Foreign media
Israeli, German portals publish articles by director of Baku International Multiculturalism Center
The French language section of The Times of Israel has published an article by Ravan Hasanov, Executive Director of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center, highlighting Azerbaijan’s significant role in intercultural and interreligious dialogue. The German news portal Nex24 also published an article by Ravan Hasanov about the absence of religious and national grounds for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The second article points out the two approaches by several international media outlets to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The author states that the opponents either try to raise the conflict to a religious level, or claim that the tension is increasing due to "ethnic reasons": “The goal is to draw more parties into the conflict and expose religious differences by manipulating public opinion. Another goal is to convey the myth that "Christian Armenians are being killed by Muslims again" to the international community, especially the Western world. The smear campaign was predictable. Accusations that the conflict erupted due to religious reasons are the result of a sick imagination, because there has never been an incident between religions or confessions in Azerbaijan, and there is no reason to worry. Representatives of different religions worship freely in Azerbaijan and perform religious rites without any hindrance. Each place of worship is built, repaired, and maintained in Azerbaijan with the direct support of the state.”
The article also notes that according to another group of extreme propagandists, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has an ethnic character. “In order to strengthen this provocative claim, the Armenian officials called on the representatives of different peoples living in Azerbaijan to present a counter-position, but no one voted for their call. Regardless of their ethnic and religious identity, today all Azerbaijanis are fighting shoulder to shoulder against the enemy, and they never fall victim to political calls and propaganda from outside the country.”
The author also accuses Armenia of using ethnic Armenians living in Karabakh as victims of the conflict: “Today, unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan is not a mono-ethnic state, the policy of multiculturalism is successfully implemented in our country. The fair struggle of Azerbaijan is neither a religious nor an ethnic struggle. This can be proven simply by looking at the history of Azerbaijan, the religious or ethnic diversity of our state. The Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict erupted due to Armenia's territorial claims and occupation policy. The occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia and the displacement of more than one million of our citizens from their ancestral lands is an international crime. There are hundreds of documents and facts that confirm this. We must continue to be strong to liberate our occupied lands and decide our own rights. Azerbaijan will undoubtedly gain a victory in this hybrid and multi-vector war. Every Azerbaijani sees the conflict as a joint struggle for honor. Karabakh is Azerbaijan!”
