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BRING ME THE EAR OF AKRAM AYLISLI! POLITICIAN OFFERS £8,000 FOR ATTACK ON WRITER
Head of political party offers £8,000 for author's body part over
controversial novel
Shaun Walker Author Biography
Moscow
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/bring-me-the-ear-
of-akram-aylisli-politician-offers-8000-for-attack-on-writer-8492268.html
Tuesday 12 February 2013
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[pg-34-azerbaijan.jpg]
1 / 1
Akram Aylisli is in trouble for portraying violence by Azerbaijanis
against Armenians
Ads by Google
A politician in Azerbaijan has offered a cash reward for anyone who
slices off the ear of a controversial writer - the latest twist in
an alleged hate campaign waged by the country's authoritarian
government in an apparent attempt to distract attention from internal
issues.
The author, Akram Aylisli, is in trouble for his novel Stone Dreams,
in which he portrayed scenes of violence carried out by Azerbaijanis
against their Armenian foes during the riots that accompanied the
break-up of the Soviet Union. What appears to be a coordinated
campaign has been unleashed against him, with television programmes
and official pronouncements railing against the writer.
He was expelled from the Union of Writers and had his presidential
pension rescinded. His wife and son have also lost their jobs, while
protesters have organised book-burnings of his works, held pickets
outside his house, and burned effigies of him.
Events took an even more alarming turn when Hafiz Haciyev, the head
of a pro-government political party, said his party would pay 10,000
manat (£8,000) for the ear of the author.
"The book was meant to be about conciliation between Azeris and
Armenians," Mr Aylisli told The Independent from Baku. "I realised
when I wrote it that it could be controversial, but I didn't for a
minute think that there would be this giant campaign, on a state
level."
Azerbaijan is a bitter foe of neighbouring Armenia, and the two
countries fought a war in the early 1990s over Nagorno-Karabakh,
which is recognised as part of Azerbaijan but is currently run by a
pro-Armenian government. There is still a heavily armed front line of
muddy trenches between the two countries, and periodic militaristic
rhetoric from both sides.
"If a person has no national spirit, he cannot have a sense of
humanity," said Ali Hasanov, an aide to Azerbaijan's President,
Ilham Aliyev, commenting on Mr Aylisli's novel. "The Azerbaijani
people must express public hatred towards these people."
"The Azerbaijani authorities have an obligation to protect Akram
Aylisli," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at
Human Rights Watch. "Instead, they have led the effort to intimidate
him, putting him at risk with a campaign of vicious smears and
hostile rhetoric."
The campaign comes after a period of unusual civil unrest in the
country, as Mr Aliyev prepares to stand for re-election later in the
year. Last month, thousands of people attended an unsanctioned rally
in Baku over conditions in the military, and later there were violent
protests in a provincial town after a minister's son crashed his
luxury car into a local's more modest vehicle. Although the
President still retains the support of the majority of Azeris,
analysts say discontent over Mr Aliyev's authoritarian methods and
the rampant corruption of the ruling elite is eroding the regime's
popularity.
"Something is definitely changing in Azerbaijan," said Emin Milli,
a blogger and activist who was released from a 15-day jail sentence
for organising unsanctioned rallies last month. "For the first time,
thousands of people are coming out to protest. This is the
government's old game to rally support - play the nationalist
card."
Head of political party offers £8,000 for author's body part over
controversial novel
Shaun Walker Author Biography
Moscow
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/bring-me-the-ear-
of-akram-aylisli-politician-offers-8000-for-attack-on-writer-8492268.html
Tuesday 12 February 2013
[pg-34-azerbaijan.jpg] [pg-34-azerbaijan.jpg]
[pg-34-azerbaijan.jpg]
1 / 1
Akram Aylisli is in trouble for portraying violence by Azerbaijanis
against Armenians
Ads by Google
A politician in Azerbaijan has offered a cash reward for anyone who
slices off the ear of a controversial writer - the latest twist in
an alleged hate campaign waged by the country's authoritarian
government in an apparent attempt to distract attention from internal
issues.
The author, Akram Aylisli, is in trouble for his novel Stone Dreams,
in which he portrayed scenes of violence carried out by Azerbaijanis
against their Armenian foes during the riots that accompanied the
break-up of the Soviet Union. What appears to be a coordinated
campaign has been unleashed against him, with television programmes
and official pronouncements railing against the writer.
He was expelled from the Union of Writers and had his presidential
pension rescinded. His wife and son have also lost their jobs, while
protesters have organised book-burnings of his works, held pickets
outside his house, and burned effigies of him.
Events took an even more alarming turn when Hafiz Haciyev, the head
of a pro-government political party, said his party would pay 10,000
manat (£8,000) for the ear of the author.
"The book was meant to be about conciliation between Azeris and
Armenians," Mr Aylisli told The Independent from Baku. "I realised
when I wrote it that it could be controversial, but I didn't for a
minute think that there would be this giant campaign, on a state
level."
Azerbaijan is a bitter foe of neighbouring Armenia, and the two
countries fought a war in the early 1990s over Nagorno-Karabakh,
which is recognised as part of Azerbaijan but is currently run by a
pro-Armenian government. There is still a heavily armed front line of
muddy trenches between the two countries, and periodic militaristic
rhetoric from both sides.
"If a person has no national spirit, he cannot have a sense of
humanity," said Ali Hasanov, an aide to Azerbaijan's President,
Ilham Aliyev, commenting on Mr Aylisli's novel. "The Azerbaijani
people must express public hatred towards these people."
"The Azerbaijani authorities have an obligation to protect Akram
Aylisli," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at
Human Rights Watch. "Instead, they have led the effort to intimidate
him, putting him at risk with a campaign of vicious smears and
hostile rhetoric."
The campaign comes after a period of unusual civil unrest in the
country, as Mr Aliyev prepares to stand for re-election later in the
year. Last month, thousands of people attended an unsanctioned rally
in Baku over conditions in the military, and later there were violent
protests in a provincial town after a minister's son crashed his
luxury car into a local's more modest vehicle. Although the
President still retains the support of the majority of Azeris,
analysts say discontent over Mr Aliyev's authoritarian methods and
the rampant corruption of the ruling elite is eroding the regime's
popularity.
"Something is definitely changing in Azerbaijan," said Emin Milli,
a blogger and activist who was released from a 15-day jail sentence
for organising unsanctioned rallies last month. "For the first time,
thousands of people are coming out to protest. This is the
government's old game to rally support - play the nationalist
card."