Voices of South Azerbaijan: May 2006 South Azerbaijan Uprising

Showing posts with label May 2006 South Azerbaijan Uprising. Show all posts

Teoman Aktan: Social movements like the May Uprising provide an opportunity to break the silence imposed on society in Iran

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, May 24, 2023

Teoman Aktan

Political scientist and activist Teoman Aktan, in an interview with Voice of America, discussed the causes and impacts of mass political and social movements emerging in different regions of Iran.

Sina Mirzaei: The May 2006 Uprising in Iranian Azerbaijan Paved the Way for a Third Path

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, May 21, 2023

Sina Mirzaei

Political analyst and activist Sina Mirzaei stated in an interview with Voice of America that the large-scale protests in Iranian Azerbaijan in May 2006 marked the beginning of a third political path, distinct from the reformist-conservative or secular-Islamist dichotomies in Iran.

Ural Hatemi: The Ideology of the May 2006 Uprising Can Be Seen in Slogans Like 'Hey Hey, I Am a Turk'

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, May 15, 2023

Ural Hatemi

In an interview with Voice of America, sociologist Ural Hatemi discussed the essence and impact of the May 2006 uprising in Iranian Azerbaijan. Hatemi noted that the uprising marked a break between Azerbaijan’s socio-political trajectory and the central authority in Tehran.

Hatemi emphasized that the May 2006 uprising was not merely a reaction to cartoons published in a state-run newspaper. He highlighted slogans such as “Hey Hey, I am a Turk” and “Education in the Turkish Language” as reflections of the underlying ideology behind the uprising.

Mehsa Mehdili: The May Uprising Showed Us Who Stands With Us and Who Stands Against Us

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, May 21, 2019

Mehsa Mehdili

Mehsa Mehdili states, “After the May 2006 protests, we understood how people in Iran and even around the world perceive the South Azerbaijan National Movement and, in general, the rights of Turks in Iran.”

Speaking to Voice of America, the Turkish activist reflected on the essence of the May 2006 uprising in Iranian Azerbaijan and its impact on the current political stance of forces associated with the national movement.

Karim Fathipour Reflects on the 2006 Bloody Crackdown on Protesters in Sulduz

By Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, May 24, 2018

H. Fathipour, A. Qasimi, H. Isimzade, and T. Azeriyun

“We appealed to many places but received no response. For years, we waited in vain to find out why they really killed our loved ones.” These are the words of Karim Fathipour, the brother of Hossein Fathipour, one of the Azerbaijani Turks killed by Iranian security forces during the protests in May 2006.

Mehsa Mehdili: Female Students Played a Key Role in the May Uprising

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, May 19, 2015

Mehsa Mehdili

"There was a spirit of protest. The movement’s shift from the universities to the streets was very important. The level of knowledge of students on national and cultural rights issues was quite high," says southern activist Mehsa Mehdili, describing the atmosphere of May 2006. At that time, she participated in mass protests organized in response to a cartoon that insulted Azerbaijani Turks. In an interview with Voice of America, Mehsa Mehdili explains the dynamics of the mass protests.

Artum Dinc: The May 2006 Uprising in Iranian Azerbaijan Went Beyond a Cartoon Protest

Əlirza Quluncu (Alirza Quluncu) - May 24, 2014

Artum Dinc

Artum Dinc views the May 2006 protests as a powerful manifestation of the enduring grievances of marginalized ethnic Turks in Iranian society. These protests were initially sparked by a derogatory cartoon published in an Iranian newspaper, leading to widespread outrage and demonstrations across Iranian Azerbaijani cities, including Tehran and other areas with sizable Turkish populations.

Akbar Pashayi: People from All Social Classes Joined the May Protests in Azerbaijan

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, May 23, 2014

Akbar Pashayi, Urmia, West Azerbaijan - May 2006

Akbar Pashayi, a national activist from South Azerbaijan who participated in the mass protests of May 2006, spoke with Voice of America about how the "national uprising" began and analyzed the political climate that led to the May uprising. A graduate of Urmia University, he specifically discussed the protests that took place in his university and the city of Urmia.

Ethnic Turks of Iran's Azerbaijan and the cartoon crisis

Interview with Fakhteh Zamani, Chief Executive Officer and founder of the Association for the Defence of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran (ADAPP).

Azerbaijan’s Demands in the May 2006 Uprising: Alireza Sarrafi’s Address to the Iranian Parliament

November 10, 2008

Alireza Sarrafi, editor-in-chief of the bilingual journal Dilmaj.

Editor’s note: This address was prepared for delivery at a rally scheduled to take place outside the Islamic Consultative Assembly on May 28, 2006 (Khordad 7, 1385). Unfortunately, the severe security conditions, the establishment of several security cordons around Parliament, and widespread arrests prevented activists from assembling. Six days later, on June 3, Mr. Alireza Sarrafi read the statement in full at the auditorium of the Iran University of Science and Technology. He also presented the postscript protesting the encirclement of Parliament, the assault on participants, and the prevention of the assembly.

We Consider The Insult To The People Of Azerbaijan As Done To Us

May 31, 2006

A protester in May 2006 holds a local weekly with the title "Down with Chauvinism" and the subtitle "I'm a Proud Turk," demonstrating against the publication of a racist cartoon in a state-run Iranian newspaper that insulted Turks by portraying them as cockroaches. These protests erupted across cities in Iranian Azerbaijan and Turkish-populated regions in response to the offensive depiction.

Reactions to the insulting article published in Iran Newspaper about Azerbaijanis

Fakhteh Zamani - May, 2006

Tabriz Protest - May, 2006

Following the publication of the insulting cartoons in the nationwide newspaper “Iran,” hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani Turks protested against “Persian chauvinism” in the streets of Tabriz on Monday, May 22nd. The cartoons made analogies such that the Azerbaijani Turkish people were compared to cockroaches that should be exterminated by cutting off their food source (excrement). The May 22nd demonstration was a continuation of protests by Turkish students in Tabriz, Urmia, Ardabil, Tehran and Zanjan. Below is a report describing this demonstration:

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