BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 12. A public
discussion titled “Public Solidarity Against Disinformation: The
Contribution of NGOs to the Protection of National Values and
Social Responsibility” was held, organized by the Azerbaijan
National NGO Forum (ANNF), in Baku today, Trend's correspondent
reports from the event.


The event addressed disinformation campaigns targeting
Azerbaijan regarding religious values and beliefs, as well as
issues concerning the preservation of the secular state model and
the strengthening of national solidarity.


Speaking at the event, a member of the ANNF Board, Zaur
Ibrahimov, noted that disinformation attacks have recently been
launched against Azerbaijan under the guise of defending religious
beliefs, and that the mobilization of civil society against such
actions is essential. He noted that NGOs have issued a statement
condemning these provocations, hybrid threats, and disinformation
attacks.


Ibrahimov highlighted that Azerbaijan is one of the countries
that successfully harmonizes its secular state model with religious
values. He emphasized that Azerbaijan's path of independent
development and growing strength causes concern among certain
foreign forces, which target national unity and solidarity.


"It was precisely because of this national solidarity that
Azerbaijan achieved a historic victory in the Karabakh War," he
said.


Ibrahimov called on society to evaluate events within the
framework of the Constitution, legislation, and national interests,
and to avoid succumbing to foreign provocations.


Head of the Department of Western Azerbaijan History at the
Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) Institute of History
and Ethnology named after Abbasgulu Agha Bakikhanov and scientific
supervisor of the "Virtual Western Azerbaijan" encyclopedic
collection, Jabi Bayramov, said in his speech that the principles
of Azerbaijan's secular statehood are enshrined in the
Constitution. Addressing the discussions surrounding the hijab, he
noted the importance of examining this issue within a historical
context and emphasized that dress codes in schools must be
implemented in accordance with the law.







According to Bayramov, Azerbaijan has historically been a place
where various religions coexist, and the country's secular state
structure and education system operate based on principles defined
by legislation. He expressed the view that interference by foreign
forces in the country's internal affairs is unacceptable.


The historian also highlighted the importance of increasing the
participation of scholars and experts in public discussions. He
proposed organizing broader discussions on television regarding
history, culture, and religious issues.


Chairman of the Public Council under the State Committee for
Work with Religious Associations, Elnur Mustafayev, said that
Azerbaijan's growing role in regional and global geopolitical and
economic processes has been accompanied by ideological provocations
against the country. According to him, false information directed
against Azerbaijan is being spread on social media and through
certain media outlets.


Mustafayev pointed out that Azerbaijan is a country where
diverse religions and cultures have historically coexisted. He
stressed the role played by Azerbaijani scholars and thinkers, such
as Bahmanyar, Nasraddin Tusi, Nizami Ganjavi, and Fuzuli, in the
development of Islamic culture. He said that portraying the country
as anti-Islamic doesn't reflect the truth.


Touching upon the preservation of religious monuments,
Mustafayev noted that alongside the restoration of mosques in the
territories liberated from occupation, attention is also being paid
to places of worship belonging to other religions within the
country. Observing that modern hybrid warfare aims to exert
pressure on states through information and other means, he
emphasized the importance of a united effort to counter ideological
provocations.