In recent days, with the rising likelihood of a direct confrontation between the Islamic Regime of Iran and Israel, certain outlets and media have deliberately brought up the name of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the deposed Shah, implying that he could be a potential alternative to the Islamic Republic regime. In the midst of this, he himself has made baseless statements, and some Persian-language media outlets with fascist tendencies, which support the monarchist movement, have started broadcasting news and programs to place him in the spotlight of public attention.

It is no secret to any neutral observer that the era of the Pahlavi regime was a period of the rise of Persian (Tajik) nationalism in Iran, which for non-Persian nations in Iran is a reminder of denial, humiliation, insult, discrimination, oppression, colonialism, and even massacre. The Persian (Tajik) nationalist system that governs Iran today, known as the Iranshahr movement or Shu’ubiyya, was established during that era, and the Islamic Republic regime is, in fact, a legacy of the Pahlavi regime. Naturally, it should not be forgotten that the medieval and inhumane mentality of the Islamic Republic regime is also the result of the dictatorship and repression of the Pahlavi era, which took the progressive achievements of the Constitutional (Mashruta) Revolution—such as the advanced Provincial and Local Councils Law—to the slaughterhouse, preventing freedom, equality, and justice from prevailing in the country in line with the ideals of the Constitutional (Mashruta) Revolution.

For a century, the oppressed nations in Iran have been grappling with various forms of economic, political, cultural, ideological, and social injustices, paying a heavy price for their liberation and freedom, and continue to do so. Today, all the oppressed nations in Iran, including the Turkic, Arab, Baluch, and Kurdish peoples, are struggling for liberation from the criminal dictatorship of the Islamic Republic amid overwhelming economic and livelihood pressures, poverty and unemployment, systemic corruption within the government, severe repression, and numerous other crises. However, none of these oppressed nations are willing to return to the dark era of the Pahlavi regime under any circumstances, as they have no fond memories of that regime and understand that all the hardships they endure today are rooted in that very regime.

We, as the South Azerbaijani and Qashqayi Turkic parties and organizations, openly declare that if there is to be a country called Iran, it must be free from all forms of racial, religious, national, class, ideological, and other forms of tyranny and colonialism. A true pluralistic democracy must be established, and all the rights of the oppressed nations must be fully recognized. Let there be no doubt that all the oppressed nations in Iran will fight with all their might to achieve this goal.

Azerbaijan Center Party

Azerbaijan National Resistance Organization – Diranish

Azerbaijan Student Movement – AZOH

Southern Azerbaijan Democratic Party – GADP

Qashqayi Freedom Path Party - QAYİ

12/10/2024