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Conference entitled â€œPreventing the ideology of extremism in the Caucasusâ€ takes place on occasion of 20th anniversary of Azerbaijanâ€™s independence - PHOTOSESSION

29 September 2011 09:31 (UTC +04:00)

APA reports that the conference is organized by the Caucasus Muslims Board and Moscow State Linguistic University. Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, chief of socio-political department of the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov, chairman of the State Committee for Religious Organizations Hidayat Orujov, department chief of Russian Orthodox Church Vsevolod Chaplin are attending the conference.

Allahshukur Pashazadeh said Azerbaijan and Russia has mutual relations in the sphere of religion.
â€œWe hold meetings with Russian religious figures and heads of confessions, have large-scale relations. Azerbaijan is a tolerant country. The foundation of this policy was laid by Heydar Aliyev. Now this policy is being continued by President Ilham Aliyev,â€ he said.

Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board said the conference is a new stage, a step forward in the religious cooperation in the Caucasus.
â€œPeace, welfare of the Caucasus is of great importance for all of us. Good attitude is important towards religious and sacred places both in Azerbaijan and North Caucasus. Sacred places are repaired and restored. New educational establishments are opened. I witnessed it in Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia,â€ he said.

Allahshukur Pashazadeh said 20 percent of Azerbaijanâ€™s territories had been occupied by Armenia, there were one million refugees and internally displaced persons, terrorist attacks were committed against the Azerbaijani people. Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board noted that Azerbaijan joined all international agreements against international separatism, terrorism. He expressed his confidence that peace will be restored in the Caucasus.
â€œWe will strengthen cooperation with other states and overcome religious extremism,â€ he said.

Department chief of the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov said Azerbaijan is a tolerant country, after coming to power in 1993 Heydar Aliyev first of all began to pursue the policy of tolerance.
â€œAzerbaijan is a multicultural and multi-religious republic,â€ he said.

Speaking about the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Ali Hasanov said by occupying Azerbaijani territories Armenians pursue the policy of ethnic separatism.
â€œAzerbaijan is one of the countries that underwent ethnic and religious separatism most,â€ he said.

Official of the Presidential Administration said any document that will be adopted in the conference will contribute to tolerance.

Vsevolod Chaplin said religion is a factor establishing contact with the society.
â€œReligion may be the factor uniting the society. Some people think that Caucasus is a war zone, place for political games. But Caucasus is a multinational, multi-religious place. In this regard Caucasus can serve as an example, so can Baku. Azerbaijan is also an example of the model of multinational, multi-religious relations. We should learn from Azerbaijanâ€™s experience of tolerance,â€ he said.

The event continues.