| Revision as of 20:30, 14 June 2007 editDacy69 (talk | contribs)1,605 edits →Possible foreign interference: removed POV+Iranian sources+weasel words + Seymour quote has no direct link to the evnt← Previous edit | Revision as of 21:27, 14 June 2007 edit undoPejman47 (talk | contribs)2,973 edits removing all the poorly sourced slogans, the image which is going to be deletedNext edit → | ||
| Line 18: | Line 18: | ||
| According to ], well known expert on ], there might be some truth behind Iranian government's allegations of a foreign plot, yet the responsibility for the unrest lies first and formost with the central government. <ref> </ref> | According to ], well known expert on ], there might be some truth behind Iranian government's allegations of a foreign plot, yet the responsibility for the unrest lies first and formost with the central government. <ref> </ref> | ||
| ==Slogans== | |||
| </ref>]] | |||
| Protestors used various slogans during demonstrations. | |||
| *“Down with Chauvinism!”, | |||
| *“Azerbaijani nation will not bow to such abasements!”, | |||
| *“When North and South Azerbaijan will unite, Tabriz will be its center!” | |||
| *“Death or Independence!”, “Coward governor, come and answer to this!”, | |||
| *“Iran newspaper has to be closed!” <ref></ref> | |||
| Some of the slogans, chanted by the crowd were anti-], Anti-], and Anti-]. Some of the slogans included<ref>Both pan-Turkists and Iranian nationalist websites mentioned these slogans. Amongst the pan-Turkist sites: ,, . An Azeri weblog believing in Iran's territorial integrity has mentioned these slogans as well: . Amongst news sites: </ref>: | |||
| *"Fars dili-It Dil" (translation: "Persian is the language of a dog") | |||
| *"Azeri: Fars, Rus, Armani , Azerbaijan Dushmani" (translation: "Persians, Russians, Armenians are the enemies of Azerbaijan") | |||
| *"Har kas ki bitaraf dir, fars daan daa bi sharaf dir" (translation: "Whoever does not take sides , has less integrity than a Persian") | |||
| *"Tabriz , Baki, Ankara , Biz haraa Farslaar Haraa" (translation: "], ], ]---Where are we, where are Persians") | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 21:27, 14 June 2007
The Azeri cartoon controversy in "Iran" newspaper arose over a cartoon, published in the Iranian state-run newspaper Iran and drawn by the cartoonist Mana Neyestani, an ethnic Azeri himself . The cartoon, published in the children's section of the newspaper on May 12, 2006, allegedly insulted the Azerbaijani people by depicting a child speaking in Persian to a cockroach, which was replying in the Azerbaijani language, saying "namana" ("what?").
The controversy resulted in massive riots throughout Iran in May 2006, most ostensibly in the predominantly Azerbaijani-populated city of Tabriz. The riots were violent in some cases, with protestors damaging public buildings and throwing stones, prompting the reaction from the Iranian police. According to the Amnesty International:
In May , widespread demonstrations took place in mainly Azerbaijani north-western towns and cities in protest at the publication of a cartoon offensive to Azerbaijanis in the state-run Iran newspaper. Hundreds, if not thousands, were arrested and scores reportedly killed by the security forces, although official sources downplayed the scale of arrests and killings.
The Iranian government promptly responded to the events by temporarily shutting down the Iran newspaper, arresting the cartoonist and the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Mehrdad Ghasemfar. It further accused "outside forces in playing nationalistic card".
Possible foreign interference
See also: Iran's ethnic minorities and foreign interference
Emad Afrough, head of the Majlis Cultural Commission at the time, said that pan-Turks were involved in creating the tensions. Other members of the Iranian government blamed it on the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom with a suspicion of inciting ethnic strife in Iran.
According to Evan Ziegal a historian of the Islamic Revolution of 1979:
There is great interest in America, Israel and the Republic of Azerbaijan in pushing an agenda of ethnic warfare in Iran...But let's recognize that this project is being amply assisted by Persian chauvinist knuckleheads who are willing to play into their hands."
According to Touraj Atabaki, well known expert on Iran's Azerbaijani minority, there might be some truth behind Iranian government's allegations of a foreign plot, yet the responsibility for the unrest lies first and formost with the central government.
References
- "Cockroach Cartoonist Jailed In Iran". The Comics Reporter. May 24, 2006.
- "Iranian paper banned over cartoon". BBC News. May 23, 2006.
- "IFJ Criticises "Political Interference" as Cartoons Rows Put Journalists in Jail in Iran and Jordan". International Federation of Journalists. June 3, 2006.
- "IRAN: Azeris unhappy at being butt of national jokes". IRIN. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). May 25, 2006.
- Iran Focus
- Amnesty Intrenational. Iran, Annual Report, 2007
- Daria Vaisman. "The other cartoon protests: Large demonstrations broke out across Iran in May 2006 to protest a cartoon insulting to Azeris", The Christian Science Monitor, May 22, 2007
- Iran-daily
- Iason Athanasiadis. Foreign plots and cockroaches in Iran, Asia Times, 8 June 2006
- Iran: Cartoon protests signal Azeri frustration