3 journal of azerbaijani studies in search of 'khazar

IN SEARCH OF "KHAZAR

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us that the number of requests to repeat the program is so high that the decision was made to repeat it at certain time an date. On that day we sat in front of our television sets but the program was not repeated. The journalist came to apologize and informed us that the videotape with our program had mysteriously disappeared. "I really can not understand what harm could the university bring to anyone..." - he sounded very embarrassed.

In a few days I was visited by a young acquaintance of mine who had a close relationship with the Minister of Education Feyzullayev. He took enormous pleasure in gossiping and carrying various rumors around. He came to see me with news:

- Feyzullayev ordered his employees "to keep away from Hamlet". It seems there are strong forces acting against you. It seems to me, the Minister has been given an ultimatum from the Baku State University and some other institutes. .They are demanding that you need to be taught a good lesson.

I took no notice of it. I did not see a great danger. I had doubts that there was any big and serious danger, and if there was a small danger there must be ways of defying it. The threat was so indefinite and uncertain that I did not want to analyze how I would be taught "a good lesson". As it is said in The Koran: (XVII, 36). "And pursue not that Of which thou hast No knowledge; for Surely the hearing The sight, the heart All of those shall be questioned of ³⁵ It would be fair to say that one of the weaknesses of my character is to be really uninterested in the face of unpleasant rumors, gossips and news, instead of trying to investigate them and establish their source and validity. I assume that I will be able to react when the danger is right beside me. When the danger is close the possibility of hitting the target is greater, but time is short and danger is much greater. In chess in similar situations the neutral move needs to be

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58 Hamlet ISAXANLI

ade on time. Of course it can lead to losing the tempo, but that was not the main reason behind my complacency. In order to investigate the danger I would have to go to meetings with various unpleasant people, and I think my subconscious was putting up a strong resistance to that.

One day Rahim muallim invited me to his office. He looked very thoughtful:

• 
  There was a call from the Ministry of Education, you have to be here today, they have set up a special commission to inspect your work.
  
• 
  What work? -1 said impatiently and let him know how irritated I was, but I also wanted to receive more information.
  
• 
  They are coming now, let us see what happens. No good will come of it.
  

Rahim muallim's reply did not sound very encouraging. I got an impression he did not know himself why this commission was coming.

The delegation of the Ministry of Education was headed by the first deputy Minister Fikrat Babayev. "How is business going?" - he asked me. I gave them some brief information on the current state of affairs and answered some of their insignificant questions. I could easily sense that my enthusiastic replies and the glorious state of affairs were not what they came to hear.

Fikrat muallim put two pages of paper with something printed on them onto the table and said without looking at me:

- It was decided at the ministry that you are not ready for student intake this year. Taking this into consideration we decided to stop your work,

A cold shiver passed through my entire body. I was furious:

- What do you mean we are not ready? Just a second ago I have answered all your questions and demonstrated our complete readiness. Who is that at the ministry that can see from such a distance whether we are ready or not?

The other member of the delegation Khankishiyev tried to calm

me:

_I

calm

- Hamlet muallim, the ministry has not come to this decision for no reason. Consultations were held and a resolution was prepared as a result, here it is. I think you have to get acquainted with this document first.

They began to read the statement and I felt myself to be a con­demned man listening to the unjust but final decision of the court.³⁶

When they finished reading the statement, at least two issues became very clear to me:

First, it was obvious, that this statement was full of contradictions and had been worked out hastily, it was not objective and was a formal administrative document. The second issue was more terrifying - a terrible ending was awaiting us. An order has been issued to kill a newborn baby in its cradle, and it was unavoidable. Later it was confirmed in conversations that under the premises of our unreadiness to conduct the entrance, exams they wanted to put an end to the entire venture.

The most ridiculous aspect of it all was my being one of the authors of this statement - my signature was demanded under this death sentence. The other noticeable point was the distortion of the date of the statement. The statement was backdated and the date indicated was before any of our advertisements about entrance exams. It had to be demonstrated that they had taken all necessary steps on time. Indeed, this murder was thoroughly planned.

The statement was presented to us already signed by three representatives of the ministry. Fikrat muallim tried to show us that it is all done and dusted:

- You know yourself, and God is a witness, these kind of matters are not solved on my or your level. We have signed it, you should also sign it, one copy is for us and you have to keep the second one.

Rahim muallim also signed the document. Then it was handed over to me. "Farewell, my dream university". I had already pulled myself together after the initial shock and my anxiety has disappeared. My head started operating again.

I took the document and stood thoughtfully with it in my hands. I

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