Rethinking Islamophobia in the context of peacebuilding

AS it is well known that UN General Assembly adopted the resolution 12408 (2022) proclaiming 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. International conference themed “Embracing Diversity: Tackling Islamophobia in 2024” held in Baku, Azerbaijan on March 8, 2024. Among the participants of the two days conference were so many high ranking officials, spiritual leaders, experts and academicians and many other dignitaries, scholars and media representatives from 31 countries. Large-scale events regarding Islamophobia are held every year in Azerbaijan.

The conference included the address by H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. As President Ilham Aliyev underlined “We are witnessing the portrayal of Islam as a potential threat, with doubt, discrimination and open hatred against the Muslims becoming increasingly widespread with each passing day. As stated in the UN resolution on the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, rise in instances of discrimination, intolerance and violence directed against religious communities are the source of concern”.

Azerbaijan is the country where various ethnic and religious communities live together peacefully. Azerbaijan is a country where Muslims from the Sunni and Shiite sects pray together in the same mosque. The army that destroyed Armenia's occupying army and expelled it from Azerbaijan in 2020 included people from all ethnic and religious groups living in Azerbaijan. The fact that Azerbaijan is a country of differences and tolerance has completely bankrupted Armenia's baseless "clash of religions" propaganda against Azerbaijan.

This also meant that Armenia's "efforts were wasted". Because Armenia has tried to "get points" from radical circles in the West for years by destroying Islamic structures (mosques, masjids, etc.) in the occupied Azerbaijani lands. Armenia attempted to present itself as the "front line" of Christianity.

One of the main reasons why Azerbaijan accepts Islamophobia as one of the most important threats to the establishment of world peace and makes serious efforts in this direction is that it feels this bitter truth more and more clearly on various Western-centered platforms. The overwhelming majority of cases related to Islamophobia are observed in "developed" Western countries.

Namely, the widespread use of considering attacks and insults against Prophet Muhammad SAV and other sacred concepts of Muslims' beliefs as "freedom of expression" and "freedom of action/assembly" causes the concept of democracy to gradually suffer significant damage.

This also distances the concept from its essence and core. The transformation of this into state and government policies indicates a more dire situation. Because the concept of democracy, which is a value developed by humanity for centuries, cannot be wasted for political and ideological purposes. No country has the right to interpret the general moral norms and values of humanity in line with its own interests.

In parallel with this situation, international institutions and organizations cannot be turned into a tool for the realization of the political-ideological interests of certain countries. Taking these institutions beyond their founding purposes and philosophy harms the institutions themselves the most.

The fact that international institutions such as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the European Parliament turn into implementers of the orders of certain lobby groups or certain major governments damages the reputation of these institutions the most.

Unfortunately, France still has not given up on its colonial spirit. It still carries out various activities in this direction, such as arming Armenia and abusing the power it has in international institutions and international media. While doing these, it interprets the concepts of democracy, secularism and international law in a way that is contrary to the essence of these concepts.

Azerbaijan, a large part of whose territory was occupied by Armenia for nearly 30 years, intensified its efforts to ensure peace in the region after eliminating this violation of international law through military means in 2020. The political-ideological obsessions, colonial ambitions and unilateral self-interest of some states appear as important obstacles to achieving peace.

While considering the establishment of regional and in generally world peace, it is essential to eliminate important negativities/obstacles such as Islamophobia - which had emerged and developed as a new form of racism that includes, among others, discrimination, stigmatization and exclusion in all areas of life - and plan activities in this noble direction.

Dr. Elsevar Salmanov is the Deputy Head of Mission at Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan