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| Jaafar Pishavari with party members and supporters, rallying for the aspirations of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party and advocating for autonomy and rights in the aftermath of World War II. |
The Azerbaijan Democratic Party, known as Firqa-yi Dimukrat Azerbaijan, was established in the aftermath of World War II as a response to the political and social conditions in Azerbaijan. Led by figures like Jaafar Pishavari, the party emerged during a time when the Iranian government faced challenges from various ethnic groups demanding greater autonomy and recognition of their rights. The Firqa-yi Dimukrat aimed to address the aspirations of the Azerbaijani people by advocating for political, cultural, and economic autonomy within Iran.
A pivotal moment in the party's formation was the publication of a twelve-point declaration on September 3, 1945. This declaration articulated the party's commitment to securing autonomy for Azerbaijan while respecting the integrity of Iran. It emphasized democratic principles and outlined key objectives, including the establishment of a provincial body for cultural and economic affairs, the promotion of the Turkish language in education, and measures to alleviate unemployment through industrial development. By addressing pressing local issues, such as land redistribution and corruption, Firqa-yi Dimukrat sought to galvanize support among the populace and assert Azerbaijan's right to self-determination.
Despite its progressive agenda, the Azerbaijan Democratic Party faced significant challenges, including military attacks from the central government in Tehran and Mohammad Reza Shah's army, which resulted in the violence and deaths of tens of thousands, as well as the imprisonment and exile of many others. Nevertheless, the party played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of Azerbaijani Turks and contributing to the broader discourse on democracy and self-determination in Iran during the mid-20th century. Ultimately, its mission aimed to benefit Azerbaijan while advancing the overall progress of Iran, setting the stage for broader reforms.
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Our Slogans Are as Follows:
Principle 1 - While maintaining the independence and territorial integrity of Iran, the people of Azerbaijan must be granted internal freedom and civil autonomy so they can shape their destiny, advance their culture, and contribute to the development and prosperity of Azerbaijan in accordance with the just laws of the country.
Principle 2 - In this regard, provincial councils must be elected and start functioning soon. These councils, while focusing on cultural, economic, and health-related activities, will inspect the actions of all government officials and provide opinions on their replacement or reassignment, in accordance with the Constitution.
Principle 3 - In Azerbaijan's schools, instruction will be solely in the Azerbaijani (Turkish) language up to the third grade. From then on, Persian, as the official language, will be taught alongside Azerbaijani [Turkish] Establishing a national university in Azerbaijan is one of the primary goals of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party.
Principle 4 - The Azerbaijan Democratic Party will earnestly strive to expand industries and factories, aiming to provide the means to alleviate unemployment and develop handicrafts, and it will work toward creating new factories along with upgrading existing ones.
Principle 5 - The Azerbaijan Democratic Party considers the development of commerce to be one of its essential and serious issues. The current barriers to trade have led to the loss of wealth for many farmers, especially orchard owners and small landowners, causing them poverty and suffering.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Party intends to take serious action to find markets and transit routes to export Azerbaijan’s goods, thereby preventing the loss of national wealth.
Principle 6 - Another main goal of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party is to improve Azerbaijan's cities. To achieve this, the party will strive to amend city council laws promptly, enabling residents to participate independently in the development of their cities and modernize them. Ensuring Tabriz's water supply is a particularly urgent issue for the Azerbaijan Democratic Party.
Principle 7 - The founders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party are well aware that the economic power and wealth of the country lie in the hardworking hands of the farmers. Therefore, the party cannot ignore the movement emerging among the farmers and will endeavor to take essential steps to meet their needs.
Specifically, defining clear relationships between landlords and farmers and preventing the illegal taxes imposed by some landlords is a pressing duty for the Azerbaijan Democratic Party. The party will strive to resolve this issue in a way that satisfies both farmers and landlords, ensuring that landlords feel secure about their future and are motivated to contribute to the development of their villages and the country. The state-owned lands and the lands belonging to landlords who have fled Azerbaijan and spend Azerbaijan's wealth in Tehran and other cities should, if they do not return soon, be unconditionally handed over to the farmers, according to the party's perspective. We do not consider those who drain Azerbaijan’s wealth for their personal pleasure abroad as Azerbaijani. If they refuse to return to Azerbaijan, we do not recognize any rights for them in Azerbaijan. Furthermore, the party will strive to provide the majority of farmers with the tools and resources needed for agriculture.
Principle 8 - Another important task of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party is combating unemployment. This urgent issue is already manifesting itself and will only intensify in the future.
The central government and local officials have not taken action to address this problem. If the situation persists, the majority of Azerbaijan’s population will face ruin. The party will take serious measures to counter this threat. For now, measures such as establishing factories, expanding commerce, creating agricultural institutions, and building railways and highways could be somewhat beneficial.
Principle 9 - The election law has greatly wronged the people of Azerbaijan. According to reliable information, more than four million Azerbaijanis live in this region. Under this unjust law, Azerbaijan’s representatives are allocated only 20 seats, which is certainly not a fair division.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Party will strive for Azerbaijan to have proportional representation in line with its population, which would be roughly a third of the representatives in the National Assembly.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Party supports absolute freedom in the elections for the National Assembly. The party opposes interference in elections by government officials and internal and foreign elements, as well as intimidation and deception among the wealthy. Elections should commence simultaneously across Iran and conclude quickly.
Principle 10 - The Azerbaijan Democratic Party will take serious action against corrupt, embezzling, and bribery-prone individuals in government departments and will commend competent and honest officials.
The party will especially work to ensure that the salaries and livelihoods of government employees are improved so that they have no excuse for theft or betrayal and can lead respectable lives.
Principle 11 - The Azerbaijan Democratic Party will strive to ensure that more than half of the taxes collected from Azerbaijan are used to meet Azerbaijan’s own needs, and indirect taxes will be abolished.
Principle 12 - The Azerbaijan Democratic Party advocates for friendship with all democratic governments, particularly the Allies, and will work to maintain and strengthen this friendship by removing any treacherous elements from government positions in the capital and provinces who seek to disrupt the friendship between Iran and democratic nations.
These are the main goals of the founders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party.
We hope that every patriotic Azerbaijani, whether inside or outside Azerbaijan, will join us in working towards these noble objectives. Naturally, if one does not improve their own home, they cannot strive to improve their neighborhood, city, or country. We begin with Azerbaijan, our home, and firmly believe that the advancement and progress of Azerbaijan will contribute to the progress of Iran, ultimately freeing the homeland from tyrants and reactionaries.
Long live Democratic Azerbaijan;
Long live an independent and free Iran;
Long live the Azerbaijan Democratic Party, the true torchbearer of freedom for Azerbaijan and Iran.