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| Yunes Shameli |
Yunes Shameli does not believe that Hassan Rouhani will take serious steps toward improving the rights of Azerbaijani Turks and other ethnic groups. In an interview with Voice of America, the Southern Azerbaijani journalist and political activist evaluated Iran’s new cabinet, as well as the expectations of women, ethnic groups, and religious minorities from the government formed by Hassan Rouhani, and whether their rights were considered in the selection of ministers.
Yunes Shameli emphasizes that the protests by groups advocating for the rights of non-Persian peoples, women, and religious minorities—who argue that these communities were either not represented in the cabinet or were underrepresented—are valid and justified:
“If we look at the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, we can see that these protests are well-founded. This state has never shown tolerance toward minorities.”
The Southern Azerbaijani activist criticized Ali Jannati, whom Hassan Rouhani appointed as Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, for referring to Iran as a "land of Persians" during the parliamentary vote of confidence session for ministers. Shameli stated that the minister’s remarks reveal the true nature of Rouhani’s cabinet.
“... The language of culture in the Islamic Revolution is Persian, and art is the expressive language of Pars (Persia) ... I will work to unite Persian speakers worldwide and strengthen the cultural unity of Persian speakers once again,” Ali Jannati declared in his speech before the Iranian Parliament.
According to Shameli, “Recognizing Iran as a country of Persians and a Persian-speaking nation is an act of racism. The minister’s words reveal the true nature of Rouhani’s cabinet. In the past, they would not have expressed their policies so openly. At the beginning of the revolution, they would also emphasize the superiority of Islam, but today, they openly prioritize Persian culture.”
A member of the Board of Directors of the South Azerbaijan National Democratic Unity organization, Shameli argues that allocating the entire cultural budget exclusively to Persian culture is a clear act of discrimination and that this racist policy must be opposed.
Iran’s new president has appointed the Minister of Energy as well as the Minister of Industry, Mines, and Trade from Azerbaijan. However, Azerbaijani activists, along with some Azerbaijani MPs in the Iranian parliament, consider the appointment of only two Turkish ministers—despite the large Turkish population in Iran—to be an act of discrimination.
Yunes Shameli shares this view:
“This protest is justified. When Khomeini came to power, the ideology of pan-Persianism had not yet fully formed. However, over time, as this ideology took shape, non-Persians were gradually removed from positions of power. Hassan Rouhani is continuing the same policy today.”
The Southern Azerbaijani activist also shared his thoughts with Voice of America regarding Rouhani’s government's decision to establish a working group to save Lake Urmia. While Shameli does not believe Rouhani will take significant action on the issue, he emphasizes that hope for saving Lake Urmia should not be lost. According to him, there is a need to maintain public pressure on Rouhani’s government to improve the ecological situation around the lake.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Yunus Şamili: İranın yeni nazirlər kabineti Azərbaycan türklərinin nüfuzunu əks etdirmir