FORGIVENESS ‘A HUMAN CHARACTERISTIC’
Akper Hasanov

news.az
March 15 2010
Azerbaijan

Rustam Ibrahimbeyov News.Az interviews writer, dramatist and film
director Rustam Ibrahimbeyov.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has led to years of confrontation between
the Azerbaijani and Armenian people. How can you describe these years?

It is difficult to speak for a whole generation, but I think someone
has decided that there is no way back to the previously cordial,
friendly relations. Others, including me, think that the conflict is
caused not by ordinary Armenians but by nationalists, playing with
people’s feelings and getting into power this way in Armenia.

This policy is criminal not only in relation to Azerbaijan. Most of us
have lost the opportunity to live on the land of our fathers, lost our
friends and relatives. I do not know whether the young generation of
Armenians and Azerbaijanis will be wise enough to realize this and view
each other not only as enemies. Of course, they should strive for this
in order not to pass the burden of the conflict to the next generation.

How can Azerbaijanis and Armenians be reconciled and restore normal,
neighbourly relations?

They can do it only on the basis of normal, natural communications
and business cooperation. I think if the leaderships of Azerbaijan
and Armenia find ways to settle the Karabakh conflict, the people
will be able to settle relations within a short period of time.

Certainly, the first stage will be accompanied by caution and mutual
distrust. But I hope this will gradually pass away, especially because
practice shows that Azerbaijanis and Armenians often communicate and
are friends in neutral areas.

Do you think our people will be able to overcome the pain of loss
caused by the Karabakh conflict?

Let’s recall the history of relations between Germany, residents of
Germany, and representatives of all former USSR nations. As we know,
tens of millions of our citizens died in the Second World War. But
several decades have passed, which is a short historical term, and
the younger generation, whose parents lived in the USSR, does not
view Germans as enemies.

The same can be said about Jews, who went to live permanently in
Germany although they remembered their Holocaust. Forgiveness is a
human characteristic. I am sure that our peoples will be wise enough
to heal the wounds and stresses caused by a conflict that resulted
from the vague geopolitical interests of many countries.