15 OCTOBER 2024
Chairman of CMB met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
02.04.2021
On April 1, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims` Board His Virtue Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh met with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Universal Orthodox Patriarchate`s Headquarters in Istanbul.
Expressing his satisfaction with the opportunity to meet with Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, Patriarch Bartholomew warmly greeted the guest. Recalling his previous meetings with Sheikh-ul-Islam of the Caucasus, Patriarch Bartholomew recalled his visit to Azerbaijan and his meeting with the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. Noting Sheikh-ul-Islam`s hospitality and sincerity, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew praised His Virtue`s efforts for interfaith collaboration in the region and worldwide, marking a great contribution of Allahshukur Pashazadeh to the inter-religious and inter-sivilizational cooperation.
Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh conveyed greetings of President Ilham Aliyev to His All Holiness. In turn, Patriarch Bartholomew asked Sheikh-ul-Islam to convey his blessings and best wishes to Mr. Aliyev.
Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh stressed that Azerbaijan is a multinational country where people of different religions live friendly and noted with pride that Azerbaijan liberated its ancient lands and restored historical justice during the 44-day Patriotic War. In fact, for almost 30 years Armenians destroyed thousands of graves and shrines, insulted Muslim mosques, Christian Orthodox and ancient Albanian churches in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. However, during all these years, the Armenian church in the center of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, has been repaired and preserved, and tens of thousands of our citizens of Armenian origin live in peace in our country.
Expressing his support for inter-religious and intercultural dialogue, Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazadeh stressed that as a religious leader, he always called for peace. His Virtue invited Patriarch Bartholomew to visit Azerbaijan to visit mosques and churches in Karabakh.
Sheikh-ul-Islam expressed his regret that the Armenian Church supports aggression against neighboring nations, calls for war, keeping a cross in hand and a gun in the other. Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazadeh expressed hope that the Armenian Catholicos would promote not war but peace and dialogue and refrain from religious hatred, in accordance with his moral obligations.
Patriarch Bartholomew congratulated Sheikh-ul-Islam Pashazadeh on his election a member of the Board of Directors of the KAICIID International Center.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Emmanuel proposed a co-organization of an international interreligious forum in the Azerbaijani capital, in collaboration between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Baku International Center for Interfaith and Inter-Civilizational Cooperation, operating under the CMB. This proposal was strongly supported by Sheikh-ul-Islam Pashazadeh.
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