Ilham Aliyev complained about the identification of Islam with extremism and terrorism

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the 20th session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is being held in Baku.

According to him, Islamophobia, attacks on Islamic cultural heritage and desecration of religious values ​​are widespread in the world today. He stressed that public actions to burn the Koran and depict caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad cannot be justified by freedom of speech and expression.

“Islamophobia is not only a state of intolerance towards Muslims, but also a dangerous trend that poses a threat to mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence. It is disappointing that some political circles in the West, as well as international institutions such as the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, instilling anti-Islamic sentiments, are making attempts to identify Islam with extremism and terrorism, to form a preconceived idea of ​​our religion and present it as a source of danger,” Aliyev noted.

In his message, the President of Azerbaijan expressed gratitude to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for the support provided to his country both during the confrontation with Armenia and after the end of the conflict. He recalled that the OIC adopted resolutions confirming the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and also spoke positively about the restoration work carried out on the liberated lands.