IRAN: Cabinet closes paper over cartoon (Iranian regime afraid of Iranian Azeris, 25% of population)

AKI ^ | 2006 May 23

[Wiz]

Tehran, 23 May (AKI) - The Iranian cabinet closed a state-owned newspaper on Tuesday after a cartoon it published sparked major protests by Iran's Azeri community. The cartoon published in Friday's edition of "Iran" newspaper represented a boy speaking to a cockroach in Persian while the cockroach replied "What?" in the Azeri language, widely spoken in north-west Iran. Police had to use tear gas against thousands of angry Azeris in the northwestern city of Tabriz who were protesting against the cartoons.

Other demonstrations were reported in Urmia, Ardebil, Mianeh and Zanja, all in Iranian Azerbaijan, the local media said on Tuesday.

Though it is fairly common for reformist papers to be closed- some 200 papers have been shut down in the past few years - a state-owned paper had never been banned by the government before. Iran is owned by Iranian state agency IRNA.

[Wiz]

Azeris make up 25% of Iran's population, second largest after Persian, 50% of the population. Azeris are the majority in Azerbijan, and have portion of their population down Iran. Such seperatist movement may change the power balance of the region. 25% of the population does mean much worth Iranian regime to fear, with more chance of portions of Iran to join Azerbijan. It is very interesting that the Iranian government had shut down an official newspaper, indicating the fears of the regime.

[Cindy]

OFF TOPIC - ON THE NET...

OSINT.INTERNET-HAGANAH.com (CAUCAZ.com) - (Baku, 25 March 2006 - BakuToday): "AL-QAEDA RECRUITING AZERI GIRLS" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The Al Qaeda terror cell is trying to recruit Azeri girls to carry out suicide attacks, the National Security Minister Eldar Mahmudov has said. The persons supposedly being drawn to join such extremist groups include believers from low-income families, religious students or the unemployed aged between 20 and 25, Mahmudov told Russian Interfax news agency.) (March 30, 2006)