Discrimination at Gardabani Culture House: There is not any club on Azerbaijani Culture - ANALYSIS

There is not any club or training course regarding Azerbaijani culture at the Culture House located in Gardabani region of Georgia, where Azerbaijanis live compactly, residents of the region told Georgian bureau of Report.

According to them, the House of Culture has societies on Georgian national dances and musical instruments. Local Azerbaijanis send their children to these clubs. Our compatriots do not object that their children learn Georgian culture, but, on the contrary, they think that it is necessary. In their view, Azerbaijani children should also learn Azerbaijani culture and should not estranged from their national and cultural roots.

According to the latest census in Georgia for 2014, Georgians make up 54.23% of the population of Gardabani, while Azerbaijanis 43.53%. According to unofficial data, currently more than 80% of district’s population is ethnic Azerbaijanis. Against this background, it does not seem logical that there were no clubs on Azerbaijani national culture at the Gardabani Culture House.

Gardabani Azerbaijanis consider that the lack of such clubs is related to the lack of staff. They believe that it is not possible to create any association on Azerbaijani culture at the Culture House, since there are not teachers in this field.

Commenting on the issue, Deputy Head of the Executive Power of Gardabani District, Dunyamali Hajiyev told local bureau of Report that the district leadership is ready to consider the proposal to establish any association on the Azerbaijani culture at the Culture House: If this issue is submitted to the district leadership, we can help to create such a club with great pleasure.”

Hajiyev stressed that young talented artist Rasim Hasanov created a painting club at the Gardabani Culture House: "It will be better if we have such personnel."

Rasim Hasanov confirmed local bureau of Report that he created a painting club at the Culture House.

According to him, the club, that opened with his friend has been operating for about three months. “Gardabani authorities did not provide any assistance in the establishment of the painting club. In connection with the opening of the association, we held talks with the management of the Culture House and received a positive response."

The artist noted that there is lack of teachers, who can work in any club on Azerbaijani culture, there are many many talented Azerbaijani youths in the district.