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Samaj President: French colonization reflected in the cultural sphere as well

25 June 2025 13:47 (UTC +04:00)

“French culture, language, and history were imposed in the colonies as well,” said Elie Sylvie Shitalou-Sheikboudou, President of the Samaj organization, during the panel titled “Decolonizing Knowledge and Culture” at the conference “Towards the Decolonization of Guadeloupe: Challenges and Perspectives!” held in Baku, APA reports.

According to him, the French also attempted to remove the language factor from administrative institutions: “They tried to prevent the unity of our people. France sought to impose its values on us through education. Colonization of knowledge was implemented in a new way, and this was evident not only in education but also in culture. They banned the languages of the Tuvenon and other peoples. We used to collect rainwater, but they tried to deprive us of even that. They claimed rainwater was harmful, yet took no steps to solve the water crisis. The religion, language, and culture of African peoples were subjected to assimilation. In 2023, the Administrative Court formalized the bans imposed on us.”