According to the Sedaye Sama News Agency, According to the Research Center for Minority Rights
Ismail Shaban said in an interview with OTV (Talish Free TV) that, because of the Talish people’s effective participation in Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, appreciation for the Talish is being expressed in various ways, and the honor I received for the Talish’s distinguished actions in that operation is in fact an honor given to the Talish nation and shows that a great state like Russia does not forget the Talish people.

Referring to the conflict, Ismail Shaban said that the war among nations is over a “traditional way of life” versus a “liberal way of life,” and that representatives of various peoples from around the world are present on both sides of this war. He said that just as on the Ukrainian side there are representatives of liberalisms from different countries who do not accept the framework of the family and traditional life, on the Russian side there are also representatives—even from the United States and France and other liberal countries—who say they want the world to be rid of liberalism and evil.

Ismail Shaban said: “In the war between these two worldviews, just as Western liberalism used Israel against Muslims and Arabs, Ukraine was used against Russia and the Slavic peoples, and Turkey was used against the Caucasus and Central Asia. Israel also uses Turkey as a gateway to act against the Islamic world, and for that reason a real confrontation between Turkey and Israel is inconceivable. At the Sharm El-Sheikh summit, Turkey and Qatar—both aligned with the West, the United States and NATO—were told that their forces are not needed in Gaza and that, instead, forces from the Republic of Azerbaijan and some other countries within the Western framework will be used.”

The president of the Talish Diaspora in Russia also welcomed the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying: “These two countries have similar cultures and most of their customs are the same. Their historical roots are one and their music was one. They lived within one state (Iran), which has now become the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia. They should live in peace. We Talish also wanted no blood to be shed. In the hearts of both sides there is a desire for peace. When we had meetings in Yerevan, we saw that everyone wanted peace and reconciliation, but some circles used the conflict for their own purposes.”

Regarding the claims made by Zionists that the Caucasus belongs to them, Ismail Shaban said: “The most important difference between the Zionists and other societies is their expansionism. Unfortunately, in the Republic of Azerbaijan conditions have been provided for the Zionists to such an extent that one might almost say Azerbaijan is a Jewish country. Now they also claim that this land is for them and historically belongs to them, and that the word ‘Khazar’ (a conquering Jewish people in the Caucasus) is related to them and not to you. Previously they infiltrated Ukraine in the same way and at that time the Ukrainian people did not take it seriously, but now they are paying the price.”

It is worth noting that more than five hundred thousand members of the Talish ethnic minority in the Republic of Azerbaijan have been forced to migrate to Russia because of violations of their cultural, linguistic, and religious rights. Out of Azerbaijan’s population of ten million, about two million are Talish.