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IRANIAN-AZERBAIJANI POET IN TURKEY SAYS IRAN WOULD EXECUTE HIM FOR HIS WRITINGS ABOUT ARMENIA
news.am
Sept 12 2011
Armenia
ISTANBUL. - Turkish Yeni Þafak daily published an article about an
Iranian-Azerbaijani poet, a certain Habib, who allegedly escaped
from Iran because he would be sentenced to death for his poems about
Karabakh. Translation from the excerpts of this article is as follows:
Because of Iran's close relations with Armenia and his Azerbaijani
identity, the Iranian-Azerbaijani Habib was persecuted, and he
voluntarily came to Istanbul for saying things that are prohibited in
Iran. The penalty for saying such things is death. He is a 33-year-old
poet and activist. He has left his homeland in order not to go to
jail and not to remain silent, and has chosen to live in Turkey.
"Because of Iran's relations with Armenia, we cannot criticize what
Armenia has done to us. If they find my poems in Iran, I would be
executed," Habib says. So, he came to Istanbul to speak more freely,
compile his poems in a book, and enroll into university. "Our
newspapers, television channels, and books are in Farsi; they do
not allow us to read and write in Turkish. Being 55 percent of the
population, we have a right to read and write in our language,"
Habib says.
He also says this is because they wish to obstruct the Turks from
getting stronger in Iran. "The Azerbaijani nation had a great empire
800 years ago, but now they are separated it into pieces. The
world does not want for the Turkish nations to unite. Since the
world realized our might, they separated us into pieces and are
trying to control us. The Communists took over Karabakh, each and
every Azerbaijani went to different places, and they think that if
the Azerbaijanis unite, they could restore their strength from 800
years ago."
Habib also says the Azerbaijanis are oppressed in Iran. "They write
bad things about us in papers, present us as immoral, and do not
respect our ideas."
news.am
Sept 12 2011
Armenia
ISTANBUL. - Turkish Yeni Þafak daily published an article about an
Iranian-Azerbaijani poet, a certain Habib, who allegedly escaped
from Iran because he would be sentenced to death for his poems about
Karabakh. Translation from the excerpts of this article is as follows:
Because of Iran's close relations with Armenia and his Azerbaijani
identity, the Iranian-Azerbaijani Habib was persecuted, and he
voluntarily came to Istanbul for saying things that are prohibited in
Iran. The penalty for saying such things is death. He is a 33-year-old
poet and activist. He has left his homeland in order not to go to
jail and not to remain silent, and has chosen to live in Turkey.
"Because of Iran's relations with Armenia, we cannot criticize what
Armenia has done to us. If they find my poems in Iran, I would be
executed," Habib says. So, he came to Istanbul to speak more freely,
compile his poems in a book, and enroll into university. "Our
newspapers, television channels, and books are in Farsi; they do
not allow us to read and write in Turkish. Being 55 percent of the
population, we have a right to read and write in our language,"
Habib says.
He also says this is because they wish to obstruct the Turks from
getting stronger in Iran. "The Azerbaijani nation had a great empire
800 years ago, but now they are separated it into pieces. The
world does not want for the Turkish nations to unite. Since the
world realized our might, they separated us into pieces and are
trying to control us. The Communists took over Karabakh, each and
every Azerbaijani went to different places, and they think that if
the Azerbaijanis unite, they could restore their strength from 800
years ago."
Habib also says the Azerbaijanis are oppressed in Iran. "They write
bad things about us in papers, present us as immoral, and do not
respect our ideas."