Another interesting development in the culture war between Azerbaijan and Iran today, Panorama revealed that the "5 manat banknote will bear the picture of a classic Iranian poet Nizami Ganjevi, who is considered an Azerbaijani poet in Azerbaijan."
Why is this important? Well, for this blogger, Azerbaijan seems to be claiming that ancestral Azerbaijanis who 'happened to live in Iran' were really Azerbaijanis all along. Iran is simply a foreign occupying power. A simple analogy might be to call Ritchie Valens a great 'Mexican' musician. However, this particular poet died over 800 years ago, and Azerbaijan is only 20 years old.
Iran's Deputy Minister of culture and Islamic orientation, Bakhman Dari, responded with the expected denunciation, claiming that a country with 'no culture' is forced to steal one from others.
It does seem to be a provocative move.
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