Ramil Iskandarli – ” France is trying to interfere in domestic affairs of Azerbaijan”.
Chairman of the Legal Analysis and Research Public Union Ramil Iskandarli had a speech on the neo-colonialism, ethnic hatred and ethnic minorities’ denial policy of the France at the event on the topic of “Towards the Complete Elimination of Colonialism” which took place at the Baku Congress Center as part of the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement. Here is the text of his speech:
“Mr. Chairman and distinguished delegates of the Side event.
France has never officially apologized for its colonial policies, acts of genocide against NAM member countries in Africa, South-East Asia and other places. France was not brought to international justice for the massacre of Algerian Muslims, the participation of France in a number of crimes across the African continent is a proven fact.
France is one of the countries which still using neo-colonialism.
I would like also to provide some aspects that is an indicative of neo-colonial tendencies in France:
– Economic Exploitation: France continues to exploit its former colonies economically.
– Military Interventions: France has been involved in military interventions in some of its former colonies, such as Mali and Ivory Coast. These interventions aim to protect French economic and political interests rather than genuinely supporting the sovereignty and well-being of the affected nations.
– Political Influence: France retains significant political influence in some of its former colonies.
– Immigration and Labor Relations: France has a complex relationship with immigration from its former colonies. Discriminatory practices, such as unequal access to education and employment opportunities.
Ethnic hatred
The racist and discriminatory discourse, hate speeches, especially in the media and on the Internet, against certain ethnic minorities is on the rise in France, even among officials. The recent killing of a 17-year-old teenager of Algerian origin by French police is one the results of ethnic discrimination and Islamophobia. Turkophobic statements, including, by state officials are also widespread.
France as a country have no moral rights to teach human rights to others.
From one side France bans Corsican language and does not accept the concept of ethnic minorities. From the other side, it tries to present itself as a defender of the Armenian minority in Azerbaijan. This is clearly the hypocrisy and selective approach policy.
France is violating the principals of the international law, to be concretely, France is trying to interfere in domestic affairs of Azerbaijan by supporting Armenian separatism in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
Legal aspects/Minority rights
From the legal point of view, France is one of a few European countries that has not ratified the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages, whose signatories recognize such languages as part of unique European traditions that should be protected and promoted. Speakers of regional minority languages in France, such as Corsican, Basque and Breton, therefore lack protection of basic linguistic rights.
France does not abide by Article 27 in legally-binding International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which states that “In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, or to use their own language.” France simply choose just to put reservation on this article.
Opinion polls also show that racism and ethnic intolerance have reached the highest level in France. According to polls, one of the main reasons for such sentiments in society are the radical political forces in France.
Elements of racism are widely spread in the present-day France, from the main opposition party led by Marine Le Pen to the rule of Macron. “The killing of the 17-year-old Algerian teenager in the context of ethnic hatred and intolerance is a great political disgrace”.
The event is attended by Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Board of the Center for Analysis of International Relations, Roch Wamytan, President of the Parliament of New Caledonia, Anthony Geros, President of the French Polynesia Assembly, Jean-Victor Castor, a member of the French National Assembly, local NGO representatives Parvana Valiyeva and Vugar Ahmadov and others.
The participants of the event will discuss issues related to France’s modern colonial policy and the necessary steps to eradicate slavery, which de facto exists in the African continent and other regions of the world.
At the end of the event, a final statement is adopted.
Meanwhile, speaking at the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement yesterday, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said that one of the countries that still is pursuing the neo-colonialism is France.
“French administered territories outside Europe are nasty remains of the French colonial empire. France must respect the sovereignty of the Comoros over the island of Mayotte as well as the rights of the New Caledonian people and other peoples in French overseas communities and territories,” President Ilham Aliyev said.
President Ilham Aliyev pointed out that France has to apologize for its colonial past and bloody colonial crimes and acts of genocide against NAM member countries in Africa, South-East Asia and other places.
Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration has shared a post on Twitter by saying – “Colonialism in Photos Exhibition in the margins of Baku Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting of Coordinating Bureau. Colonialism as such neo-colonialism, is shameful page of humanity”.
