Baku, March 29

On March 29, the II International Scientific Conference dedicated to March 1918 genocide and Jews was held at the Baku International Center for Multiculturalism as part of the project “Terrorism against Multiculturalism”.

At the conference, Executive Director of the Baku International Center for Multiculturalism Revan Hasanov told about ethnic cleansing, deportation and genocide perpetrated against our compatriots by Armenian nationalists at different stages of history to implement the mythical idea of “great Armenia”. He added that one of the worst tragedies faced by the Azerbaijani people was the massacres committed by Dashnak-Bolshevik armed groups with particular cruelty in March-April 1918. Talking about the genocide policy pursued by Armenians against various peoples living in the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijani territories to achieve their chauvinistic goals, the Executive Director noted that among the victims of this policy were also representatives of the Jewish people who settled in our country in ancient times.

Chief Advisor of the Department for Interethnic Relations, Multiculturalism and Religious Issues of the Presidential Administration Anar Alizade noted that Armenian nationalists had pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide against our people throughout the history. For centuries, Armenians had committed terrorist acts against both Azerbaijanis and other nations. Considering the historical facts, we see that Jews living in Azerbaijan have also become victims of crimes committed by Armenian chauvinists. He recalled the political and legal assessment given by national leader Heydar Aliyev to the March 31 genocide considered one of the greatest crimes in human history.

Deputy Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Office Fuad Nurullayev noted that the policy of genocide has been pursued by Armenian nationalists against our people for about two hundred years. The massacre of 1918 is one of the bloodiest stages of the genocide policy systematically pursued by Armenians against all peoples living in Azerbaijan. This crime committed by Armenians is part of their mono-ethnic policy. Through genocide, Armenians tried to armenize the region. For this, Armenian terrorists exterminated the Jewish population in Guba.

The head of the Religious Community of Mountain Jews in Baku Milih Evdaev noted that the genocide committed by Armenians in Azerbaijan was no less a tragedy than those Jews had to go through in world history. Nowadays, Armenians continue their policy of genocide. Along with killing people, they also destroy historical monuments and try to armenize the facts by falsifying history.

The head of Ashkenazi-Jewish Community in Baku Alexander Sharovsky noted that Azerbaijan throughout its history has been a center of tolerance. The Azerbaijani model of tolerance is currently being studied in Europe. Azerbaijani traditions of tolerance allow all nations to live in peace. However, Armenian chauvinists have long tried to destroy this model. They pursued a policy of genocide against not only the Azerbaijanis, but also other peoples living in this region.

Then, scientific and political reports by Professor Solmaz Rustamova-Tohidi, Director of the Institute of History under the “New Turkey” Center for Strategic Studies Kemal Chichek, Deputy Chairman of the Georgian Jewish Community in Azerbaijan Moisey Bekker, and Senior Advisor of the Department of Socio-Political Affairs of the Presidential Administration Mahsati Aliyeva dedicated to Genocide 31 March 1918 and Jews were heard.