RUSTAM IBRAHIMBEKOV: "BEING A CITIZEN AND INTELLECTUAL, I DO NOT REGARD THE WHOLE ARMENIAN PEOPLE AS THE ENEMY OF AZERBAIJANI PEOPLE"
Today.Az
02 July 2008
Azerbaijan
Day.Az interview with Rustam Ibrahimbekov, chairman of the Azerbaijan
Cinematographers Union and honored art figure of Russia and Azerbaijan.
– I will put a direct question: has Ukrainian film director of Armenian
origin Roman Balayan, who shot a film "Birds of Heaven" by your script
ever displayed his negative attitude towards Azerbaijani people?
– Never and nowhere! I have been acquainted with Roman Balayan since
mid 1970s and I can take whole responsibility for saying that he has
always spoken of his love to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis.
My Armenian friend and prominent writer Grant Matevosyan had the
same opinion and he had never voiced any anti-Azerbaijani statements,
but he was deeply upset with the conflict between our countries.
I am sure that we should differ from the Armenian leadership,
which advocates thesis of genetic incompatibility of Armenians and
Azerbaijanis. We need to prove that we teach our children not to
hatred towards neighor countries but to love to our native country.
– How then would you comment on the fact that your statement according
to which not Armenian people but the Armenian leadership, army and
policy of Armenia are our enemy was critically greeted in the society?
– As far as I know, it was Yeni Musavat newspaper which voiced sharp
criticism of my civil position. But I want to know what have all,
suffering from neo-Bolshevism done for Azerbaijan, demonstrating firm
hatred towards different opinions and criticizing my statements? Where
were they when I wrote the play "Ultimatum" in 1982? Where were they
when in the hardest moments of Azerbaijan I have been took part in
improving relations between the then-working leadership of the country
in the face of Ayaz Mutallibov and Popular Front?
I say all this because I am confident that it would be good for those
who criticize me to recall the phrase: "Before preaching, you should
respect commandments".
As is known, Azerbaijan and Armenia are in a state of war due to
occupation of 20% lands of our country. The very fact of occupation of
the territory of one country by another, as well as the failure of the
occupied country, in this case, Armenia, to agree to free the lands,
recognized as part of Azerbaijan by all international organizations
and world society, evidence the occupational policy of the Armenian
leadership.
I am sure that Azerbaijan will never reconcile with the loss of its
native lands, who are currently under occupation and will use both
diplomatic and, if needed, military ways for returning of its lands.
At the same time, being a citizen and an intellectual, I do not
consider the whole Armenian people to be our enemy. Admitting the
existence of conflict between our states, I reject the conflict
between the Armenian and Azerbaijani people. I bow my head before
the victims of bloody and the most brutal massacre of civilians in
Khojaly, before the memory of all our compatriots, falling victims
of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
But, believe me, many Armenians, who were obliged to leave
Azerbaijan but continue to consider our country their motherland
and hope to return here as soon as possible, also suffered from this
conflict. Moreover, it is fascists who support thesis about a conflict
between peoples.
In this connection, I regret that Robert KOcharyan, who voiced fascist
thesis about genetic incompatibility of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
people, has been leading Armenia.
Believe me, I would not want some representatives of Azerbaijani
people, who is famous for its tolerance, to come down to voicing such
a thesis.
– Which can be the political outcomes of dissemination of your critics’
thesis by the Armenian side for Azerbaijan?
– The most negative. For, as you have mentioned, this is merely a
politically incorrect position. Let’s see: the Armenian leadership
in an attempt to protract the just resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, voices thesis that there are no guarantees to security of
Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh in case Azerbaijani lands
return to us.
Unfortunately, instead of proving these statements of the Armenian
leadership unfounded, some representatives of our side made statements,
whose dissemination is profitable for the Armenian leadership to argue
the thesis they declare, either on purpose or by their foolishness.
These local jingo undermine the peaceful resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict with their statements. I would recommend them to learn more
and recall that any conflicts have both the beginning and the end,
and to persuade them, I want to remind them of centuries of wars
in Europe, which do not hamper the current peaceful and respectful
attitude between the people, involved in them.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
