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Specific Situation Of Tha Azerbaijani Anti-Armenian Propaganda

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  • Specific Situation Of Tha Azerbaijani Anti-Armenian Propaganda

    SPECIFIC SITUATION OF THA AZERBAIJANI ANTI-ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA
    Sona Manusyan

    http://www.noravank.am/eng/articles/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=5068
    14.10.2010

    S.Manusyan - the specialist of the Center of Information Studies
    of â~@~\Noravankâ~@~] Foundation, the lecturer at the Chair of the
    Psychology of Personality at the YSU

    In recent period, after some delay, the specialists of informational
    influences from Armenia studied in detail the characteristics of
    the information policy of Azerbaijan; some counteractions have been
    elaborated. Though in the initial stage of this process there was a
    concern that the reaction to the increasing Azerbaijani propaganda is
    a bit belated, today one may state that the later is recognizable and
    predictable for both the specialists and variety of people. The main
    Azerbaijani anti-Armenian informational components, theses, directions,
    means and counteractions, the sphere of the propagandistic production
    of Azerbaijan â~@~S from the web-sites of special orientation to
    the false scientific publications in foreign languages â~@~S are
    structurally analyzed1.

    There is another aspect that makes the anti-Armenian sector of
    Azerbaijani propaganda remarkable: due to some reasons, to which
    we shall refer later, it can be considered as a non-typical, unique
    example, or in other words as a â~@~\caseâ~@~] which deserves scrutiny
    in propaganda practice.

    Summarizing the common definitions of propaganda, the latter can be
    defined as a purposive influence on the consciousness and state of
    mind of a definite group of people through any means of communication
    in needed direction and with predetermined result. The direction,
    purposefulness and predetermination are essential components and even
    in this aspect the condition of Azerbaijani propaganda is already
    unique. Of course, if we analyze the Azerbaijani purely propagandistic
    texts from purely â~@~\formalisticâ~@~] point of view the target for
    the Azerbaijani propaganda is the Armenian society and the purpose is
    the psychological breakup of different layers of the target society
    through the directed information impact on supposedly vulnerable
    points. But dominating motives of the main propagandistic texts and
    actions, their orientation uncover that propaganda has some problems
    in both the initial purpose of the propaganda and preserving of the
    target of the influence. Mostly it does not meet the rules of classical
    propaganda and it is a reverse reflection of the later at least in
    two aspects: a) the propagandistic material in itself is information
    about the characteristics of the one who implements that propaganda,
    including its vulnerable sides, b) the mostly negative consequences
    of the propaganda are directed against the domestic audience: the
    messages and their scope most probably have the reverse impact on
    the their own society.

    The peculiarity of this â~@~\caseâ~@~] of Azerbaijani propaganda can be
    presented in several vivid examples on the aforementioned two aspects.

    A. The content of the propaganda as information about the country
    implementing the propaganda

    Generally, the aim of the propagandistic actions and their logic
    implies that the party which implements the information actions
    â~@~S manipulator (e.g. the US with its info-operations) â~@~S
    takes rationally elaborated, impartially estimated steps which are
    directed to the emotional, conscious disintegration of the enemy;
    meanwhile it stays in shadow in the aspects of its emotions and
    characteristics. In other words it manages the situation and does
    not constitute its part. In case with Azerbaijan the situation
    is different: in the informational material one can see the spare
    emotionality, impulsivity, and representation of the vulnerable sides
    of the rivals â~@~S Armenians â~@~S is peculiarly intertwined with the
    self-presentation of the propagandist party. The flow of propaganda
    contains the indicators of characteristics of their own condition
    and moods. Simply speaking, that propaganda often â~@~\betraysâ~@~]
    itself, and makes it in several aspects at the same time.

    The tentative analysis of the Azerbaijani propaganda discourse first
    of all reveals an extremely great scope of negative mental states. The
    â~@~\super-productivityâ~@~] and pace of the propagandistic texts,
    only partially speak to their persistence and even less to their
    efficiency. The abundance of such emotional texts exposes the
    alerted situations, imbalance which is reduced through the foul
    language and abuse. Thus a partial reduction of negative emotions,
    fear, and compensation of the accumulated aggression are taking
    place, on the level of the words. Both the texts of the journalist,
    who are specialized in the creation of the propagandistic texts,
    and the messages heard from the state officials often contain such
    characteristic. And it is known that any word becomes less influential
    and causes negative emotions alongside with the growth of the number
    of cliché. Legitimating of the hatred for the Armenians, in fact,
    gradually becomes less controlled process which is an end in itself,
    and the initial goal, i.e. influence, is pushed to the sidelines
    though by its outward characteristics it is still in the propaganda
    field. The journalist professionalism, which demands substantiated,
    balanced and influential words, is also pushed to the sidelines.
    Sometimes the authors, obsessed by the irrepressible ecstasies of
    using cliché and diagnosing, loose the logic connections between the
    commented event and what they write. For example, the wedding of 700
    Karabakh couples which took place several years ago so exasperated the
    well-known Azerbaijani journalist (and most probably his customer)
    and his imagination, that he characterized the collective solemnity
    using such terms as perverted group act, depravity, the satisfaction
    of immoral propensity of the state officials. This disproportional
    reaction also contains the indirect expression of the fear of the
    â~@~\reproductionâ~@~] of the Armenians.

    Another example of such an emotional waste can be found in the material
    of day.az â~@~S the leader of the propagandistic journalism â~@~S
    devoted to the well-known â~@~\plagiarismâ~@~] of the Armenians. At
    the end it calls with panic alert that the â~@~\onlyâ~@~] way to
    divert that plagiarism is â~@~\to flood the music stores and studios,
    TV channels with the disks with the Azerbaijani folk and classical
    musicâ~@¦â~@~], at the same time it points out the â~@~\â~@¦vital
    importance of the state assistance in order to create a structure
    which will undertake the release of those disks with multi-million
    copiesâ~@¦â~@~](http://www.day.az/print/news/armenia/147165.html)
    Even if we doubt the sincerity of the author it can be stated that
    the perceptibility of such feverish calls reveals the appropriate
    atmosphere and a special demand.

    In the aforementioned examples, in fact, on the one hand, the negative
    emotions are aroused among the domestic audience, and on the other
    hand, those emotions are satisfied. Thus, instead of the target
    messages which are characteristic of propaganda the closed cycle of
    the affective discharge and charge of their own public is created.

    In some cases the expressions imprudently betray the real perceptions
    and stance of the propagandist. For example, in one of the English
    language advertisings devoted to their cultural self-presentation
    the fact that during his visit to Baku the Pope without fear drove in
    an open car is mentioned as an evidence of the infinite Azerbaijani
    tolerance. Thus, they indirectly show the self-perception of the
    possible highest point of their tolerance, i.e. the fact that they
    do not kill on religious grounds. And this is presented with the
    sincere shade of delight, and it is not taken into consideration
    that the possible English language audience will hardly be delighted
    with such an emphasis and it may even seem queer. The expression that
    Azerbaijanis understand each other without any problem which can be
    found in the same advertisement carry the opposite meaning as well:
    â~@~\in general about 50 million Azerbaijani speaking people speak and
    understand Azerbaijaniâ~@¦ Azerbaijani is a state language and the most
    widespread means of communication among the peopleâ~@¦â~@~]. Such facts
    are usually normal and understandable when they are not sounded, but
    their deliberate emphasizing prompts the possibility of the opposite
    option. Usually children betray themselves in such an inaccurate
    way when after some undesirable deed they come and say that they
    â~@~\bore themselves wellâ~@~] or â~@~\they broke nothingâ~@~].

    The remarkable observations can be made while studying the attempts
    to undermine the historical and cultural, genealogical and other
    grounds of the Armenian identity. Here also the means used, first
    of all, play a role of symptoms which expose the serious problems
    connected with their own identity. As a group unit Azerbaijani society
    still displays the problems connected with the self-identification,
    searching of the grounds of their identity, confusion and etc., so it
    is not a mere chance that at the first attempt to undermine the rivals
    on the same topic, it falls into its own traps. This is, according to
    our convictions, the main reason which conditions the peculiarity of
    the Azerbaijani propaganda as a case. One can hardly find the other
    precedent while studying the info-policy of other countries when
    the propaganda directed against the rival is so intertwined with the
    attempts to solve the problems of their own. Such an intertwining is
    manifested, e.g., in the fact that Armenians at the same time play
    the role of both the group which they try to impact and group that
    plays rather influential though antagonistic role in the process
    of their identity formation. One of the psychological mechanisms
    used by Azerbaijani side while creating the image of an Armenian
    is the projection â~@~S imputing its own negative inclinations,
    characteristics to the rival. E.g., in one of the propagandistic movies
    representing the â~@~\image of the Armenianâ~@~] such atrocities of
    the Armenians are described that demand from the author of the film
    rather hard work of the perverted imagination. E.g., Armenian villain
    who entered Khojalu for killing has so much spare time to satisfy his
    sadist inclinations that he boils water in a big vessel then binds
    it to the back of a woman (so that when she bends the boiling water
    spills and burns that woman), and at the same time he eats his meal
    and enjoys this performance. Thus, presenting the underlined negative
    image of the enemy they violate the simplest rules of realism and
    betray the aggressive and morbid elements of their imagination.

    The denial of the cultural grounds of the Armenians and the attempts
    to appropriate them are often accompanied by the simple turn over
    mechanisms. And such kind of turn over sometimes has rather literal
    and curious manifestation. You can see an example of such a literal
    turn over on 180º in one of the pictures placed on bakililar.az
    where Armenian writings are presented in inverted position as ancient
    Albanian writings. The picture and its re-inverted variant are more
    than conspicuous.

    A splinter of the slab from the church in the village of Dash Salakhli
    (original) (At present this slab is replaced by the Armenians and
    substituted by the slab with Armenian writings)

    There is an impression that booth the hatred for everything Armenian
    and absolute denial of it is so psychologically legitimized and
    it entered everyday life to such an extent that even the most
    shortsighted and coarse forgeries are made without even being afraid
    that they can be exposed. B. The side impact of the propaganda on
    the domestic audience

    As it was mentioned above, there are some grounds to state that the
    messages chosen to impact on the enemy and their scopes have possible
    reverse impact on their own society.

    One of such impacts is the simplification of the realities and their
    perceptions and de-intellectualization which accompanies that process.
    The propaganda speaks about the Azerbaijani cuisine, music and genocide
    with the same seriousness and their significance is equalized. It is
    a quite usual thing when in the Armenian language news programme2 in
    the same video sequence with the same serious voice they pass from
    the foreign policy â~@~\achievementsâ~@~] to the stories about the
    ample harvest of Azerbaijani pumpkins and pro-Azerbaijani statements
    of the international structures. It is not a mere chance that in the
    same information sources they speak using the same words and style
    about â~@~\the exigency of shooting films on Karabakh issueâ~@~],
    or that â~@~\there is necessity to propagate our art of cookingâ~@~],
    or that â~@~\the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is indisputable
    from the point of view of international lawâ~@~], or that â~@~\there
    are specialists who can prove from the scientific point of view
    why such dishes as dolma belong to Azerbaijani cuisineâ~@~]3. Thus
    the simplification comes up to the absurdity creating the explicit
    connection between propaganda and cuisine: it is no accident that
    the second result when you search «peculiarities of Azerbaijani
    propaganda» on Google is «peculiarities of national cuisine» (in
    Russian). Amid such primitiveness, the indistinctness of the borders
    between what is essential and what is secondary, anything connected
    with the Armenians or done by them in any format is perceived very
    seriously and gets quick and inadequate response. A fresh example of
    such supersensitivity is the article in one of the Azerbaijani internet
    newspapers where the author in characteristic ironic style and with
    visible sensitivity presents the well-known football predictor octopus
    Paul as a worthy candidate to the position of the RA presidentâ~@~Ys
    adviser. The point is that just several days before this article which
    draws the ungrounded parallels, a humoristic quatrain appeared in one
    of the well-known blogs where the â~@~\poetâ~@~] seeks help from the
    octopus concerning faith of Azerbaijan.

    The other group of influences is the inculcation of negative moods
    and feelings of chronic character in the society.

    E.g. in one of the newspapers you can meet the following expression:
    â~@~\In Azerbaijan we find that the genocide perpetrated by the
    Armenians against our nation was not over at the end of the last
    century but it continues till now. This was discussed yesterday at the
    international conference devoted to the genocide of the Azerbaijanis
    committed by Armeniaâ~@~]4. Of course this is propagandistic
    statement directed to the strengthening of the negative image of the
    Armenians. But on the other hand the usage of the notion of genocide
    for a long time strengthens stable status of a victim, negative
    feelings and attaches them permanent character. Intensive video and
    text production devoted to Khojalu events belongs to the same sphere
    and it is of bigger scope. The articles, TV programmes and web-sites
    devoted to that, with repeating views of dead bodies, monuments
    and etc., are the attempts to create absolutely negative image of
    the Armenian in the eyes of the domestic public and international
    community. At the same time all this traumatized and victimize,
    i.e. arises the feeling of being a victim among their citizens and
    this especially refers to the developing generation. Referring to the
    idea that one of the main techniques of propaganda is the reiteration,
    they seem to have missed that this cannot be the case with frequent
    demonstration of the dead bodies.

    The examples brought mainly refer to the doubtful effectiveness of
    the information war in the sphere of culture5. However, such a queer
    situation with the propagandistic activity of our neigbour does not
    annihilate the issues of its danger for us. The situation causes
    anxiety at least due to the fact that stable negative attitude is
    formed within the society with which we have to live side by side and
    cooperate at least in the near future. Such an irrational atmosphere
    in the neighbour country causes anxiety at least due to the fact
    that it can be as contagious as all bad things are, especially
    the negative moods. The anti-Armenian propaganda of Azerbaijan in
    some sense has become public mood, the dominant of consciousness. A
    general atmosphere is formed where anything negative written, pictured,
    told about or build by the Armenians is welcomed without taking into
    consideration possible negative consequences for their own society.
    Amid such a mean atmosphere everyone who wants takes his chance to
    give a product directed against Armenians and to make mint on it and
    they often succeed in it regardless of their motives or efficiency.
    Such an initiative is hailed per se. One can only hope that such
    a total narrowing of the consciousness is criticized not only from
    abroad but also by the intellectual strata of their society which is
    anxious about their national issues. As a specialist and colleague
    we would be happy to hear that psychologists there are worried by
    the psychological dangers which threaten their citizens.

    Rather symbolic episode which has happened recently helps to conclude
    all the aforementioned: the Azerbaijani flag, which had a claim to
    be registered in Guinness Book of Records as the biggest and highest
    flag ever rose, torn and fell down. The torn flag which initially
    had to charge citizens with strong positive emotions caused their
    vexatious anger. This seems to be allegoric manifestation of how
    undesirable can be the consequences of the actions which are initiated
    by self-praising and showing off and how hollow can be the consequences
    of hollow efforts.

    1See, for example, Ô±Õ¶Õ¶Õ¡ ÔºÕ¡Õ´Õ¡Õ¯Õ¸Õ¹ÕµÕ¡Õ¶,
    «Õ~OÕ¥Õ²Õ¥Õ¯Õ¡Õ¿Õ¾Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶ Õ°Õ¸Õ½Ö~DÕ¥Ö~@Õ¨ Ö~G Õ~@Õ¡ÕµÕ¡Õ½Õ¿Õ¡Õ¶Õ«
    Õ«Õ¶Ö~FÕ¸Õ¡Õ¶Õ¾Õ¿Õ¡Õ¶Õ£Õ¸Ö~BÕ©ÕµÕ¸Ö~Bնը». «21-Ö~@Õ¤
    Ô´Õ¡Ö~@», # 6 (28), 2009; Õ~MÕ¡Õ´Õ¾Õ¥Õ¬
    Õ~DÕ¡Ö~@Õ¿Õ«Ö~@Õ¸Õ½ÕµÕ¡Õ¶, Ô±Õ¤Ö~@Õ¢Õ¥Õ»Õ¡Õ¶Õ«
    Ö~DÕ¡Ö~@Õ¸Õ¦Õ¹Õ¡Õ´Õ¥Ö~DÕ¥Õ¶Õ¡Õ¶. Õ¶Õ¸Ö~@ Õ´Õ«Õ¿Õ¸Ö~BÕ´Õ¶Õ¥Ö~@,
    http://www.noravank.am/arm/articles/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=4290&sphrase_id=1231;

    Õ~@.Ô´Õ¥Õ´Õ¸ÕµÕ¡Õ¶, «Լեռնային Õ~BÕ¡Ö~@Õ¡Õ¢Õ¡Õ²Õ«
    Õ°Õ«Õ´Õ¶Õ¡Õ­Õ¶Õ¤Ö~@Õ« Õ·Õ¸Ö~BÖ~@Õ» Ö~DÕ¡Ö~@Õ¸Õ¦Õ¹Õ¸Ö~BÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Ö~G
    Õ°Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Ö~DÕ¡Ö~@Õ¸Õ¦Õ¹Õ¸Ö~BÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Õ¯Õ¡Õ¦Õ´Õ¡Õ¯Õ¥Ö~@ÕºÕ´Õ¡Õ¶ Ö~G
    Õ«Ö~@Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶Õ¡Ö~AÕ´Õ¡Õ¶ Õ¥Õ²Õ¡Õ¶Õ¡Õ¯Õ¶Õ¥Ö~@Õ« մասին»,
    «Õ~OÕ¥Õ²Õ¥Õ¯Õ¡Õ¿Õ¾Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶ Õ¡Õ¶Õ¾Õ¿Õ¡Õ¶Õ£Õ¸Ö~BÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶
    Õ­Õ¶Õ¤Õ«Ö~@Õ¶Õ¥Ö~@Õ« Õ·Õ¸Ö~BÖ~@ջ», «Õ~OÕ¡Ö~@Õ¡Õ®Õ¡Õ·Ö~@ջան»
    Õ¿Õ¥Õ²Õ¥Õ¯Õ¡Õ£Õ«Ö~@, Õ~FÕ¸Ö~@Õ¡Õ¾Õ¡Õ¶Ö~D Ô³Ô¿Õ~@, ÔµÖ~@Ö~GÕ¡Õ¶,
    2005, http://noravank.am/upload/pdf/76_am.pdf, Ô¿Õ¡Ö~@Õ¥Õ¶
    Õ~NÖ~@Õ©Õ¡Õ¶Õ¥Õ½ÕµÕ¡Õ¶, «Õ~@Õ¡Õµ-Õ¡Õ¤Ö~@Õ¢Õ¥Õ»Õ¡Õ¶Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶
    Õ°Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ´Õ¡Ö~@Õ¿Õ¸Ö~BÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Ö~DÕ¡Ö~@Õ¸Õ¦Õ¹Õ¡Õ¯Õ¡Õ¶
    Õ©Õ¥Õ¦Õ¥Ö~@ը», «ԳլոբոÖ~BÕ½. Ô±Õ¦Õ£Õ¡ÕµÕ«Õ¶
    Õ¡Õ¶Õ¾Õ¿Õ¡Õ¶Õ£Õ¸Ö~BÕ©ÕµÕ¸Ö~Bն», #2(6), 2009Ö~I
    http://www.noravank.am/arm/articles/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=2219&sphrase_id=1223

    2Here we speak about the news programmes broadcasted in Armenian on
    ATV-International channel.

    3 http://www.ksam.org/index.php?mtype=news1&mid=435

    4 http://www.newsazerbaijan.ru/analytics/20080331/42222402.html

    5It should be mentioned that the situation described is characteristic
    for all the planes equally. In some special spheres, such as, e.g.,
    in the actions oriented at the structure of the RA army, those
    propagandistic actions are much more differentiated and specific and
    they demand much more serious counteractions.




    From: A. Papazian
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