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| Vahid Qarabaghli |
Sociologist and activist Vahid Qarabagli discussed the recent debates surrounding "racist chants" that have been prominent in Iranian Azerbaijan and Tehran's sports and political circles in an interview with Voice of America.
Qarabagli expressed his hope that with the strengthening of the "anti-racism discourse" in Iranian Azerbaijan, there will be an increase in awareness about racial slurs in Iranian society.
According to Qarabagli, racist chants in stadiums should be seen as a reflection of broader racist discourses, policies, and practices within mainstream society, and addressing these societal issues is key to eliminating racism.
"Recently, the discussions about Tractor and the racist chants heard in Tehran's stadium are, in my view, the result of an increasing awareness among Tractor supporters, their management, and the broader society. It’s the result of the spreading of anti-racism discourse and society becoming aware of it and recognizing its importance," he said.
Vahid Qarabagli emphasized that there has been serious opposition to the "racial insults" that had once been normalized in Iranian society.
"These incidents have been happening for years. They have been shouting racist chants. They insult Turks in the most vulgar way. For more than a decade, Tractor supporters and Turkish activists have been protesting. They have even sent letters to FIFA. They view this as unacceptable. However, these racist remarks had become so normalized that in an oppressive environment, it wasn’t considered an issue. When it did become an issue, the media, under government control, did not report on it. But in recent years, with the rise of social media and Tractor’s adoption of the anti-racism discourse emerging from South Azerbaijan, as well as the defense of Turkish identity, we are now seeing these reactions," the sociologist explained.
Qarabagli stated that with the growing opposition to racial insults, he hopes there will be increased awareness of racism in Iranian society.
"Racism against Turks is systematic. They have been deprived of education in their mother tongue, and for years, they have been made into the object of ridicule in Iranian cinema, TV films, and serials. Turks who go to Tehran for work, military service, or university are faced with racist jokes or dehumanizing nicknames in everyday life. They experience this regularly. Most recently, a few weeks ago, the Iranian Calligraphers’ Association used insulting language against Turks. So, the individuals who shout these chants in the stadium are simply repeating the existing rhetoric against Turks in society. In fact, we should look at where these chants are coming from, rather than just the people shouting them. We hope that as a result of these struggles, in the coming years, Iranian society will be better educated about racism and that changes will take place," the political activist added.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Vahid Qarabağlı: Ümid edirik ki, anti-irqçilik mübarizəsi nəticəsində İran toplumu irqçiliyə qarşı maariflənəcək