President Ilham Aliyev has ensured the preservation and development of national and moral values over the past 15 years
Baku, October 13, AZERTAC
“President Ilham Aliyev has ensured the preservation and development of national and moral values, freedom of religion, confessional and ethnic diversity, and the traditions of multiculturalism and tolerance over the past 15 years,” the Azerbaijani President’s Assistant for Public and Political Affairs, department head, professor Ali Hasanov says in his article on the results of President Ilham Aliyev`s 15 years in power.
The article says that more than 220 mosques, churches, and synagogues have been built or reconstructed in Azerbaijan since 2003. “Bibiheybat mosque and sanctuary complex, which is of great religious, moral, historical and cultural significance, as well as Tazapir, Ajdarbey, Icherisheher Juma and Hazret Mohammad mosques were restored and renovated. The Shamakhi Juma Mosque and the religious and cultural monument "Imamzade" in Ganja were completely overhauled and the Heydar Mosque (2014), the largest mosque in the Caucasus, the Haji Javad Mosque (2018) and the Synagogue for Mountain Jews (2011) were built in Baku. At present 2,250 mosques, 14 churches and 7 synagogues function freely in Azerbaijan,” Ali Hasanov says.
The President’s assistant draws the readers’ attention to the fact that Baku International Multiculturalism Center was set up in 2014, and 2016 was declared the “Year of Multiculturalism” in Azerbaijan under the decrees of President Ilham Aliyev. “Azerbaijan has hosted numerous international events on intercivilizational dialogue, tolerance and humanitarian cooperation, and put forward a number of global initiatives. Ministers of culture of Islamic countries were also invited to the meeting of the ministers of culture of the Council of Europe member states in Baku in 2008. At the forum, the President of Azerbaijan put forward "Baku Process" initiative aimed at developing dialogue and cooperation among civilizations, peoples and cultures. The following years saw the implementation of numerous international events and projects in this format,” the Presidential assistant adds.
