Ramin Mammadov calls for stronger religious cooperation in Turkic world

The Turkic world's rich history spanning millennia and its culture of peaceful coexistence regardless of religion or ethnicity are among the key assets of Turkic peoples, Ramin Mammadov, Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Committee on Religious Associations, said.

According to Report, he made the remarks at the First International Scientific-Practical Conference dedicated to Azerbaijani thinker and scholar Sheikh Seyid Yahya Bakuvi, held in Baku as part of the 7th meeting of the Council of Heads of Muslim Religious Administrations of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

Mammadov said the complex geostrategic realities of the modern era, rising Islamophobia, xenophobia and religious radicalism, as well as new threats such as foreign ideological influence across the OTS region, require states to act from a common position.

"Our main goal today is to protect the Turkic world, where young people make up more than 40% of the population, from such influences and to instill in our youth a proper understanding of Islam, coexistence and harmony based on sound scientific knowledge and traditional spiritual values," he said.

Mammadov noted that the Communiqué adopted in Shusha following the First Meeting of Heads of State Bodies Responsible for Religious Affairs of OTS member states provides a clear roadmap for achieving these goals.

"The document identifies as important areas the regulation of state-religion relations on the basis of secularism, the establishment of joint awareness mechanisms against radical content and disinformation in the digital space, and the expansion of academic partnerships among our religious educational institutions," he said.

According to Mammadov, the key to implementing strategic objectives in state-religion relations is training qualified specialists who meet modern requirements.

He recalled that the Azerbaijan Institute of Theology was established under the State Committee on Religious Associations by order of the President of Azerbaijan to meet society's demand for qualified theology specialists and ensure the academic development of theological studies.

"In accordance with its mission, the institute is guided by the principles of transparency, impartiality, high academic quality, tolerance and multiculturalism. Our main goal is to train religious figures who preserve our national and moral values while respecting all confessions and possessing scientific knowledge and a strong sense of public responsibility," Mammadov said.

He stressed that the state's expectations of religious figures are not limited to the performance of religious rituals.

Religious figures, he said, bear responsibility for safeguarding society's spiritual well-being, particularly by helping young people acquire sound religious knowledge and promoting tolerance and coexistence.

"They need to explain religious values correctly and on a scientific basis, taking into account the nature of modern challenges, actively participate in awareness-raising efforts against radical and extremist ideologies, and contribute to strengthening spiritual solidarity in society," he said.

Mammadov added that religious figures play an important role in serving as a spiritual barrier against superstition and foreign ideological influence, protecting national and moral values, and educating young people in a spirit of patriotism.

He also said the Council of Heads of Muslim Religious Administrations within the OTS has played an important role in strengthening the spiritual unity of Turkic peoples and promoting Islamic values.

According to Mammadov, the new cooperation mechanism established among state bodies responsible for religious affairs complements the mission of religious administrations with legal, institutional and ideological security tools and contributes to a common ideological vision and strong spiritual solidarity.

"Such effective coordination at the interstate level creates broad opportunities to counter contemporary threats, foreign ideological interference, radicalism and Islamophobia," he said.

Mammadov also announced that an international symposium dedicated to the legacy of Seyid Yahya Bakuvi is planned to be held in Azerbaijan next year, organized by the Azerbaijan Institute of Theology.