For the Azerbaijani
authorities, anti-Armenianism is a domestic and foreign policy tool, a source
of nourishment. It is a deliberate policy of keeping one's own people in
Armenophobia or Armenophobia in order to divert them from their own problems.
This is a policy full of
deep dangers of perpetuating hostility between the peoples of the two
countries, which is in stark contrast to the foundations of peace, human rights
and democracy.
Armenians and Azeris live
in the same places in the world. It is obvious that this policy will
always keep them in a state of hostility.
The situation is so
extreme that the killing or torture of an Armenian by an Azerbaijani is not
only a normal occurrence, but instead of punishment, the Azerbaijani leaders
award high rewards and praise to the killer (for example, in the case of Gurgen
Margaryan or "Makuchyan և Minasyan v. Azerbaijan և Hungary"
26.05.20 ECtHR judgment).
It is clear that
everything that the President of Azerbaijan accuses the Armenian people of is
in fact an integral part of his state policy with a mirror effect:
1) states that
hatred towards Azerbaijanis is established in Armenia as an official ideology
(message of September 27, 2021), but in reality the Azerbaijani policy is full
of deep Armenophobia, hatred is constantly inflamed. The President of
Azerbaijan himself announced after the war that a generation full of hatred
towards the enemy [Armenians] had been brought up in his country. This is
what provokes the opposition between the two peoples. " 2)
constantly talks about "Armenian fascism", but the words of the
President of Azerbaijan are constantly flooded with fascist ideas (for example,
Armenians are hyenas, dogs, have no brain, no morality, Armenia is an
artificial and valueless country, etc.). It is so deep that after the war
the Azerbaijani armed forces demonstratively destroyed the statues of Armenian
marshals and generals in Artsakh, who heroically fought against fascism and
Nazism in the Great Patriotic War. 3) speaks about Islamophobia in
Armenia and Artsakh and calls on the Islamic world to take revenge on the
Armenian people by falsifying facts (message of September 27, 2020), but in
reality he pursues a policy of hostility using the religious component.
The destroyed and desecrated Armenian churches and khachkars are the result of
that.
In other words, it is a
psychological phenomenon when a person, with a mirror effect, blames the other
person for everything that he is actually the bearer of.
Therefore, I advise you
not to follow people's words, but their deeds.
There is a lot of
objective evidence that the deep-rooted causes of torture, beheadings,
destruction of settlements, violation of the rights of border residents,
destruction and desecration of churches, and other violations are the basis of
Azerbaijan's state policy of hostility towards the Armenian people.
Therefore, the whole
truth must be shown to the world. No government or government of the Republic
of Armenia has ever pursued a policy of patronage of hatred or enmity against
the people of Azerbaijan. It must be shown that a policy of tolerance and
respect for other religions, including Islam, has always been pursued, starting
with school curricula.
And all this should not
be limited to 1-2 statements, but RA state policy, large-scale measures are
needed.
This is a matter of
principle that, if left unchecked, will lead to new disasters, new human rights
disasters, war and new crimes against humanity.
Arman Tatoyan
The Human Rights Defender
of Armenia
Հայերեն
