Baku, August 26, AZERTAC

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has congratulated Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade on his 70th birthday and the 40th anniversary of his activities as Sheikhulislam.

“You have always displayed high patriotism and the position of a true citizen both as a religious leader and public figure during the fateful events for our nation. You have provided effective services in communicating the truth about Azerbaijan to the world community, in particular our fair position on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” the head of state said in his message.

“Throughout your life, you have worked hard to maintain high moral values and national solidarity in society and have been engaged in successful activities towards preserving the spiritual wealth of our people. You have initiated a number of firsts in your time as Sheikhulislam. In particular, you have organized the translation and publication of the Holy Quran, arranged for blood donation campaigns during the Ashura ceremonies and contributed to the revival of the tradition of unity prayer in our country. Your contributions to the emergence of exemplary relations between the state and religion in Azerbaijan are also undeniable.”

“Your efforts towards communicating the problems and concerns of Muslims not only in Azerbaijan but also of the entire Caucasus to the international community are also worthy of note. You have always followed the principles of Muslim solidarity in condemning the bloody events in the Muslim world, raising the issue of protecting the sacred sites and ancient historical monuments with international organizations and great superpowers, and striving to achieve peace and tranquility in the world.

As a person enjoying tremendous respect and authority among leaders of various confessions, you are represented in many international religious organizations and centers and are making a significant contribution to the deepening of the dialogue between cultures and civilizations,” President Ilham Aliyev added.