Yunes Shameli - July 18, 2013
 |
| yunes.shameli@gmail.com |
In continuation of discussions on the remarks of Seyed Javad Tabatabai (in Mehrnameh) about belittling and insulting the Turkish people in Iran, their history and literature, another thought and question arise from a different perspective, which I will briefly address.
Question: I don’t know why no Kurdish, Persian, or Arab speaker ever becomes a Pan-Turkist, or why Turks don’t become Pan-Kurdists or Pan-Baluchis, but you can find so many Pan-Persians! In the past, we had Kasravi, Arani, Taghi Zadeh, and more recently, Dariush Forouhar, Seyed Javad Tabatabai, Mohammad Arsi, and Kazem Movaqqar (who is an Arab Pan-Persianist)! This is truly a strange phenomenon of Pan-Persianism!
Answer: The above sentences succinctly raise a very valid question: why is it that among the nations subjected to "Pan-Persianism," some turn to it, but the reverse is not true? This phenomenon, of course, has different dimensions. One aspect is the psychological side, where the thoughts of individuals in a colonized society are pulled in various directions. This also relates to the educational system in Iran, which alienates children from their own language and history, instilling in them an imaginary world of literature and history related to the dominant nation. Additionally, the cultural and social discrimination against non-Persian people stirs a sense of resistance and struggle among some, but for others who lack awareness in this area, it creates conditions for “self-hatred.” There are also many harms caused by colonial and indoctrinating policies directed at individuals and communities. I will not delve into these aspects here, but will briefly offer thoughts on this issue from the perspective of the colonial needs of the ruling nation-state.
On a general level, I believe "Pan"-movements belonging to non-Persian nations do not really exist. If they do, they are nothing more than empty words. Or at most, they might be a verbal reaction from a non-Persian individual who has expressed some form of resentment. You could even argue that “Pan”-movements related to the oppressed nations are merely rumors and excuses among a segment of the ruling elite (Persians) in Iran.
In fact, the "Pan" belongs to a segment of the ruling elite of the dominant nation. The ideology of the ruling nation-state (which is both authoritarian and colonial) is designed to suppress the oppressed nations. The so-called "Pan"-movements related to non-Persian peoples in Iran are stories, fantasies, and justifications used by part of the political elite of the ruling nation. Otherwise, it makes no sense. How can a nation, whose existence is not yet recognized and does not have its own state, have a "Pan"-movement? "Pan"-ideology is inherently colonial. Therefore, it cannot be the intellectual motivation of a nation or its political activists who are still in the grip of a colonial state. But it can easily become the goal of an elite of the ruling nation.
Therefore, I can even say that speaking of "Pan"-movements by the oppressed nations is both laughable and sorrowful. Laughable because it is meaningless and unreal, and sorrowful because the "Pan"-movement, which is seemingly attributed to the oppressed nations, is in fact a pretext and justification for the suppression of political movements of those very oppressed nations. Thus, the logical answer to the question posed lies in the existence of the "Ruling Nation" and "Pan-Persianism," and fundamentally within "Pan-Iranism." The Persian nation, which owns the state (Iran), and some of its political elites have turned Pan-Persianism (or Pan-Iranism) into a belief system to suppress and dominate the oppressed nations. The history of Pan-Persianism in Iran dates back to the establishment of the Persian state under Reza Shah. Otherwise, any reasonable person clearly understands that the "Pan"-movements related to the oppressed nations, such as the Turks or Kurds, exist solely to cover up the ruling state’s Pan-Persianism, which seeks to deceive public opinion by claiming that "look, we are not the only ones who believe in Pan-ideology; they do too!" But for any unbiased observer, it is clear what the goal of the "Pan"-movement attributed to the oppressed nations really is! According to the logic of Pan-Iranism, if a Turk demands education in their mother tongue, it is considered Pan-Turkism; if they seek the right to self-determination, it is Pan-Turkism; if they ask for self-administration in their own region, it is Pan-Turkism; and if they demand recognition of their national identity in the country, it is also Pan-Turkism! Meanwhile, the only thing that really doesn’t exist is "Pan-Turkism," i.e., the "Pan"-movement belonging to the oppressed nations, because the Turkish people are still not in power, and thus none of their elites are close to such an ideology.
Conclusion: The reason a Turk, Kurd, or Arab, etc., turns into a Pan-Persian is clear. These individuals (like Seyed Javad Tabatabai) are agents of the dominance and cultural and political control of the ruling state and nation. They are always used (or better yet, exploited) as tools of suppression at all levels.
As I mentioned earlier, the objective conditions for the oppressed and non-Persian nations in Iran do not exist for a Turk to become a "Pan-Turkist," a Kurd to become a "Pan-Kurdist," or an Arab to become a "Pan-Arabist." However, the government and political elites of the ruling nation, along with their affiliates, in the midst of the oppressed nations, loudly advertise the so-called "Pan" movements of these nations, apparently condemning them with great intensity and advising non-Persian people that "you must not allow these Pan movements to mislead you and endanger the territorial integrity of the country." Without mentioning the bitter truth that "Pan-Iranism" has had a political party in this country with overt racist ideologies (Soviet and the Pan-Iranist Party of Iran) for over fifty years and has ruled this country, significantly influencing Iran’s government policy for over eighty years. Yet, no one protests them properly! One of the leaders of Pan-Persianism once said to me, "We proudly declare that we are Pan-Iranists, but you always fear acknowledging Pan-Turkism!" This gentleman explained his pride in Pan-Iranism as follows: "Pan-Iranism is something to be proud of, but Pan-Turkism or Pan-Arabism is something hateful!" He said that’s why you cannot defend it. With these few sentences, you can see the cunning of a "Pan-Iranist."
The existential reason for the ideological inclination towards Pan-Persianism is very clear. They are the "Pan" of the ruling nation, and their backs are supported by state power. They know full well that the ruling (authoritarian and colonial) government needs this force, with its savage nature, to suppress the oppressed nations. The fundamental reason for individuals like Tabatabai adopting Pan-Iranism is the state's need to use figures from the oppressed nations and turn them into tools of suppression for those same nations. This is the whole truth, not just half of it.
A Brief Critique of a Pamphlet Published About Pan-Turkism:
In a pamphlet recently published online titled "Critique and Understanding of Pan-Turkism and... in the South Azerbaijan Liberation and Democratic Movement," the author discusses "Pan-Turkism" as the subject of the text. The confusion of information that the analysis of Pan-Turkism is based on and the superficiality of this pamphlet are so vast that I find it sufficient to present two quotes from this pamphlet to demonstrate its shallow and fabricated nature.
The pamphlet refers to the Pan-Turkism idea in South Azerbaijan as an imported concept and writes on page 82: "The ideas of wolfishness and Pan-Turkism did not originate from the Azerbaijani society, but rather they are souvenirs of students and traders from Azerbaijan who have been traveling to Turkey and Northern Azerbaijan in recent years. During the Islamic Republic of Iran's era, the visa restrictions between Iran and Turkey were lifted, and it became easier for people to travel to Turkey. A large wave of people from Azerbaijan traveled to Turkey for trade, education, tourism, and asylum. On the other hand, the reduction in tuition fees for Azerbaijani students in Turkey encouraged and promoted Azerbaijani students to study in Turkey, where thousands of Azerbaijani students were educated in Pan-Turkist schools. Many people from Azerbaijan, due to their hatred of the religious programming and boring Islamic TV channels of Iran, watched dozens of "Turk Set" channels every day and were influenced by them. All these factors created the conditions for the propagation and growth of Pan-Turkist ideas among the Azerbaijani people." (End of quote, emphasis in the quote is mine.)
Anyone who reads this paragraph would think that Turkey is synonymous with Pan-Turkism, the people of Turkey are Pan-Turks, Turkish universities are centers of Pan-Turkism, the Turkish government is a Pan-Turkist government, and Turkish television and films are Pan-Turkist! How could these lies be pieced together to serve the author's theory? The writer should at least have been somewhat aware of the "Gezi Park Movement" in Turkey, which became a global news event. However, it seems that the writer does not want to delve into such topics, as it would tarnish their aim of spreading hatred against Turks and Turkey. The writer’s hatred of Turkey is evident in every word and sentence of the pamphlet. Aside from the fact that this paragraph labels Turkey as Pan-Turkish in every aspect, not a single quote from official sources, universities, or art and cinema has been provided to substantiate the claim of Pan-Turkism of these references, which is sufficient to invalidate the pamphlet. This pamphlet even insults the intelligence of Azerbaijani students, traders, and tourists who traveled to Turkey, equating their travel to Turkey with becoming "Pan-Turks." According to the superficial viewpoint of the pamphlet, "Pan-Turkism" has spread to this region through Turkish television, universities, tourism, and Azerbaijani traders!
Another incorrect piece of information in this paragraph is the claim that Turkey has facilitated the increase in the number of students by offering tuition discounts for Azerbaijani students. In fact, these discounts are for Iranian students, not Azerbaijani students. However, the writer of the pamphlet's deceit in changing the term "Iranian students" to "Azerbaijani students" is clearly intended to deceive and superficially persuade their readers.
Regarding the decline of "Pan-Turkism" in South Azerbaijan, the pamphlet states on page 83: "Twenty years after the Islamic Revolution, there was no trace of mythological discussions, the Wolf Totem, or Pan-Turkist political groups in Azerbaijan. The howls of Pan-Turkist wolves were heard in the national movement of Azerbaijan during the era of reformists and Mohammad Khatami. This movement grew rapidly among some young people and became prominent in Azerbaijan, but it quickly lost credibility, and now the star of Pan-Turkists is on the decline." (End of quote)
One must ask the writer of the aforementioned pamphlet: If Pan-Turkism has "quickly lost its credibility" and its "star has declined in that land," why is there a need to write a 200-page pamphlet? In other words, either the writer is not being truthful and the pamphlet contains false information about the decline and loss of credibility of so-called Pan-Turkism, or the reason for fabricating stories about "Pan-Turkism" is to create the conditions to intensify the Islamic Republic's repression against the national liberation movement of the Turkish people in South Azerbaijan and Iran.
Original Text in Farsi