Techniques to impact the public perception of Armenians can be distinguished according to their object, extent and form.
Target I. Marginalizing interaction with Armenians
In this case, the same techniques are employed as described above. Marginalizing all interactions with Armenians over social networks188 can be classified as another manifestation of this ban, with persons considered to be the most reputable for a specific social group, including politicians, scientists and artistic figures of different levels recruited to put in their weight to impact their respective target groups. Verbal abuse in respect of Armenians is held in an especially high social esteem and is considered to be a display of patriotic feelings.
Aydin Mirzazadeh, Member of Parliament: When some residents of Baku lapse into sentimentality and search for their former classmates and neighbors among Armenians or even add them to their friend list, they must pause and think how friendly the feelings of the opposite side are.
Nizami Jafarov, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Cultural Issues: With the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh still pending, cooperation with Armenians at any level is an act of treason. You can negotiate, discuss political matters, resolve cultural problems, but befriending Armenians, with Armenia occupying our lands, is inadmissible. This is a feigned friendship!
Zahid Oruj, Member of the Standing Parliamentary Commission on Security and Defense: Such friendly ties are absolutely unacceptable, because they create an impression that we are free from problems with Armenia, that we are not in a state of war with them, and they did not occupy our lands. In general, all friendly visits to Armenia and Nagorno-Garabakh as part of popular diplomacy are unacceptable, as they lead to the freezing of the conflict and contribute to resolving legal matters in favor of Armenia. The history has shown the price that Azerbaijan had to pay for its friendship with Armenia: how much of our land went to Armenians in the Soviet times, how much more has been occupied… Friendship with Armenians can virtually result in another strategic grab of the Azerbaijani territories in the future. Therefore, the Ministry of National Security must take a partial control of all messaging that goes through this website.
Vafa Guluzadeh, political analyst, an advisor to the former government: There can never be any friendship between us and Armenians firstly, because a sea of blood has been shed and secondly, there is Russia that pits Armenia against Azerbaijan using them to fulfill its own agenda.
Sayga Jahid, anchorperson and producer: Of course, there are many active Armenian users on this website trying to contact Azerbaijanis. It has also happened to me, but I immediately removed them because they are our enemies. We must refrain from entering into any correspondence with them. I have a negative attitude about those who do so, and especially singers. They must be ashamed!
Farid Rzayev, anchorperson of the V.I.P Club TV show: I am a user of this website and I found there many of my friends and relatives. However, any communication with Armenians is out of the question. Why do we have to communicate with them? And if an Armenian tries to contact me, I blacklist him.
Orhan Rzayev, anchorperson of the V.I.P Club TV show: I would like to add up to the words of my brother Farid that the website odnoklassniki.ru has many Armenian users. They may pretend to be angels, but we must not be deceived by that. We have only one enemy, and it is Armenians. We must not forget that as early as in their infancy, it is whispered into their little ears: “In the future, you will become a citizen of the Great Armenia, and you have only one enemy, and it is the Turks.
Ilkin Hasani, anchorperson at the TV show ATV Magazine: May I be damned if I ever communicate with Armenians. I have sent them a couple of messages but only to fight them virtually.
Faytoncu Nazim, singer: Corresponding with Armenians is no good. They’re our enemies. Befriending Armenians who have grabbed over 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands is a complete absurdity. I am also against it.
Agil Abbas, Member of Parliament, writer and journalist: I have two sons who occasionally visit Armenian sites. They can give quite a harsh reply to Armenians and so make their own contribution to the information war. I personally consider it weird that young people correspond with Armenians. If it is done out of friendship, then they are fools, and I will repeat – fools. We may resume our contacts with Armenians only after they kneel down before us and ask forgiveness for Garabakh. The people, who visit this website for a friendly exchange of messages with Armenians, are not Azerbaijanis.
The Azerbaijani website Unсоqtа. az website published an article entitled ‘What is the link between the correspondent of Zerkalo newspaper and Armenians?’ in which the journalist Yelena Malakhova is accused by her Azerbaijani colleagues of communication with her Armenian acquaintances over the web. The article says that despite the Karabakh conflict, Armenians live in Azerbaijan, “but it does not mean that they are not our enemies”. “Armenians who live among us have been naturalized, but we must know our enemies by sight”, says the article and points that every citizen of Azerbaijan must know it and refrain from close interaction with Armenians.”The correspondent of Zerkalo newspaper Yelena Malakhova seems to have forgotten this simple truth. This lady has recently been to Belgium as part of the EU European Neighborhood Policy Program. In Brussels, Malakhova walked with the delegation of Armenian journalists and took pictures with them. The pictures clearly show warm relations of Yelena Malakhova with Armenians. Now she communicates with them over Facebook and posted there a picture with Alla Serobyan”, airs its indignation the Azerbaijani news outlet.189
Faig Agayev, People’s Artist of Azerbaijan criticized on his Facebook page those of his compatriots who Liked the Armenian magazine Yerevan. “I don’t quite understand… what kind of Azerbaijani could have Liked this? Do you realize what you Like? You must be ashamed”, wrote Agayev and stated that he had a right to express his opinion as a citizen of Azerbaijan and a People’s Artist.190
Vagif Semedoghlu, People’s Poet of Azerbaijan, former Member of Parliament: I have never taken part in any meetings between Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals and I will never do so. I will never set foot in any such meeting. What is the use of such meetings, if you know in advance that nothing good comes out of it?191
Target II. Marginalizing those who still communicate with Armenians
In this case, the same mechanisms are employed as in cases described above, the only difference being that outrage targets other Azerbaijanis who have broken the taboo and contacted Armenians. The mildest punishment for doing so comes down to rejection and calls to boycott the culprit. The worst case scenario may go as far as a questioning by the representatives of security services or even an arrest.