Tweet
RELIGIOUS LEADER OF AZERBAIJAN STANDS READY FOR DIALOGUE WITH CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS
Trend
July 2 2009
Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan, Astana, July 2 / Trend News, K.Konirova / Religious leader
of Muslims of the Caucasus declared his readiness to dialogue with
the Catholicos of all Armenians.
"As a chairman of the Advisory Council of the Muslim Leaders of
the CIS states, I have sent the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin
II an invitation to an international conference on inter-religious
dialogue and cooperation. And whether he will come or not will depend
on his decision. In my turn, I am always ready for dialogue," Head
of Caucasian Muslims Department Allahshukur Pashazadeh said Trend
News in Astana on July 2.
International conference on inter-religious dialogue and cooperation
will be held in Baku on April 25-27, 2010.
The invitees will only include the clergy, and the number of invited
people is wide, said Pashazade. "We intend to invite even the Pope,"
he said.
Talking about the attempts of the religious forces of Armenia to
use the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a ground for religious wars,
Pashazadeh said that the problem was particularly acute in the
beginning of the conflict. "We call those killed at that time as
martyrs. And what we saw then caused only resentment. The bodies of
dead Muslims were carved with crosses - the Christian symbol. At that
time, the conflict had become the confrontation of two religions. At
that time, the Patriarch of Moscow Alexy helped me that the conflict
had not turned into a conflict on religious grounds," said Pashazadeh.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia,
France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Religious leaders have always acted and will act for the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan, but we support a peaceful solution to
the conflict, said Pashazadeh. "Then we made a proposal to free
hostages and prisoners of war. And we were able to release several
people. Therefore, I would like to note that the meetings of
religious leaders gave good results, and we would like to continue
the cooperation," he said.
According to him, today the religious leaders are ready to help the
politicians to resolve conflicts, but not through force, but through
negotiation and peace.
Trend
July 2 2009
Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan, Astana, July 2 / Trend News, K.Konirova / Religious leader
of Muslims of the Caucasus declared his readiness to dialogue with
the Catholicos of all Armenians.
"As a chairman of the Advisory Council of the Muslim Leaders of
the CIS states, I have sent the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin
II an invitation to an international conference on inter-religious
dialogue and cooperation. And whether he will come or not will depend
on his decision. In my turn, I am always ready for dialogue," Head
of Caucasian Muslims Department Allahshukur Pashazadeh said Trend
News in Astana on July 2.
International conference on inter-religious dialogue and cooperation
will be held in Baku on April 25-27, 2010.
The invitees will only include the clergy, and the number of invited
people is wide, said Pashazade. "We intend to invite even the Pope,"
he said.
Talking about the attempts of the religious forces of Armenia to
use the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a ground for religious wars,
Pashazadeh said that the problem was particularly acute in the
beginning of the conflict. "We call those killed at that time as
martyrs. And what we saw then caused only resentment. The bodies of
dead Muslims were carved with crosses - the Christian symbol. At that
time, the conflict had become the confrontation of two religions. At
that time, the Patriarch of Moscow Alexy helped me that the conflict
had not turned into a conflict on religious grounds," said Pashazadeh.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia,
France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Religious leaders have always acted and will act for the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan, but we support a peaceful solution to
the conflict, said Pashazadeh. "Then we made a proposal to free
hostages and prisoners of war. And we were able to release several
people. Therefore, I would like to note that the meetings of
religious leaders gave good results, and we would like to continue
the cooperation," he said.
According to him, today the religious leaders are ready to help the
politicians to resolve conflicts, but not through force, but through
negotiation and peace.