BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 24. President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of
the 20th Session of the Conference of the Parliamentary Union of
the OIC Member States.


This was reported by the Press Service of the President of
Azerbaijan.


"Dear participants of the event!


I sincerely greet you at the 20th Session of the Conference of
the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States. Welcome to
Azerbaijan!


This prestigious platform, which brings together the legislative
bodies of brotherly countries, serves not only to strengthen
inter-parliamentary cooperation and develop ties in political,
economic, social, and humanitarian spheres, but also acts as one of
the important mechanisms ensuring the consolidation of Islamic
solidarity.


This year marks 35 years since Azerbaijan joined the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The OIC was one of the
first international organizations Azerbaijan joined after the
restoration of its independence. We can proudly state that
throughout these years, our country has contributed to
strengthening Islamic solidarity, played an active and responsible
role in the activities of the OIC, remained faithful to its goals
and principles, and actively participated in increasing its
authority on the international stage. Azerbaijan has also built
multifaceted relations with member states based on strong
friendship and brotherhood on a bilateral basis.


For our part, we have always felt the consistent support of the
OIC. During Armenia’s nearly 30-year aggression against Azerbaijan
and in the post-war period, the OIC demonstrated a firm position by
adopting resolutions and statements that strongly condemned the
occupation, supported Azerbaijan’s just cause, sovereignty, and
territorial integrity, and welcomed the reconstruction and
development works in our liberated territories. I would like to
especially highlight the activities of the OIC Contact Group on
Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan. We highly appreciate this
stance of the brotherly countries.


Unfortunately, during the occupation, mosques of universal
importance and centuries-old monuments of Islamic architecture were
deliberately destroyed and looted by Armenia in our cities and
villages, which were subjected to urbicide and culturicide. Out of
67 mosques, 65 were completely destroyed, and serious damage was
inflicted on the remaining ones. The use of these sacred sites as
stables and the keeping of animals — which is considered haram in
our religion — was not only an insult to Azerbaijanis but to all
Muslims around the world. The missions organized by ICESCO and the
OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission to our liberated
territories witnessed these acts of vandalism firsthand.


Today, as part of large-scale reconstruction efforts in the
liberated Garabagh and East Zangezur, our destroyed religious sites
are being restored to their historical appearance, new mosques are
being built, and the call to prayer once again echoes from the
minarets after many years.


These crimes committed against the Islamic cultural heritage on
our lands are undoubtedly a clear manifestation of Islamophobia.
Today, the incitement of hatred against Muslims, the targeting of
Islamic cultural heritage, and the insult to Islamic values have
gained widespread momentum across the world. The burning of our
Holy Book, the Quran, and the publication of caricatures of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) can in no way be justified under the
pretext of freedom of expression and are completely unacceptable.
Islamophobia is not merely intolerance towards Muslims; it is a
dangerous trend that threatens mutual understanding and peaceful
coexistence. It is regrettable that certain political circles in
the West, as well as international institutions such as the
European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe, promote anti-Islamic sentiments, attempt to equate Islam
with extremism and terrorism, create biased perceptions of our
religion, and portray it as a source of threat.


With the aim of increasing international attention to the fight
against Islamophobia, Azerbaijan regularly organizes international
conferences on this topic. In a period when Islamophobia is
spreading alarmingly, Azerbaijan’s hosting of such conferences is
of great importance in promoting interfaith and intercultural
dialogue and eliminating stereotypes about our religion.


Azerbaijan has always attached great importance to the
protection of Islamic values, which form an integral part of our
national-spiritual values and serve as a moral pillar and guide for
billions of people around the world.


We put forward various initiatives to promote the principles of
solidarity and mutual respect in Islam and regularly host events of
the OIC and its institutions. The cities of Baku, Nakhchivan, and
Shusha, which embody the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of
Islamic civilization, have been declared the Capital of Islamic
Culture in different years. In 2017, within the framework of the
“Year of Islamic Solidarity” declared in Azerbaijan, the 4th
Islamic Solidarity Games were successfully held in Baku with the
participation of 54 countries.


Just a few days ago, the 2026 Annual Meetings of the Islamic
Development Bank Group on the topic of regional integration for the
sustainable prosperity of Muslim countries were successfully
organized in Baku.


In 2027, Azerbaijan will host the 16th Session of the Islamic
Summit Conference and will assume the OIC chairmanship. During our
chairmanship, we will spare no effort to promote the common
interests of member states, deepen cooperation within the
organization, strengthen Islamic solidarity, and mobilize joint
efforts to turn it into a greater force.


Dear participants of the event,


The dedication of the current session to the theme of “Promoting
Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Development in OIC Member States
through Parliamentary Cooperation” demonstrates the determination
of the member countries of the Parliamentary Union to find joint
solutions to common challenges for the progress of our nations.


I am confident that the useful initiatives put forward during
the session will contribute to the well-being of our brotherly
peoples and help create new opportunities for cooperation between
our countries.


I extend my best wishes to you and wish every success to the
session," the address reads.