SMCCDI: Iranians celebrate National Hero's Legacy Of Fighting Against Islamist Legions
SMCCDI (Information Service)
July 4, 2003
Thousands of Iranians defied the Governmental ban and Religious taboos, yesterday, by gathering around the ruins of the famous "Babak Fortress" located in the Azarbaijan province.
Babak who's real name was "Papak" was the brave Iranian commander who fought for several years the 7th century's Islamic and Arab invaders of Iran and inflicted huge dammages to their troops.
Sporadic clashes and arrests took place in the later hour of this gathering as the regime plainclothes men tried to silence those calling for the renew of the Iranian traditions over those forcely imposed 14 centuries ago. The crowd protested about the desperate try of the regime men who believed to be able to shatter Papak's Legacy by installing huge speakers spreading the Qoran versets in Arabic.
In addition to the regime's men, few nostalgic of Pan-Turkism, who had traveled from the land of Aran (the self called Republic of Azarbaidjan), tried to use the event for the promotion of their agenda but faced massive protests from the Iranians and especially from most of the Iranians of Azari origin who renewed their atachement to their Iranian culture and history.
Some of these individuals are headed by the constroversial "Mahmudali Chohraganli" who claims to be the leader of a so-called Freedom movement in South Azerbaijan. Chohraganli who is among the nostalgics of Pan Turkism has recently attenuated his baseless claim, due to lack of Popular support among Iranian Azaris.
Once claiming that the majority of Iranian Azaris are seeking independence, he has resigned recently and at at least for now, to claim that his movement will content itself with more rights within an Iranian Federal Republic by hoping that time and spending foreign money can give him a chance.
It's to note that most Iranian Azaris have rejected his baseless claims and have declared at various occasions their attachement to Iran.
The false propaganda campaign carried by the Pan Turkist circles who're dreaming to split the Iranian province of Azarbaijan is not something new and has a long desperate history. But despite all these tries, Iranian Azaris have always shown the attachment to Iran and have contributed to its existence by chasing out the Pan Turkists who were able in the 50's to detach the Azarbaijan province from Iran with the help of Soviet Army.
Perhaps the sacrifices made by all Iranians of any ethnicity or religion in order to defend the motherland, especially during the Iraqi aggression of the 1980s, is the best example of what Iranians stand for and the consolidation of a National identity rather than ethnic as few nostalgic of Stalin era try to claim. The defense against Iraq took place while many were rejecting, already, the newly formed Islamic republic and some of the pan-Turkist, pan-Kurdish or pan-Arab were claiming that the Iran facing a revolutionary period will split following the attack of an external force. From Iranian Arabs who were the first to stop the Iraqi forces due to the lack of an organized army by passing to the Iranian Azari and Iranian Kurdish legions which went to fight the common and hereditary enemy of Iran the exploits of valiance and patriotism are not rare.
In addition it is important to know that the so-called republic of Azarbaijan was formerly known as Aran and was part of the great Persia till the mid 1800s when it was lost to the Russian empire at the issue of a bloody war.
It's to note that many Arani families still have, after the passage of all this time, the nostalgia of being Iranian and many of them still chose pure Persian name for their children instead of Turkic names. As an example, we can name "Shahin Imranov" the Arani box champion of the so-called Republic of Azarbaijan. Shahin in Persian means Eagle.
The name of Azarbaijan, which is the name of an Iranian province located in south of Aras river, forming the today's northern Iranian border, was usurped by Stalin and some pan Turkist groups in an effort to create a ground for the split of Azarbaijan from Iran. Such split was tried at the end of the WWII but failed following the departure of the Soviet troops from Iran which lead to the rebellion of the Iranian Azaris against the pan turkish.
The name Azarbaijan or Azarpadegan means bastion or temple of fire, in reference to the old Persian tradition of creating special places in order to keep on fire (Azar) which is considered as symbol of life and purification. Till our day no temple of fire has been found in the north of Aras river despite all propaganda efforts and falsification methods known to the Soviet Union and pan Turkist groups, contrary to the south (in the Iranian province of Azarbaijan) where ruins of huge temples of fire, such as, Azargoshassb have been found.
Also, everybody must note that The most well known of all Iranian warrior commanders who fought the Arab invaders was "Papak" known as "Babak" who lost his life lives following several years of fighting against the troops of the Islamic Calife ruling in Baghdad.
Papak or Babak will held in check for several years the Arab and Islamist troops in their tentative quest of conquering the Azarpadegan province (named as Azarbaijan following the Mongol invasion of Iran). Papak will loose his last battle following the betrayal of Afshin, an Iranian converted to Islam and benefiting from the caliph's gifts, lead the Arab troops in an effort to capture Papak. It is important to note that The name of "Papak" has been converted to "Babak" by Arabs as they're unable to pronounce the word "P". In addition many pan-Turkists try to claim our history and use Papak or Babak as a Turkist symbol. This is an illegitimate claim in line with the pan-Turkist policy of falsification of history. As Papak was living several centuries before the Mongol and Turkist invasions of Iran and was speaking the old Persian which was still spoken, till a few decades ago in some parts of the Azarpadegan (Azarbaidjan ) province.
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