Making a keynote speech at the conference director of Human Rights Institute of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Ayten Mustafayeva said like all other human rights, freedom of religion can be restricted if it poses threat to the public safety and the interests of the state. She spoke about the religious sects and mentioned that hundreds of religious sects have been registered in Azerbaijan.
“Though there are peaceful, harmless sects among them, there are many sects that pose serious threat to the gene pool of the nation, national interests and security of our country. Some religious sects actively try to attract Azerbaijani citizens under the pretext of humanitarian aid to organization and individuals,” she said.
Elshad Isgandarov, Chairman of State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations spoke about the role of freedom of conscience. According to him, complex political cataclysms in the modern globalized world, ethnic and religious conflicts, aggressive separatism and religious extremism, terror threats are still serious obstacle for international peace and security.
Chairman of the Caucasian Muslim Board (CMB) Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh underlined that the state-religion relations in Azerbaijan were unbreakable and this unity had always served the strengthening of statehood, civil solidarity and achievements in socio-political life.
Archbishop of Baku and Azerbaijan Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church Alexander Ischein and Head of Azerbaijani Mountain Jews Community Milikh Yevdayev said that Azerbaijan was a tolerant country, where various confessions coexist peacefully and noted that equal conditions were created for all religions.
On the first day of the conference, the reports “Religious sects and security issues in Azerbaijan”, “Processes of political modernization and dynamics of religion-state relations” and etc. were made at plenary session.
The conference will be continued with plenary sessions on November 15.
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