Re: Iranian-Armenian relations
You're exactly correct; and I would just add that it's in Armenia's interest not to provoke people on the Iranian side (rogue individuals) to suddenly volunteer for the Azerbaijan army.
Second point: Azerbaboon accused Iran of delivering arms to the Armenian side. (Interview with the Interior Minister of Azerbaijan, Ettelaat, 15 June 1992.)
Third point: Azerbaboon has publicly blamed Iran for Armenia's success in the NK war. They claim to have been taken off guard by what Iran told them and they were surprised by Armenia. I.e., Azerbaboon claims Iran lied to them so Armenia could gain an advantage in the war.
Fourth point: Armenia's leadership has openly stated that Armenia was able to survive during the bad years of the blockade on 3 borders because of Iran. It seems weird to attribute motives to Iran in trying to destroy Armenia against these sorts of facts, and against the subsequent boost Iran gave to Armenia's energy sector and economy. Serge said words to the effect that 'Iran is the path by which Armenia breathes' - another Armenian politician stated that Iran is the only regional player that's taken a sensible and fair approach, and hoped that Iran would always have a strong military presence in the region.
The Caucuses has long been the scene of rivalry between Russia, Turkey and Iran. Co-ordination between these three states may facilitate a long-term solution to issues in the Caucuses. However, I believe that Russia and Turkey are on a collision course in the next 50-100 years. In some ways, Russia is being negligent in not better courting Iran while Turkey is making more head-way there in terms of trade.
Prior to Russia arriving on the scene -- only one country has consistently protected Armenians and Armenia from extinction. It's not Canada, it's not Turkey; it's not Saudi Arabia; it's not Turkmenistan; it's not Georgia; it's not the USA, or Finland.
It's Iran.
There's a lot Armenians can do to shore up that relationship and bolster their chances of success.
My helpful tip for the day: Single Iranian-Armenian men should move back to Iran and marry an Iranian girl and strengthen the community there instead of fading away in the diaspora. If 3-5 thousand went back and had a couple of kids and built a new small town that could be the start of something new. Coordinate with the Iranian government and build a new village in Iran ('Little Yerevan'); do what you did in the times of the Silk Road. Just make sure the ones that do move back aren't of the type that want to set up Communist Groups, or stir up trouble. Mellow businessmen would really succeed: Set up joint Armenian/Iranian companies. In some ways, Armenia really needs the Iranian-Armenians to be in Iran to help bridge cultural differences - Iranian-Armenians have hundreds of years of history and expertise in this area and it's not doing Armenia any good if they're all assimilating in Glendale. Tap into that resources and bolster it.
Some Sunnis do and some don't - but the Wahhabis (Saudis) definitely don't care for Iranian-Muslims. But it's true that Iranian-Muslims are different from other Muslims -- in one way in that they generally are harmonious with Christians -- and they give Armenian-Christians access to an otherwise hostile Muslim region and protect them from those elements.
More than one author has noted that when Arabs tried to conquer Persia with Islam - Persia ended up conquering Islam.
How can Azerbaijan declare Jihad? ... they're too busy building synagogues and demolishing Christian and Muslim monuments.
Azerbaijan declaring Jihad is like Kemal Attaturk asking for 'Allah's blessing' - the Aliyev clan doesn't look like the type of people who would be comfortable around Hezbollah or Mujahadeen fighters.
Originally posted by Eddo211
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Second point: Azerbaboon accused Iran of delivering arms to the Armenian side. (Interview with the Interior Minister of Azerbaijan, Ettelaat, 15 June 1992.)
Third point: Azerbaboon has publicly blamed Iran for Armenia's success in the NK war. They claim to have been taken off guard by what Iran told them and they were surprised by Armenia. I.e., Azerbaboon claims Iran lied to them so Armenia could gain an advantage in the war.
Fourth point: Armenia's leadership has openly stated that Armenia was able to survive during the bad years of the blockade on 3 borders because of Iran. It seems weird to attribute motives to Iran in trying to destroy Armenia against these sorts of facts, and against the subsequent boost Iran gave to Armenia's energy sector and economy. Serge said words to the effect that 'Iran is the path by which Armenia breathes' - another Armenian politician stated that Iran is the only regional player that's taken a sensible and fair approach, and hoped that Iran would always have a strong military presence in the region.
The Caucuses has long been the scene of rivalry between Russia, Turkey and Iran. Co-ordination between these three states may facilitate a long-term solution to issues in the Caucuses. However, I believe that Russia and Turkey are on a collision course in the next 50-100 years. In some ways, Russia is being negligent in not better courting Iran while Turkey is making more head-way there in terms of trade.
Prior to Russia arriving on the scene -- only one country has consistently protected Armenians and Armenia from extinction. It's not Canada, it's not Turkey; it's not Saudi Arabia; it's not Turkmenistan; it's not Georgia; it's not the USA, or Finland.
It's Iran.
There's a lot Armenians can do to shore up that relationship and bolster their chances of success.
My helpful tip for the day: Single Iranian-Armenian men should move back to Iran and marry an Iranian girl and strengthen the community there instead of fading away in the diaspora. If 3-5 thousand went back and had a couple of kids and built a new small town that could be the start of something new. Coordinate with the Iranian government and build a new village in Iran ('Little Yerevan'); do what you did in the times of the Silk Road. Just make sure the ones that do move back aren't of the type that want to set up Communist Groups, or stir up trouble. Mellow businessmen would really succeed: Set up joint Armenian/Iranian companies. In some ways, Armenia really needs the Iranian-Armenians to be in Iran to help bridge cultural differences - Iranian-Armenians have hundreds of years of history and expertise in this area and it's not doing Armenia any good if they're all assimilating in Glendale. Tap into that resources and bolster it.
Originally posted by Eddo211
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Bernard Lewis:
"Iran was indeed Islamized, but it was not Arabized. Persians remained Persians. And after an interval of silence, Iran reemerged as a separate, different and distinctive element within Islam, eventually adding a new element even to Islam itself. Culturally, politically, and most remarkable of all even religiously, the Iranian contribution to this new Islamic civilization is of immense importance. The work of Iranians can be seen in every field of cultural endeavor, including Arabic poetry, to which poets of Iranian origin composing their poems in Arabic made a very significant contribution. In a sense, Iranian Islam is a second advent of Islam itself, a new Islam sometimes referred to as Islam-i Ajam. It was this Persian Islam, rather than the original Arab Islam, that was brought to new areas and new peoples." (B. Lewis, Encyclopędia Britannica.)
"Iran was indeed Islamized, but it was not Arabized. Persians remained Persians. And after an interval of silence, Iran reemerged as a separate, different and distinctive element within Islam, eventually adding a new element even to Islam itself. Culturally, politically, and most remarkable of all even religiously, the Iranian contribution to this new Islamic civilization is of immense importance. The work of Iranians can be seen in every field of cultural endeavor, including Arabic poetry, to which poets of Iranian origin composing their poems in Arabic made a very significant contribution. In a sense, Iranian Islam is a second advent of Islam itself, a new Islam sometimes referred to as Islam-i Ajam. It was this Persian Islam, rather than the original Arab Islam, that was brought to new areas and new peoples." (B. Lewis, Encyclopędia Britannica.)
Originally posted by ninetoyadome
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Azerbaijan declaring Jihad is like Kemal Attaturk asking for 'Allah's blessing' - the Aliyev clan doesn't look like the type of people who would be comfortable around Hezbollah or Mujahadeen fighters.
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