ARMENIAN DIASPORA IN UAE IS DEAD: HEAD OF AZERBAIJANI DIASPORA ORGANIZATION
Today.Az
http://www.today.az/news/so ciety/54467.html
Aug 7 2009
Azerbaijan
Head of Azerbaijani diaspora organization in the United Aram Emirates
Samir Iman spoke in an interview with Day.Az.
Day.Az: How many Azerbaijanis live in UAE at the moment?
Samir Iman: Azerbaijani diaspora of the United Arab Emirates comprises
about 1,000 people including all family members. Most of Azerbaijanis
live in Dubai and Sharjah as major cities are located in these two
emirates.
As you know, the law of this country does not allow foreigners to
obtain citizenship regardless of how many years they lived here. That
is why the number of our compatriots are not so great. Talking about
their employment, it is safe to note that they are represented in
all areas including business and medicine and in half-governmental
agencies. For example, an Azerbaijani works as chief engineer at
Sharjah emirate TV channel. Our doctors work in public hospitals. Chief
editor of Russian magazine Aviamost which is published here is
Azerbaijani, too. Our countrywoman works for local newspaper Khaleej
Times.
Lot of our young people are enrolled in high schools in UAE. I note
that at the American University of Dubai has opened up Department
of Journalism two years ago. It would be nice if our students would
come to this department, but not only business, management or design
departments. Indeed, in the future this will enable them to skilfully
write about the culture and history of Azerbaijan and the Karabakh
issue.
Q: How local population treats Azerbaijanis in the UAE?
A: Azerbaijanis in UAE live well. The attitude of local authorities
and population to us is positive. The country respect the laws very
well, so people who come to the UAE for the first time faced some
problems due to lack of knowledge of laws but with time everything
falls into place
Q: It is known there is large Armenian diaspora in the UAE. Please
tell us how many people it comprises and in what it is engaged?
A: Some 10,000 Armenians live in the Emirates. They are mostly from
Lebanon, Syria and some from Palestine. In this regard, it is easy for
them to get adapted to life here because of knowledge of the Arabic
language. Almost all of them have an Arab education. Armenians from
Armenia is not so much.
They are also represented in all spheres of life: business and civil
service. Despite a relatively large number, hey can not do anything.
Friday is a day-off in the Muslim world. In Sharjah there is Armenian
church where they go on that day. Here, children learn their native
language, culture, discuss their problems, including the issue of
Karabakh.
But they can not do anything openly or stage any propaganda. We can say
that the Armenian diaspora in the UAE is dead and is hardly felt here.
Last year, Gulf News newspaper published an article about Turkish
president's visit to Armenia. Only then Armenians, taking advantage of
the opportunity, were able to print in a newspaper that allegedly with
the support of Turkey Azerbaijan has imposed a blockade on Karabakh
and wanted to occupy it. After reading this article, I decided to
force the newspaper to correct the errors and punish them for their
lies. I succeeded to do it in a month . It took a lot of efforts. All
the authorities were informed in a written form that the paper was
engaged in anti-Emirate propaganda.
As a result, after a great pressure from local authorities, the
newspaper published a new article, which included the following:
"Karabakh is historical Azerbaijani land occupied by Armenian
extremists, thus killing thousands of innocent people." We must always
be alert and monitor the press, both Arab and English speaking.
Over the past two years I have been signed and handed two books
entitled "Armenian terrorism" and "Heydar Aliyev, National and
Spiritual Values" by writer Adel Abdullah Al-Fallahi, chairman of the
State Committee for Religious Affairs of Kuwait, to all government
institutions and other organizations.
Today.Az
http://www.today.az/news/so ciety/54467.html
Aug 7 2009
Azerbaijan
Head of Azerbaijani diaspora organization in the United Aram Emirates
Samir Iman spoke in an interview with Day.Az.
Day.Az: How many Azerbaijanis live in UAE at the moment?
Samir Iman: Azerbaijani diaspora of the United Arab Emirates comprises
about 1,000 people including all family members. Most of Azerbaijanis
live in Dubai and Sharjah as major cities are located in these two
emirates.
As you know, the law of this country does not allow foreigners to
obtain citizenship regardless of how many years they lived here. That
is why the number of our compatriots are not so great. Talking about
their employment, it is safe to note that they are represented in
all areas including business and medicine and in half-governmental
agencies. For example, an Azerbaijani works as chief engineer at
Sharjah emirate TV channel. Our doctors work in public hospitals. Chief
editor of Russian magazine Aviamost which is published here is
Azerbaijani, too. Our countrywoman works for local newspaper Khaleej
Times.
Lot of our young people are enrolled in high schools in UAE. I note
that at the American University of Dubai has opened up Department
of Journalism two years ago. It would be nice if our students would
come to this department, but not only business, management or design
departments. Indeed, in the future this will enable them to skilfully
write about the culture and history of Azerbaijan and the Karabakh
issue.
Q: How local population treats Azerbaijanis in the UAE?
A: Azerbaijanis in UAE live well. The attitude of local authorities
and population to us is positive. The country respect the laws very
well, so people who come to the UAE for the first time faced some
problems due to lack of knowledge of laws but with time everything
falls into place
Q: It is known there is large Armenian diaspora in the UAE. Please
tell us how many people it comprises and in what it is engaged?
A: Some 10,000 Armenians live in the Emirates. They are mostly from
Lebanon, Syria and some from Palestine. In this regard, it is easy for
them to get adapted to life here because of knowledge of the Arabic
language. Almost all of them have an Arab education. Armenians from
Armenia is not so much.
They are also represented in all spheres of life: business and civil
service. Despite a relatively large number, hey can not do anything.
Friday is a day-off in the Muslim world. In Sharjah there is Armenian
church where they go on that day. Here, children learn their native
language, culture, discuss their problems, including the issue of
Karabakh.
But they can not do anything openly or stage any propaganda. We can say
that the Armenian diaspora in the UAE is dead and is hardly felt here.
Last year, Gulf News newspaper published an article about Turkish
president's visit to Armenia. Only then Armenians, taking advantage of
the opportunity, were able to print in a newspaper that allegedly with
the support of Turkey Azerbaijan has imposed a blockade on Karabakh
and wanted to occupy it. After reading this article, I decided to
force the newspaper to correct the errors and punish them for their
lies. I succeeded to do it in a month . It took a lot of efforts. All
the authorities were informed in a written form that the paper was
engaged in anti-Emirate propaganda.
As a result, after a great pressure from local authorities, the
newspaper published a new article, which included the following:
"Karabakh is historical Azerbaijani land occupied by Armenian
extremists, thus killing thousands of innocent people." We must always
be alert and monitor the press, both Arab and English speaking.
Over the past two years I have been signed and handed two books
entitled "Armenian terrorism" and "Heydar Aliyev, National and
Spiritual Values" by writer Adel Abdullah Al-Fallahi, chairman of the
State Committee for Religious Affairs of Kuwait, to all government
institutions and other organizations.