Rumors about Khatami`s insulting Azeris `pre-election provocation`
Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has never
insulted ethnic groups, his former advisor and vice-president told
the press after Azerbaijani youths protested in Iran.
Mohammad Ali Abtahi labeled the allegations "a pre-election provocation against reformists staged by government forces."
Reports say Khatami had told jokes about the Azerbaijani people and insulted them in video footage recently released. Hundreds of ethnic Azeri students from Tehran University held a protest outside the university on Sunday, demanding the ex-president apologize to the Azerbaijani people, IRNA news agency reported. The protesters chanted slogans saying "How long will we be insulted?", "Khatami, Khatami, shame on you", "Freedom, democracy and equal rights for all" and "Hey, people, I am a Turk."
According to unofficial reports, nearly 35 million Azerbaijanis live in Iran, mainly in the Eastern and Western Azerbaijan provinces.
Abtahi said this was not the first provocation against Khatami. "There were some provocations against Khatami before we withdrew his candidacy for the presidential election in June. For example, the ruling coalition [conservatives] taped statements made by some clerical leaders against Khatami. The footage about Khatami`s insulting Azerbaijanis had been filmed with a hidden camera and this is a video collage," Abtahi told Trend over the telephone from Tehran.
He said that Khatami currently supports reformist candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi`s bid for presidency. "Mousavi is an Azerbaijani who was born in Khameneh. Conservatives are trying to prevent Azerbaijanis` support for their native Mousavi by committing a provocation against Khatami," Abtahi said.
Abtahi added that both Khatami and Mousavi respect Azerbaijanis in Iran and Azerbaijanis support Mousavi as their native candidate.
Mohammad Ali Abtahi labeled the allegations "a pre-election provocation against reformists staged by government forces."
Reports say Khatami had told jokes about the Azerbaijani people and insulted them in video footage recently released. Hundreds of ethnic Azeri students from Tehran University held a protest outside the university on Sunday, demanding the ex-president apologize to the Azerbaijani people, IRNA news agency reported. The protesters chanted slogans saying "How long will we be insulted?", "Khatami, Khatami, shame on you", "Freedom, democracy and equal rights for all" and "Hey, people, I am a Turk."
According to unofficial reports, nearly 35 million Azerbaijanis live in Iran, mainly in the Eastern and Western Azerbaijan provinces.
Abtahi said this was not the first provocation against Khatami. "There were some provocations against Khatami before we withdrew his candidacy for the presidential election in June. For example, the ruling coalition [conservatives] taped statements made by some clerical leaders against Khatami. The footage about Khatami`s insulting Azerbaijanis had been filmed with a hidden camera and this is a video collage," Abtahi told Trend over the telephone from Tehran.
He said that Khatami currently supports reformist candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi`s bid for presidency. "Mousavi is an Azerbaijani who was born in Khameneh. Conservatives are trying to prevent Azerbaijanis` support for their native Mousavi by committing a provocation against Khatami," Abtahi said.
Abtahi added that both Khatami and Mousavi respect Azerbaijanis in Iran and Azerbaijanis support Mousavi as their native candidate.
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