Tough words from the People's Writer to those who want to close Russian schools
Azerbaijani People's Writer Chingiz Abdullayev has criticized local nationalists calling for the closure of Russian schools in the country through his Facebook profile.
He noted that the Russian media is dominated by journalists with Armenian surnames, and this is not the result of lobbying: "They are smart, intelligent and talented people who speak Russian fluently."
Nevertheless, he cited the speeches of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nicole Pashkina in Russian and English, noting the great difference between them in favor of the President.
Abdullayev also noted that there were almost no Azerbaijanis on foreign channels, and even if there were, they did not speak Russian or English well.
“Dear local ignoramuses! It is important to know your mother tongue in advance, and this cannot be discussed ... But a small country like ours needs at least thousands of people who know Russian, English, French and Arabic.
We need not only foreign-speaking journalists, but also officers with foreign technology, artists and scientists representing culture and science in the world, and finally politicians. We do not have a lobby, not because someone prevents us from creating it. Our ignorance, backwardness, envy, ignorance - these are our main enemies. Both in Karabakh, in international affairs and in foreign and domestic policy.
As one local "activist" put it, "We dreamed of getting rid of the Russian language, now how do we get rid of the English language?"
Chingiz Abdullayev called for increasing the number of schools in different languages and creating opportunities for children to learn foreign languages:
"Maybe then two Azerbaijanis will appear on television at the same time, and we will not remember the lobby of others. It's really not harmful to dream. "