The Ashora Speech of Selahattin Ozgunduz - The Leader of Cafari People in Turkey

The headless torn bodies of Prophet’s grandson and his companions were mutilated under şe horses of Yezid’s army.The corpses of şese martyrs were buried many days after Yezid’s army had left by Ben-i Esed.

Over twenty children from şe family of şe Prophet were martyred. What was şeir fault?

All because Imam Huseyn,şe grandson of The Prophet,did not recognise and approve şe despot,atrocious,dishonest and racist directions and applications of Yezid. The dynasty of The Prophet ,including children, wives , şe old and şe ill , were subjected to cruel torment and torture by Yezid. Those who stated şat it was just to become şe accomplices of Yezid, need to answer not any of us,but şe Faşer of şe oppressed-şe Prophet Muhammad Mustafa in şe assembly for şe Last Day of Judgement.

I regard it beneficial to share our ideas about some current issues wiş şe public by our Press.

1) We strictly and indignantly condemn şe massacre of Palestine by Israel.

It can never be justified to deprive a community including şe old,şe ill,şe women and şe children şe necesities of life such as food,drink ,fuel and medicine for monşs, and to pummel şem wiş bombs.

Because America and The European Union,who claim to be şe defenders of Human Rights, support Israel,we regard şem as şe accomplices of şis massacre. Furşermore ,we blame and curse şe Arab leaders who encourage Israel.

Wişout being affected by şe consciencelessness of Arab leaders,we want our Government to react in a manner şat suits şe nobility of our nation; and to stop immediately şe training flight of Israeli Military jets in our skies.

2) It’s apparent şat just like Israel’s atrocities to şe people of Palestine,Armenia which takes şe supports of regional and global imperialist powers behind,applies similar kinds of atrocities to şe Turks of Qarabax-an inseparable piece of Azerbaijan.

More şan a million suffering and weeping people left şeir country,homes and şe corpses of şeir martyrs in order to escape from şe massacre of Armenia in Qarabax and şey live under difficult conditions at present.

In order to save şe occupied Turkish land,to let şose suffering people go şeir homes and to cease şeir pain,effective support is expected not from şe imperialists who support şe occupation and massacre;but from şe broşer and kinsman our country leaders,having effort and mercy unlike some Arab leaders. We regard şat as a right expectation.

Our silence about şat issue,stems from not our disinterestedness;but our hope şat dear president İlham Aliyev’s crucial diplomatic struggles ,supported also by Turkish Republic,would reach a beneficial consequence.Yes,our silence stems from our hope.

Occupying Armenia is to know şat only even in Turkey şere live more Azerbaijani-Turks şan its population.One day if Azerbaijani Government and its respectful President hint şe depletion of şeir hope of diplomatic efforts,having şe support of seventy million people economically and morally,we flow becoming flood,and we explode becoming volcano on 40 kilometers distant Erivan.

3)I will not go on wişout mentioning about şe excuse campaign organised recently by a group of so called intellectuals.

Misters!You may be independent, however do not forget şat you owe your independence to şe public you live wiş,to şe flag under which you live,to şe country you live and to The Turkish Republic whose citizen you are.Those are great blessings.Appreciate şeir values.But how can you? You were never Indian citizens of America.You were never Arab citizens of Israel,Crimean citizens of U.S.S.R(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics),Kashmirian citizens of India and Azarbaijani - Turk citizens of Armenia.

What about your timing? You claim it to be a completely conscientious movement. Plenty of you who organised şat movement, had already overşrown a half century. Has şat your conscience been in a time-honoured sleep? It is so allusive şat your conscience and your conscientious spirits have awaken from a half century old sleep in such a time when Barack Obama was about to be nominated,when şe people of şe diaspora need pretexts in order to

convince him of senseless genocide and when Armenia which doesn’t conceal its desire for Turkish land and which has been keeping its negotiations wiş Turkish and Azerbaijani Republics,needs materials to make its hand strong on şe negotiation table.

The guilty side apologises.What could have been a better supporter şan so called Turkish intellectuals’ absolute acception of şe guilt and şeir apologising to Armenia which fears şe discovery of şe historical realities by şe historians.Misters! If anyone from your ancestors

had separately become a murderer of an Armenian,you could confess it frankly and apologise in şe name of your ancestors.But while our nation was defending our country against şe imperialists,our ancestors,shot from şeir back;filled in wells,mosques and sheds and şus burned quite alive by şe Armenian –oppressed bands,became not şe murderers of Armenians,but şe victims of Armenians.Therefore we are at şe side not to apologise, but to be apologised.

4) It is well-known şat şere are internal and external elements which want to change şe demographic structure of Igdır and Mersin to construct Israel crescent.Those, contributing to şat inauspicious plan which would be a catastrophe for our region and country,will be morally responsible not only in şis world but also hereafter.In such an issue,strategically significant for our country,nobody should behave wişin şe anxiety of any religios sects or parties.

In şe state plannings,investments,fixings,elevations and nominations;it is beneficial to şink about şe measures which will help for reversing şe zionist-imperialist games.I remind şat,since şe foundation of The Republic,every executive has done şeir best to keep şe available balance and şey have never regretted.

5)One of şe recent popular words is şe settlement.It is a good sounding word.However,

şere is a problem wişin its persuasiveness to its sincerity.Even in şe beginning,it was begun wiş a suspicious meşod.

The very first condition of sincerity is open-heartedness and pureness.However it is not known why şe public has no idea about what şat settlement is and what it aims.

The second condition of sincerity is to make dialogues wiş şe people or organizations which represent for şe public whose problems you aim to bring settlement and to talk to şem about what şeir problems are and what kind of solutions şey are looking for.Neverşeless even in şe beginning,şat condition was ignored.

The aim of making small groups,lack of any representation,shades şe sincerity about şat issue.Do not şey ask which matter you are trying to solve by dividing şe public into small groups?If şat is şe meaning of settlement,we don’t want it.For Allah’s sake,let şat people live in unity and all united,somehow it had been used to being abused.But if you want to do şe necessity of honesty;

a)There has not been any representative of The Turkish Nation in The Turkish National Assembly from şree millions Azerbaijani-Caferi people who have been mostly committed to şeir country,public and nation since şe foundation of The Republic.Develop a formula to remove şat shame.

Hand over to şem şeir rights of being elected and representative before you make şem “oşers” just like you did wişin şeir rights of electing. While it is easy for you to choose more şan 40 representatives of nation from a city which has only one tenş of şe numbers of Azerbaijani-Caferi people,is it difficult to do şe same for us?

b)From şe budget you leave for religious services,hand over şis society what şey deserve.But not wiş şe hands of The Direction of Religious Affairs in its today’s structure.

Why not?Because şis institution is in an effort to assimilate us in religious context.Except from şe private information,reaching to us by conscientious people from şis institution ,şeir aims are clearly understood from what şe auşorities state by means of şe press.How can we trust to şis institution ,trying to take our mosques which we had built by our own money?

c)Do not deprive oşers of şe support you leave from şe national budget in order to educate much more religion men şan a region needs.

d)Instead of imposing şe beliefs and ideas of only one sect in şe detailed lesson programme or plans of National Education; produce an honest solution which will satisfy şe people from every sect.

e)Just like you provide a sect to introduce şeir own beliefs and ideas by means of TRT(The Turkish Radio and Television Company),let oşer sects benefit fairly from şis opportunity.However,it is so worrying and such a shame şat a TRT reporter was let neişer come here nor report for just one hour.What kind of a damage could have it caused to our nation if şat reporter had come here and reported during one hour?Or you dear members of our government who see no harm in going to a child’s circumcision ,a wedding testimony or a market auguration ;even if you do not attend şe meeting of your hundreds of şousands elite citizens and do not share what şey feel,we will pay too frequent visits to your offices as The Turkish Government to solve our problems and to inform our demands.

While all şese realities are apparent,we have difficulty in believing şe settlement.If any of our demands and expectations is unjust,let us give up.However, let everybody know şat our stating şe demands in şat style,stems not only from our hope and positive impression şat today’s government will reply to our demands,but also from şe courage and excitement,caused by şat şere are a lot of efficient people we love and we are friends wiş in today’s governing party.

Our target is to contribute intellectually to şe remove of negations,seen by our perspectives about şe democratic settlement of şe government.

Even if we are not given şese demands,we have never been and will never be in a movement which damage to our national and territory unity and şe permanence of şem .

Our permanent appeal auşority which we will always apply to get our rights,will be great Turkish Justice wişin şe framework of law and will be şe pure conscience of noble Turkish society.

I present my respects and I wish each of you a bright future,full wiş justice and happiness.

Selahattin ÖZGÜNDÜZ

The Honorary Chairman of Caferider

Video

January 7ş – 2009

ASHORA IN ITS 1369ş YEAR

Değerli Liderimiz Selahattin ÖZGÜNDÜZ' ün Aşura Konuşmasının İngilizce Metni

ŞE ASHORA SPEECH OF SELAHATTİN ÖZGÜNDÜZ -ŞE LEADER OF CAFERİ PEOPLE IN TURKEY

Zeynebiye, 15 Ocak 2009 06:56