Gunduz Ismayilov: Baku is global hub for interfaith dialogue

Baku is the first city that comes to mind when interfaith dialogue is discussed around the world, Gunduz Ismayilov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, told journalists on the sidelines of the 7th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku, Report informs.

The official mentioned that, considering the processes taking place around the world today, Azerbaijan, and Baku in particular, is regarded as a center of interfaith, intercultural, and inter-civilizational dialogue.

"After restoring its independence, Azerbaijan was largely an active participant in interfaith and intercultural dialogue in the 1990s. However, for the past 20 years, Azerbaijan has evolved from an active participant into a key organizer of interfaith, intercultural, and inter-civilizational dialogue. Today, when people think of discussions on economic issues, the first place that comes to mind is Davos and the World Economic Forum. Likewise, when military cooperation is mentioned, Brussels, home to NATO headquarters, comes to mind. But when it comes to interfaith and intercultural dialogue, the first country that comes to mind today is Azerbaijan, and the first city is Baku. From this perspective, not only our region but the entire world recognizes that no meaningful process in the field of interfaith and intercultural dialogue can be completed without Azerbaijan's participation and position," he said.

Ismayilov added that today Baku serves as the global hub of intercultural and interfaith dialogue, while Azerbaijan acts as the driving force behind the process.

"Unfortunately, as humanity develops, religious differences are often exaggerated. At times, this leads to conflicts, including ethnic-religious and sectarian disputes. In this regard, interfaith dialogue is extremely important for restoring peace and stability around the world."

He stressed that Azerbaijan is one of the few countries in the Islamic world where followers of different Islamic schools of thought pray together in the same mosque behind the same imam:

"We call this the unity prayer. Today, unity prayers are held not only in Baku but also across our regions. This is one of the finest examples for the Islamic world in terms of inter-sect dialogue and relations. In addition, within a radius of about one kilometer in Baku, one can find the synagogue of European Jews, the synagogue of Mountain Jews, the Archangel Michael Church, and the Taza Pir Mosque," Ismayilov noted.