Araz News: South Azerbaijani Parliamentarian from Urmia, Nader Ghazi Pour criticized Iranian media and some so called art societies who insult ethnic identities in Iran and called authorities to prevent and punish them.

In a speech in Iranian parliament (Islamic Council of Iran) he told: “We have not forgotten 2006 events in which we lost eight our fellows because of Iran newspaper’s insult”.

He referred to an Iranian theater team named Shahr Ashub which was being performing a play named “Kharkator” which is made up of two words “Khar” and “Teraktor” which respectively mean “donkey” and “tractor”.

Note that the Persian people of Iran use to joke and insult Azerbaijani Turks saying them “Tork-e Khar”, mean “donkey Turk”! Meanwhile the “Tractor” is the name of most loved and supported football team of South Azerbaijan which Azerbaijani Turks consider it as a national honor issue.

Upon the intense reaction of Azerbaijani society the group apologized Azerbaijani people for an insulting play it had performed. The group has also changed the name of the play to “Couple”. However eyewitnesses say the poster of the play with its old name is being hanged in some places in Tehran.

Most of the Azerbaijanis considered the name “Kharaktor” as insulting their beloved team as well as their ethnical identity. Eyewitnesses also say the two-man play also includes ironic parts toward ethnical identity of Azerbaijani Turks.

A tense reaction is given by Azerbaijanis to the play through media.

As a result the theater team has changed its play’s name to “Couple” and issued an apology massage on its Facebook account underlining that it did not intend to insult any one and it was only a mistake.

However the reaction of Azerbaijani community continues.

Insulting Azerbaijani’s Turkic identity by Persian people and even state media and organs of Iran has become a problematic issue in the recent years and Azerbaijani society is very sensitive on this case. In 2006 a wide unrest took place in South Azerbaijan because a state run newspaper insulted Turkic identity of Azerbaijanis. Many people lost their lives or wounded during the 15-day unrest which spread through more than 20 Azerbaijani cities as well as Turkic dominated neighborhoods of capital Tehran and the country’s religious center, Qom.