Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Chairman of the Justice, Law, Democracy (AHD) Party and Member of Parliament, has answered questions from the party’s press service.
elchi presents the interview:
– Gudrat bey, we would like to know your opinion on the never-ending discussions about our history in the media and on social networks…
– History should be dealt with by professional historians (people who have chosen this field as their profession and conduct scientific research, regardless of whether they hold academic degrees). A person is considered a professional historian if they approach historical events objectively, possess strong research skills, critical thinking, a broad worldview—having knowledge not only of history but also of politics, economics, culture, geography, and other fields. They should know foreign and ancient languages to research sources from different countries and eras. They should have the ability to work with archival documents, ancient texts, and numerous materials, and be able to present the results of their scientific research in a clear, logical, and scientific manner. Let the readers say, how many of those who have opened historical discussions or joined these discussions among us possess these qualities? Evaluating historical events from today’s perspective is fundamentally wrong. Solzhenitsyn once said, “absolutism breeds cruelty.” There was no other form of governance in the Middle Ages, so that era could also be called an era of cruelty. If we approach it from today’s perspective, then Uzbeks would have to renounce Amir Timur, Mongols would have to renounce Genghis Khan, Russians would have to renounce Peter the Great, and Anatolian Turks would have to renounce Ottoman history, etc. In the Middle Ages, states were built on the principles of dynasty, religion, and empire. Only in the 18th and 19th centuries did the foundations of the concept of the nation-state begin to emerge. It is enough to pay attention to Ottoman history. Those who join discussions on historical topics must take all this into account. We cannot cross out our history before the 20th century. Those who do this make a huge historical and political mistake, killing the people’s sense of self-confidence and forming a complex of inferiority in them. Socio-political activists should focus their main attention on discussing the problems of our present day. We spend more time than necessary on the past, the problems of others, criminal elements, and meaningless topics. Everyone has become a historian or an expert on international issues. To get rid of the heavy legacy of the past, we must allocate more funds to science, education, culture, and our security, and to have sufficient funds, we must have a strong economy. This should be the main topic of discussion of the day.
– The autumn session of the Parliament is starting, which laws would you like to see adopted?
– A law on local state government bodies can be adopted to pave the way for major reforms in governance. With this law, we can put an end to the excessive centralization that exists in the exercise of state power and move to a new stage of development. It is necessary to include the introduction of the jury system in courts into the legislation. There is a serious need for the adoption of a new Internal Regulations of the Milli Majlis, as well as a law on amnesty and pardon. If reforms are to be started, numerous new laws must be adopted, and existing laws must be significantly amended. It would be better to adopt a new Constitution that has undergone broad public discussion.
– Could there be any provocations against our country in the autumn?
– Our current independent foreign policy irritates many. Therefore, such attempts may occur. From time to time, we have witnessed that some people from the President’s close circle have joined such provocations for various motives. Some, due to their ambitions or arrogance, could not correctly calculate their capabilities or the capabilities of those who enticed them. Some were incited to such provocations through blackmail. Even today, we sometimes witness inappropriate statements. I believe that our people, the President, the police and security agencies, and our Armed Forces have the power to prevent such provocations. The most proven way to fight against provocations is to prevent the emergence of social problems in a timely manner.