Federal Lezghi
National and Cultural Autonomy

Ethics of journalists of “Zerkalo.Az”

“Hear one, write another”

 

 

 

A few days ago I was interviewed by a correspondent of "Zerkalo.Az" Rashad Rustamov. I was so surprised when on the edition site I found the material which wasn't coordinated with me. Moreover, it was abounded with a set of distortions. Interest of the Azerbaijani mass media to FLNCA was caused by the events which had occurred at the end of the week before in Brussels.

At the Conference "Presidential election in Azerbaijan. What future of the country of fires", taken place in European Parliament with one of three main reports Enver Kisriyev acted. His report was devoted to problems of the Lezghins, living in Azerbaijan. For the purpose of specification of the position of FLNCA in this question an employee of "Zerkalo.Az" contacted me. In the article with the bright name "In Azerbaijan there are Lezghin schools" from my words it is specified that there "there are no high schools in the Lezghin language". But the matter is that in general there are no schools with training in the Lezghin language there, even the initial. I simply couldn't tell about high schools. By the way I sounded this fact far not for the first time that it was possible to be mistaken so. However Rashad Rustamov decided to check my words (a little bit corrected) by very much oddly method: having addressed to known human rights activist in the republic - Eldar Zeynalov.

So, Zeynalov declared that there are "in the territory of Azerbaijan enough average educational institutions in the Lezghin language"! Even not initial, but averages general education!! ! Such doesn't present even in Dagestan.

In this regard it is important to find out, whether Eldar Zeynalov was actually interviewed and whether his words as it happened in the case to me were distorted. I managed to contact Eldar Zeynalov who disproved this statement, having told that he meant only teaching of the Lezghin language at high school. He also admitted that the question of studying of the native languages at school or training on them wasn't studied by him comprehensively therefore he doesn't approach as the expert to whom it is possible to refer.

Really, why did not Rashad Rustamov address with this question in the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan? Is this a lack of professionalism or desire to receive the necessary result? Probably first of all – the tendentiousness, after all he reflected the answer composed on behalf of the human rights activist to a question in the name of the article. It turned out very unattractively: the frank way to give out wished for valid is evident at once.

But in our information century how is it possible to hope that false data will cover with themselves the truth? And really isn't it a shame to look derided in case of inevitable detection of this lie? Where in Azerbaijan is the training in the Lezghin language conducted? Where are these published textbooks of mathematics, geography, etc. in the Lezghin language (without them the educational process is impossible), the trained teachers, methodologists, etc.? Where?! Show them! It is a real idiocy to approve that!

 

 

 

Those who all the same continue to believe sacredly that the republic of Azerbaijan creates all conditions for the indigenous people living in its territory can study the curriculum (----) approved by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan for 2012-2013.  In it, certainly, there is no training in the Lezghin language. And for studying of the Lezghin language only 2 hours per week are allocated in the educational institutions conducting training in the Azerbaijani and Russian languages in monoetnich Lezghin settlements and the city of Kusar.  But, as many Lezghins know, these 2 hours often can be seen only on "paper".      

By the way, in this article it is also claimed that Eldar Zeynalov is Lezghin that caused in the human rights activist only laughter. Interestingly, did Rashad Rustamov compose the given fact himself or found out in any other sources? Rustamov missed – Eldar Zeynalov is not a Lezghin, but is married to Lezghin Takhirova Zalikh who is also a human rights activist.

I checked also one more Eldar Zeynalov's innocent statement which is innocent in appearance: "the standard of living the Lezghins in Azerbaijan is much higher, than their colleagues in the North Caucasus". His author brought at once a specification: he told the journalist that the standard of living the Lezghins in Azerbaijan was "higher", instead of "much higher", than in the North Caucasus. But as I managed to find out this statement was based only on Zeynalov's own feelings, which are very disputable.

The petrodollars, flowing a huge stream in the Republic of Azerbaijan, create beautiful, but a false picture of life of the main population of the country, especially its indigenous people. The imaginary wellbeing of the Lezghins is often accepted infrastructure development in the Republic of Azerbaijan: roads, parks, sport centers, etc. However the constructed objects behind very rare exception don't belong to the Lezghins and the personnel in these objects are often an illocal origin.

Builders and workers from among the local Lezghins in defiance of the labor code receive for the same work several times less, than "imported" Turks, whose rights are protected very well in Azerbaijan. The local population has no financial opportunities to live on "a wide foot", it doesn't use sports halls, restaurants, even visit of park zones by them is infrequent pleasure, and after all it is necessary to pay for everything.

How it is possible to speak about a high standard of living the Lezghins in Azerbaijan if they not less active, than their colleagues in Dagestan leave on earnings to different regions of Russia. It would be correct to say that it is equally difficult (from the material point of view) for Lezghins in all the historical territory divided by state border. But in Azerbaijan as on it is imposed additional discrimination of the Lezghins and other non Turkic people.

At the beginning of our conversation Rashad Rustamov took an interest in how I treat territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Having muddled my words, he drew conclusions that I allegedly am the supporter of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. I told him that we didn't bring up this question at all, and were concerned by existing problems of the Lezghins in Azerbaijan.

But there is Rashad Rustamov tried to convict me of insincerity, having presented me in the beginning as the supporter of integrity of the country, and then disproving this "fact". He reminded my answer to the question "What doesn't suffice to Lezghins to declare the right to primordial Lezghins' lands in Azerbaijan?”  That I have answered in one interview: "It is almost impossible to solve without external strong influence on this country or armed resistance in Azerbaijan".

Yes, it was my rigid assessment of the situation in Azerbaijan which is published on our site: "Fights of Kumyks and Lezghins for the land". But my words were taken out of the context. In order to be convinced of it is necessary to read my answer completely. In any case these words told by me have absolutely other sense. Rashad Rustamov should have compared my words with that around the world spoke and continue to speak about the countries of the Arab world in which the population rose against an arbitrariness of the authorities.

Now I can't believe Rashad Rustamov's single word. He even managed to bungle in, apparently, simple question of a place of my birth. I told him that I was born in Moscow and grew in this city, but my parents were from Azerbaijan (more exact from AZSSR), but moved to Russia till my birth. And he wrote that I was born in Azerbaijan, and my parents moved to Russia because they had accepted the Russian nationality!! ! Hear one, and write another!

Speaking with Rustamov by phone for the first time, several weeks ago we agreed that he would send me the texts on coordination. But he didn't do that, having published this nonsense (I can't pick up other word) without coordination with me, having broken thereby the main postulate of journalistic ethics. I have no desire to interact or in general to communicate with Rashad Rustamov and "Zerkalo.Az" (if they don't apologize for incorrect actions of the employee) any more.

Probably, as a whole it is necessary to think very seriously of that how to communicate with journalists from Azerbaijan, who don't wish without distortions to transfer to paper even information which has been directly received from the interviewee.

Amil Sarkarov

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