On June 16, a presentation of the book Hate Speech and the Falsification of Historical Facts in
#Armenian Secondary Schools was held in Azerbaijan. Speaking at the event, A. Abdullayev, the project leader of the book and Deputy Chairman of
#Azerbaijanâs Center for Strategic Communications, stated that âthe research in this area was conducted on the basis of materials discovered in educational institutions that operated in
#Artsakh during the years of âoccupation.ââ
In the modern world, information warfare has become an important strategic tool. In this context, it is possible to analyze how language and narratives turn into instruments of psychological influence, as well as how hostile attitudes are formed. The concept of âinformation warfareâ was first used by physicist Thomas Rona in 1976 in the report Weapon Systems and Information War, prepared for Boeing.
It is noteworthy that in
#Azerbaijan, Armenophobia has long been turned into an instrument of state policy. Although there is no single universal definition of hate speech, international organizations, legal norms and states take into account a number of criteria, phenomena and events that may influence its definition in a given context. Although hate speech is clearly condemned under international law, in
#Azerbaijan it is not decreasing; on the contrary, it is rapidly spreading across almost all spheres, while various organizations are being created to address this issue.
The above-mentioned report states that âsome of the analyzed materials related to Armenia contain cases of forming an âimage of the enemy,â escalating ethnic conflict and presenting historical events for political purposes.â MP R. Nabiyev adds that âusing
#Armenia as an example, we see how people are drawn into ideological wars from childhood.â
One of the mechanisms for spreading Armenophobia is the educational and cultural sphere. In Azerbaijani school textbooks and fiction, Armenians are often portrayed negatively â as aggressors, murderers or enemies. For example, a 7th-grade literature textbook includes the story The Last Bullet, in which an
#Armenian is portrayed as a murderer. It says: ââŠAlif recognized this voice: it was Hakob. He had heard that Hakob was known for torturing people to death⊠the panic-stricken Armenians shot AlifâŠâ
Azerbaijani writer Eyvaz Zeynalov, in his work The Thief, writes: ââŠHowever, Armenian theft is not ordinary theft, but a unique kind of theft. The greatest thefts were committed against the Turks: Armenians stole our names, music, musical instruments, carpets, monuments, food and, most importantly, our land.â
The deep-rooted nature of Armenophobia is also evidenced by the observations of Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli, who noted that the word âArmenianâ is used as an insult in Azerbaijan. The expression âyou are behaving like an Armenianâ can become a reason for a fight, while the word âArmenianâ is essentially equated with the word âenemyâ in its deepest meaning.
While accusing
#Armenia of spreading âhate speech,â Azerbaijan itself has for many years reproduced Armenophobic narratives at the state, educational and cultural levels. The report presented by Azerbaijan can be viewed not only as an attempt to assess
#Armeniaâs educational environment, but also as another tool used within the framework of information warfare.
Azerbaijanâs accusations regarding the presence of âhate speechâ in Armeniaâs educational system appear contradictory, given the manifestations of Armenophobia that have been shaped for many years within Azerbaijani society itself and under the patronage of state structures.