WARNING FROM TABRIZ PEOPLE
TO ADMINISTRATION
A
communiqué prepared by the Southern Azerbaijani students in
Tabriz University and a group of artists and scientists
living in Tabriz to condemn the acts perpetrated by
Armenians in Tehran on 24th of April was sent to
Minister of Internal Affairs, Mustafa Pourmuhammed.
It was
stated in the communiqué that Armenians perpetrated genocide
against Turks in 1915, 1917 and 1918, therefore, Turks
became the victims of these acts but the Iranian regime
turning a blind eye to the historical facts is giving
support to Armenians. The Iranian regime was warned at the
last part of the communiqué in the way that “they should not
be an instrument of the political games of the Armenian
Diaspora”.
This
meaningful condemnation of the Southern Azerbaijani
intellectuals is not an emphasis on a new development
because even a short overlook on the contemporary history of
Iran could easily expose what kind of policies are carried
out in this country. The “Genocide Monument” constructed in
Vanak Church in Esfahan in 1975 stays there as an unpleasant
indication of the stabilized (!) policies of the Iranian
regime. Esfahan with its population over 3 million is one of
the two cities, the other one of which is Tehran where
Armenians in this country mostly live. Armenians in Esfahan
were settled by the Safawi ruler Shah Abbas I from the
Caucasus to the Julfa district which was established at the
right side of the river at the end of the 16th
century.
The
political observers reminded that President Ahmadinejad was
so close with the Christian Armenian minority in Iran during
the election campaign and stated that the Iranian President
did not only try to take the votes of almost three hundred
thousand Armenians in the country but also followed the
strategy of his country which has openly been giving support
to the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories since
1991, provides aid for Yerevan and signs up joint gas and
oil pipeline projects. However, even Rafsanjani and Khatemi
who cherished the same policy did not have a rhetoric
advocating the Armenian genocide as the new President has.
The
Iranian President who always hides that his mother is a
Southern Azerbaijani from Ardabil held a meeting with five
Armenian deputies in the Iranian parliament and told these
deputies who reminded his promises that “I am a man of my
word and I condemned the genocide perpetrated in 1915 in
Turkey. Not only should the massacres against Armenians but
also all kinds of murders be punished.”
While
about 250 thousand Armenians are living in Iran whose
population is 70 millions, the number of the Turks is 25
millions. President Ahmedinejad admitted that he will
recognize the Armenian genocide for the sake of Armenian
minority and in the name of his shadowy, anti-Islamic
relations with Armenia and this was retorted by the Southern
Azerbaijanis in the country.
In 2004
the “genocide” protests of Armenians triggered off a
conflict in Tehran and the Southern Azerbaijanis in the
region showed reaction to the improper words of Armenians
regarding Azerbaijan and Turks and their burning the Turkish
flag. Armenians hold demonstrations on every 24th
of April in Tehran as in various parts of the world and when
the Armenian protests were interfered again the Southern
Azerbaijanis were given harm. As a result of the events
after Armenians were taken under control during the protest
held in Tehran last year, the Iranian police forces arrested
more than 30 Turks. It was strange that they impeded the
Southern Azerbaijanis who commemorate “Azerbaijanis
massacred by Armenians” on 31st of March. Media
reporting states that Turks who took part in these protests
are still in prison.
