NEWS
It was the Marlboro Man – an American – Suleymanov told the man. This iconic image of Western capitalism was unknown to most of the citizens of the former Soviet Republic in the ‘90s.
Neither knew at that time that the Marlboro Man was the first in a succession of exchanges that would make the United States and Azerbaijan allies in a region that has been a bastion of Russian influence.
“So the man says, ‘Now that the Russians are gone, all the images of Lenin have been replaced by this American,’” said Sulemayov, the consulate general of Azerbaijan.
With a desire to further that relationship, Suleymanov was invited to Chapman Oct. 8 by James Coyle, director of the Center for Global Education, to promote Azerbaijan as a potential destination for Chapman students wanting to study abroad. Suleymanov spoke to about 20 students in Beckman 204.
“We want Americans to learn about Azerbaijan, and one of the best ways to do that is to have an academic exchange between American students and our students,” Suleymanov said.
As Chapman expands its global studies program by exposing students to diverse cultures, Coyle approached Suleymanov to talk about a country many students at Chapman may not have heard about, he said.
“Azerbaijan has been one of the countries promoting itself as a destination for American students,” Coyle said.
Students would greatly benefit from a trip to Azerbaijan, one of the most tolerant and diverse societies in the world, said Don Will, director of peace studies.
“They are just so different from us in many ways, and it would do our students good to go there and learn about their culture,” said Will, who flew to Azerbaijan about 20 years ago, as the Cold War was winding down.
Azerbaijan’s reputation for tolerance began 90 years ago, when it became the first majority Muslim nation to adopt a secular, democratic government. It allowed women to vote before the United States and the United Kingdom.
“We’re a very pragmatic nation. Why exclude 50 percent of your population from becoming productive members of society when we know women are just as capable,” Suleymanov said.
With Islamic extremists dominating the news, Americans could learn from Azerbaijan’s experiences with bridging the gap between secularism and Islam, Suleymanov said.
“While there’s no secret formula to this, as long as you welcome everyone regardless of belief, I think it will work out,” he said.
Azerbaijan has worked closely with Western Europe and the United States on trade and the prevention of terrorism – it has sent troops to Afghanistan and Iraq. But it remains close with its fellow Muslim nations as well. Azerbaijan is an active member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
“We’re trying to show our fellow Muslims that, yes, we can work these two systems out and it’s for everyone’s best interests,” Suleymanov said.
But like any developing democratic society, Azerbaijan has hit some rough patches as it shakes off years of autocratic rule under the Soviet system.
The U.N. Human Rights Council has questioned the way the government conducted elections last year including the restriction of assembly and the partial curtailment of the press.
“There’s this fine balance between holding on to your traditions and allowing for modernism, which we think works best in a democratic society,” Suleymanov said.
Contact this reporter: martin.syjuco@thepantheronline.com
