Who drives the Iranian nation to revolt and creates separationist movements?

The article translated from the next article in Farsi language.

By:

Insafali Hedayet

Translated by Insafali Hedayat's Defend commitee in Berlin- Germany

Who drives the Iranian nation to revolt and creates separationist movements?

Iranians! Mr. President!

I'm Insafali Hedayet, a free and independent journalist, who lives and works in Azerbaijan. Tabriz. I'm a true Azerbaijanian from the territory of Babak Khorremdin. I'm not afraid of saying the truth. But I confess as a free journalist I have betrayed Azerbaijan, my ethnic group, my country, my culture, my language, and my religion.

I pretended to be a professional and independent journalist and ignored the truth, for I did not want to see the realities. As Dr. Shariati (an Iranian sociologist) said, " I had been alienated" and could not see the suffering of my people. Now I say, I deceived myself like you and some of your colleagues.( I hope this judgement is wrong if so, then I apologize ). I accused the people as guilty and tried to deprive them of their human rights. I thought they did not deserve it to enjoy them.

Mr. President!

I was like you, I didn't behave as an independent journalist. I had not learned to see the realities. Daily schools and universities instructions prevented me seeing and understanding them.

Mr. President!
I was like you. I had good ideas for my people. I wished them welfare, security and equity before law. I believed in the territorial integrity of Iran and was against its break down. However, I learned to see and interpret the news according to the will of the Intelligence Ministry. So I offered security, respect for my country and my people. I did not want to be known as an advocate of any political, nationalist or separatist groups.
Actually I did not want to betray the people, but by ignoring a large part of the realities, I did it.

As a free journalist I'm ashamed and sorry.
Can you forgive me?

I want to confess!

I have often received the complaints of the Azerbaijani students who tried to report the suffering of their ethnic groups to the government, but I ignored them and their suffering, and accused them as extremists and ethnical separatists.
Actually, their reports could not be publicised and when I did it, I would be accused of being one of them. The Iranian mass media have always been dependent on the government and the ruling power. It was not important for me if the leader, president or the representatives of the Islamic assembly and the high judicial council did not concern them.
I believed that these students did not deserve to enjoy their human rights. 
I confess and I'm ready to be heard in any court.

In the last 24 years the members of different ethnic groups, Turks, Beluchs, Arabs, Lurs, Turkmen, and Kurds have been regularly arrested. They have been pronounced as the guilty ones because they were against the unequalities.
They could only touch the problems and unequalities, that their ethnic group were confronted with. They protested and wanted to be heard by the Iranian regime.
I treated them as the separatists and did not defend their rights. I did not believe in the legitimacy of their desires. Actually, even as a separatist, treacherous and guilty they must be secured and protected by the law. They should have been supported and attended by political parties and due to the files presented they should have been heard in the court.

For providing confession they were rewarded with physical and psychological torture.
As a journalist I legitimised the behaviour of the judges and the investigators as they coerced these people into giving false evidence and providing confession...

I was very careful about the rights of the Persian prisoners. I reported their problems to the governors and even to the head of the three powers.

 

However, when a prisoner from Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Beluchistan or Khuzistan remained in an isolated cell, I prevented visitation with their family, many of whom were unaware of the destinity of their children. I did not consider them as human beings.

I thought the Intelligent Ministry, the investigators, and the judges would act legitimately when they tortured the separatists because they deserved it.

I confess:

I did not mind the Azerbaijani intellectuals and politicians who had not been assimilated in the Persian culture. How could an intellectual one think in other way as the persians do? It was the separatist way of thinking. It was not possible to think independently.

I confess:
I did not respect the religious figures from other ethnic groups, especially the ones from Azerbaijan. If they belonged to the minority ethnic groups, then they deserved to be insulted, tortured, and executed.

Sherietmedary ( A religious authority from Azerbaijan) had a big role in leading the Iranians during the Islamic revolution. Without his support from Khomeyni and the revolution the victory was not possible.

I applaud the Persians, they supported Montezeri (A Persian religious authority who protested Islamic republic later). What is the difference of Montazery with Sheriatmedari? We must not forget that Sherietmedari rejected the Velayet-e fagih (the centralisation of all state authority around one supreme leader) 15 years before Montazeri did it. Sherietmedari rejected some of the articles of the constitution. He believed in secularism.

What have we done for him and his followers, who had been executed?
As a journalist, it was not important to me what happen to him and the Azerbaijani clergymen who had been replaced by the religious figures dependent on the Islamic regime.

Why they were guilty?

They advocated a way of thought that was different from the ruling power.

Should you not criticise Article 110 of the Constitution and the authority of the leader?
We are in the same position that 24 years ago Sherietmedari had begun.

I confess I never defended the Azerbaijani clergymen. I could not do it. We saw how their followers were arrested and executed.

I do not know how many of them miss their status as the religious authority, but I am sure every year on the anniversary of Sherietmedari many the followers are threated and even some are arrested by the security service. I paid no attention to them and therefore I have no more information about them. On the contrary I have much information about the clergymen of the court.

Please clarify whether or not I will be arrested because of this written information about Sherietmedari?

Believe me I have never been his follower.

I confess:

I confess that with exception to some details, I have never paid attention to the demands of the Azerbaijanis. They requested the implementation of Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution. They always send their signed letters to you and requested the recognition of the Constitution.

What do you mean who is an ethnical separatist?

Is separatist some one who demands the execution of the Constitution?

Can we call the people, who beside the Persian language are interested in learning about their native language and demand its teaching in schools and universities as separatists?

Then the legislator is the real separatist, since he has legitimised and approved it.

Do you know how many youths from different ethnical groups have demanded it and as a result are in prison? They have been treated as the ethnical separatists and have been sentenced, some have been condemned to death.

Do you know how the youths from minority ethnic groups are driven to the separatism?
They are treated as the marginals who do not belong to the Iranians and their territory is not a part of Iran. Previously the Arab invaders had handled the Iranians in this manner.

They are not allowed to learn in their native language in the schools. Their history is not taught in the schools. The history of Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Luristan Beluchistan has no place in the text books. Their music, dance, national clothes, tradition and their poets and literature are not presented in the universities.

Which scientific seminars are taking place about this area and their people?

Has anyone researched these ethnic groups and their provincial problems?

What is the rate of the migration among the unemployed minority groups?

How many of them are reduced to smuggling?

What is the rate of the investment in this area?

How does one live unemployed?

Is there another alternative except smuggling from Turkey and Iraq?

The rate of unemployment in the country is 12%, but is about 6% in Tabriz. 
When we add the rate of the migrants from this area it would be more than 16%. We must not forget that east Azerbaijan and its population belong to one of the most important manufacturing provinces and people in the country.

What is the rate of unemployment in Ardebil, west Azerbaijan Zenjan, Kurdistan, Luristan and Beluchistan?

What is the rate of the daughters who are sold to the rich neighbour countries?
Why must families sell their children?

Did You know that monthly, millions of dollars of smuggled goods are imported into the country by the officials of the government and the dependent organisations?

I confess, I could not see them and I have not written about them. I surrendered myself to the diluted news preferred by the government, and closed my eyes to the realities.

Which solutions remain for the youths whose only demand is the implementation of the laws?

They request the teaching of their history, their culture, mother language, they want to go abroad, they defend their historical, political and religious figures, and as a result are always accused as the separatists.

The Azerbaijanis are not allowed to defend and respect the Babek Khorremdin (the famous leader of the revolt against Arab rule in the 9th century in Azerbaijan). They are not allowed to celebrate the anniversary and his remembrance at Babek's castle.
Was Babek been a traitor to the country?

In which text book was anything written about him and the history of his campaign against the Arab invasion?

Was not Babak an Iranian?

Is his territory(Azerbaijan) not a part of Iran?

Why are the Azerbaijanis who every year gather at Babek's castle and show their sympathy to their historic hero called separatists and pan-Turks?

Has in the last years a policeman, a governor or someone else complained about the behaviour of those Azerbaijanis who made the pilgrimage to the castle?

Have their slogans been separatists one?

Why do the governors prevent the people from going to the castle?

Why must they wait, and be investigated by armed soldiers at road blockades?

Why are hundreds of youths be summoned to the intelligence service every year before their pilgrimage to the castle?

They are derogated and insulted, and their musical instruments are absconded by the officials.

I confess, 21 of Azer 1324 and 1325 (12 December 1945-1946) is an important part of the history of Azerbaijan. It is not important if you accept it or not. During these years in a very short time Azerbaijan has profited from the provincial government. It brought a new and modern system of government that can be called as an example in Iran's history. I do not deny it that leaders of the movement have made some mistakes. However they stated that they did not aspire to secede from Iran.

Have they referred Azerbaijan as an independent state to the other countries and international organisations?

What have they done that your policemen do not allow his advocates to gather and celebrate in a park or even in a cemetery?
Why are these people are detained, and ill- treated by your officials?

I confess:

I was afraid of reporting these news. I'm afraid of being beaten and killed by civil policemen.

Is the celebration of the remembrance of Settar Khan and Bagir Khan ( two historical heroes who led the constitutional movement in Azerbaijan) a separatist movement?
Has anyone reported how many Azerbaijani youths are beaten and arrested in the ceremony of the remembrance of the constitution movement?

Wasn't it Sattar Khan and Baghir Khan who revived the constitution and presented it to Iran?

They could form an independent government in Azerbaijan and ignore the other parts of Iran, but they did not do it.

In the last 4-5 years the Azerbaijanis have begun to demand their legal and human rights, have any of your officials been injured or insulted as a result of this?
Why do you take revenge on Azerbaijanis?

Iranians! Mr. President!

I confess:

Although as a journalist I had to observe this important news, I did not do it.
How could I?

Had I, as a journalist, tried to do it, I would undoubtedly, have been killed.
Although I reported you the behaviour of the officials who beat me, they have not been heard in a court yet. My complaints about their behaviour had made them mad and they are now waiting for an opportunity to take their revenge.

What was the result of my complaints?

Have you already instructed them?

Please advice me as to the next proper course to pursue?

What must we do?

Whom shall we make a complaint?

Your policemen do not treat us as human beings. Not only they do not defend our rights, our life and our principles, but also they are the head of gangs that violate and disregard us.

Iranians! Mr. President!

You intellectuals and politicians wish the security and wellness for yourselves, but death for the rest of us.

I have not written about the suffering and the suppression that the Azerbaijanis are confronted with.

The Iranians are not familiar with the problems of the Azerbaijanis. The world and you have forgotten us. As if we do not live, or we have not got any problem and have lived under the best conditions with security.

I have made a mistake. Are you aware how your governors have behaved with these people?

Have you ever asked the minister and my colleagues at Selam newspaper how many ethnic groups who demended0 an authorisation for establishing a political party have actually obtained it?

You know tens of political parties have been established in Tehran. They have all their branches in different provinces throughout the country.

Do you know how many of the politicians of these provinces have demanded the organisation of provincial parties, but have not obtained a result?

Every ethnic group and province has its own particular problems, the members have the right to have their own political parties. Do you allow the ethnic groups to organise their parties to follow their ethnical aims?

The most important goal of the ethnic groups is the teaching of their mother language by native speakers in the schools.

What possibilities are there for the ethnic groups in this regard?

However the religious minorities are allowed to learn in their particular schools by their native teachers.

Must these groups demand their human rights by international organisations?

Do you know if the parties in Tehran have supported the rights of ethnic groups?

I want to know who wants the Azerbaijan to secede from Iran?

Is there a program for developing this area?

There are some organisations and people which with their behaviour drives the ethnic groups to separationist movements. I believe this trend is being pushed not by foreign countries but, by the behaviour of your officials and policemen.

Mr. President!

When you are afraid of the break down of Iran, you must grant the ethnic groups their legal and human rights. Why are you afraid of a federal system of government in Iran?

In different periods of the history Azerbaijan and Kurdistan people could proclaim their independence, but they have not done it. They are interested in having their autonomous government. They intend to be ruled according to their culture, tradition , geography and ethnicity. They want to have responsibility for their own problems.

You must be sure not only self-autonomous or federalism form of a government does not lead to break down of a country, but also it helps the government to deal with allot of important problems. This experience have been very successful in Germany, Sweden, Canada, USA, and....

In the end I request Mr. President to provide for the security and freedom of all Iranians, including Azerbaijanis and in particular, the ethnic journalists in reporting and publishing the news. The Iranians will condemn the authorities, you and me in future, and it will be remained in literature for along time.

Long live Iran

Long live Iranian ethnic groups

Long live freedom

Long live the freedom of the rights of free writtings

Your sincerely

Insafali Hedayet

The freelance journalist 

Tebriz, 14.12.2003

Release Insafali Hidayet!