Azernews.Az

By Imamverdi Ismayilov

Member of Parliament, Milli Majlis

This article is dedicated to over one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs who became homeless as a result of Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan.

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I walk on the streets as neat, organized and clean as if drawn with a pair of compasses, in newly constructed settlements. I think it does not matter where they are located, or what regions or villages its inhabitants are originally from; these settlements and all their inhabitants are joined in distant reality of occupied paradise lands, in anticipation to return to native lands and in hopes of the beginning of Great Migration from these settlements to those dear native places...

These people speak in sweet Garabagh accent, saved throughout the years and passed onto the infant successors of their generation as valuable heritage.

My ears catch a loud zangula (piece of Mugham performance) floating from an open window of one of the houses in newly inhabited settlement... Someone of the children of distant lands is singing mugham. As I listen to this clear, sweet voice, like the gurgling spring water coming from under seven layers of the ground, I recall the words passionately uttered by respectful Mehriban khanim on the highest platforms of the world few years ago: "The young mugham performers are usually called the 'nightingales of Garabagh.' Today children no longer sing mugham in the IDP camps where the Garabagh people reside, the nightingales of Garabagh are too few among them. In order to sing, they need Garabagh's mountains, Garabagh's nature, Garabagh's lands. It is sufficient to recall that such great personalities of Azerbaijani culture as Uzeyir Hajibeyli and Bulbul were born in Shusha."

That clean voice pouring from open window moves me deeply, I stop, I inhale that voice as mountain water into my soul. Thank you, God, so the voice is not lost. So the reconstruction works booming in front of my eyes, the conditions built in these settlements, constructed music schools, cultural houses have also become a nest gathering the little mugham performers... Very soon, I hope, new nightingales of Garabagh will swoop from these nests towards the Garabagh mountains, and the voice will reach to its place, to the lands where it belongs.

These settlements have educational infrastructure on par with most contemporary standards, to help the upbringing of young generations, to mold them as the citizens of the world with comprehensive knowledge, to form the human capital in these areas. Heydar Aliyev Foundation is not holding anything back when building schools or carrying out humanitarian projects.

The works also continue in letting the world know about the horrible tragedies caused to the lives of common Azerbaijanis as a result of military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan. Regular events are organized in Azerbaijan and abroad, books, booklet, short films developed for this purpose are disseminated around the world. Joint activities with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation are systematically carried out to deliver the truths of Azerbaijan to the world.

A 10-minute short film has been produced in 8 languages about the situation of refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan. The bilingual website of the State Committee on the Affairs of Refugees/IDPs has been set up, with informative webpages about the occupied regions.

This is the uncompromising line of action upheld by the Head of State...

These are the duties of each of our citizens, who look up to and want to learn from the example of the Greatest Patriot - the President of Azerbaijan Mr Ilham Aliyev in matters of Land, Motherland.

People who spent years in narrow spaces, who fit the days, nights, cares and all worlds of their entire families into one room, who overcame the troubles of bringing brides to this small room and send their daughters as brides from here, are now much comfortable. Everything here, from roads leading to these settlements to the conditions of apartments, where two-, three-, four-, five-room apartments are distributed according to the number of family members, speaks of normal living conditions created for them.

"Our President, bless him, gave me a three-room apartment in Binagadi. Houses are clean, rooms are wide. You can ride horses in them. My grandchildren are hopping like mountain goats there all day long..." - these are the words of Ramiz Jahangirov and he thanks and prays for the head of state repeatedly for enabling such conditions. He is from Narimanly village of Khojavand region, but if to be more precise, from the Tugh village, his house was in 3km distance of the Azykh Cave.

"My father Bashir muallim raised much noise then, gathered the scientists to Azykh Cave to research our history. Now you see that we have bread to eat and home to live in, but the wound on heart is not healing. My father, on his deathbed, willed that 'when you return, when you go back to our homeland, bring my bones and bury them in Tugh, only then my soul will know peace...' I have two sons, both of them are officers. My sons are prepared to die for their Motherland any moment..." He speaks, and it seems the lightnings strike in Ramiz kishi's mournful eyes...

"May Allah protect them!.." - this is all the blessing my tongue could utter at that moment...

People here have turned back to the cheerful mood which I remember from the happier days prior to occupation of lands; whichever door you knock on, will be opened to you with heart, the hosts will not be embarrassed in front of guests for the small space or lack of conditions, the guests will be treated to feasts in specifically decorated, the most beautiful, the neatest room of spacious, bright apartment, where words will join words, and conversations will lead to conversations... And the traditions seeping through thousands of years... thank God, they continue...

I don't get enough of conversations with them, I see in their eyes the blooming faith and hope...

The looks of our Nazila sister, a hero from our previous essay, who lost her husband on the day Gulably village of Aghdam fell to the enemy and who brought up her four little daughters with thousand troubles, do not seem as sad or mournful as before. She invites me in cheerfully. "Please, come in," she says. "Our President, bless him, presented this four-room apartment to me, as you can see, with every amenity in it. Ilham muallim with Mehriban khanim were my guests here. They asked about each of my daughters. Those were such pleasant moments that we still feel it. By Allah, I feel like the joyful presence of these dearest guests, of President and his spouse, still lingers in our house," she speaks and becomes happier. "It is strange that in my new home I remember Gulably more often, my old home come to my thoughts, God willing, we will return there one day. I have taught my daughters the housekeeping and gardening, so when they marry tomorrow, they will make me proud. Mehriban khanim had repeatedly advised me so before parting..."

May Allah make all our dreams come true, my dear sister!..

One young fellow, whom I met in Binagadi district, with well manners and shy smile, draws my attention. With his hesitant looks, as if he wants to say something; usually people who overcame some hardship have such timid eyes, and as I get talking to him, I can see that I was not mistaken in my observations. This young man, Tahmasib from Zangilan region, had his house burned down few months ago, and as he speaks, the wavering, anxiety is also rising in his eyes, it feels like with these eyes he is still looking at the flames of his burning house. Tahmasib's two children were inside the burning house. "I got one out myself, and the police took another... May Allah help our President, he helped, they assisted my brother and me..."

This is Ayyub Badalov from Gubadli region... Although aged, the light of his eyes is still there. Zigzags of his long life turned into wrinkles on his face, but he is as lively as mountain flowers... And, without jinxing him, he is tall and agile...

"After I lost all my wealth in the occupied homeland, I could have never dreamt that I would have such a house. How could I have built another house after that?! May Allah have our President, his spouse and his children prospering, he gave me one apartment and another one to my son. Blessings from people like myself will help them..."

I recognize this medium-heighted man, who has kept his youthful agility and neatness despite his age, from his disorderly silver hair that he combs back with his hands.

Khudush muallim who had worked long years at Soviet Party organs in Zangilan region... We meet in beautiful, flowery, naturally salty-aired Masazir district of Absheron. At the opening of a settlement for IDPs, he wanted to speak his heart but he regrets that he was so excited that he could not formulate all his thoughts, yet he keeps his high spirits. He asks me again and again, like an old buddy, to deliver his gratitude to the President for everything he has done to improve the living conditions of IDPs: "First, let me say that we, the people of Zangilan, owe a great deal to Heydar Aliyev. Without him, we would have drowned in Araz River during the fleeing. Afterwards some stayed at whatever shelter they could find. At those times we could not have imagined to ever have such apartments. But now, praise be to Allah's generosity, we have such houses. Our President built these for us. God willing, with the help of great Allah, our President will free our regions. Those distance homelands will also be as flourishing as these places!.."

How exhilarating, everyone has hope, faith, high spirits!..

Haji Azad kishi, who looks very agile in his old age, wears tall papakh, a hat made of sheepskin, and has a ring on his long, pliers-like fingers, from the sacred place. The praying beads in his hands bring his tall grandeur some completeness.

"...You have seen it yourself, muallim, at every gathering, at every wedding or funeral, everywhere how both myself and all our people speak heartily about the President's deeds, how we hold him dear... We follow his actions, his meetings very closely, we are grateful for all the troubles he is going through for us. That man has brought in a fundamental change, order in our problem-ridden lives. May the hand of great God be always on his back!.."

This is the truth! It wasn't so years ago...

Every time I visit, I remember the heart-breaking scenes in corridors of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees/IDPs, popularly known as "Gachginkom"; I remember the yellings and sobbings of unfortunate people who had brought their griefs to this building...

It is not so any longer. Now those corridors are quiet with busy work, all doors opening to the corridors show people working in their offices on current tasks, administrative issues. The lively spirits, the zeal for progress that has come to be due to the special care and attention of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, can be also observed in the environment of this supreme state agency.

Ahead of us lie the many projects, plans and actions to be done... And as these dreams come to life, there is one LAMP OF HOPE burning in new house, new apartment of each refugee, there is a LAMP OF HOPE flickering in their hearts...

...The warm words, kind feelings, grand and friendly voices that I copied to my notebook, seems to envelope the entire world...

It was already the dusk when I returned with fond memories from places I visited... My heart is filled with warm emotions; I have a hopeful anticipation of tomorrow inside me...

For a moment, I turn back and look at the lights of new settlements, which look like the nightsky filled with stars.

The lights of settlement flicker like the hopes of its inhabitants...

From Qala Gates to Gala Valley of Shusha, from Gulabirt to Lolabaghirly of Lachin, from Asgaran to Shusha of Khojaly, from Mughanly to Tugh of Khojavand, from Charakdar to Zaylik of Kalbajar, from Garvand to Ahmadavar of Aghdam, from Zilanli to Basarat of Gubadly, from Zarnaly to Bash Aghaly of Zangilan, from Jojug Marjanly to Gumlagh of Jabrayil, from Mirzanaghily to Zargar Dilagharda of Fuzuli...

So, in the light of the LAMP OF HOPE that was ignited by the great leader and flared up by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, I can see the milky whiteness of Paths taking us to those homelands...