The forces hostile to Azerbaijan try to describe the Ganja events of 3 and 10 June as a struggle for the freedom of religious faith. However, by essence these developments are actually terroristic acts committed by a radically-oriented group disguised under the religious cover.

Following President Ilham Aliyev’s declaration of 2018 as “the Year of Azerbaijan People’s Republic” and different activities realized in this connection, especially the celebration of the 100^th Anniversary of our National Army with grandiose parade, the latest incidents in Ganja, the first capital of Azerbaijan People’s Republic evoke a deep feeling of pity in the heart of every patriotic Azerbaijani. However, one can say with certainty that our people has overcome the historical challenge and proved to be honest this time as well, demonstrated its loyalty to secular and democratic values getting closely united around the leader of the country, showed its hateful attitude towards the alien religious ideologies foisted from abroad. Unfortunately, this struggle waged to maintain our secular statehood, socio-political stability and especially, the supreme nature of law did not end without sacrifices, we have had martyrs.

The view encountered by us while analyzing the developments of Ganja showed clearly that the extremist forces making use of the factor of religion failed to gain the support of the believers who remain loyal to our traditional national-spiritual values, on the contrary, became the target of their reproach. Since, in our country, where the relations between the state and religion have been built on firm foundations, the state always attaches attention to and care for believers. The believers residing in the city of Ganja are also the witnesses of it. That is, the reconstruction of the Complex of Imamzadeh pilgrimage in Ganja, the repairs and restoration of the mosques of Shah Abbas Juma and Hazrat (saint) Zeynab owing to the care of the First Lady of Azerbaijan, the President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Khanum Aliyeva, supplying the places of worshipping with free natural gas, the financial support of the religious communities are the visual proof of the above said.

It should be noted that at present in the city of Ganja there are six mosques and a complex of pilgrimage functioning as intended. Official religious figures have been designated by the Caucasian Muslims’ Office to those places of worship, which are materially supported by the Foundation of the Advocacy of Spiritual Values functioning under the auspices of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations. These measures taken by our government are highly appreciated by our believers who experience real and pure religious values, and support the tolerant and multicultural policy pursued by the Azerbaijani government.

However, unfortunately, in Ganja there is also a minor radical group who abuses the freedom of faith in the country, and is governed from abroad; they do not recognize some religious figures, do not attend the mosques, and do not want to perform their prayers standing in the same ranks with moderate believers. The members of that group try to violate socio-political stability causing some diversions at different times. The studies show that the aim of the foreign forces and their local helpers is to establish a state governed by the principles of shari’a in Azerbaijan changing the secular system here. Causing disturbances, drawing the society into a chaos and disorder, applying violence against the representatives of the state organs are among their main methods of struggle. For instance, the violation of social security through the organization of unlawful street rallies in Ganja in 2011-2012 by the members of the same group, their assault against the law-enforcement bodies during the Ashura ceremony in 2015 and the repetition of the analogical incident last year at Tasua evening at Imamzadeh pilgrimage.

Actually, the activity of this radical group should be appraised taking into account the activity of the illegal Movement of Islamic Union which committed the act of terrorism in Nardaran in November 2015. That is, according to the data, in connection with that act of terrorism, legal proceedings have been taken against 11 people in the city of Ganja, five of them have been arrested. Besides, among the members of the mentioned extremist religious group the loyalty to the extreme ideas of the Movement of Islamic Union and respect to its leaders manifested itself in the conspiracy carried out against the Head of the Executive Power of the City of Ganja Elmar Valiyev by the citizen of the Russian Federation Yunis Safarov on 3 July 2018. As it is indicated in the joint information of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security Service, Y.Safarov’s main goal in committing the act of terrorism was to establish an Islamic state in Azerbaijan governed by the Shari’a laws, to cause agiotage in the Republic by killing several outstanding state officials, consequently to organize the forceful capture of power. To fulfill his goal, he had prepared a video address to the Azerbaijani citizens on behalf of the Movement of Islamic Union and sent it abroad to the people like-minded with him.

As it is known, terrorism is a purposefully realized act of violence targeted at the dissemination of the feeling of fear in the opposite side in order to achieve one’s own demands. However, introducing the terroristic act committed by Y.Safarov against the state representative in a quite different amplitude, the external and internal forces interested in the generation of chaos ad disorder in Azerbaijan disguised it under heroism and considered it a chance to carry out their subversive plan. They named this criminal action “Yunis movement”, “Yunis resistance” in social media in order to raise the wide masses against the Azerbaijani power. It is noteworthy that some groups, who have obtained political refuge for themselves abroad, and introduce themselves as the defenders of European values and representatives of a liberal camp, as well as the separatist circles who build collaboration with the special agencies of Armenia and other states attempted to make use of the incident in Ganja in their own interests. Betraying the democratic principles declared by them, they launched a support campaign for the allegedly violated rights of Y.Safarov, who has committed a crime due to his radical religious views, tried to raise the people against power. The establishment of the Social Proection Committee for Yunis Safarov in Holland by Alakram Humbatov well known to the Azerbaijani people for his repugnant separatist actions, the provocative video addresses by Zabil Maharramov, the author of the separatist programs broadcast from Armenia or Sahib Teymurov who introduces himself as the leader of the Radical Movement of Canada are the proof of it. The listed facts revealed once more the inner nature of those who pretended themselves as “political émigrés” in the West. Acting by the principle “Any means is acceptable to achieve goals”, they are ready to cooperate with the terrorist elements to overthrow the Azerbaijani power.

Observing with political wisdom the real essence of all these efforts targeted at the collapse of our state’s pillars, our citizens rejected the subversive challenges distinctly. The citizens of Ganja, who demonstrated a stance of genuine citizenship, rendered close assistance in the arrest and remand of Farrukh Khagani oghlu Gasimov suspected in the murder of one of the police officers. The other murderer was eliminated by the employees of law enforcement bodies.

At the meeting held by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev with the participation of the heads of law enforcement bodies on 13 July the President of the country pointed out, “In our history of independence there have been several subversive actions against our country, including armed diversions, terroristic acts, and attempts to overthrow the state. All of them failed. The main reason to it is the union of people and power in Azerbaijan. I have repeatedly expressed my opinion in this regard, I would like to reiterate that the union of people and power is the main prerequisite for our stability. No force – neither foreign nor internal forces can shatter the union of people and power.” These incidents in Ganja proved once more President Ilham Aliyev’s wise words. That is, this crime, the act of terrorism committed by the extremists manipulated from abroad against the Azerbaijani people, our statehood was overcome, first of all, by the force of the union of people and power. The disruptive forces’ efforts to break the union of people and power, the civil confrontation in the country failed. This was an expected and logical ending. It couldn’t be otherwise, because the wise Azerbaijani people realize very well the importance of stability, security from the bitter experience they suffered in the early 90s of the last century, also from the military conflicts taking place in the modern period in the Near East, North Africa and other countries of the world. The Azerbaijani people’s rise to the defence of our statehood proved once more that it will defend Azerbaijan which has turned into an island of stability owing to the internal and foreign policy founded by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and successfully pursued by President Ilham Aliyev.

While realizing their ugly activities, the extremist forces, who introduce themselves as the protectors of religion and participated in Ganja incidents, encountered the protest of the representatives of all the strata of society, including religious and ethnic confessions. Their claim to fight for the freedom of religious faith is not true to reality.

The freedom of religious faith in Azerbaijan is provided by the policy of multiculturalism founded by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and successfully pursued by President Ilham ALiyev in the period. As it is known this policy is a concrete policy pursued in relation to ethnic, racial, religious and cultural diversity in society as part of Azerbaijanianism.

The policy of multiculturalism is targeted at the protection of the mentioned diversity and ethnic-cultural values constituting their basis. The state-religion model in Azerbaijan, which is considered to be a progressive model in the world, is one of the main manifestation forms of the policy of multiculturalism.

The guarantee of the citizens’ freedom of religious faith is one of the main indicators of the high level of the relations between the state and religion in Azerbaijan. The guarantee of the freedom of religious faith of the Azerbaijani citizens is one of the priorities of the internal policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan which has chosen the way of democratic development and is distinguished among the world countries for its multicultural ambiance and tolerance. The Azerbaijani state treats the freedom of religious faith of the country’s citizens as part of their rights and freedoms. The freedom of religious faith of the country’s citizens is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Law “On the Freedom of Religious Faith” and our country’s other normative legal acts.

The freedom of religious faith has been completely guaranteed in Azerbaijan. In accordance with Item 3 of Article 25 (The Right of Equality) of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, “The state guarantees everybody’s equality of rights and freedoms irrespective of their race, nationality, religion, language, gender, origin, state of property, employment status, creed, membership to political parties, trade unions and other social unions. It is banned to restrict human and civil rights due to racial, national, religious, language, gender, origin, creed, political and social identity.” And Items 1 and 2 of Article 48 of the Constitution (“Freedom of Conscience”) state, “Everybody has the freedom of conscience”, “Everybody has the right to independently  determine his/her attitude towards religion, to profess any religion alone or together with others, or to profess no religion, to express and disseminate his/her creed associated with religion.”

Article 1 of the Law “On the Right of Religious Faith” notes, “Everybody has the right to profess any religion alone or together with others, to express and disseminate his/her creed associated with religion.” An individual cannot be prevented from expressing his/her religious faith, participating in religious performances, religious rituals and ceremonies or learning religion. No one can be forced to express (to demonstrate) his/her religious faith, to perform religious ceremonies or participate in religious ceremonies. It is not admissible to advocate religious faith and religious lifestyle by applying any force or by threatening with the use of force, as well as with an aim to generate racial, national, religious, social resentment and hostility. It is forbidden to disseminate and advocate religions (religious sects) diminishing human dignity or contradicting the principles of humanism.”

In connection with the guarantee of the freedom of religious faith in the Republic of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said in the opening ceremony of Heydar Mosque in Baku in December 2014, “All religious freedoms are completely guaranteed in Azerbaijan which I consider to be a field of very great importance in our general development. The freedom of religion, faith is completely guaranteed in Azerbaijan.”

Thus, the freedom of religious faith enjoys firm legal and normative bases in Azerbaijan. Also, our state does great work in the guarantee of the freedom of religious faith. However, radical extremist groups try to obscure it with their hideous deeds, and attempt to violate the socio-political stability in the country. Such attempts have always been and will be prevented assertively. Unfortunately, the criminal acts committed by these disruptive elements in Ganja did not end without loss. We express our condolences to the families of the police officers – the Deputy Chief of the Main Police Station of the City of Ganja, the police colonel Ilgar Balakhishiyev and  the Deputy Chief of the Police Station of Nizami District, police colonel –lieutenant Samad Abbasov,  who died heroically during the above-mentioned incidents. May they rest in peace. We also wish quick recovery to those injured there.

Etibar Najafov

Head of the Department of Inter-ethnic Relations,

Multiculturalism and Religious Issues, Professor

Запись Azerbaijan’s Policy of Multiculturalism Is a Guarantee of Stability in the Country впервые появилась Baku International Multiculturalism Centre.