Aliyev calls for Islamic unity
President Ilham Aliyev called for unity among
Islamic nations at a one-of-a-kind international cultural event
held in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, last week.
"We are striving for the closeness of the Islamic world and Islamic solidarity. There is a great need for that," Aliyev said at a ceremony opening the Year of Culture at the Heydar Aliyev Palace, dedicated to declaring the city as the center of Islamic culture in 2009.
The president emphasized that Muslim countries should pursue closer political, economic and cultural cooperation and expand their trade relations.
"Islamic unity on the political level is pivotal as well. This unity should be strengthened at the United Nations and other international organizations," he said.
Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has always made an effort to bolster the unity of Islamic nations, and spoke of functions held in Baku with the participation of various countries and friendly relations maintained with these countries.
The policy of the Azerbaijani government hinges on building a contemporary and secular state on the basis of a solid historical heritage, the president said.
"Azerbaijan is a country linking the Islamic and European cultures. We approach all religions and creeds with tolerance, and all religious communities are freely operating in the country. At the same time, the Azerbaijani people are proud to be Muslim, as Islam is a religion personifying the best of all values. As a member of the Islamic world, we have to focus on conveying the purity and peace-loving of our religion to the world."
Further, President Aliyev said Armenia`s occupation of a part of Azerbaijan`s territory has inflicted tremendous damage to the country`s historical heritage.
"We are unable to fully protect our historical heritage due to Armenian occupation. Armenia has destroyed all historical monuments, museums and mosques in the territories it occupies. We want the world community to be aware of this barbarism."
Atta al-Mannan Bakheet, Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), threw his weight behind Baku.
"As the Islamic world, we stand by Azerbaijan on the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh problem," he said, stressing the importance of restoring Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity as soon as possible.
Armenia has been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijan`s territory since the early 1990s. Years of peace talks have brought few results. A huge number of historical monuments and sites have been destroyed by Armenia in past years.
Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director-General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), said in his remarks that Baku was considered an important and historic city for the Islamic civilization and culture.
"I believe that from now on, Baku will play an important role in inter-civilization dialog. This means that this city converges the past with present-day and the present-day with tomorrow. As ISESCO and OIC, we are honored to call Baku the capital of Islamic nations," Altwaijri said.
The ISESCO director-general also presented the emblem of the "cultural capital" to President Aliyev at the event.
Baku was declared "The capital of Islamic Culture-2009 according to a decision passed at the fifth Islamic conference held in Tripoli, Libya November 21-23, 2007.
"We are striving for the closeness of the Islamic world and Islamic solidarity. There is a great need for that," Aliyev said at a ceremony opening the Year of Culture at the Heydar Aliyev Palace, dedicated to declaring the city as the center of Islamic culture in 2009.
The president emphasized that Muslim countries should pursue closer political, economic and cultural cooperation and expand their trade relations.
"Islamic unity on the political level is pivotal as well. This unity should be strengthened at the United Nations and other international organizations," he said.
Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has always made an effort to bolster the unity of Islamic nations, and spoke of functions held in Baku with the participation of various countries and friendly relations maintained with these countries.
The policy of the Azerbaijani government hinges on building a contemporary and secular state on the basis of a solid historical heritage, the president said.
"Azerbaijan is a country linking the Islamic and European cultures. We approach all religions and creeds with tolerance, and all religious communities are freely operating in the country. At the same time, the Azerbaijani people are proud to be Muslim, as Islam is a religion personifying the best of all values. As a member of the Islamic world, we have to focus on conveying the purity and peace-loving of our religion to the world."
Further, President Aliyev said Armenia`s occupation of a part of Azerbaijan`s territory has inflicted tremendous damage to the country`s historical heritage.
"We are unable to fully protect our historical heritage due to Armenian occupation. Armenia has destroyed all historical monuments, museums and mosques in the territories it occupies. We want the world community to be aware of this barbarism."
Atta al-Mannan Bakheet, Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), threw his weight behind Baku.
"As the Islamic world, we stand by Azerbaijan on the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh problem," he said, stressing the importance of restoring Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity as soon as possible.
Armenia has been occupying over 20% of Azerbaijan`s territory since the early 1990s. Years of peace talks have brought few results. A huge number of historical monuments and sites have been destroyed by Armenia in past years.
Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director-General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), said in his remarks that Baku was considered an important and historic city for the Islamic civilization and culture.
"I believe that from now on, Baku will play an important role in inter-civilization dialog. This means that this city converges the past with present-day and the present-day with tomorrow. As ISESCO and OIC, we are honored to call Baku the capital of Islamic nations," Altwaijri said.
The ISESCO director-general also presented the emblem of the "cultural capital" to President Aliyev at the event.
Baku was declared "The capital of Islamic Culture-2009 according to a decision passed at the fifth Islamic conference held in Tripoli, Libya November 21-23, 2007.
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