The Platform of the Federal-Democratic Movement of Azerbaijan

The Platform of the Federal-Democratic Movement of Azerbaijan

Preamble:

Political sovereignty is recognized as an undeniable right of the people and its owner is the people!

In a multinational country the political sovereignty of the people is not possible without recognizing democracy, the right to self determination of the nations and their equal rights.

For forming democracy and a federal republic in Iran we intend to establish a federative government for Iranian Turks (the federal government of the Azerbaijani people and their local- sovereignty associations).

The national-liberation movement of Azerbaijanis started with the establishment of Azerbaijan’s National Parliament along with the Local-Provincial Associations in the period of Constitutional Revolution and culminated in the establishment of Azadistan Government under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammad Khiyabani and the founding of Azerbaijan’s National Government under the leadership of Seyyid Ja’far Pishevari. It has continued in various forms, and after the 1978-79 Revolution, has acquired new impetus in recent times.

After the conspiracy of the imperialist coup d'etat initiated by Reza Khan against the legitimate constitutional government, a harsh policy and politics of assimilation against non-Persian nations of Iran was adopted and implemented, which among other things, aimed to create a single nation based solely on Persian language. Similar policies and politics continued to be implemented in the period after the 1979 Revolution. In both periods, the struggle of Iran’s non-Persian nations to obtain their national rights has progressively carried forward under various conditions and in a variety of ways.

By establishing a theocratic government the Islamic Republic of Iran has condemned all Iranians to living under a brutal dictatorship.

From the beginning, the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued the assimilationist politics of Pahlavi dynasty and the discrimination against non Persian nations such as the Iranian Turks. Since extreme forms of Persian nationalistic and chauvinistic politics are inseparable part of the prevailing system, the struggle against such politics is also an inseparable part of the struggle against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Similarly, struggle against the chauvinist oppositional groups and pan-Iranist elements (Fars centrists and Aryanists) that collaborate with the Islamic government to suppress the national rights of the non-Persian nations is also crucial.

The sexual apartheid, suppression of women and continuous violation of their rights constitute the core of the ideology upon which the Islamic Republic of Iran is built.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the enemy of the hard-working poor people. It supports the powerful and the rich. To abolish the national discrimination against Turks, to end the underdevelopment in Turkish areas, in all respects and particularly in economic front, to liberate the suppressed non-Persian nations in Iran and to recognize their equal rights, to abolish sexual apartheid and the suppression of women, to eradicate the injustice exercised against the workers, the Federal Democratic Movement of Azerbaijan presents its common principles:

Common Principles

1- The country of Iran:

Iran is a multi-national country. The main nations inhabiting Iran include: the Turk-Azerbaijani nation, the Kurd nation, the Persian nation, the Arab nation, the Baluch nation, and the Turkmen nation. During both the Pahlavi monarchism and the Islamic Republic, the dominant central governments in Iran have been the driving force behind extreme forms of Persian chauvinism and nationalism. As representatives of the Persian nationalism, these governments have subjected the non-Persian nations of Iran to their politics of ethnic oppression and assimilation.

2- National Identity

The Turkish language (Azerbaijani-Turkic) constitutes the core and cornerstone of the national identity of Iran’s Turks. Our national identity is deeply interwoven with our language.

3- The National Question and the Problem of Governance

The national question and national issues of Iran’s Turks are political in nature. The resolving of national issues and eradication of ethnic-based oppression are possible only and exclusively through the acknowledgement of the right of nations to their self-determination. The Islamic Republic of Iran is the main obstacle on the path of obtaining this fundamental right.

4- Establishing a federal democratic republic in Iran and building the federal democratic republic of Iran’s Turkic people

Achievement of social justice, democracy, equal political rights for all citizens and nationalities, annihilation of the existing sexual apartheid, and struggle for obtaining human rights are important principles of Federal Democratic Movement of Azerbaijan.

The Federal Republic of Iran and

The Federal Republic of Iran’s Turkic Nation

1- The Federal Republic of Iran shall be constituted of free and voluntary union of Iran’s constituent nations’ federal governments as well as the governments of autonomous regions, distinct principalities and the government of the uniquely multiethnic city of Tehran. This union shall be based on democratic principles and national-federalist structures (ethnic-based), including the principle of creation of two parliaments: Regional/Provincial and Federal.

2- The provincial government of the Azerbaijani Turks shall be established on historical Azerbaijani lands (i.e., the interconnected regions historically inhabited by the Turks); and the Turks of Khorasan, Qashqayestan (the Qashqayi Turks) and the Turks living in southern Iran shall have the right to establish their own local governments.

3- The Turks of Khorasan and Qashqayestan, and the Turks living in southern Iran shall have the right to establish their self-governing institutions for the purpose of materializing their rightful national demands.

4- Issues related to legislation, judiciary, policing, taxations, and other official and cultural affairs shall be within the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan’s local government, which, in accordance to Azerbaijan’s constitution, shall have the right to establish government, set up parliament, and choose the national anthem and the national flag.

5-- Issues related to foreign affairs, defense against foreign aggression, long-term planning of economic policies, monetary politics, positive environmental policies, and communication matters throughout the country shall be assigned to the central federal government. Decisions affecting local federal governments must be approved by relevant local governments and parliaments. In general, all decisions and regulations related to the interests of the Turk nation must be considered after consultation with the federal parliament, local government of Azerbaijan and autonomous regions; and all decisions and regulations ought to be approved by them.

6- The languages of Turkish (Azerbaijani-Turkic), Farsi, Kurdish, Arabic, Baluchi, and Turkmeni shall constitute Iran’s official languages. All the official documents and correspondences of the federal government shall be conducted in all official languages of the country. Turkish (Azerbaijani-Turkic) shall be the official language in all governmental organs throughout Azerbaijan and the Turkic self-governing regions, where Turkish shall function as the language of official documents, education from elementary to higher levels, media, press, as well as cultural, artistic, and literary productions.

7- Cosmopolitan cities like Tehran shall be governed by distinct governmental organs for the purpose of maintaining the ethnic/cultural distinctiveness of their diverse inhabitants. The concentration of all political power in Tehran damages the entire country; such concentration ought to be dismantled. For the purpose of providing a balanced and harmonic political, economic, social and human development, a comprehensive long-term program should be implemented.

8-In the areas within the federal government with two or more languages, all executive and governmental organs should be selected on the basis of democratic norms and proportional representation; and the division of labor should also be on this basis.

Goals

1- All citizens of the country, regardless of their gender, religion, political/ ideological affiliation, and social position, are equal before the law. All citizens have the right to choose their own mode of dress and method of leading their private life. The individuals’ social, religious, and political identities are inviolable by the government and the governing organs.

2- As a modern Federal and democratic government, all governing bodies, without privileging their religion, gender, and nationality, shall be elected through direct and hidden vote of the citizens over the age of 18.

3- The pluralist nature of society and the inclusive freedom of thought ought to be realized for all citizens; unconditional freedom of assemblies, of expression, of press and media, along with free activity of all political, social, cultural, syndicalists, and business-oriented organizations of all individuals and groups such as laborers, blue-collar and white-collar working groups, women, etc., ought to be materialized.

4- Complete separation of religion and ideology from state: Religious belief and ideology are one’s private affairs. Individuals are free to have or not have any religious beliefs; they are free to believe in an ideology or to have no ideological belief at all. The practitioners of religious beliefs are free to observe their religious rites and ceremonies. Religion and ideological belief ought to be completely separated from the education system and the state.

5- Equal rights of women with men in all the political, social, and economic spheres must be materialized. Females ought to participate in all governmental organs proportional to their population. In order to eradicate the existing unequal conditions between women and men necessary steps ought to be taken, including provision of additional opportunities for women. Necessary conditions ought to be created for the overall growth and development of women particularly in working class households. The establishment of independent women’s organizations should be supported.

6- Free and mandatory education up to the ninth grade ought to be provided for all children and youth of the country and all citizens must be given equal access to a progressive education system. In order to alleviate illiteracy amongst the elderly, distinct schooling system and learning centers should be created and necessary funding for them provided. At the same time, facilities and conditions should be put in place towards the development of a free higher education attainable to all.

7- Social justice should be improved and difficulties for poorer working classes alleviated; all citizens should have access to free social services, healthcare, education, as well as retirement and unemployment insurances.

8- Social insurances ought to be established for the benefit of all, and a fair taxing system proportional to income, inheritance, and assets should be set up.

9- Illegality of working for the youth under the age of 16 should be acknowledged. For the purpose of educating children and youth based on the demands of contemporary times, healthy athletic and entertainment centers should be set up; conditions for cultural and artistic flourishing in society be created; newspapers, magazines, libraries, and art centers be established. In short, positive conditions for technological and informational developments ought to be provided for all citizens, particularly for the youth from working class background.

10-The environment ought to be protected for the common use of all, where social development and universal welfare of all citizenry are guaranteed.

11-Favorable conditions for friendship, camaraderie and solidarity among diverse nations in Iran ought to be created.

12-Equal citizenship rights for all national and cultural minorities in Azerbaijan and throughout the Turk-populated self-governing regions ought to be realized.

13-Respect for human rights constitutes one of our main goals. We support all international conventions and covenants on human rights, and the rights of children and women. We demand the abolition of capital punishment and torture in any form and way.

14-Azerbaijan’s economy has suffered severely due to the existence of 80 years of national oppression, which has caused the draining of capital from our region. For this reason, Azerbaijan’s economic development shall be amongst the main goals of our national Azerbaijani government. To achieve this goal, the duty of federal government of Azerbaijan should be: creating the necessary infrastructure, attracting investment, educating and training skilled workers; using scientific methods to modernize its structure and to improve organizational and economic competitiveness.

15- We are against any type of intervention and intrusion of foreign governments in our affairs and condemn any attempt on the part of external forces seeking to influence our just struggle. We denounce and reject the intentions of foreign powers to infiltrate their puppet elements into the national movements; we consider such intentions as reactionary and anti-democratic. Instead, we rely on the free will and determination of citizens and communities in Iran to determine our own destiny.

We realize that the above-mentioned goals are attainable only through the unified struggle of the Azerbaijani-Turks and their solidarity with Iran’s other peoples. This struggle is an internal affair in our country.

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