Azerbaijan is well positioned to be bridge between West and Muslim world, says Ismail Serageldin
By Trend
Azerbaijan is well positioned to be a bridge between the West and the Muslim world, said Ismail Serageldin, the Vice President of the World Bank 1992-2000, Founding Director of Library of Alexandria and Co-Chair Nizami Ganjavi International Center.
“Azerbaijan is increasingly playing the role of host to international events that bring the expertise of many countries and cultures to bear on the problems of today,” he told Trend.
Serageldin further emphasized that Azerbaijan is a unique country in the world of Muslim-majority countries.
"Azerbaijan was the first country to adopt a democratic constitution that gave the vote to women way back in 1918. Regretfully it was annexed by the Soviet Union back in 1920 so the short-lived experiment can only be admired as a historical fact. But after independence in 1991, it has become a prosperous country where women exercise their full rights in society," he explained.
Furthermore, according to Serageldin, the country is a stalwart fighter against any forms of extremist terrorism.
"Considering what has happened in some other Muslim-majority countries where radical Islamist currents were allowed to entrench themselves, the government of Azerbaijan has provided stability and prosperity," he said.
He further stressed that Azerbaijan is a Muslim-majority country, which is highly secular and where all citizens are legally treated the same whatever their religion or their gender.
"The Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC) also reminds every one of the highly tolerant values of the 12th century poet and philosopher, Nizami Ganjavi, who is one of Azerbaijan’s most eminent national hero, and in whose name many international gatherings for mutual understanding are being held," he added.
"The NGIC has earned its international place as the respected participant of the Baku Global Forum and other events elsewhere, where the key issues of our times are debated by eminent participants many of whom are former presidents of their countries. The topics of discussion include issues such as immigration, European integration, the changing world order, and many more," he said.
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