Shair Hasanov: "...someone in Russia is interested in deterioration of the "Lezguin issue" in Azerbaijan"

-Do Lezgiuns, residing in Azerbaijan, have problems?

-No, they do not have any particular problems. Our center propagandizes the culture and traditions of the Lezgium people.

Which problems can Lezguns, residing in Azerbaijan, a single national-democratic state, paying equal attention to all national minorities, have?

We issue our Samur newspaper, the art team of the Center regularly visits the regions and perform concerts there. Among main tasks: we need funds for issuing the Lezgiun-Azerbaijani dictionary. There is also a need for professional teachers of Lezgiun language -philologists, they only self-studying people are engaged in it.

Lezguins have no socioeconomic problems in Azerbaijan. There have never been any clashes between Lezguins and Azerbaijanis on the inter-ethnic basis.

-The conference "Cultural heritage, culture of Lezguin people: history and present day world" is held in Moscow these days...

-The Lezguin organization Sadval, registered by the due state structures of Russia, have previously been functioning in Dagestan. It aimed to incite national animosity in Azerbaijan. It seems that someone is too interested in deterioration of the Lezguin issue in Azerbaijan. From time to time, definite circles in Russia are raising the Lezguin issue.

-Is a certain goal pursued this way?

-Why is Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, speaking in the Krimea, saying that Sevastopol belongs to Russia? Let him say so. There is a Lezguin diaspora in Moscow, supported by definite Russian circles.

I think the aim of the conference is to prove the antiquity of the Lezguin people. But this needs proofs.

-Have you been invited to take part in this conference?

-No we haven't. I remember that in the years of Heydar Aliyev's presidency, we took part at the second session of the Lezguin Diasporas in Dagestan. Nonsensical issues were raised. The creation of the Lezguin autonomy, delimitation of borders along the Samur river. Who needs it? The history of the Lezguin people has not been studied. What is a Lezguin people? These are 32 ethnicities. We are used to consider that Samur Lezguins are real Lezguins. The remaining are kumiks, dargins, avars, leks and others. And they are all united to form a single ethnicity of Lezguins. Let them first clarify the issue among themselves and only then discuss the history. All ethnicities of Dagestan are Lezguins.

-Is it possible to say that Lezguins of Azerbaijan tend to demand an autonomy from the government of the country?

-We have no such ideas. Yes,these ideas were voiced 15-20 years ago, roused from outside. I used to visit the regions of the compact residence of Lezguins and I am sure that there are no such ideas. The Dagestani delegation also attended the opening ceremony of the memorial of prominent public figure of Dagestan and Azerbaijan Aziz Aliyev and I have not heard any talks about the demands of autonomy from them.

Lezguins have no ideas, connected with separatism.

/Day.Az/

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