Pakistan’s leading news agency, Dispatch News Desk (DND), has published an article headlined “President Ilham Aliyev once again unpacked how false narratives are built by Western Media.”
AZERTAC presents the full text of the article authored by Dr. Shazia Anwer Cheema, Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Communication at the University of Management and Technology (UMT).
“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 famous globally for his clear vision, in-depth knowledge and opinions that are needed to mitigate the Western media onslaught over developing countries. I found him to be one of the best available voices who constantly unmasks false narratives developed and then projected by the Western media against those who reject hegemonic directions. His comments about Western media are always with references and citing how big names like BBC, CNN, Fox News, NYT and Washington Post play havoc with developing countries by establishing false narratives against them and of course, Azerbaijan has been a direct target of this propaganda campaign.
It is pertinent to mention that I had been following his speeches at global events that he usually leads from the front and Presidential Office posts his speeches on the official website with transcripts. These transcripts are more than textbooks for students of Philosophy of Communication to understand how false narratives are built against emerging countries and how colour revolutions are staged, real and indigenous leaderships are replaced with puppets and how youth are being 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 his view that narrative should be truthful, and it should reflect reality and it must not be biased because if it’s biased, it is pre-organized especially when it is part of a coordinated campaign.
“History testifies that Western media works on a communication model of creating false narrative building based on syndicated, coordinated, deliberated moves to attack certain developing countries“
In one of his speeches at 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 those countries such as Azerbaijan who 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 appearing, particularly from academia-cum-practitioners, and they are raising alarms that Western media is losing its credibility because there are multipolar options of fact-checking available to the public now. They are advising Western media to review its role and let developing countries decide what is better for them instead of teaching them what to do and what not to do. They are of the view that Media should no more work as the second fiddle of Western powers.
History of Philosophy of Communication testifies that Western media sometimes works on a communication model of creating false narrative building based on syndicated, coordinated, deliberated moves to attack certain developing countries. To my understanding, people like President Ilham Aliyev are rare of the rare and exceptional who expose Western media by providing pieces of evidence, examples, and data.
I think President Ilham Aliyev keeps an eye on the subject of narrative building, and whenever he has a chance, he debunks duality in the Western sphere and double standards they do have against 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 Organization 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 that 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 organizations 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.
President Ilham Aliyev 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 any measure been taken 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 been again waged against his country.
“Look, now, as Azerbaijan grows stronger and fully mobilizes 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 Organization of Turkic States were full of logical citing of history and examples of how the Western world plays with the fates of developing countries and manipulates facts and figures, and Western media knows the art of making victims as 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 been raising this issue effectively, systematically with facts, figures and data, and he is holding international forums and discussions to voice 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 that is the prime target of those who wish to inject chaos, create fault-lines among social groups, pitch the nations against each other and discredit those who wish peace and harmony among nations.
We must remember that 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.”
