Mammad Amin Rasulzade: The Trade in Haram Goods

Azeri (Mammad Amin Rasulzade), Odlu Yurd, April 1929, year 1, No. 2,

The international world petroleum rivalry has been enriched by a new event.

A contract concerning Azerbaijani petroleum has been concluded between the United (combined) British-American oil company and the Soviets. According to information that has reached the press, it is to buy 1,000,000 tons of oil a year. Taking into account the pre-war price of oil, as a result of this transaction the Soviets will earn (make money) of at least 30,000,000 rubles a year from England.

The British trust carrying out this transaction in agreement with the American "Standard Oil" (New Jersey) company includes the Anglo-Dutch oil company "Royal Dutch Shell", represented by the well-known Sir Henri Deterding who manages this business, as well as the "Anglo-Persian" and "Anglo-American" companies. Considering that the "Anglo-Persian" company is a semi-official government company, we must accept that the British government itself also takes part in this trade.

While engaged in a struggle with "Standard Oil", which competes with the "Royal Dutch" company in the Near East, including India and Egypt, and even in the British Isles themselves, especially thanks to the Azerbaijani oil it bought from the Soviets, Sir Deterding had attached the label of "haram" goods to Soviet oil; now, however, not merely the plain "Sir" but, by the reasoning above, the British government too has in a way taken part in this "haram" goods trade. Indeed, when the head of "R. Dutch" himself began to buy the "bloody" and "stolen" Bolshevik oil that he had once declared "haram", he stated openly that what made yesterday's "haram" into today's "halal" was the order of the British government.

Explanation: At first, Sir Henri Deterding, head of the British "Royal Dutch" company, was fighting his American rival, "Standard Oil". The American company was squeezing "Royal Dutch" in India, Egypt, the Near East and even in Britain itself by buying cheap oil from the Soviet Union (mainly from Baku). Sir Deterding, losing in the competition, had labeled Soviet oil "haram", "bloody" and "stolen (pilfered) Bolshevik goods" in order to denounce it (because when the Soviets came to power they had nationalized the oil fields of foreign companies, that is, taken them from their hands). Later, however, the situation changes. Now this same Sir Deterding and his British partners themselves begin to buy Soviet oil and make money from this trade. The author notes that if the semi-official companies of Britain also take part in this trade, then the British government is directly a partner in the process. Finally it is stressed that Sir Deterding himself did not hide this. He confessed openly (publicly) that what made the goods he called "haram and bloody" yesterday "halal" today, that is, what permitted buying them, was none other than the order of the British government (its political interests).

In this latest speech, Sir Deterding, to turn the "haram" into "halal", has discovered, besides the "government's order", the method of "becoming halal" with the former property owners. Five percent of the price of the oil bought will be deducted by the Bolsheviks, and with the money resulting from this the former owners of the oil will be satisfied! Although in their statements the Bolsheviks declare that they recognize no right whatsoever for the former owners, they cannot deny that they have made a 5 percent "commercial" discount. Deterding, for his part, confirms through official propaganda, on the basis of the word he gave earlier, that the property owners will be satisfied from this deduction. Considering that 75 percent of the former private oil production is in the hands of the "Royal Dutch" and "Standard" companies, the "sirs" would not suffer much loss from this "becoming halal". If there is any danger in this transaction, it is the possibility that, in trying to become halal with five percent, they may lose all the property rights, one hundred percent, over the former oil territory.

Explanation: To be able to buy at ease the Soviet oil he called "haram" (stolen) yesterday, Sir Deterding is not content with the "government's order" alone, and finds a new method: "becoming halal" with the old property owners. According to the plan, 5% will be deducted from the price of the oil bought from the Soviets, and with this saved money the former owners of the oil fields will be placated (compensation will be paid to them). In their official statements the Bolsheviks say that they recognize no claim of the old owners of the oil fields and do not accept any payment to them. But they cannot hide that when selling oil they make a 5% commercial discount (iskonto) in the price. Sir Deterding, for his part, officially confirms that the money of the property owners will be paid from this 5% discount. The author, Rasulzade, notes that 75% of the old private oil production in Baku was in any case in the hands of the "Royal Dutch" and "Standard" companies. That is, most of this 5% compensation money will circle around and return to the pockets of these oil giants (the "sirs") themselves. That is why they suffer no loss from this business. At the end of the article the author gives a very important warning: by accepting that 5% compensation, the old property owners and foreign companies indirectly recognize the authority of the Soviet government over the oil as lawful. That is, for the sake of "taking 5% money and becoming halal", they concede once and for all 100% of the ownership rights over the oil lands to the Bolsheviks.

The British companies have already, at this moment, taken the benefit of the concluded contract: As soon as the contract was concluded, the price was raised in England by 2.25 pence per "gallon", which is said to mean an increase of 5,625,000 British pounds on the total of annual oil sales.

It is seen that for the respectable sir, stooping to "haram" is not so worthless. This event has at the same time revealed the essence of Bolshevik demagoguery. Until now they had been proclaiming in their propaganda that they were bringing oil to England to supply cheap fuel to the British worker.

Explanation: As soon as the contract was concluded, the British companies raised the price of oil in England by 2.25 pence per "gallon" (a liquid measure of roughly 4.5 liters). Applied to total annual oil sales, this seemingly small increase suddenly brought the British companies an additional net profit of 5 million 625 thousand pounds sterling (British pounds). Here the author remarks ironically: "As is seen, for the respectable Sir Deterding, stooping today to the oil he called 'haram' yesterday has not been in vain at all; there is big money involved." This event also exposed how the Soviet government deceived its people and workers. Because until now the Bolsheviks had been saying in their propaganda: "We sell oil to England cheaply so that the poor British worker there can heat his home and his factory cheaply (obtain cheap fuel)." But the reality became clear: the 5% discount made by the Soviets did not go into the pocket of the poor British worker; as soon as the British companies bought the oil they raised the price and made millions at the expense of Soviet oil. It came to light that the Bolsheviks' declarations of "workers' brotherhood" were merely empty talk (demagoguery).

By exploiting the difficult situation of a few private property owners, and by obtaining their "consent" for a small sum, no one can turn the stolen property of the Azerbaijani people into a "halal" commodity. That property is haram, because the Bolshevik Russian government, which in fact possesses the Baku oil, mostly the product of government lands, is by right a usurper. The one subjected to usurpation always has the right to protest every transaction of the usurper.

Although today the Azerbaijani people, who struggle to regain their economic independence as well as their political independence and territory in full, are not in a position to make the London sirs, who do not shrink from buying haram goods from the hands of the Moscow usurpers, listen, they can appeal to the patriotism of the private property owners who are among their own compatriots.

Gentlemen, be careful! At this time when the days of the Bolshevik dictatorship are numbered, do not endanger both your own rights and the national economic interests for the sake of small profits. Do not give halal status to the trade in haram goods!

Explanation - Mammad Amin states resolutely that by giving a pittance (a small sum) to a few Azerbaijani property owners who are in a difficult situation, and by obtaining their consent by force or deception, no one can make the stolen property of the Azerbaijani people (Baku oil) lawful ("halal"). Baku oil in reality belongs to the Azerbaijani people and state. The Soviet-Russian government that currently holds this oil by force (possesses it in fact) is, legally speaking, a usurper (ghasib), that is, it has appropriated the property unlawfully. The Azerbaijani people, whose right is trampled, always have the right to protest against this lawlessness. The Azerbaijani people are struggling to regain not only political independence and territorial integrity but also their economic independence (the right to own their own underground wealth). Yes, perhaps today the Azerbaijani people do not have the strength to make themselves heard by the London "sirs" (the British companies) who buy oil from the hands of the Moscow usurpers, to raise their voice in the international arena (because the country is under occupation). But they can speak to the oil owners from their own nation. At the end the author appeals directly to Azerbaijani oil millionaires and property owners: the life of the Soviet regime (Bolshevik dictatorship) is short, its days are counted until it collapses soon. At this critical moment, do not endanger both your future rights and the economic interests of an entire nation for the sake of a few coppers of small personal profit, that is, the money of the 5% discount offered by those British! Withdraw from this robbery and haram trade and do not give it halal status!

Azeri, Odlu Yurd, April 1929, year 1, No. 2

Source. Works of Mammad Amin Rasulzade (emigration period), Nasiman Yaqublu, Qanun, 2021, pp. 559-560