Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku International Multiculturalism Centre Azerbaijani Multiculturalism Textbook for Higher Education

in mind two things, which form the backbone of the nation: one of




them is language, the other – religion and faith. When one is lost, it is as though the nation has broken its back. When both are lost, the nation becomes mixed and mingled with other nations and disappears.’

Another leading figure in Azerbaijan’s enlightenment movement was Firidun bay Kocharli (1863-1920). His article on the death of Anton Chekhov, published in Shargi-Rus (Russian Orient) newspaper on 16 July 1904, is a significant source on multiculturalism and tolerance. Kocharli wrote about the talent of the Russian author Anton Chekov, noting with regret that the writer of splendid comedies and prose died in Germany far from his motherland. This article can be appreciated as a source comprising the multicultural values and spirit of tolerance of the philosophers of the Azerbaijani enlightenment movement.

‘The death of Anton Chekhov on 2 July 1904, which was reported in the newspapers, is sad, heart-breaking event for all the writers of Russia. Chekhov was a real, resolute writer with a sharp pen and sweet tongue. Much of his work has been translated into the European languages. He was read with great enthusiasm. He wrote short humorous stories about the lives of all the classes of contemporary Russian society. He described with irony the deficiencies of each stratum of Russian society. He was described as a connoisseur of the word able to express deep meaning in a few, tender words. He mixed light humour and irony in his short stories and novellas, as he described oppressing and oppressed societies. He left a literary legacy of 12 volumes. Many of his works are short stories and he also wrote comedies. He died when he was 44, in the prime of life, in Germany, far from his motherland.’

Ahmad Aghaoghlu (1869-1939) is another thinker who respected multicultural and tolerant ideas. In his work he paid great

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Azerbaijani Multiculturalism

attention to the ideas of national progress, the development of the

Turkic peoples and to the benefit of world culture. The following quotations show Aghaoghlu’s multicultural world outlook:

‘When a nation with its own historical traditions, ancient history, religion and literature comes into contact with another nation, it is exposed to the material and spiritual influence of the latter. As a result of rivalry between the old and new religion, old and new traditions, an average level emerges between the past and the present, which is a merger or combination of the two religions. Thus, the present adapts to the past without losing its past qualities and takes knowledge from the past.’

Taking into consideration the scholarly and philosophical sources of Azerbaijani multiculturalism, we can see that the Azerbaijani people have throughout history respected the ideas of tolerance and multiculturalism and respect all ethnic groups, religions and confessions. This can be seen in the work of the Azerbaijani writers, poets and philosophers listed above, from Akhundzada to Zardabi, Aghaoghlu to Suhrawardi.