Ali Jamali - Radio Zamaneh - December 4, 2007
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| Image of the Last Issue of Dilmaj |
The publication of Dilmaj, one of the most prominent intellectual Azerbaijani magazines, was recently halted without any excuse or explanation by the Press Supervision Board of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Dilmaj was granted its publication license four years ago (December 2003). Before the large-scale mobilization of Azerbaijani people in Khordad 1385 (June 2006), Dilmaj was published in Tabriz. However, following these events, its office was relocated to Tehran to avoid the highly secure atmosphere of Tabriz, yet Dilmaj was still shut down.
The Ministry of Culture did not even rely on its own laws to cancel the magazine’s license. Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, Dilmaj's lawyer, has stated: "So far, the official reason for the cancellation of this publication has not been announced by the Press Supervision Board. However, the board has claimed that the owner of Dilmaj is not qualified to publish the magazine. It is very surprising that despite the publication of several issues of Dilmaj, the board has made such a decision."
The owner of Dilmaj is Engineer Alireza Sarafi, one of the distinguished and well-known intellectuals of Azerbaijan. His articles and radio interviews have consistently demonstrated his thoughtful and peaceful efforts to address national and cultural demands through civil activism.
One Persian blog attributes the cancellation of Dilmaj to the government’s negative perception of civil movements: "The spreading of rationality among Turkish activists, who advocate for the official recognition of the Turkish language in Iran and the restoration of other cultural, social, and economic rights of Iranian Turks, is perceived negatively by the government. This is because the greatest strength of this movement lies in its peaceful, civil nature, and the government wants to push this movement toward radicalization to create more justifications to suppress it."
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| Dilmaj, Issue No. 6 (March 2005) Special Edition on Women |
The monthly Dilmaj has published 36 issues and was considered one of the most distinguished magazines in the country, with a very polished and professional appearance. It also represented a democratic model in publishing. Many of its issues focused on special topics such as women’s issues, democracy, press freedom, archaeology, and mother tongue rights, and it was overseen by skilled editors.
The website Zanestan (Women’s Domain) links Dilmaj’s closure to its publication of special editions on women. "No specific reason has been provided for halting Dilmaj's publication. This decision, signed by the Press Supervision Board Secretary, seems to have been made in a closed-door meeting," the site argues.
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| Image of a page from the story, a page from "The Eyes of the Blue Dog" by Gabriel García Márquez |
Dilmaj's sixth, 14th, and 30-31st issues were noted for their analysis of gender discrimination and traditional attitudes toward women in Iranian cultural circles. According to Article 44 of the executive bylaw of the Press Law, the Press Supervision Board is obligated to inform the owner of a publication about violations and refer to past instances of violations before revoking a license. However, in the case of Dilmaj, it appears that the Ministry of Culture did not adhere to these procedures.
A Persian blogger tells the story of Dilmaj's closure using the metaphor of "a jackal and a gazelle": "One day a jackal sees a gazelle by the river and asks, ‘Where are you going, friend?’ The gazelle replies: ‘Up to the grove above.’ The jackal says: ‘But the way to the grove is downwards.’ The gazelle lowers its head and proceeds down the path. The jackal again blocks the gazelle’s path and says: ‘The way to the grove is west.’ The gazelle has no choice but to follow, but eventually, the jackal grows impatient and says: ‘I am going to eat you,’ and attacks the gazelle."
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| Dilmaj, Issue No. 1 (September 2004) Special Edition on Mother Tongue |
The Islamic Republic, seeing Dilmaj become increasingly popular among young people in Azerbaijan, sought to shut it down but was always looking for an excuse. The administrators and writers of the magazine never provided a reason for such action.
The Amir Kabir News Agency (a news and analytical platform for Amir Kabir University students) also attributes the closure of Dilmaj to its special editions on women’s issues.
The last issue of Dilmaj was numbered 36-35 and was focused on modern Turkish literature. Dilmaj had planned two upcoming editions dedicated to modern and postmodern poetry, storytelling, novels, and literary theory. Unfortunately, this "school" too was closed.
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| Dilmaj, Issue No. 13 (October 2005) Special Edition on Education and Bilingualism |
At the end of this report, we recall a poem by Yashar Amirian from the last edition of Dilmaj, with a free translation:
Cigarette, Window, Clock
From the cigarette filter
A mountain
A window
Waiting for the sun
A clock
That is sometimes asleep
And sometimes awake.
Whatever I write
Stays with the cigarette
With the window
With the clock.
Inside the paper
I am alone
Even my poems
Deny my presence.
What remains of me?
A shadow
Or a gladiator
Thinking of hunting fish
And a painter
Who bears the image of Napoleon's beloved.
I have lost my people
In distant lands.
Days, like a patient artist,
Make words from cigarette smoke,
Window, and filter.
In my dreams,
Like the mournful "Qabil" (Cain),
I do not know who the killer is.
On the hot sands,
I seek my chest to break it open.
Then I dress in black
And mourn for Eve.
This is how he becomes a poet
And writes an epic with dry blood on his hands,
An epic that remains
With the filter,
The cigarette,
The window,
And the clock.
And then again…
Cigarette...
Window...
Filter...
The link to the original article in Farsi on Radio Zamaneh:
«دیلماج»، «مدرسه»ای که بسته شد