San Francisco hosts event dedicated to Azerbaijan’s multifaith harmony and tolerance

Baku, may 18, AZERTAC

An event dedicated to Azerbaijan’s traditions of multiculturalism and multi-faith harmony and tolerance has been held in at the renowned Commonwealth Club, San Francisco as part of the delegation of Azerbaijan’s faith and community leaders’ visit to California.

Jointly organized by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles and religious communities and committees in San Francisco, the event was attended by representatives of different ethnic and religious communities, faith leaders, journalists and others.

Addressing the event, head of the Azerbaijani delegation, Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Mubariz Gurbanli noted that the tolerance in Azerbaijan has very solid foundations, rich traditions and deep historical and cultural roots. He also mentioned that there has always been a strong relationship of mutual trust between ethnic and religious communities in the country. He also underlined that the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev elevated multifaith harmony and tolerance to the level of state policy in the country.

In his remarks, the Consul General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev hailed the importance of the event in showcasing Azerbaijan’s long-standing traditions of tolerance, inclusion and multiculturalism and the centuries-long peaceful co-existence of all peoples and religions. Aghayev also mentioned that at this Commonwealth Club in 1919 the U.S. President Woodrow Wilson delivered a speech during which he recalled his meeting with the delegation from the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (which was the world’s first majority-Muslim secular republic) at the Paris Peace Conference and outlined his positive impression of the Azerbaijani delegation and the values they represented.

Addressing the event, members of the Azerbaijani delegation Fuad Nurullayev, Milikh Yevdayev, Aleksandr Sharovskiy, Robert Mobili, and Elnur Afandiyev highlighted the ancient traditions of tolerance and multiculturalism in Azerbaijan noting that people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds have been living together in peace, brotherhood and mutual respect for many centuries in Azerbaijan and continue to do so today.

At the end of the panel discussions, members of the delegation responded to the questions from the audience.

The event also featured a photo exhibition reflecting the traditions of multiculturalism in Azerbaijan.