Azerbaijan, in mid-March, has faced an unprecedented cold snap, with minus ten degrees Celsius. There is snow in the mountains, the likes of which has never been seen in winter. The Novruz holiday is in one day. They’re saying the holiday will be in a winter frame… .
The cold has entered the hearts of the people of Russia. Television is showing the Russians having a national holiday, they are rejoicing at the grief of the Ukrainians, although Putin recently said that the Russians are one and the same people. In Melitopol, a bomb smashed up a theatre, even though the shooter knew that a thousand and a half people were hiding under it. There are reports of a missile strike on Lviv. The internet is full of pictures of convoys of Russian equipment crashed on Ukrainian roads. The Ukrainians are fighting like lions, hitting back with everything they have.
Photo – history of a railway station in the Ukrainian city of Sumy
The Russian press cannot call what is happening in understandable and adequate Russian words, for the words “war”. “aggression”, “seizure” and others can be sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment. If Russia is winning, why is it afraid to speak openly? What does the manipulation of words yield? The fear of the truth is such that Russia has closed access to two Azerbaijani websites, Minval and Haqqın. “Kavkazsky Uzel, Dozhd and other Russian media outlets are also blocked. Where is the truth? In Putin’s speeches? Russia has gotten to the point where anyone who thinks otherwise is worthy of a camera.
Photo by the courageous and beautiful Arina Vakhrushkina, Moscow
There are 2 million Azerbaijanis living in Russia permanently. I had a long conversation with an Azerbaijani; he is a businessman from Moscow. He says a thousand and a half people work for him. All external indicators of success. He is a Baku-born, literate. He asked my opinion about Russia and Ukraine. The Muscovite recounted Putin’s well-known statements that Ukrainians are Russians, Russian grandfathers fought for Crimea, therefore “Crimea is ours”, and Ukrainians are fascists. In eastern Ukraine, the inhabitants have legally self-determined. He does not know that every sentence he says is refuted by facts and items of international law.
Most importantly, my distinguished guest expressed, on behalf of Azerbaijanis in Russia, his protest to the fact that Azerbaijan, as a state and a people, does not support Russia in its actions against Ukraine. The Russian’s thesis is that 10 million Azerbaijanis do not think that by expressing solidarity with Ukraine they will bring Putin to the decision to expel Azerbaijanis from Russia. All the same,” said the guest, “Putin will bring what he has planned in Ukraine to its planned end. Sanctions-mandatory measures will not affect them, Russians can live in poverty, it is not the first time for them. And 2 million Azerbaijanis in Russia will suffer.
For the sake of half a million Ukrainian Azerbaijanis,” said the guest, “it is wrong to threaten the security of 2 million compatriots in Russia.
Photo of a square with prams, Lviv
The issue is serious. Azerbaijanis in Russia have their own truth. Azeris in Ukraine, who are fighting in the Ukrainian army as citizens and patriots of this country, have their own truth.
How can we, who never left the country, build a life in our state, live the problems and victories of Azerbaijan, and not those of Russia and Ukraine? Should we forget about honor, kindness, justice here? Put aside decency? Yesterday in the square in Lviv, there were 109 empty prams on the square, according to the number of murdered Ukrainian children. Is it possible not to see such a thing? How can we respond to the complaints of two million Russian Azerbaijanis?
Kamal Ali
