OSCE and Azerbaijan organize international conference on strengthening religious tolerance

BAKU, 17 November 2014 – An international conference on strengthening religious tolerance, co-organized by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku, the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Caucasus Muslims Board and the National Commission of Azerbaijan for UNESCO, will take place in Baku on 17-18 November 2014. It will discuss Azerbaijan’s model of religious tolerance and existing challenges in the OSCE area and beyond. The two-day event, organized in the following day after the UN International Day of Tolerance (16 November), will bring together more than 100 participants from 11 countries.

Representatives of various government agencies, the Parliament of Azerbaijan (Milli Majlis), international organizations, religious communities and civil society organizations, as well as international experts and academics, will discuss the role of inter-religious dialogue in a democratic society and ways to prevent radicalization trends in a globalized world.

“We have a whole series of commitments within the OSCE regarding tolerance and non-discrimination, fighting anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, discrimination against Christians and other groups. The OSCE promotes the value of dialogue in building a democratic society. Our organization takes a firm stand against hate crimes and all kind of hate speech across the OSCE area,” said Ambassador Aleksis Şahtaxtinski, OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Baku.

As for Azerbaijan, many people would agree that its record in the area of religious tolerance is rather good: anti-Semitism, just to give you an example, has been virtually non-existent here over the last 2500 years. From an OSCE perspective, the most important thing is that this positive inheritance of religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence among religious communities is strengthened and preserved for future generations, as Azerbaijan’s most precious achievement,” Ambassador Şahtaxtinski concluded.

The Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board, Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade evaluated tolerance and multiculturalism as powerful factors that strengthen States, make people organized and ensure their integrity. “I can assure you that tolerance, multicultural environment and respect to religious and moral heritage are among the main factors that have stimulated progress and development in every spectrum of life in Azerbaijan,” he said.

Sheikh Allahshukur Pashazade also added that today’s joint event with the OSCE demonstrated Azerbaijan’s willingness to co-operate with international organizations in the promotion of universal values and reflected Azerbaijan’s support for continued efforts in this field.    

The State Counsellor on Multiculturalism, Interethnic and Religious Affairs Kamal Abdullayev will deliver a message from Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev to participants of the conference. The Secretary General of the National Commission of Azerbaijan for UNESCO Gunay Afandiyeva will also deliver a message by the Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova. Congratulations by Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill and by the spiritual leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II will also be extended to participants of the conference during the opening session.

Diplomats, experts, religious figures and academics from Azerbaijan, Albania, France, Germany, Georgia, the Holy See, Poland, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, as well as the State of Israel will discuss current challenges to religious tolerance in the wider OSCE area and ways to address them.

Other speakers will include Bahar Muradova, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and Head of the Azerbaijani Delegation to the OSCE PA, Mubariz Gurbanly, Head of the State Committee on Work with Religious Organizations, Hijran Huseynova, Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women’s and Children’s Affairs, as well as Talip Küçükcan, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims.