The BBC news agency published an article entitled ‘What the 'cult of victory' is turning into for Azerbaijani schoolchildren’, in which it is noted that after the Second Karabakh War, the militant cult of the victim was replaced by the militant cult of victory.
“Service to the motherland, loyalty to the people, hate, hate, hate to the enemy” is one of the slogans taught to children in some schools. According to the BBC, the patriotic ‘events forced on the children show that despite the formal end of hostilities, neighboring nations are far from reconciliation.
The article mentions that the word "pro-Armenian" is actually a curse in Azerbaijan, and all those who are pro-Armenian are ridiculed, for example, French President Emmanuel Macron. The author of the article notes that from 2021, the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan has confirmed that patriotic education should become a priority of education, and a significant part of it should be devoted to the study of the 44-day war.
Most of the Azerbaijani educators admit that under the guise of patriotism sometimes there is propaganda of hatred and aggression imposed by the state. Studying the school textbooks of Azerbaijan, the author quotes passages from them that describe the alleged cruelty of Armenians, instilling revenge, hatred, aggression in children.
The BBC quoted the deputy director of education at Sumgait Natural Science High School as saying that “the enemy is one, and if there is no hatred for the enemy, a child cannot become a patriot.” “We must take into account that Armenians have defeated us throughout history. Armenians are our enemies, and children should know that.”
Peace-loving Azerbaijanis, however, fear that this hatred will lead to a new war. They remind that as the Armenians were defeated after 26 years, having the winner's complex - the task is fulfilled, and no concessions to Azerbaijan, not an inch of land, the same will happen to the Azerbaijanis in 20 years. Therefore, everyone, including children, needs peace.
