President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received participants of the Baku conference “Muslims of the CIS for peace and sustainable development”
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said:
- I know that you have participated in the conference here. Thank you for your participation. It was a very important and relevant topic, and your participation has certainly made this conference particularly relevant. The fact that this took place in Baku under the guidance of our esteemed Sheikh and your support are an indication of our relationship, brotherhood, mutual support and common goals. We all want to have peace in the world, in our region, in the Caucasus. We don’t want wars and suffering. And I want to say again that the theme has been selected very accurately: "Muslims for peace". We all want peace. We all aspire to that. Of course, I am pleased that you subsequently made pilgrimage to the holy places. And now you are in Baku again. I think that we will still see each other often. Of course, communication, meetings, participation in international events and consolidation of efforts – all this is very positive. I welcome this.
Thank you for your active participation in all the activities that we are conducting here and in other places. This is already an established format of cooperation based on our common roots, history and common goals. Once again, welcome!
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The chairman of the Clerical Board of the Caucasus Muslims, Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, said:
- Dear Mr. President.
As Sheikh ul-Islam of the Caucasus, I would like to express my gratitude to you. The fact that you are receiving us today shows your attitude towards religion and spirituality.
May Allah rest the soul of Heydar Aliyev. The course he has laid down is continuing today. Azerbaijan is developing.
One of his first steps after Heydar Aliyev was elected as President was to visit the Tazapir mosque on the birthday of the Prophet. So this road passing through the sanctuary continues today.
The work you have carried out for Azerbaijan is obvious today. You are restoring mosques and churches in Azerbaijan and beyond. This is particularly emphasized by the religious leaders visiting Baku. Azerbaijan is developing rapidly both in material and spiritual terms. We are proud of our President and of our Azerbaijan.
The fact that this conference is being held in Baku and I have been elected as chairman of the Advisory Council of the CIS Muslims for a second five-year term are an indication of the high respect and esteem for you and for Azerbaijan. We, the leaders of different religions, want to use our experience in the name of peace and brotherhood. We have performed the Umrah. On the grave of the Prophet we all read a prayer for the repose of the soul of Heydar Aliyev and Mrs. Zarifa Aliyeva. I read the Koran.
I want to say that this conference could have been held elsewhere. But the fact that this event has been held in Baku, your message of greeting to our conference and greeting messages from other heads of state and religious leaders are evidence of the importance being attached to Azerbaijan and of respect for our country. This fact confirms the correctness of your policy. I express my gratitude to you on behalf of us all.
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The Mufti of the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic of the Russian Federation, the chairman of the Coordination Council of Muslims in the North Caucasus, Ismail Berdiyev, said that the memory of nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev was always revered with great respect. He said:
- We have come to Baku on the eve of the 90th birthday anniversary of your father, whom we all respected very much. Believe me, in the Soviet times we were proud that he was in the Politburo. While here we read the Koran and offered our prayers for the repose of the souls of your father and mother. God willing they will live in paradise. As for you, everything you do, you do for the sake of the people. You have the Iman in your heart. As the Sheikh said, your father visited the mosque at the very beginning, he started with that. We have seen the footage when he was performing the Hajj, and then together with you. All this suggests that you have the Iman in your heart, you have faith. Inshallah Allah will help you.
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President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the kind words. Recalling with satisfaction the visit to the Holy Mosques together with the great leader, the President noted that memories of that would remain in his heart forever.
Stressing the importance of permanent contacts and regular meetings of religious leaders, President Ilham Aliyev said:
- We are always together and in touch. I appreciate your role and, of course, the role of the Sheikh as a man who enjoys great respect in the Muslim world. Of course, my contacts with the leaders of your republics and their visits here, as well as your participation in the activities in Azerbaijan and other initiatives, are all evidence of our close relationships. So we seek to develop our cooperation in all areas – through our international activities involving Muslim countries, within the framework international relations and within the forums we are conducting here. And your forum is of paramount importance.
Speaking about the importance of tolerance, peaceful coexistence and the strengthening of mutual trust against the background of complex developments unfolding in the world, President Ilham Aliyev said:
- Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, there are disturbing processes ongoing in the world. There is an anti-Islamic propaganda and Islamophobia. No matter how hard we try, these terms are still used in the media. Terrorists are described as Islamists. A terrorist has no nationality or religion.
Indicating that continuous attention was being paid to the strengthening of national and spiritual values at state level and that important steps taken to restore and preserve religious and historical monuments in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan was also actively involved in the restoration and construction of temples of different religions outside the country, adding that this work would be continued in the future. Speaking about the restoration of the oldest mosques of Azerbaijan, the Juma Mosque in Shamakhi, the President said:
- This is a historic mosque. It is the oldest mosque in Azerbaijan which was built in 743. It was destroyed by earthquakes. Shamakhi was also damaged and the center shifted to Baku. Then, in the 20th century, it was subjected to Armenian vandalism. It was burned by the Armenians. This is all documented. 1918 is a tough year for our people. Thousands of Azerbaijanis in Baku, Shamakhi, Guba and other regions were killed then.
We are restoring all of our historical and religious sites. We cherish and protect them, and we will work together for the good of our peoples.
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The Mufti of the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, Sultan Mirzayev, noted the importance of the Baku conference. He described as a significant event the fact that it brings together representatives of the CIS and other countries for the first time. The Mufti of Chechnya said that Baku had become the venue for important international events and expressed his confidence that the conference would also produce effective results. Then he talked about the influence the spiritual formation of young people has on the overall development of society. Sultan Mirzayev underlined the exceptional merits of nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev in the development of Azerbaijan. Noting that this policy was being successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev, he said:
- When Heydar Aliyev came to power, it was a very difficult time in Azerbaijan. People rallied around him, he put Azerbaijan back on its feet and showed you the way. Thank you for going down this road, developing, protecting and enriching everything.
Speaking about the stability established in Chechnya, Sultan Mirzayev said:
- Today there are peace and stability in Chechnya. This plays a very important role in the North Caucasus. And all the muftis of the North Caucasus region will confirm this.
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President Ilham Aliyev: I often say this. Underpinning our society is the moral and ethical principle. If we lose it, there will be no society. Then we will lose the foundation. We have preserved the religion, the language, the literature and the arts. In the years of independence we have strengthened these positions. And young people should be brought up in the national spirit. Young people should be educated.
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The Mufti of Ukraine, Tamim Ahmed, speaking about the contribution of Azerbaijan’s concern about tolerance, faith and spiritual values to the overall development of society, said:
- I want to say that Ukraine is home to the people of all nationalities of the CIS at least. So when there is peace and calm in all the countries, we have peace and calm too. Ukraine is an important strategic location for the CIS countries. And we are working to unite the Muslims who have different customs, traditions and culture.
Tamim Ahmed expressed his appreciation for Azerbaijan’s support in the construction of the first mosque in Kiev.
The Mufti of Ukraine presented President Ilham Aliyev with a gift.
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The Mufti of Serbia, Muhammad Yusifpahic, said he felt a sense of satisfaction from peace and tranquility in Azerbaijan. Noting that he was informed about the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he said:
- Azerbaijan has been subjected to an injustice. In addition to Nagorno-Karabakh, 20 per cent of the country is under occupation.
Mohammad Yusifpahic said President Ilham Aliyev was pursuing a wise policy to resolve the conflict. The Serbian Mufti thanked the President of Azerbaijan for his help in the restoration of a Belgrade mosque, one of the oldest historical monuments of the country, and for the renovation of the Orthodox Church.
He also talked about the importance of the conference being held in Baku.
The Mufti of Serbia presented President Ilham Aliyev with a gift.
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The next speaker, the President of the World Islamic Mission and authorized representative of the Clerical Office of the Caucasus Muslims in Moscow, Shafig Pshikhachev, said:
- Mr. President, thanks to your kind treatment we are gathered in Baku, this time in this format, to conduct the conference "CIS Muslims for peace and stability". We value the fact that your father laid down these good relations. We prayed in holy places. We prayed for your parents, for Heydar Aliyev, who has given so much to his people and shown the path of development to your country. This is the second conference of the CIS Muslims, of our Advisory Board. The first conference was held in Moscow in 2009. Now we are gathered in Baku. This place, this blessed city was not chosen as the venue of this conference by chance. I join my colleagues and brothers in saying that, indeed, Baku today is becoming a center of Islamic civilization. This is your good will, it is your awareness. Thank you very much. And we pray to the Almighty Allah to help you and give you success.
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President Ilham Aliyev wished members of the Advisory Board every success in expanding the cooperation within the framework of this structure in the future.
