Azernews.Az

Baku has accused Iran of carrying out an anti-Azerbaijani campaign on the eve of the Eurovision song contest the city is hosting this week.

Azerbaijani Presidential Administration official Ali Hasanov told a press conference on Monday that Iran is one of the two centers pursuing the anti-Azerbaijani campaign in the backdrop of Eurovision Song Contest 2012.

Hasanov said that, first of all, Iran is very ``jealous`` of Baku`s turning into a beautiful city, as well as many foreign tourists` visiting it. In the backdrop of this, he said, an anti-Azerbaijani campaign is being pursued, focusing on events that have never taken place, such as a gay parade and Azerbaijan`s alleged backtracking from Islamic values.

``During our meetings we have repeatedly demanded that Iran not interfere with the affairs of our secular state, and [stated that] we will not intervene in the affairs of religious Iran. Azerbaijani people continue to adhere to Islamic values and thinking. In a religious sense, we rely on Islam, and there is an Azerbaijani model of Islam,`` Hasanov said.

The top Azerbaijani official expressed regret over the continuing anti-Azerbaijani campaign.

``What are we holding here, a gay parade or Eurovision Song Contest? Why would they talk about a gay parade? There is no such phrase in Azerbaijani language. They, however, have such a word - ``ibne``, Hasanov noted.

Azerbaijanis living in the UK, Canada, Netherlands and Sweden have held protests against what they believe is the interference of Iran in Azerbaijan`s internal affairs and violation of human rights of 35 million Azerbaijanis living there. Protests will continue this week.

Presidential aide Hasanov said an anti-Azerbaijani campaign is also being conducted by Western media. He said five media outlets -- two newspapers and a TV channel in Germany -- as well as the BBC and The Guardian newspaper, regularly disseminate Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch`s critical information of similar content.

``When I was in Germany, I saw information folders provided by the Armenian lobby. So, they have become a mouthpiece for propaganda, managed from one center,`` Hasanov said.

Tension escalates
Iran`s Foreign Ministry has handed a note of protest to Azerbaijan`s ambassador to Iran, Javanshir Akhundov, saying that ``the honor and dignity of the Islamic republic`s spiritual leaders have been insulted`` during anti-Iran protests in Baku last week.

Officials at the Iranian Embassy in Baku said that Ambassador Mohammad Bagher Bahrami had returned to Tehran on Monday ``for consultations.``

The move came after dozens of protesters in Baku picketed the Iranian Embassy, protesting what they called ``Tehran`s anti-Azerbaijani politics`` and holding pictures of Iran`s ayatollahs and president. Iran`s embassy in Baku labeled the protest as ``ordered``.

Tensions between Iran and mainly Muslim but officially secular Azerbaijan have escalated in recent months after Azerbaijani authorities arrested a number of men with links to Iran who were reportedly plotting attacks in Azerbaijan.

Ties have also frayed over reported closer links between Azerbaijan and Iranian rival Israel, including reported Azerbaijani purchases of Israeli weapons.