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Ahmadi-Nejad accuses US of fomenting
ethnic unrest
By Gareth Smyth in Tehran
Published: May 24 2006 19:09 | Last updated: May 24 2006 19:09
Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, Iran’s president, on Wednesday accused the US and
its allies of trying to destabilise Iran through ethnic unrest.
His remarks followed large
demonstrations in the mainly Azeri north-west against publication of an
offensive cartoon, and as Iranian security forces carried out exercises in
the mainly Baluchi south east.
Iranian officials have expressed concern in recent months at reports of US
support for separatist groups among Iran’s ethnic minorities, who account
for about half of the country’s 68m population.
Many separatist groups have offices in the US or Europe, and US government
agencies have been researching Iran’s ethnic make-up.
“They [the US and its allies] must know they will not be able to provoke
divisions . . . among the dear Iranian nation,” Mr Ahmadi-Nejad said, in a
speech in the mainly Arab south-western city of Khoramshah.
Ethnic unrest has been growing in recent months in Iran’s peripheral and
poorest areas. The Kurdish west, Arab south-west and Baluchi south-east
have all seen violence against officials and buildings.
A reported 3,000 troops took part this week in operation “Authority” in
Sistan- Baluchestan province following the deaths of 12 civilians this
month in violence officials blamed on Jundallah, a militant Baluchi group.
In a rare example of unrest among the Azeris, Iran’s largest minority,
large demonstrations in Tabriz and other north-western cities followed
last Friday’s publication in Tehran of a cartoon of a cockroach speaking
Azeri.
On Tuesday, the judiciary jailed the cartoonist and editor of the
children’s supplement of the state-owned Iran newspaper. Such swift action
probably reflected the Azeris’ central role in Iranian life.
The business-minded Azeris do not – unlike the Kurds or Baluchi – allege
discrimination in jobs or development. They make up a large part of
Tehran’s 12m population and share the Shia faith with about 85 per cent of
Iranians.
Akbar Alami, a Tabriz deputy, yesterday said Azeris, who speak a Turkish
dialect, were frustrated at being the butt of jokes. “As long as … stupid
and naive people are shown in films speaking with a Turkish accent … there
are hidden wounds that suddenly open and burst in flames,” he said.
Underlining concern among the political elite, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,
the former president, yesterday said “national solidarity” was “very
important for Iran when we are more than ever faced with threats”.
Source:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/0cad0aee-eb49-11da-823e-0000779e2340.html
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