ADA university associate professor: Colonialism stole many nations' ability to dream

Colonialism has deprived many nations of the opportunity to even dream, Associate Professor of ADA University Murat Ozkaleli said in Baku at the international scientific conference "Imperial Structure: Ideologies and Realities of Colonialism."

Report quotes him as saying colonialism is not only a historical phenomenon, but also an ongoing reality, manifested in more subtle and symbolic forms.

"The reality is that colonialism still haunts us. But its danger lies not only in the material, but in the symbolic dimension. The colonizers even shaped views - they decided who people should be and how they should dream," he noted.

Ozkaleli emphasized that colonial policy took away from many nations not only the right to self-determination, but also the ability to dream, including in their native language.

"Sometimes I ask my students: what language do you dream in? Perhaps this is the language your ancestors speak to you in. Let us dream in our native languages ​​- whoever we are," he added.