Yeni Musavat, Azerbaijan
Aug 15 2012
Azeri experts dismiss Iran's offer to create Muslim military alliance
Azerbaijani experts have dismissed Iran's offer to create a military
alliance of Muslim countries, opposition Yeni Musavat newspaper
reported on 15 July.
Political analyst Vafa Quluzada ruled out the possibility of creating
Muslim countries' military union and said Iran was simply being
diplomatic by making the offer, the paper said.
"Iran is Armenia's and Russia's ally. In this case, how can it unite
Muslim countries? Russia is the country that has suppressed Muslim
states throughout history," Quluzada said.
The paper quoted Aydin Mirzazada, a member of the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party's Political Council and deputy chairman of the
parliamentary committee for security and defence affairs, as saying
that Iran should put forward "certain initiatives and take action"
prior to making this kind of proposal.
"Iran, which proposes the formation of a military union, is helping
Armenia in every way and is directly assisting it in keeping
Azerbaijani lands under occupation," Mirzazada said.
Military expert Yasar Cafarli noted that creating Muslim countries'
military union "was not the right approach", Yeni Musavat said.
"Countries should negotiate with one another regardless of their
religion. We should build peaceful ties with all countries. I think
this is better than having Muslims unite against Christians or vice
versa," the newspaper quoted Cafarli as saying.
[translated from Azeri]
From: A. Papazian
Aug 15 2012
Azeri experts dismiss Iran's offer to create Muslim military alliance
Azerbaijani experts have dismissed Iran's offer to create a military
alliance of Muslim countries, opposition Yeni Musavat newspaper
reported on 15 July.
Political analyst Vafa Quluzada ruled out the possibility of creating
Muslim countries' military union and said Iran was simply being
diplomatic by making the offer, the paper said.
"Iran is Armenia's and Russia's ally. In this case, how can it unite
Muslim countries? Russia is the country that has suppressed Muslim
states throughout history," Quluzada said.
The paper quoted Aydin Mirzazada, a member of the ruling New
Azerbaijan Party's Political Council and deputy chairman of the
parliamentary committee for security and defence affairs, as saying
that Iran should put forward "certain initiatives and take action"
prior to making this kind of proposal.
"Iran, which proposes the formation of a military union, is helping
Armenia in every way and is directly assisting it in keeping
Azerbaijani lands under occupation," Mirzazada said.
Military expert Yasar Cafarli noted that creating Muslim countries'
military union "was not the right approach", Yeni Musavat said.
"Countries should negotiate with one another regardless of their
religion. We should build peaceful ties with all countries. I think
this is better than having Muslims unite against Christians or vice
versa," the newspaper quoted Cafarli as saying.
[translated from Azeri]
From: A. Papazian