The latest announcement by ASMEK

The repression continues in Azerbaijan !

The latest announcement from ASMEK (The Defense Committee of Azerbaijan's Political Prisoners)

The continuation of repression in Azerbaijan.

Reports coming from Azerbaijan indicate the continuation of suppressive projects in the eve of opening of universities and schools. According to a verdict given by 110 Branch of Criminal Court in Tabriz Mr. Muhammad Hassanpour was condemned to six months hard labour prison term and 50 lashes for causing public disorder.

Also in the morning of Friday of 15 September Mr. Ali Sediq Beyreq a resident in Abbasi district in Tabriz was arrested for distributing leaflets. Right now he is held in the arrest house of the Ettalaat of Tabriz and is under torture. In the past two days two citizens from Naghadeh Eskander Mirzayi and Wehid were arrested for the same charge.

Mrs Rughia Lesani in an interview with HAQ Weblog said the first session of the tribunal to review parts of charges against his husband Abbas Lesani will be held on 25 September. She told the reporter of Haq weblog yesterday ; I met with Abbas . His trial will be on 25 September , the first day of fasting month in the 103 branch . This trial just considers some of the charges and the rest will be dealt with by the Revolutionary tribunal . The wife of Abbas Lesani also informed that Wedud Seadeti has been transferred to Ardebil prison to spend his six months hard labor prison sentence there. Seadeti was arrested in connection to the events of May and was tried by the Revolutionary tribunal in Ardebil.

In hope of freedom for all political and prisoners of Conscience

Defense Committee of Azerbaijan’s Political Prisoners

17 September 2006

DEBATE ON KURDISH-AZERBAIJANI TURKISH RELATIONS

HEJAR,
With respect to giving up Mukrian, I was suggesting the impossible hence enforcing the idea that our Kurdish leaders have no choice but working with Azeri Turks. I am in agreement with your recent post with the exception of Naghadah bloodshed. Since there has never been an independent fact finding commission investigating that unfortunate event, let's agree to disagree. Again, I agree that it marked a huge setback for Kurdish struggle and I hope Kurdish leaders work diligently to prevent similar events from ever happening.
In Iraq, Kurdish leaders are working very well to include minorities in their platform. Their next big challenge is to win Turcomans to join them rather than creating obstacles for them. They need to be bold and share the administration to some extent with Turkomans, otherwise it will not happen. There are bad stories coming out of Kirkuk and certainly hope Kurdish leaders to pay more attention to Turkoman inclusion in KRG.
Posted by: Dr. Amir Matin, Canada September 15, 2006 08:46 PM

source: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/postglobalinbox/2006/08/republic_of_kurdistan.html

Debate on relations between Kurds and Azerbaijani Turks

An Answer to Amir Matin


Mutual respect and understanding is the only way to peaceful coexistenceamong Kurds and Azerbaijani Turks !
Kurdish Republic of Mahabad was established in Mukiryan territory which is less than half of Kurdish inhabited territories in Iran's geography and for the time being is part of Western Azerbaijan state administration. The whole "western Azerbaijan" ethnically and culturally could not be considered Kurdish or Azerbaijani. there are areas which are clearly Kurdish , Like Mahabad , there are areas which are mixed and there are clearly Azerbaijani Turkish inhabited areas , based on that when the question of territory comes up to the agenda of elected representatives of both peoples they should negotiate with each other and arrive at some kind of consensus .To write " Without their [Azerbaijani Turks ] support, a Kurdish self rule in the region will not be viable unless if we give up most of the Kurdish region(Mukrian) located in Azerbaican Gharbi ". From a Kurdish point of view this statement is strange because no one expects kurds to give up most of Kurdish region in Mukiryan. As it was mentiond above the present designation is an administrative division and not a reference to a specific ethnic group.As Dr. Elturan had mentioned in this debate; there is an Azerbaijani Turkish TV station airing from USA , which contrary to all broadcasting criteria and moral principles spreads lies and fabricated news about Kurdish people and Kurdish political organizations. Most of the time It uses the same terminology and accusations which are part of official propaganda in Iran and Turkey against the Kurds. So far no democratically minded Azerbaijani formations objected openly to this war mongering vis-à-vis Kurds, But certainly this anti-Kurdish expedition is not representative of Azerbaijani feelings towards the Kurdish people .The task of Kurdish intellectuals and Kurdish political parties should not be a reactive position to such racist and cheap propaganda , rather ,it should be a proactive and open support tothe national rights and identity seeking movement of Southern Azerbaijanis based on mutual respect and understanding and without giving up Kurdish demands and reality.What I wrote About Naghade was not to "distort the history" , I consider that bloodshed as an ethnic strife which resulted into ordinary , innocent people killing each other, no matter the motives , That bloody incident was a great set back to Kurdish movement . I don't know if Dr. Matin have had the opportunity to read both Kurdish and Azerbijani Turkish accounts about Naghadeh massacre. if he does and if he is open to reason he will see that both groups were to blame.
HEJAR
Posted by: HEJAR September 15, 2006 05:52 PM
Source: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/postglobalinbox/2006/08/republic_of_kurdistan.html

Debate on Kurdish-Azerbaijani Turkish Relations

Dr. Amir Matin's View
On the topic of relationship between Azeri Turks and Kurds in Iran:
I have to clarify that many of my best friends are Azeri Turks and I have maintained very close relationship with them. Kurds and Azeri Turks are intertwined in the Iranian Kurdistan and any attempt at creating a Kurdish self-rule enclave in the region should very carefully consider this fact. I personally believe Azeri Turks have the capability to either help creating a strong and viable Kurdish autonomy in the region or simply destroying it. Kurdish leaders should work very hard on this issue to establish mutual understandings and close collaboration and coordination with Azeri Turk representatives. The situation in Iran is much more complicated than Kirkuk, because Azeri Turks are much more populous than Kurds in Iran, have a strong grasp on Iranian government and diverge in religion with primarily Sunni Kurds. Without their support, a Kurdish self rule in the region will not be viable unless if we give up most of the Kurdish region (Mukrian) located in Azarbaiejan Gharbi.
After the revolution in Iran, Azeri Turks remained extremely unsympathetic to Kurdish claims for autonomy and their plight. In several cases, Azeri Turks were quite hostile to Kurds during that period and used to mock Kurds on these demands. I remember not being comfortable to go to Azeri Turk cities fearing to be beaten up if they find out about my ethnicity. Kurds were intimidated and sometimes beaten in Turkish cities located in close proximity of Kurdish cities. You would be safer in Tabriz as it was far from Kurdish cities. Unfortunately, Iranian regime was far more successful in playing the Shiaa card with Azeri Turks than Kurdish leaders in playing the minority rights card with them. To set the record right, I have to disagree with the statement that both Kurds and Azeri are to be blamed equally for the bloodshed in Naghadeh. This is distortion of history to please Azeri Turks and I do not believe it is the right thing to do. Azeri Turks and Iranian regime should accept responsibility for it and other atrocities against Kurds. As far as I personally witnessed Kurds were acting in self defense. Kurds showed a respectable self control during the whole period of conflict with the Iranian regime. While Kurdish cities were being bombed by Iranian Airplanes and rockets and Kurdish villages were being raided and razed, Kurdish youngsters were being arrested and executed by Iranian army, Pasdars and Basijis staffed in large with local Azeri Turks such as Hassani and his gangs, Kurds never launched offensive attacks again neighboring Turkish cities although in many cases they were in their fire range. Kurds never launched a (suicide) bombing campaign in Azeri Turk cities to show the bitter taste of terror that Kurds were experiencing first hand. I think it was an admirable attitude and Kurds should be commanded for that rather than being considered equally responsible. Just look at the nature of resistance in Iraq and Israel with all those suicide bombings taking innocent lives. Fortunately, Kurds in Iran never descended to that level.
Again, I do not attempt at singling out Azeri Turks as Iranian regime played the same game with Kermanshahis and used them against the Kurdish movement if Sanandaj region. In that case although most of the Basijis and Pasdars from Kermanshah were Kurds, they were Shiaa too and regime was successful in playing that card very well completely overshadowing the ethnic identity. Therefore, I argue it is not a question of being Kurd or Azeri Turk, but it is a question of dirty politics played by the Iranian regime.
Today, the Shiaa stock is devaluation very quickly and I do not think government can use it as a strong card anymore. Kurdish leaders in Iran should establish bilateral understanding with Azeri Turks based on the mutual needs for freedom of culture, language and right to self determination and sway them away from ethnicity and religious tendencies that impose an surmountable wall between Kurds and Turks in Iran. It is a hard task but achievable. They should also do their homework and ensure to bring Kermanshah and its surroundings on board with the movement.
Posted by: Dr. Amir Matin, Canada September 15, 2006 03:47 PM
Source:http://blog.washingtonpost.com/postglobalinbox/2006/08/republic_of_kurdistan.html

Debate on Kurdish-Azerbaijani Relations

Another Rejoinder to Dr. Goran Nowicki !




To " cultivate nice and friendly relations with Azeris" is not only a wise and rational task , but it is also an unavoidable way for avoiding future uneasiness and confrontation between the two peoples. Now there is a new wave of national awareness among Azerbaijani Turks , If this "national" awareness distances itself both from political shiaism and Pan-Turkism , there is no reason for it to be at loggerheads with Kurdish identity seeking movement in Iran.
Now there are a lot of fuss about territorial designations on the part of some circles of Azerbaijani exiles , but if the ground is prepared for understanding all the issues between the two sides could be resolved based on consensus.I am really sorry that Dr. Nowicki tends to imply that I am unaware of Khalkhali's atrocities in Kurdistan, but I assure him that I never give myself the slightest thought to blame the whole Azerbaijani Turkish people for Khalkhali's deeds, just because of hisethnic belonging.As for one of the black spots in Kurdish-Azerbaijani Turks history of relation, I reiterate what I said in previous post. What happened in Naghada in 1979 , Both sides are to be blamed for that .Dr. Nowicki in his latest post concludes " Kurdish parties need "to bury the hatchet" of past grievances and inter party conflicts and learn lessons from the bitter past and move forward"I think this is a good advice , but he must try to approach those parties directly ,instead ofcalling this pen to be affiliated to them.
Posted by: Hejar September 6, 2006 07:09 PM
Source: http://blog.washingtonpost/postglobalinbox/2006/08/republic_of_kurdistan.html

The dabate on Kurdish-Azerbaijani Relations

The answer of Dr.Goran Nowicki


It is nice to see friendship being cultivated between Kurds and Azeris and for example the borders between Kurdish and Azeri regions in Iran are delimited by such efforts based on the results of council elections in Iran. From my personal interaction with Azeris, I group Azeris into 3 groups.
1) Those zealous supporters of the Islamic regime.2) Those nationalist Azeris following Pan Turkism and Grey Wolvism.3) Those Azeris who want to live in peace with their neighbors
As Mr Hejar and Dr Hassanpour are both aware, the first group provides the bulk of manpower for suppressing the Kurdish movement in Iran, especially in western Azerbaijan and they exert a lot of influence in Iranian government, diplomatic offices, intelligence, revolutionary guards and economic activities. The second group that you see their propaganda in the Azeri satellite news, not only putting the Kurdish territory under Azerbaijan, but even Tehran itself. The third group do exist, but are a minority compared to the above two groups and that is the reality on the ground.
I don't know how much Mr Hejar has interacted with Azeri or Persians in general. I want to argue that the increase in the influence of Azeris in Iranian regime after the Islamic regime translated into more repression and bloodshed in Kurdistan. I am sure Mr Hejar knows the famous Azeri hanging judge Khalkhali who committed crimes in Kurdistan 25 years ago. Mr Hejar questions Naqadeh bloodshed in this debate, but does he blame Kurds for Khalkhali atrocities in Kurdistan? Or does he blame Sharfkandi, Moftizadeh for being assassinated or tortured by the direct orders of Khamenei?
It is a fact taht Dr Sharafkandi was sent into exile by Shah to Karaj before revolution and in fact he was allowed to do his PhD abroad like Shariati and other oppositions in Iran before revolution. After revolution, the Turkish religious leader of Iran (former president) Mr Khamenei started a campaign of assassinating Kurdish leaders like Dr Sharafkandi even torturing and killing religious leaders of Iranian Kurdistan like Moftizadeh and Rabie who Shah wouldn't dare to touch.
Khalkhali, Khamenei, Ardabili, ... are not isolated cases and show the pattern of behaviour of Azeris in power. Observing this pattern of behaviour and contrasting it with the pattern of Kurdish repression in Turkey, makes me anxious and brings me to this unfortunate conclusion that there will be a confrontation between Kurds and Turks in Iran whether it is between Azeri Shiite supports of regime and Kurds or the Azeri nationalist supporters of Turkey and Soviet Azerbaijan. The third Azeri group does not stand a chance in this balance of power. We are talking about state support, money and Marx's notion of CAPITAL, using Dr Hassanpour's terminology.
3) We need to know who is our enemy and who is our friend; whom we should trust and whom we should be weary of, otherwise our fate will be as unfortunate as the fate of Dr Qasemlou. Having dealt with the complexities of Shiite Azeris and Persians, I would rather stick with my Kurdish tribe/nation instead of falling for nice words and being backstabbed. Qazi Muhammad is quoted on Wikipedia: "If an Ajam gives you honney, there is poison in it for sure!"
4) To send this strong message to the Turks and their regional supporter states that Kurds are not sitting idle to watch them trying dominate Kurds again. Kurds will dominate them if they do not stop their chauvinistic attitudes towards Kurds. You deal with them in a position of strength and they respect you and your rights. You deal with them in a position of weakness, and they kick you and abuse you. This is Turkish mentality.
My advice to Mr Hejar and Dr Hassanpour as affiliates to PDKI (KDPI) and Komala is to initiate this important dialogue in their own party and ask their leaders to initiate this inter party friendly dialogue with PKK and the president of KRG at the same time that they cultivate nice and friendly relations with Azeris and the internationalist socialist friends. Kurdish parties need "to bury the hatchet" of past grievances and inter party conflicts and learn lessons from the bitter past and move forward.
Posted by: Goran Nowicki September 6, 2006 03:03 PM
Source:http://blog.washingtonpost.com/postglobalinbox/2006/08/republic_of_kurdista.html

Debate on Kurdish - Azerbaijani relations

A LETTER TO DR GORAN NOWICKI

Dear Dr.Goran NowickiThe " Naqade Kurdish-Turkish bloodshed" was not a one sided tragedy. Both Kurds and Azerbaijani Turks should be blamed for what happened there 17 years go. As you may be aware its implications still is there. What you have referred to as the participation of Azerbaijani Turks in the structure of the present system in Iran ,it is the true as far as the ethnic belonging of the people you have mentioned , but this belonging necessarily is not a representation of Azerbaijani Turkish interests, you have never heard a word by such people in favor of identity seeking movement of Azerbaijani Turkish people, on the contrary during the latest uprising in many Azerbaijani cities and townships the manquts (Azerbaijani's denying their separate identities) blamed the protesters to be instigated from abroad and by foreign circles.The majority of Azerbaijani related sites and blogs are not friendly towards Kurdish movement, even an Azerbaijani Satellite station openly spreads lies and heinous propaganda against Kurdish movement both in The North and South and in Eastern Kurdistan. They are engaged in signature collection against Kurdishness of a vast part of present "western Azerbaijan " province in Iran.Do you think the same language and the same tactics could be constructive and fruitful from Kurdish side? Do not you think the Kurdish political parties and intellectuals should persuade the democratically minded Azerbaijanis to resist these kind of war mongerings ?It will be interesting to know your ideas on the subject of relations between Kurds and Azerbaijani Turks in Iran !For your information, there is a blog which promotes friendship and understanding between both communities. If you fine please visit the blog at: www.sayinqella.blogspot.comRegards. Hejar
Posted by: HEJAR September 6, 2006 08:53 AM
Source : http://blog.washingtonpost.com/postglobalinbox/2006/08/republic_of_kurdistan.html

GunAz TV A warmonger, not A real representitive of Azerbaycani Turkish People

GUAZ TV a racist warmonger, not a real representative of Azerbaycani Turkish People
…..”The Kurds live in a multi-lingual, multi-religious region. Some of the inhabitants or neighbors of Kurdistan are other minorities such as Azeries, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Armenians. Of all these minority nations, Azeries are the most antagonistic to the Kurds, they are the ones who are openly organizing to wage a war against the Kurds in Eastern Kurdistan (or Iranian Kurdistan). The mouthpiece of Azeri chauvinists is GunAz TV (southern Azerbaijan TV) based in Chicago and is broadcasting also online. I have been watching it since its inception. Its format is basically talk and talk. Initially its programs were against Persian chauvinism against the Azeri Turks and tried to establish the Turkish-ness of the Sumerians, then that of the Medes etc. But right after the PJAK demonstrations in Maku, Nakhada and Urmia against the isolation of PKK leader Ocalan in Imrali island in Turkey, GunAz TV started advocating to expel Kurds from these Azeri cities and not doing business with the Kurds. Ahmed Obali of GunAz TV even appealed to the President of Azerbaijan Republic to arrest a Kurdish businessman and confiscate his establishment in that Republic. What should the Kurds do to avoid a conflict with Azeries? And if a bloody one starts, what should they do to protect themselves? “
Posted by: Burhan Elturan, USA September 8, 2006 05:22 PM
Source : htpp://blog.washingtonpost.com/postglobalinbox/2006/08/republic_of_kurdistan.html
The headline is added by Sayinqella

Spreading lies about Kurdish movement

Spreading lies about Kurdish Movement !
A few Azerbaycani related sites which claim to support the just struggle of Azerbaycani Turkish people, are constantly publish fabricated news concerning the struggle of Kurdish people in
Eastern Kurdistan.
Some of this site should be named by name, in order the noble
Azerbaycani and Kurdish people get to know their trickes and
not be misslead by such futile efforts.
These site include Urmunews and Baybak. In a recent post they claim Kurdish gurillas of PJAK party have asked bee-keepers in Piranshar and Serdesht areas(Eastern Kurdistan)
to pay taxes , otherwise they can leave the area.
Such rascist propaganda by Urmunews and Baybak is doomed
to failure.
Democratic Azerbaycani circles must say stop to anti-Kurdish
propaganda!