Azernews.Az

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montgomery County in the US State of Maryland has declared March Azerbaijani Heritage Month.

In a statement announcing the initiative, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett noted that Azerbaijan was the first independent Muslim country in the East and the first Muslim country to grant the vote to women.

It describes Azerbaijan as a strategic US ally and a cradle of culture in the Caucasus and home to such cultural greats as poet Khurshud Banu Natavan and composer Uzeyir Hajibayli, who created the first-ever opera in the Islamic world.

The statement says further that the traditions of Azerbaijani music are spiritually close to those of American jazz, and there have always been exchanges in this field between the two countries’ musicians.

Leggett admits that due to a long distance separating the U.S. and Azerbaijan and complex historical conditions, many Americans have not yet been able to familiarize themselves with Azerbaijan. However, Azerbaijani Americans have made a great contribution to the US civil society. The examples of this contribution are scientist Lotfi Zadeh, who created the theory of fuzzy logic, cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich, who left behind an abundant heritage, and others.

Leggett said considering that the Novruz holiday is celebrated in Azerbaijan in March, he scheduled the celebrations of Azerbaijani heritage for this month, calling upon the county’s residents to applaud the contribution made to the U.S. by the country’s Azerbaijani community.

Leggett is to attend an event to mark the declaration in the county town, Rockville.

The initiative to declare March 2011 as Azerbaijani Heritage Month was proposed by the Karabakh Foundation.

According to the foundation, the event will be marked with festivities.

Montgomery County, just north of Washington D.C., is one of the wealthiest counties in the U.S.

The foundation also plans to organize on March 24 and 28 concerts featuring Azerbaijani music and culture at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington. Also, Azerbaijan Radio Hour, aired on the U.S.-based New World Radio, will feature programs in March on the history of the Novruz holiday, its traditions and significance for Azerbaijani culture.