Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 28 / TrendK.Zarbaliyeva /

Iran stands behind the religious parties distributing appeals against the secular state and secular education in Azerbaijan. These are specially trained people, head of the Azerbaijani Centre for Strategic Studies in Canada, political scientist Aslan Khalidi said at the news conference today. 

Since 1991, the Iranian secret services have begun to sabotage in Azerbaijan, he said.

"Since then, Iran wants to turn Azerbaijan into a small Palestine. Iran has tried to prepare in Azerbaijan forces against Israel, the U.S. and other countries wishing to cooperate with us," Khalidi said.

Khalidi said the Iranian side is opposed to the arrests of religious persons, in whose houses the law enforcement officers found weapons and ammunition, and who call for a change of government in Azerbaijan. But the Azerbaijanis voiced similar calls in Iran, they would be executed.

"The regime of mullahs" must know that by putting pressure on Azerbaijan, it can not bring to power Khomeinism, the pressure on Azerbaijan will give a negative effect and cause protests in the Southern Azerbaijan, Khalidi said.

He denounced the support of some political scientists and intellectua
ls to the artificially issue of hijab created by Iran in Azerbaijan.

Turning to the religious parties, he urged them not to fall under the influence of Iranian intelligence.

Khalidi said instead of holding protest outside the Israeli embassy, let the believers raise their voice of protest against Iran's supports to Armenia, and hold a protest outside the Iranian Embassy.

BAKU: Ethnic Azeris to stand in Canada parliamentary election

BAKU: Ethnic Azeris to stand in Canada parliamentary election

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Dec 24 2008

Ethnic Azeris to stand in Canada parliamentary election

24-12-2008 20:25:18


Ethnic Azerbaijanis will run for parliamentary elections to be held in
Canada in 2012, according to Aslan Khalidi, a member of the New
Democratic Party (NDP) of Canada.

Khalidi told reporters that the Azerbaijani communities had worked
together to nominate Azerbaijanis for the parliamentary election.

"Some Armenian members of the NDP have left the party as the number of
its Azerbaijani members has increased. Now, Armenians are beginning to
be represented in the Liberal Party of Canada," he said.

Khalidi said Canada`s citizens of Azerbaijani origin have to first
learn English in order to be represented in the country`s parliament.

Thirty-five members of the NDP are currently represented in the
Canadian parliament.