ColumnsTashjian's Take
Reflection on the “Armenia-Iran: Historical Past and Present” International Conference
The Iranian Studies Department of the Oriental Studies of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, together with the Iranian Cultural Center of the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran at Yerevan and Yerevan State University, organized a two-day internationa
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Thanks Yeghia, your contributions and dedication to advancement of Armenian causes and gaining support from your Southern Neighbor is remarkable. Mr Badakhshan and all embassy staff in Yerevan are lovingly pursuing the promotion of relationships in support of Armenians. Sense of comradery is pulpable. Iran’s Industrial, Mining & Trade Minister will visit Yerevan this week. That’s a good opportunity for Armenian government to firm up some of the projects and reciprocate advances from Iranian side. After removal of sanctions, all countries will send their delegates to Iran for fostering relationships, but we may have a different expectation from Armenia and Armenian government. And I partially disagree with one of your points about we cannot do much more because “large Iranian-Azeri community which is fully integrated into the Iranian society” Yes all Azeris are fully integrated in Iranian Societies, like myself 50% Azeri, Like the leader 100% Azeri, much more Azeri than Aliyev and his family. Though, I recommend your readers to better understand the feeling of Iranian Azeris, go to Ardebil, Tabriz Urmia, … or study the perception of Azeris in Iran about Northern Azerbaijan (That’s how we see it) as part of Iran, they are our brothers and Sisters, as you are, that was the feeling after collapse of soviet union and is the feeling now. Iran will use the bond and friendship and brotherhood between all of us to advocate for intertwined regional unions, similar to European Union, so all of us can prosper together, no aggression, no war, no brother against brother. Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Gilan, Kurdestan, … we are all the same, with different mother tongue, religions, etc. but more in common than any other nation, those differences make our meting pot unique and beautiful, and it had been like that for thousands of years. It was heartbreaking to see casualties of earthquake in Van (Turkey) we were in tears and rushed to support with whatever we had, and is heartbreaking to see casualties of war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We don’t want to be the region’s Gendarme, but we will not tolerate aggression toward Armenia. Full Stop.
The ideology of referring to artificial Azerbaijan republic in South Caucasus as “Northern Azerbaijan” is an anti-Iranian separatist ideology based on falsehood and fascist pan-Turkism. For a “Northern Azerbaijan” to exist implies the existence of “Southern Azerbaijan” and there is no such thing. The artificial terrorist state of Azerbaijan, a gas station disguised as a country, was invented at the end of WWI in 1918 with the defeat and collapse of the genocidal Ottoman Empire by criminal non-native Turkish terrorists, with roots from Central Asia, in collaboration with criminal Soviets. It was artificially invented as a Turkish outpost in the South Caucasus for the pursuit of fascist pan-Turkic agenda and as a base for now-defunct Soviet expansion into Persia and the Middle East.
This terrorist cesspool was initially and artificially created for the homeless Caucasian Muslim Tatars and renamed to “Azerbaijan” only in 1936 despite protests by the Iranian government. It was given this name intentionally and as part of Turkish-Azerbaijani pan-Turkic and pan-Turanic politics so as to falsely claim this artificial republic in the South Caucasus as “Northern Azerbaijan” and Iranian provinces bearing this name in Northwestern Iranian region within the sovereign territory of Iran as “Southern Azerbaijan” and as part of a cooked-up separatist scheme. Any reference to “Azerbaijan” is a reference to the ancient Persian territory of “Atropatane” located within Iran to the south of the Araxis River. There has never been a political entity or a nation-state bearing this artificial name to the north of the Araxis River in the South Caucasus. What is called Azerbaijan republic today is occupied ancient Armenian and Persian territories
P.S. there are no “Azerbaijanis” in Iran. There are only pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijani-speaking Persians living in Iranian provinces bearing this name.
Thanks Ararat, Atropatane was a dynasty in Northwest of Iran, and I agree with you that the name has changed after Arab’s occupation. Iranian Land was occupied by Russia 200 years ago during Qajar dynasty. Iranian-Armenian, Iranian-Azeri, Iranian-Georgian, Iranian Gilaks, Iranian-kurds, Iranian-Persians, Iranian-Arabs, Iranian-Balochis fought valiantly against the occupiers, but forces assembled by Tsar overwhelmed them and Border was shifted to Aras River after two major battles. My mom / dad, myself, etc. and all Azeri / Armenian speakers in Iran, are super-proud of their Iranian nationalities. Iran is melting pot of cultures and customs, ethnicities and backgrounds, it is the reality of an old empire that had and has satraps / provinces across three continents from India to Hungry, From caucuses to Tunisia.