Azerbaijan sentences those calling someone “Armenian”
In the third report on Azerbaijan by the European Commission for Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) it is stated once again that the formation of a negative attitude toward Armenians is seen at all levels, starting from the social and educational programs and leading up to the highest state levels.
In the report it is stated that the 20-30,000 Armenians living in Azerbaijan, who are primarily subjects of mixed marriages or their inheritors, don't have any opportunity to show their national belonging, are afraid of letting others know about their origin and are subject to pressure on a daily basis.
As an example of intolerance, the Commission states that calling anyone of Armenian origin "Armenian" in Azerbaijani media may be viewed as an offense against a person's dignity and lead to a judicial procedure. As an example of Azerbaijan's state policy that instills hatred toward Armenians, turkologist Varuzhan Geghamyan today presented journalists with episodes from Azerbaijani school textbooks. Even in textbooks designed for the lower classes, Armenians are presented as envious and treacherous neighbors with whom the Azerbaijani "have tried to live in peace and solidarity since ancient times", but the Armenians have betrayed the Azerbaijani several times in the past.
"This is where we see a flaw in Azerbaijan's propaganda. On the one hand, Armenians are presented as people who just arrived in the South Caucasus and on the other hand, the Azerbaijani claim that the people of Azerbaijan have fallen victim to the Armenians' treacherous acts for centuries. However, there is no concrete example of "ancient relations" in the textbooks."
According to the speaker, in the ECRI report it is stated that this situation may lead to strictly negative effects in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution. The expert also says there can be no debate over preparing the society for a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which the intermediaries have raised concerns about several times.
"A side of the conflict is simply preparing its society for hostility against the people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh," says Varuzhan Geghamyan, who believes that the European Commission's report includes a certain signal for Armenian society.
