Ali Hasanov all fired up

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My first reaction to this article was "wait a sec... this can't be true... its a joke". Unfortunately it wasn't. Ali Hasanov, head of the social political department at the Presidential Administration said some things today that were simply unbelievable (not that he has ever said things that made sense before). It was a fired speech he gave nonetheless. For instance his toughest reaction was to human rights organizations as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House. Why? Well because they speak the truth and truth is one thing Azerbaijani authorities do not like. In fact, its a word erased from their vocabulary a long time ago. 

What Mr. Hasanov and the rest of the Azerbaijani authoritarian leadership fails to see is that the moment they change and adopt true values of democracy (or step down and let democracy take over) none of these institutions are going to rank Azerbaijai at its lowest. But hey, who am I talking about?! 

But the statement of the day was when Ali Hasanov actually said "Nowhere in the world the opposition is not as free as in Azerbaijan". Did he actually say that? I guess he did. I mean "Hello?!" where do you live Mr. Hasanov? Certainly not in a country where recent and previous protests were crashed and protesters arrested? 

European Parliament was also given its share of dragony fire. "Let them look at themselves, let them look at the crisis in the Eastern Europe" he said.

Oh, and Mr. Hasanov, perhaps you missed a big chunk of news and information about the Arab Uprisings. It wasn't caused by "multinational TV channels" but by firstly a young man who was sick of his government and set himself on fire. Unless "multinational TV channels" have some extraordinary powers of remotely setting people on fire you are so oblivious that its just funny and makes you look funny too. So you don't care about Azerbaijani people and their well being, at least have the decency not trash all those Tunisians, Egyptians, Libyans and many more who managed to change their governments and though still in the process, ensure that they no longer will be oppressed, tortured, silenced, arrested and simply ignored by their governments.

Your blindness Mr. Hasanov is just sickening. When will you stop and open your eyes and say something that will remotely resemble truth...

Was it really worth it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16ZeoEsNXGY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tSBvYZc09M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfukDn79_lg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Nxm48lcX1w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp-22DwpN2M&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37E7NANBgX0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blc3HWGVAd0&feature=related

These are just a few videos of the tragic events that took place on April 30th at Azerbaijan State Oil Academy.

Below are photos I took myself 10 days later from the celebrations of late Presidents' birthday. 

No mourning was declared and the celebrations took place as planned. Among those who were killed, was a new bride, married just two weeks prior to the shootings. She went to work as she did on her usual day, an hour later her mother received a phone call that her daughter was dead.

I am not a judge but how right it was to have the celebrations- the visit to Haydar Aliyev park that day was followed by a concert at the boulevard, and fireworks later in the evening. Was this how the state paid its respect for those who were killed in the shooting or a simple message that it didn't care?! Judge it yourself!

"Moral Choice in Azerbaijan: “Flowers for Great Leader” or “National Mourning Day”?"

Moral Choice in Azerbaijan: “Flowers for Great Leader” or “National Mourning Day”?

By Emin Milli (Baku, Azerbaijan)

More than 2,000 students defied an unofficial ban on rallies in the city center of Baku on May 1 and gathered near the assaulted university with slogans “No to Terror!”, “No to Corruption!”, and “Declare National Mourning Day!”. Students are shocked with the terror act in the Oil Academy of Azerbaijan which destroyed lives of innocent students and teachers. The students said that if their demands are not met and mourning is not announced, they will gather to another mass demonstration on May 10. May 10 is the birthday of Azerbaijan’s late president Heydar Aliyev (father of the current president) and the government plans to celebrate a "Holiday of Flowers" on this day under the open air and near the same place. Government is refusing to declare mourning day and instead celebrates birthday of "savior of the nation" with the "Holiday of Flowers".

Is this humiliation ? Is this ignorance? Is this arrogance? Is this Ddsrespect of entire nation? Here is the video of the rally (on May 1):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3KyTslOP4E&feature=related 

Here are the pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1163062595047&f=1&e=-12#/note.php?note_id=78033758285&id=42755346715&ref=nf

(If you can not open page on facebook, then have a look at photos in attachment)

Fifteen million manats will be spent just in one day in times of financial crisis for flowers to glorify “the greatest leader of all times”. For comparison the government is planning to spend this year only 10 million manats to send students to study abroad.

Regime in Azerbaijan is on the road to its destiny. It reminds me of all the mistakes and mismanagement of the "safest political regimes" like those mentioned in the “State of Africa” book written by Martin Meredith:http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=69687976984 ,

 and also of the path of the last Shah of Iran: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDifaCVanaM&feature=PlayList&p=59D96999B552C4F4&index=0 )

May 10 will be another important moral choice for citizens of Azerbaijan and its current leadership. What will we choose?

(Feel free to send to everyone in your list and put it on blogs)