Victims of March 31 Genocide has been commemorated at UNEC
Event dedicated to March 31- the Day of Azerbaijanis’ Massacre has been held at Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC) on March 31.
A minute’s silence in tribute to the victims of genocide has been paid before the event.
UNEC Rector, Professor Adalat Muradov said the March 31 genocide is one of the most serious manifestations of massacre policy carried out against our people from time to time. Our people have gained the ability to create an objective picture of the past history of our people after gaining independence. The events was politically assessed by the Decree “About the Azerbaijanis’ Genocide” by the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev on March 26 1998 and for the first time the fact of people’s exposure to genocide by Armenians have been formally declared: “We should form a strong memory in young people and must be example to them in relation to the enemy”. Rector noted Azerbaijani people; especially young people should not forget the bloody history and have to grow up in fighting spirit against those who committed atrocities.
The employee of the National Academy of Sciences Dr. of History, Professor Solmaz Rustamova- Tohidi has spoken about the troubles brought by Armenians against our people in her presentation made on “1918 Genocide of Azerbaijanis: the essence, scope and results”. Having a glance to the history of the massacre, the Professor said that more than 12 thousand people, unarmed Turkish- Muslim population were murdered within a week. On the same days, Shamakhi city and its surrounding provinces had burned. On March 31 only in Shamakhi 18-20 thousand people were killed by Armenia armed forces, in general the death toll during the event was 50 thousand people. S.Tohidi has announced the essence of the commission of the purposeful policy of mass slaughter and deliberate removal of Azerbaijanis from their native lands of the Muslim population, in particular Azerbaijanis by the Armenian organizations acted under the banner of the various political and nationalist parties. She has especially stressed the manes of Fatali Khan Khoyski, Mammad Hasan Hajinski, Khalil bey Khasmammadov and others who had special contribution in making these events of March 31 eternal on the documents and delivering them up-to-date.
The event was followed by a discussion and exchange of views.
At the end of the meeting a video devoted to March 31 Genocide by UNEC’s foreign students has been demonstrated. Overseas students enumerated the facts of genocide and condemned atrocities committed by Armenians in the video.