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Borders and Brethren: Iran and the Challenge of Azerbaijani Identity (BCSIA Studies in International Security) | 
 enlarge | Author: Brenda Shaffer
Publisher: The MIT Press
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
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Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 1066336
Media: Paperback
Pages: 300
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7
ISBN: 0262692775
Dewey Decimal Number: 305.8009553
EAN: 9780262692779
ASIN: 0262692775
Publication Date: July 1, 2002
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Product Description
The Azerbaijani people have been divided between Iran and the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan for more than 150 years, yet they have retained their ethnic identity. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of an independent Azerbaijan have only served to reinforce their collective identity.
In Borders and Brethren, Brenda Shaffer examines trends in Azerbaijani collective identity from the period of the Islamic Revolution in Iran through the Soviet breakup and the beginnings of the Republic of Azerbaijan (1979-2000). Challenging the mainstream view in contemporary Iranian studies, Shaffer argues that a distinctive Azerbaijani identity exists in Iran and that Azerbaijani ethnicity must be a part of studies of Iranian society and assessments of regime stability in Iran. She analyzes how Azerbaijanis have maintained their identity and how that identity has assumed different forms in the former Soviet Union and Iran. In addition to contributing to the study of ethnic identity, the book reveals the dilemmas of ethnic politics in Iran.
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| Customer Reviews:
 An intriguing rough guide to Azerbaijani society and history March 1, 2004
Mehdi farshbaf (Scandinavia)
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
Although the title of the book might suggest otherwise Brenda Shaffer deals with both the independent Republic of Azerbaijan and their Southern co-ethnics in Iranian Azerbaijan. She offers the reader an extensive and a well-documented account of Azerbaijani Identity in Iran and Azerbaijan from beginning of the 20th century and up till present. She analyzes and gives new answers to old controversies; i.e. the deceleration of an autonomous republic in southern Azerbaijan at the end of the 2WW. Later on she offers a thorough analysis on the impact of the Iranian revolution, the Russian revolution, the break-up of the Soviet Union and the subsequent independence of northern Azerbaijan on the Azeri identity. Throughout the book she argues that there is a common Azeri identity that transcends the almost 200-year-old division between south and north Azerbaijan. The investigation and analysis does not limit itself to the historical and political arena, she does also deal with cultural, lingual, religious and social sides of life in the two Azerbaijans. All in all, the book stands out as an excellent rough guide to Azerbaijani society and modern history.
 Very Academic October 2, 2003
C. Anderson (Washington, DC)
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
While I have yet to finish this book, I was somewhat disappointed as the book is extremely academic and somewhat dryly written. This is an interesting topic, but it is approached in a somewhat sterile way.
Persian Chauvinists only shoot the messenger! November 30, 2005
S. N. (Toronto, CANADA)
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Brenda Shaffer's important and engaging Borders and Brethren: Iran and the Challenge of Azerbaijani Identity looks comparatively at the same ethnic group, the Azerbaijanis, but as two groups who have been divided from one another for over 150 years with their most recent experience under the two different regimes of Iran and the Soviet Union. The creation in 1991 of the Republic of Azerbaijan out of the Soviet republic has further encouraged the sense of a collective Azerbaijani identity in both regimes.
As Shaffer explains, the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan's `clear separation between religion and state is consistent with the anti-clericalism and Muslim secularism found among both north and Iranian Azerbaijanis'. (Shaffer, 209)
As Shaffer underscores in relation to ethnic Azerbaijanis in Cummings, Islam in the Former Soviet Union 70 Iran. Shaffer groundbreakingly demonstrates that Azerbaijanis have managed to maintain a sense of collective Azerbaijani identity; this partly explains why Azerbaijanis in Iran are not predominantly more religious than their northern brethren in the Republic of Azerbaijan, because of the strong secularism at the core of Azerbaijani collective identity: `[W]hile there are certainly religious Azerbaijanis, as the vast number of Azerbaijanis in Iran's clerical elite shows, since the second half of the nineteenth century Azerbaijanis have also been in the forefront of Muslims who advocate a secular Muslim identity.' (Shaffer, 209) Azerbaijanis have also often advocated `ideologies that bridge Shi'i and Sunni Islam, such as pan-Islam.' (Shaffer, 209) Shaffer's argument that Azerbaijanis have maintained a collective identity in Iran in her view challenges the mainstream view of contemporary Iranian studies which sees Azerbaijanis as a wellintegrated minority in Iran and demands a separate assessment of Azerbaijani ethnic identity.
In her book Shaffer challenges the widely held view in contemporary Iranian scholarship that a broad Iranian identity supersedes ethnic identities.
Shaffer describes a cultural reawakening among Iranian Azeris, calls Iran's national and ethnic-minority policy unjust and suggests that Iranian support for Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute stems from a fear of the Republic of Azerbaijan becoming strong and, as she said in a recent London lecture, emerging as "a source of attraction to [Iran's] own Azerbaijanis."
In Iran for the last 80 years, the government-sponsored propaganda portrayed Turks as barbarians. Turks who wanted to climb up in state hierarchy had to deny their ethnic background. In order to assimilate the Turks into Persian culture Tehran was discouraging deliberately investments in Azerbaijan by making it hard to obtain permission to set up any fundamental industry there. Even in the case of obtaining permission, the cooperation of banking system could not be expected. As a result, thousands of people had to leave their homeland and settle in Persian cities to make a living.
Persian-Fascists can keep dreaming but a strong sense of Azerbaijani nationalism is growing in Iran, predicting the possibility of Azeri-led unrest unless the demands of this movement were met.
Iran's central government bans the use of Azeri language in schools, changes Azeri geographical names, harasses and imprisons Azeri cultural activists and underreports the Azeri population.
As Dr. Asgharzadeh write: "There are a number of reasons why it is important to talk about the Azerbaijani Diaspora. To begin with, Azerbaijanis are a divided people. They are socialized differently depending on whether they are born and raised in Northern or in Southern Azerbaijan. Those in the Northern Azerbaijan have developed socio-political institutions and psychological-cognitive faculties differently than those from the South. And yet, there are formidable historical, socio-cultural, ethnic, and linguistic ties that bind and bring them together. This necessity of coming together finds its highest expression in exile and among the Azeri migrants. In process, the Azeri Diaspora experiences a host of problems, challenges, issues and concerns that, although not unique, but are of significant sociological importance. Among them, there are problems of identity and issues of identification, conceptual problems, miscommunications and issues arising from different socialization processes. This paper will look into some of those issues and concerns."
In Azerbaijan, the Turkish language was banned from schools and government offices. Since the Turkish language press shared the same fate, there were no Turkish newspapers or magazines published. Students were forced to speak in Persian at schools, in the face of using their mother language they were fined and whipped by their teachers or principles.
The resolution of ethnic problems in Iran, including the Azeri problem, is closely related with democratization in Iran. In the near future and in the next political crisis in Iran, these ethnic issues will be on the agenda. It should be noted that this topic played a role in the last presidential elections as well. The extent and intensity of the Azeri question, that is, cultural autonomy, national-territorial autonomy or the demands for full independence will depend on the influence and integrity of ethnic forces, the extent of support for national ideals and finally, foreign factors.
S. N.
important study on Azerbaijani issue in Iran March 22, 2006
arf (Canada)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
As seen from previous review the topic itself is complex, emotional and sensitive. People from Iran and Azerbaijan will differ their opinion on the subject of the book - the identity of Azerbaijanis in Iran. But the problem of Azerbaijani identity in Iran exists despite the denial of Iranians. Yes, some part of Azerbaijani population align themself with Iranian state and culture. But the significant other portion DO NOT. And this problem emerged not yesterday - we have to recall the attempt of Iranian Azerbaijanis to create its own state and unite with North in 1945-46 (I would advise Turaj Atabaki's book on this subject). With current Iranian regime, supression of Azerbaijani language and culture, the problem is going to be exacerbated. Brenda Shaffer did a good job enlighting this problem in last two decades of the XX century - aftermath of Iranian revolution, collapse of USSR and the establishment of independent Azerbaijan.
 Founding premise of book is wrong October 29, 2005
A. Malaki (Boston)
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
I read through half of this book and decided it is not worth my time to read the rest. The founding premise of this book.. that there is a North and a South Azerbaijan that are seperated for 150 years is, simply put, factually and historically incorrect. Historically, what is called the Republic of Azerbaijan today was only called so after the Tsarist Russian takeover of the territory from Iran in the treay of Turkomanchai. Prior to this, this territory was actually three provinces in Iran, and the main one was known as Arran. None of the three were called Azerbaijan. The only Azerbaijan land at the time was what is today Iranian Azerbaijan (ie, the territory below the Aras river). The Tsarist (along with pan-Turkic extremists) created the name of Republic of Azerbaijan to create the illusion of seperation and North-south so that they could lay the foundation for an eventual annexation of Iranian Azerbaijan, as Tsarist (and eventually Soviet) Russia was very keen on further territorial expansion into Iran. The second issue I have with this book is the continual mix up of ethnicity and language. Azerbaijan's ethnicity is a mix, but clearly much more Indo-Iranian than Turkic. The language was Turkified (from a previous mix of Kurdish, Persian, Talish, and Tati) after the multiple waves of Turkic (Oguz, Mongul) invasions, where the invading armies became the ruling elite and their Turkic languages dominated as they started dominating the region's economy and power structure. Consider it similar to what happened to Syria or Iraq or Egypt after the Arab/Mulsim invasion during the caliphate times. Persian words, phrases, vocabulary, are all so well entrenched and dominating Azeri Turkish language that it is easy to see the integral part of Iranian (Persian, Kursidh, Talishi, Tati) languages in modern day Azeri Turkish. Finally, and this is probably the most obvious of all... the clearest evidence of a common history and background is cultural aspects of people's lives. Azerbaijan of Iran has most, if not all, of its culture common with and part of a greater Iranian culture. Everything from Noroz, the food and cooking, eating, non-religious (Zorastrian) ceremonies (charshanbe sori, mehregan etc), geime Tabrizi, everything is one and the same, part of the Iranian cultural fabric that has united the people of the Iranian plateau since even before the Achmenid dynasty. Azerbaijanis, their Turkish speakers, Talish speakers, Tatis, Kurds, are all part of the Iranian culture, and are one and the same with the rest of the Iranian people. This same cultural unity is applicable to the people of Arran/Republic of Azerbaijan. It is unfortunate that people such as Brenda try to create artificial seperation between people along arbitrary lines, and try to create a false history to support their inaccurate theories.
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