South Azerbaijan Blogs
A week and half ago I linked to a story on the possible role of Azerbaijan and Iran’s large Azerbaijani minority in any action against the Islamic Republic. This is not the first time that the idea of promoting nationalism among Iran’s large Azeri minority living on Armenia’s southern border has been made, although that’s not to downplay the importance of minority rights in any country.
There’s more information on South Azerbaijan at http://www.travel-images.com/az-south.html.
Currently the main voice for the Azeri population in the Islamic Republic is the National Liberation Movement of Southern Azerbaijan (NLMSA), headed by Piruz Dilenchy. The organization was created in 1996, when six Azeri political parties merged. The Iranian government has accused Turkey of being involved with the NLMSA. The movement is quite vocal in it struggle and has organized several demonstrations recently, mainly in Tabriz, which were violently broke up by the Iranian police.
Recently the Azeri population and the Iranian authorities have clashed over the election of Mahmood-Ali Chehregani to the Teheran parliament. He is an outspoken defender of Azeri rights and an opposer to forced ‘Persianization’ of South Azerbaijan. The Iranian authorities have barred him from taking his seat in parliament and have even been accused of torture.
It’s also not an old idea.
The Democratic Republic of South Azerbaijan, or Azerbaijan People’s Government, was a Soviet backed, shortlived attempt (November 1945-November 1946) to acclaim autonomy for the region of Azarbaijan in Iran.
Following the Soviet occupation of parts of northern Iran during the Second World War attempts were made to secede Turkish parts of Nortwestern Iran by the Azerbaijani Democratic Party under the leadership of Sayyid Jafar Pishevari.
These attempts culminated in November 1945 in the creation of a government based in Tabriz. The first and only Prime Minister of this new and shortlived Republic was Prime Minister Ahmad Kordary (variously spelled Kordari or Kodari). Prime Minister Kordary was jailed for many years by the Shah and later released due to the tireless efforts of his brother Kazem Kordary. Following pressure by Western powers, the Soviet Union reneged on its support to the new republic and Iranian military succeeded in re-establishing Iranian rule in November 1946. Many of the leaders sought refuge in the Azerbaijan SSR.
Certainly, blogs such as http://southazerbayjan.blogspot.com/ and http://southazarbaijan.blogspot.com/ remind me of the Kurdish separatist movement in Turkey. This is especially true when it comes to calls for cultural and linguistic rights for Iran’s large Azeri minority.
Thank you for the information, Onnik. At http://southazarbaijan.blogspot.com/, in the “Ethnicities in Iran and the population of the Turks” list, the word “armenians” is spelled with a lower-case “a,” a favorite nationalist Turkish tradition of dehumanizing Armenians…
Comment by Blogian — February 24, 2006 @ 9:16 pm
And it doesn’t stop there. This just in via a Kurdish blog:
Comment by Onnik — February 25, 2006 @ 5:55 am
there is no South Azerbaijan. it is called IRAN (PERSIA).
Your idea is totally absurd.
Remember that Baku belonged to IRAN until 170 years ago and if there is anything to be called by direction it is your Azerbaijan which should be called Northern Azerbaijan and you should come back to where you belong.
This idea is totally crap and serves the idea of idiot separatists in Iran.
Comment by Winston — February 25, 2006 @ 10:20 am
by the way, what else Turks want in Iran?
the supreme leader of Iran is Azeri
The Bazaar is in hands of Turks. The grocery stores are run by Azeris.
This idea is just a cheap crap to further separatism with a weakened Iran but dream on.
Comment by Winston — February 25, 2006 @ 10:24 am
Winston, it is not my idea. I am merely posting links to further information so that people can see what might be going in on in Armenia’s southern neighbor. Speak to the guys who set up the blogs and not me.
Comment by Onnik — February 25, 2006 @ 12:15 pm
South Azerbaijan is by all means under the occupation of Persian regime and its resources, language and people are harassed and annihilated systematically. The Independence of South is only a matter of time and an independent south Azerbaijan would be a developed and prosperous country and also beneficial to neighbouring Persia. We will also have very good relations with Armenia and will help them develop their economy of course after resolving our problems with them.
Comment by Christian — July 28, 2008 @ 10:34 pm