BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 19. The 7th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Muslim Religious Administrations of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) held in Baku is of significant importance in terms of protecting common values, promoting Turkic-Islamic cultural heritage, as well as combating radicalism and extremism, Azerbaijani MP Soltan Mammadov told Trend.
The “Baku Declaration” adopted during the meeting was also an important step toward further expanding future cooperation with both the Turkic world and Islamic countries.
The MP said that the international conference dedicated to prominent figure and thinker Seyid Yahya Bakuvi is of particular importance for further strengthening religious and cultural ties, studying common heritage and passing it on to future generations.
He noted that the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, the organization of various events as part of cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and ICESCO, as well as plans to host the OIC Summit in Baku next year demonstrate the continued nature of Azerbaijan’s contribution to strengthening Islamic solidarity.
The MP pointed out that Armenia’s 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani territories was not limited to territorial occupation, as serious damage was also inflicted during this period on the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage, including mosques and other religious monuments.
President Ilham Aliyev noted in his speech that 65 mosques were completely destroyed by Armenians during the occupation, emphasizing that this was an insult directed not only against the Azerbaijani people but against the Islamic world as a whole.
Mammadov noted that large-scale reconstruction and restoration work carried out in the liberated territories is bringing life back to these lands. In line with the policy set by the head of state, the liberated territories are rapidly being rebuilt, while their historical appearance and former pace of life are being restored.
“The fact that the Aghdam Juma Mosque was among the first religious monuments to receive attention as part of the restoration and reconstruction efforts is also of particular importance. The restoration and reopening of 12 mosques destroyed as a result of the occupation is an indication of the importance our state attaches to preserving our religious heritage. These initiatives are also important in terms of passing our historical and cultural heritage on to future generations,” he said.
