personally attacking and slandering the  anti regime  users  with most shameful accusations,  with 100% immunity, is for JJ/site admin to answer.

As I am prevented to do so on  this blog (having my response to you removed), I'll respond to your constant shameful accusations and slanders against myself and other site users in my own blog. By all means, read and enjoy.

Remember: I'll never be silenced until the day I die. Your personal attacks  only make me more determined to expose the crimes of the islamist regime against my people, the people of Iran, until the day the fascist islamist regime is overthrown and it's every single leader and supporter are brought to justice, no matter where  they live and hide on this planet

Long Live Iran, democracy and secularism.

Death to Islamist regime and all it's supporters.

Divide and conquer! Agents of the West/Israel! Traitors!

Az abeh geli mahi migirand! Join the kords and serbs!

It's amazing how these

It's amazing how these mulitple neo-con fake profiles try to stain all Iranian nationalists as mullahs and "bache akhounds."   They even have Persian-speaking ghost writers assisting them.  Even a totally secular Iranian simply opposing seperatism in Iran invites a "you're a mullah islamist" smear from these fake neo-con disinformation profiles.  This should tell you who the real enemy of Iran is and what they are targeting.  The real enemy are those behind the fake disinformation profiles who support war on Iran, terrorists like PJAK and MKO, and seperatism in Iran.  They are targeting all Iranian patriotism, all Iranian unity, from all ideologies and any religion.   If you defend Iran against these neo-cons, they label you an "Islamist" or a "bache akhound."

Na azizam bavar kon khaen inja faghat shoma o oon hamkaraneh bisharafeh zedde Iraninietoon dar Tel Aviv hastand.  Khedmateh shoma va nokaranet dar Tel Aviv faghat yeh pasokh midaham va oon hast: JAVID IRAN. 

Universality of rights

Human rights are rights of all humans, regardless of faith, race, gender... But, once it's narrowed down by any of those factors, it's bound to result in discrimination. As per our experience with IRI's concept of "Islamic Human Rights" that has brought us nothing but religious discrimination, one can not expect much more from advocates of "freedom for Azari political prisoners!" Just as one can either be for human rights or none at all, one can only be against political imprisonment in all conditions or...

Gas

Now, why would anybody think that this is all about gas

Separatist

In Azerbaijan always some people were separatist and there will be more in future and this is not a new phenomena and it has been especially since end of world war two.

But the question comes who are these people want to have separatism and who are behind them and how many percent of people in Azerbaijan follow these kind of people? unknown

From last 33 year in our country hate has been injected in to the people for survival of the regime.

If Kurds or Baloch or Azaries and others are looking for separation because of discrimination and all the crimes committed against them, since 1979 thousands of Kurds have been killed and yet still they are getting killed, in the name of separatist and ladled them spy to CIA and others and terrorist.

This is why people must unite against regime, which is creating all the problems that we have today in our country and among the people.

People of Azarbayjan

The people who live there are Iranians. They have been Iranian for 3000 years. The name is Persian and means land of fire: Azar = Adar = Fire. The language was forcibly changed by the Turkish rulers well after Islam.

There is a great book by Ahmad Kasravi on the Ancient language of Azarbayjan. It is here:  //www.amazon.com/Azari-Zaban-Bastan-Azarbayga...