August 28, 2014

“Mehriban Aliyeva – Personification of Good and Hope”

Interfax Information Agency published an article entitled “Mehriban Aliyeva – Personification of Good and Hope” by Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Anar Alakbarov.

Giving a special name to a child when it is born into this world has become a tradition in the Orient. And people hope that this will have an influence on or predetermine the whole destiny of the child. Although I do not know how this tradition has proved itself in real life, just acquaintance with Mehriban Aliyeva made me believe in the essence of this tradition. This article is devoted to a person, an unusual personality, who went down in the history not only as a committed and model leader, but also an elegant and kind woman personifying a real Eastern woman, as a sign of my respect and esteem.

Seemingly there is nothing easier than openly describe your opinion about the person whose multilateral and tireless activity is covered by mass media not only in the country, but also far beyond its boundaries. Innumerable articles have been devoted to her activity and achievements. All are trying to understand how Mehriban Aliyeva managed to win the hearts of millions of people regardless of their age, nationality and belief. The answer is, of course, simple. She is respected and loved for her humanistic attitude to all who surround her, for her care and support to people that need her, for her ability to empathize and be at their side when needed. Notions such as kindness, mercy and compassion are for Mehriban khanum, indeed, key features, and they form an integral part of her life philosophy.

 

To write about Mehriban Aliyeva and, moreover, to express your opinion about her is quite a serious and responsible task. It is not, at all, about the shortage of words to describe her righteous and kind acts, but about being afraid of missing any delicate detail and that zest due to which a reader would receive a chance to form his own idea of her. Nevertheless, as a person whose professional activity has been for many years inseparably linked with the name of Mehriban Aliyeva, I decided to share my impressions of her attitude to work and people around her.

 

She is the president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, deputy of the Milli Majlis, goodwill ambassador of UNESCO, first woman-goodwill ambassador of ISESCO, and the president of the Gymnastics Federation of Azerbaijan. She is a keeper of a home, a caring daughter, a wife, a mother and a grandmother. In her life, Mehriban Aliyeva  has made progress in many things – to bring up children and, being a reliable support to her husband, to become an integral part of the country’s public life, supporting those who need her.

 

Each of us understands that, being in a role of a first lady, Mehriban Aliyeva could have paid close attention to only one sphere or, as first ladies of other countries, take an observant position. But this does not accord with her principles. 

 

With full share of responsibility, I can say that not a single sphere remained without attention. Directions of the projects being implemented under her leadership cover education, healthcare, culture, social sphere, environment etc. All her activities, having been positively appreciated by citizens, have indeed become a part of the contemporary Azerbaijan’s history. Moreover, the status of a first lady increases her social responsibility further and, as she admitted in one of her interviews, it commits her to using all available resources aimed at increasing efficiency of the humanitarian programmes for the sake of people.

 

Multilateral activity of Mehriban khanum aimed at safeguarding her people’s interests creates a clear idea of the role of an Azerbaijani woman in the public life.  Having become a symbol personifying qualities such as humanism and care, she has been a model of beauty, good and mercy. Today, an Azerbaijani woman is, by-right, pride of Mehriban Aliyeva, her authority, and follows her example. She has become a model for harmonic, committed and strong women who can fulfil themselves in all spheres predetermined by the nature, the society and their own spiritual inquiries. Moreover, in Mehriban khanum’s person, they see not only a leader and public figure, but also a reliable support, an immediate relative, who is ready to reach out a helping hand to all who are in need.

 

Mehriban Aliyeva very much loves her family and highly respects family traditions. She thinks that if there is mutual relations, support and respect, the rest will take care of itself. Today, the union of Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban khanum serves as a model for many. Thanks to their example, national family traditions are revitalized, mutual understanding advances, attitude to children and children’s to their parents change.

 

Impeccable, from a protocol standpoint, behaviour, silent look and soft intonation – all these serve to attract less attention to herself. Honestly, not always is this possible. Perfect appearance and style of a first lady have long ago become a subject of imitation. Mehriban Aliyeva is a very interesting person with rich spiritual and intellectual potential. She is a skilled pragmatist with enviable ability to reach a positive outcome in all her undertakings. She is indeed a person with inexhaustible energy. I would say it was her belief, optimism, positive energy that  inspires each employee of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to more confidence in successful outcome of the realized projects. This is a person, who, due to delicacy of attitude and unique wisdom, can find a way out of every situation, putting aside doubts and pessimism.  

 

For the years I’ve worked beside her, I realized two simple verities. The first is that in Mehriban Aliyeva’s activity everything has its own time, and hasting  may damage the outcome of one or another project; the second is that her careful attitude and accurate analysis of seemingly inessential at first glance details, of which essence is perceived after the implementation of the project. Therefore, achievements of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation are not only the result of   zealous activities of the solid team, but also efforts of a demanding and committed leader,  who  thoroughly examines all details, takes part in preparation and implementation of events, being in close contact with each member of the team.

 

People love and believe in her, as due to Mehriban Aliyeva,  traditions of charity and sponsorship have been revitalized in the social life of the society. Mehriban Aliyeva has cultivated in people such feelings and capacities as trying to do good, compassion, tending to reach out a helping hand to those who are in need. She has destroyed the deep-rooted idea in the public’s conscience that all social issues should be resolved exclusively by the state, and she made sure that all strata of the society try to participate in their solution. Taking, thereby, care of  the  contemporary Azerbaijani society, Mehriban Aliyeva supported the President of Azerbaijan in his work on taking care of the country’s future, having become an innovator in the sphere of securing employment and involving the talented youth in essential projects. After the First Lady united around her young employees, state companies, having adapted to contemporary requirements, started to take on a job not only people with “service record”, which had been traditional, but also representatives of a younger population.

 

About the profound spiritual world of Mehriban Aliyeva, which strikes with its beauty and generosity, can talk not only those who are closely acquainted with her, but also those who happened to  exchange a word with her. From an outsider's viewpoint, one can not help being  charmed by that endless joy she bestows upon people by her attention. Sometimes it seems that by only a single glance, full of warmth and care, Mehriban khanum comforts, calms and bestows upon a hope.

 

By a separate chapter has been written into the history of a contemporary Azerbaijan her love for children deprived of parental care. Mehriban Aliyeva very responsively reacts to every problem associated with children. She does everything possible for rescuing of children suffering from one or another ailment, and makes every effort in order for children to live healthy and surrounded by relatives. Today, children deprived of parental care and those being brought up in children’s homes are surrounded by care and attention, and a family environment has been created for them in a true sense of word.

 

Her kindness, responsiveness, compassion and love for children have been taken over by her daughters Leyla and Arzu. It was her frequent visits to children’s homes and boarding schools that have laid the foundation of a new tradition – today, representatives of the public, various state structures and international organizations pay visits to children’s institutions on a permanent basis.

 

I remember the delight and admiration, at the same time,  amazement in the eyes of teachers of the home for mentally and physically handicapped children when Mehriban khanum hugged and took in arms children suffering from an ailment with motherly love while visiting the institution in 2004. Such an attitude of her had first caused confusion even for the employees of the security service, who did not know how to act, whether or not to let children come up to the First Lady of Azerbaijan. The videos in which she hugs children had first caused astonishment. And today, it is a norm and we have totally different picture. Following Mehriban khanum’s example, we see children, regardless of their health condition, as members of the society enjoying full rights.

 

Informing the world society of the historical realities of Azerbaijan, including true essence of the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Daghlyg Garabagh conflict, as well as the Khojaly genocide, which is one of the most tragic events of the 20^th century, the facts of vandalism on the occupied territories is one of the fundamental tasks that Mehriban Aliyeva clearly set for the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

 

Holding of days of culture of Azerbaijan in various countries of the world, events associated with the 20^th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s independence, as well as on the occasion of building diplomatic ties with foreign countries, opening of an Azerbaijani Culture Centre in Paris following her initiative, organization of a series of events in the headquarters of the European Parliament and UNESCO, in the headquarter of UN in Geneva, all these pursue one single object – to strengthen the country’s position and improving its image on the international arena.

 

One of the tasks set by Mehriban Aliyeva is restoration of historical and cultural monuments belonging to the mankind. Today, the whole world accepts with gratitude the information that Azerbaijan, being subjected to aggression by Armenia and facing facts of vandalism on its territory, has been taking active part in restoration of cultural monuments in Versailles’ Palace’s park, the Islamic Section in Louvre, the Berlin Castle, the Philosophers Hall in the Capitol museums of Rome etc.  

 

With particular sensitivity she reacts also to issues associated with protection of the environment, in particular, cutting down greenery. Following her instructions, employees of the Foundation have repeatedly visited the sites with cutting down trees, promptly preventing cutting down of rare tree species. For each resident of Baku it is a call for protection of the environment. It was Mehriban Aliyeva’s initiative to plant millions of trees throughout the country. This act is continued by Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action) Leyla Aliyeva, who has been paying special attention to environmental security and the youth’s awareness of protecting the environment.

 

Introducing Azerbaijan to the world as it is – as a secular, multinational and multiconfessional state, where historically true friendship and cooperation dominated between different peoples and religions based on mutual respect and trust, where high traditions of tolerance were formed – is one of the priority issues in the activity of the country’s First Lady. Within the framework of the project being implemented at her initiative – “Azerbaijan - Address of Tolerance” – restoration works were carried out in various religious sites, from sanctuaries Pir Hassan,  the Blessed Virgin  Church and Virgin Mary Church in Baku, Juma Mosque in Shamakhy, Her Excellency Zeynab Mosque in Ganja to restoration of churches in various regions of France, stained-glass windows in Strasbourg Cathedral of the 14^th century, as well as a monument to Prince Vladimir in Astrakhan. And restoration of holy Roman catacombs at Mehriban Aliyeva’s initiative is recognized by the international society as contribution of the Islamic world to preservation of holy monuments of the Christianity.

 

I have repeatedly witnessed how her knowledge of history and culture of foreign countries struck guides of world museums. For example, during her last visit to the State of Vatican, Mehriban khanum talked with restorers of catacombs during two hours inquiring about every detail of the works carried out by them, surprising  people around her, including accompanying her officials.

 

Mehriban Aliyeva’s distinguished taste may be felt also in the changing view of the city of Baku. Thanks to her instructions, Eastern and Western style architecture are blending, keeping, at the same time, the historic view of the forever young capital.

 

Numerous essential projects have been implemented under her leadership. She has contributed to preserving and introducing to the world national and cultural treasures and provides support to the talented youth – sportsmen, artists and musicians. She has returned health and hope to thousands of people. All these are carried out with a single object – to serve for the sake of the people and the Homeland. Her activity inspires people to do good, and serves to  asserting in the society everlasting values such as mercy and compassion.

 

In conclusion, I would like to note that Azerbaijan is the first country in the Orient to grant women a right to vote. And now, after almost a hundred years, the Land of Fire, in the person of our First Lady, introduces to the world a new image,  a role model. It is not to no purpose that there was repeatedly stated in the Western mass media that activation of the role and essence of the institute of a first lady, in particular in the former Soviet area, occurred mainly thanks to Mehriban Aliyeva.

 

Every citizen of Azerbaijan is pride of his/her First Lady – a woman who has become a symbol of the contemporary Azerbaijan, a person who has been the personification of good and hope.».

 

http://www.interfax.ru/world/393783