Sahar Mohammadpour - Ali Mohammadi, November 20, 2005
The 91st anniversary of the martyrdom of Sattar Khan, the national hero, took place on Friday, November 18th, at the Tooti Cemetery near the Shah Abdol Azim Shrine, at the grave of Sattar Khan.
The ceremony, attended by Azerbaijani activists from various cities including Tabriz, Urmia, Ardabil, Zanjan, Hamadan, Qazvin, Maragheh, Maku, Khoy, Marand, Qushachay, Moghan, Arak, Malayer, and others, began with Behrouz Safari, an activist from Zanjan, reciting a poem ("Azerbaijan, for Azerbaijan...") and delivering a brief speech on the civil rights movements of the Azerbaijani people over the past century.
Next, Said Mughanli, the editor-in-chief of Yarpag magazine, read a poem ("Sattar Khan's Eyes") and called for calm among the participants.
Gholamreza Amani, a prominent activist from Tabriz, pointed out that the anniversary of Sattar Khan’s martyrdom is declared as the “Day of Justice,” noting that today’s ceremony is being held under strict security measures. Amani also mentioned Sattar Khan’s democratic movements, criticizing the lack of democracy in Azerbaijan.
The next speaker, lawyer and Azerbaijani legal expert Saleh Kamrani, invited Azerbaijani activists to unite and emphasized the importance of moral reforms and reducing personal egos. He also urged human rights organizations to pay attention to the civil movement of the Azerbaijani people before it potentially turns violent.
Then, Sevda Vatansever, a six-year-old Azerbaijani child, recited a beautiful poem in praise of Sattar Khan and Azerbaijan.
The next speaker, Abbas Lisani, a famous activist from Ardabil, began his speech by reading a poem with the line "I am the son of a martyr." He stated that to achieve their goals, the Azerbaijani people need the power of their nation. He stressed the importance of awakening the Azerbaijani people using available resources. He also said that the truth is often bitter for those in power.
Lesani, referring to the intense security pressures and restrictions on the national movement during the Great Congress of Babak Castle in Kalibar and the Constitutional Day in Tabriz, saw the large attendance at this ceremony as very significant.
Then, Telnaz Nemati from Zanjan University, Aylshan Noqdiar, Yaşar Adalet, and other participants recited poems in support of Sattar Khan and Azerbaijan.
Hojatoleslam Azimi Qadim, an Azerbaijani civil activist cleric recently released after nearly three months in prison, spoke about the cultural discrimination by the government against the Azerbaijani people. He criticized the government for applying the same chauvinistic policies of the Pahlavi regime under the guise of religion and vowed that the children of Azerbaijan would not allow such policies to continue, citing "Hehat men alzilah" (never to humiliation).
He also pointed to the prominent Azerbaijani identity of the city of Qom, stating that the province is part of Azerbaijan.
Hassan Rashidi, an Azerbaijani activist and writer, thanked the installation of a statue of Sattar Khan in a park in Tehran, and called for the transfer of the martyr’s grave to Tabriz. He also strongly criticized the discriminatory policies of the government towards Azerbaijani cities compared to the central and desert cities of Fars.
In the meantime, Ali Aboulghasemi, a student from Hamadan, emphasized the Azerbaijani identity of the Turkish-speaking cities in Hamadan, declaring the province an inseparable part of Azerbaijan and reiterated the call for the transfer of Sattar Khan's grave to Tabriz.
Other activists such as Asgar Akbarzadeh, Khaghani Turk, Marzieh Parvaneh, Aydin Moghadessi, Ashiq Shahbazi, Ali Siyar, and others also recited poems about Sattar Khan and Azerbaijan.
Akbar Azad, a political and cultural activist, expressed condolences for the martyrdom of Sattar Khan and the passing of Allameh Mohammad Taqi Jafari, and criticized the discriminatory policies of the government towards Azerbaijan. He noted that some current policies are continuations of the racist policies of the Pahlavi regime. He mentioned the worsening economic conditions in Azerbaijan and the accelerating migration from the rich province as part of these chauvinistic policies.
He emphasized that the national movement of Azerbaijan is a completely civil movement and differs from the identity movements of Arabs in Khuzestan in its methods. He warned that if the government’s discriminatory policies continue, the movement might transform into something more radical.
At the end of the ceremony, the 91st anniversary resolution of Sattar Khan's martyrdom was read out amid the chants of “Yaşasın Azerbaijan” (Long live Azerbaijan) from the participants.
The participants then formed a human chain, holding their hands locked together, and sang the fiery oath known as "And Olson" and the national anthem of Azerbaijan, “Azerbaijan, you are me.”
The ceremony concluded with the recitation of Fatiha (a prayer for the deceased) at the tomb of the martyr Sheikh Mohammad Khiyabani.
It is worth mentioning that the ceremony was beautifully conducted by Atilla Kishi Zadeh and Sediqa Boyeh (Gonash).
Images and posters of Sattar Khan, Babak, Thiqah al-Islam, Bagher Khan, Sheikh Mohammad Khiyabani, and others were seen in the hands of the participants, along with banners and placards with slogans such as:
"Our First Commander, Sattar Khan! Rise, rise (Azerbaijan - Qaradagh)"
"If it were divided by golden gates… My desire is for freedom!"
"The memory of Sattar Khan’s people will forever be dear" (Zanjan Educational Institute)
"Sattar Khan gave up his homeland for justice and never returned" (Azerbaijan - Tabriz)
"Azerbaijan! Even if its beautiful name is taken away, it will never bow or break!" (Azerbaijan - Ardabil)
"Our land is ours!"
"Today, you, me, no one! We must be together!" (Azerbaijan National Movement)
"Don’t rely on Persian chauvinism!" (Ethnic Turks)
"Heroes are not forgotten, the nation stands strong!" (Teacher Training Institute)
"Iran is the largest economic and military partner of Armenia" (Azerbaijan National Movement)
In the Margins:
Unlike previous years, despite the heightened pressure on national movement activists during the Babak Castle ceremony and the Constitutional Day in Tabriz, heavy sentences (imprisonment, suspension, exile) and threats against certain activists to prevent participation, the number of attendees this year was significantly higher than in previous years.
It is reported that some participants were subjected to body searches on their return, especially on the metro, and some were arrested. The exact number of detainees is still unknown.
More than 1,500 activists from various Azerbaijani cities and Tehran attended the ceremony.
The area around Sattar Khan’s tomb was filled with people filming and photographing the event.
The grave of Sattar Khan was adorned with three-colored candles (blue, red, and green) and carnations, roses, etc.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the Shah Abdol Azim shrine authorities, at the request of security forces, prevented the use of microphones. However, after the participants' protest, they were allowed to use microphones.
As in previous years, security forces had an active presence at the ceremony, filming openly from the event and also from rooftops.
As in previous years, loudspeakers at the shrine played religious songs and mourning chants, preventing the speakers from being heard.
In this ceremony, people from the Qashqai, Kerman, and Malayer Turkish communities were also present.
The crowd of Turkish participants around Sattar Khan's tomb drew the attention of Azerbaijani pilgrims at the Shah Abdol Azim shrine, and many of them joined the participants.
The participants left the courtyard of Tooti calmly as per the speakers' invitation.
During the ceremony, chants such as "Long Live Azerbaijan," "Hear Me, Hear Me, I am Turk," "Death to Chauvinism," "Karabakh is ours and will be ours," "Death to fascism," and "Long live freedom" were shouted by the attendees.
Final Statement of the 91st Anniversary Ceremony of Sattar Khan’s Martyrdom
The Azerbaijani nation has been fighting for peace, justice, and freedom for over a century! Today, this nation continues its long struggle to safeguard its identity and human rights, and we are confident that in the near future, they will achieve great successes.
Today, on the 91st anniversary of the martyrdom of the national hero Sattar Khan, we honor the memory of this great commander at his neglected grave. The participants in this ceremony, who are defenders of the national and civil rights of the Azerbaijani Turkish people, reaffirm the concluding statement made during the memorial ceremony for the national hero Safar Khan Ghahramanian, held on November 7, 2005, over the grave of this great figure, and we call on the authorities to implement the following demands:
The Azerbaijani people have long protected Iran from enemies and have made tremendous efforts for its development and progress. However, this nation's share has always been one of insult, humiliation, and disrespect, especially in the state-run media, newspapers, and even school and university textbooks. We protest these wrong and divisive policies and demand that the authorities end these actions and movements.
Iran is a multi-ethnic country. Each nation has the right to benefit from the material and spiritual resources of this country in accordance with its population and to have its mother tongue taught in schools and universities. The Turks of Iran form the relative majority of Iran's population; therefore, we demand the official status of Azerbaijani Turkish as the official state language and that it be granted equal rights with Persian. It should be taught in educational institutions, from primary schools to universities, in an official and mandatory manner.
For the children of non-Persian ethnic groups in institutions known as "preschools," their mother tongue, rather than Persian, should be taught. Specifically, for Azerbaijani children, Azerbaijani Turkish and Azerbaijani poetry, proverbs, sayings, and folklore should be taught.
We condemn those who, on the first day of the school year, punished and beat Mehran (Babak) Rahimi, a child from Qushachay (Miandoab), for his wish to study in his mother tongue. We protest such harsh, inhuman, and anti-national policies and urge all Azerbaijani students to stand up on the second day of Esfand (March 1), the International Mother Language Day, to honor this day and insist on the mandatory teaching and study of Azerbaijani Turkish from primary school to university.
To achieve equal rights for all nations in Iran, regardless of language or ethnicity, and to end the chauvinistic policies established during the Pahlavi regime, we see the only principled, necessary, and essential way forward as the administration of the country under a federal system.
The neglected grave of national hero Sattar Khan, who sacrificed his life and wealth for democracy and freedom, deeply saddens all of us. We consider the respectful transfer of the grave of this national hero to Tabriz a moral and humanitarian duty of the authorities, and we expect the responsible officials to carry it out.
Unemployment in Azerbaijan (from Mugan to Hamadan, etc.) has become a crisis. According to official statistics, the provinces of Azerbaijan have the highest rate of emigration in the country. As a result, Turks are forced to leave their villages and cities and migrate to Fars-speaking cities like Isfahan, Yazd, Kerman, Semnan, and others. We call on the authorities to provide employment opportunities in the provinces of East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, Hamadan, and others to end this migration based on discrimination.
The land of Azerbaijan has an 8,000-year-old civilization. The artifacts obtained from the historical and archaeological sites of this land reflect the past and cultural-historical identity of the Azerbaijani people. We demand that these artifacts be scientifically preserved and displayed in museums in various Azerbaijani cities.
In recent years, the province of Khorasan was divided into three provinces, and all three were named after Khorasan. However, when the division of East Azerbaijan was proposed by the parliament, initially named East Azerbaijan and Central Azerbaijan, it later became East Azerbaijan and Ardabil. This shows discriminatory policies. We demand a reconsideration of this naming and want these two provinces to be named East Azerbaijan and Central Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani provinces have many unique tourist sites. One of the primary actions to alleviate the economic problems of these provinces is to allocate sufficient budget and create tourist facilities near the historical complexes and beautiful natural areas of these provinces, which is the responsibility of the government. Some of these areas include Ali-Sadr caves in Hamadan, Katla Khur in Zanjan, and the village of Kandovan in Tabriz, among others.
Drug addiction has placed the Azerbaijani nation in a deplorable state. We urge the authorities to take responsible action to address this dire situation and to take serious measures against the mafia groups smuggling drugs into Azerbaijan. Efforts must be made to rid Azerbaijan of this imposed misery. Any negligence in this regard is unforgivable.
According to reports, some racist and chauvinist groups are attempting to change the day of the great poet Shahriyar from National Poetry Day to "Persian Poetry Day," which would erase the contributions of other ethnic groups. We consider this action a chauvinistic act by some racist groups and self-serving individuals. National Poetry Day should include all Iranian ethnicities, including Turks, Arabs, Turkmens, Kurds, Persians, and Baluchis, and changing it to "Persian Poetry Day" is an exclusionary and chauvinistic act.
We condemn these chauvinistic efforts and consider the removal of Shahriyar’s name from National Poetry Day as a divisive act.
November 18, 2005 – At the grave of national hero Sattar Khan