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| Memmed Ansari |
“Southern and Northern Azerbaijani intellectuals do not know each other’s societies well, they do not understand each other well,” says Tabriz-born composer Memmed Ansari, who completed his higher education in the Republic of Azerbaijan, in an interview with Voice of America on the occasion of World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day on December 31. Ansari, who lived in the Republic of Azerbaijan for seven years starting in 1998, shares his thoughts on the similarities and differences between the two communities in the interview.
“Russian and Persian cultures have left a deep impact on both communities, and these communities view the world through that lens in terms of politics and art,” Ansari states.
According to Memmed Ansari, the misunderstanding that exists between intellectuals and artists of the two communities stems from the fact that the realities about both sides of the Aras River are not depicted as they truly are.
“We do not provide accurate information about Southern Azerbaijan to the Northern society. We say that more than 30 million Turks are enslaved by the Persians. However, when Northerners visit the South, they observe a different picture. They see many Turks living well... and they also see success in business sectors,” Ansari emphasizes, noting that those who do not highlight the Turkish language can be successful in the Southern society.
The Southern artist, who is working towards his doctoral degree in music at Goldsmiths, University of London, says that he has not observed any significant activities, works, or projects involving joint participation of Southern and Northern artists.
According to Ansari, “Those who raise the Southern issue in the Republic of Azerbaijan, with some exceptions, are generally not people who operate within democratic frameworks.”
He mentions investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova, who is currently imprisoned, as one of the exceptions.
Memmed Ansari stresses that for joint activities between Southern and Northern intellectuals to be successful, it is necessary to focus on facts instead of slogans and exaggerated depictions.
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Məmməd Ənsari: Milli fəallar Azərbaycan Respublikasında güney gerçəklərini olduğu kimi təsvir etmirlər