By Dr Shazia Anwer Cheema
President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has once again unmasked the duality and double standards of the European Parliament and Western media and exposed how they manipulate facts, tailor narratives, and use the media sphere as a lethal tool against developing countries such as Azerbaijan.
President Ilham Aliyev is globally known for his clear vision, in-depth knowledge, and opinions that help mitigate the Western media onslaught against developing countries. I consider him one of the best voices available, constantly unmasking false narratives developed and then projected by Western media against those who reject hegemonic directions. His comments about Western media are always supported by references, citing how big names like BBC, CNN, Fox News, NYT and Washington Post wreak havoc on developing countries by establishing false narratives against them, and, of course, Azerbaijan has been a direct target of this propaganda campaign.
I have been following his speeches at global events, which he usually leads from the front, and the Presidential Office posts them on the official website with transcripts. These transcripts are more than textbooks for students of Philosophy of Communication, showing how false narratives are built against emerging countries, how colour revolutions are staged, how real and indigenous leadership is replaced with puppets, and how youth are the foremost target of such propaganda. He always talks with clarity and boldly faces the Western media with facts at his hands.
He always explains that the narrative should be truthful, reflect reality, and not be biased because, if it’s biased, it is pre-organised, especially when it is part of a coordinated campaign.
In one of his speeches at the Shusha Global Media Forum that I listened to online, he calls this situation “a media attack”. President Ilham Aliyev rightfully indicated that media attacks coincide with important geopolitical developments. I consider that there are many other mechanisms of influencing the public against the state and one of them, for example, is Western-funded NGOs used to intervene in the internal affairs of sovereign nations, but the Media is the most visible and sensitive, especially when it comes from big and famous media outlets.
The media onslaught intensifies against countries such as Azerbaijan that wish to have an independent and balanced foreign policy based on multipolarity instead of accepting the hegemony of certain foreign powers. Even within Western media spheres, sane voices are emerging, particularly from academia-cum-practitioners, and they are raising alarms that Western media is losing credibility because the public now has multipolar fact-checking options. They advise Western media to review its role and let developing countries decide what is best for them, instead of telling them what to do and what not to do. They argue that Media should no longer play second fiddle to Western powers.
The History of Philosophy of Communication shows that Western media sometimes uses a communication model of creating false narratives based on syndicated, coordinated, and deliberate moves to attack certain developing countries. To my understanding, people like President Ilham Aliyev are rare and exceptional, exposing Western media by providing evidence, examples, and data.
I think President Ilham Aliyev keeps an eye on narrative-building, and whenever he has a chance, he debunks duality in the Western sphere and the double standards they apply to certain countries. On September 15, while talking with a delegation comprising members and observers of the Council of Heads of Muslim Religious Boards of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), President Ilham Aliyev explained the duality and double standards of certain countries and explained, with facts, how the world turned a blind eye to Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan that continued for around 30 years.
He was of the view that the major powers had been supporting Armenia, including countries of the infamous Minsk Group, and they sought to cover up all genocidal and heinous acts of Armenia. They did not allow any foreign observers into the (former) occupied territories, but Armenians brought certain bribed politicians and public figures from the West and other countries to show them how they lived there, and international organisations remained silent, including the United Nations, whose Security Council had adopted four resolutions demanding the withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the (former) occupied territories.
He added that OSCE remained silent and the Council of Europe effectively supported Armenia while the European Parliament stood with the aggressor—Armenia. He said that the situation has not been changed so far. He called the European Parliament ‘a nest of corrupt figures.
Referring to the facts of the case, he said:
“Millions of dollars in suitcases were found in the house of its vice-president, and they covered it all up, as if it had never happened. Her name is known; she is a female deputy from Greece. How many years have passed since then? Has anyone taken any action against her? No. Has she been held accountable? No. She was released. Look, the European Parliament consists of these Islamophobes, and this must always remain in focus”.
President Ilham Aliyev informed the delegations that a dirty Western media campaign has again been waged against his country.
“Look, now, as Azerbaijan grows stronger and fully mobilises its potential, a dirty Western media campaign is again being waged against us. That is, they seek to discredit us, with articles full of lies, slander, and defamation about Azerbaijan being published every day”, mentioned President Ilham Aliyev.
President Ilham Aliyev’s talks with the delegation of the Organisation of Turkic States were full of logical historical citations and examples of how the Western world plays with the fates of developing countries, manipulates facts and figures, and Western media knows the art of turning victims into aggressors.
Although the United Nations in December 2021 adopted a resolution titled “Countering Disinformation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms”, no action has ever been taken against certain Western media outlets that are masters of creating chaos in developing countries and even triggering civil wars.
President Ilham Aliyev has raised this issue effectively and systematically, with facts, figures, and data, and he is holding international forums and discussions to speak out against the lethal tool of false narrative-building. However, this is the time that other countries should gather with him and save the future of youth in developing countries, which is the prime target of those who wish to inject chaos, create fault lines among social groups, pit nations against each other and discredit those who wish for peace and harmony among nations.
We must remember that a false narrative is as dangerous as any kinetic weapon, and loaded guns of Western media with disinformation powder are lethal weapons that are already killing the future of youth in developing countries.
The author is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Communication at the University of Management and Technology (UMT).
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