Religion

Religion

Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Tashiri: â€œThe regional countries should contribute to solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflictâ€ - INTERVIEW

Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Tashiri: â€œThe regional countries should contribute to solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflictâ€ - <font color=red> INTERVIEW</font>

27 April 2010 12:14 (UTC +04:00)

- What are main targets of the World Religious Summit in Azerbaijan?

You know there is common issue between all divine religions, which causes inter-religions dialogue. Representatives of different religions come together and discuss secular and religious issues. The conferenceâ€™s agenda focuses on the issues of peace, welfare, the familyâ€™s role in the society, truth, justice and others. It is very valuable thing that the representatives of the different religions make joint decisions. I think the inter-religions dialogue should contribute to the development of cultures as well. It is in favor of mankind. Of course, there are some obstacles created sometimes by the participants of the inter-religions and inter-faiths dialogue. One side doesnâ€™t accept other officially or reject it as a divine religion and it complicates the decision-making process. The inter-religions dialogue held in the past 70 years were satisfactory, but it has not been fruitful yet. I am welcoming the World Religious Summit in Azerbaijan. The negotiations are very useful and I believe such conferences will give a result.

- A part of lands in the world populated by Muslims like Karabakh and Palestine are under the occupation â€¦

-Islam is against tyranny, occupation. So are the other religions. In general, all celestial religions cover struggle against tyranny, support for the poor. If there is unity as a result of the interreligious dialogue, all tyrannies will end in the world, there will be peace everywhere. Karabakh should be released from occupation peacefully, displaced persons should return to their native lands. Karabakh conflict should be solved through negotiations and the support of the regional states. All peace loving people of the world should help solve this problem. Palestinian lands, Iraq and Afghanistan should be freed from the occupation of the US and Zionism. Hundreds of people die every day. Children, the old were killed atrociously in Karabakh. It can not go on like this.

-How do you assess the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan?

-Iran and Azerbaijan have common history. Our cultural, religious, political, commercial and social relations have ancient history. We love Azerbaijan very much as a Muslim country. We have good relations with sheikh-ul-islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh. Thanks to the efforts of both presidents there is peace and friendship between our states. There is no discontent in the religious sphere between the two countries. Our relations have always been based on humane and moral values. I hope our relations will develop in all spheres and our people will cooperate in the atmosphere of peace and friendship.