Baku, May 26, 2025 – The Europe Today: In his address to the participants of the International Conference on Islamophobia themed “Islamophobia in Focus: Unveiling Bias, Shattering Stigmas,” President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan highlighted the deliberate destruction and falsification of his country’s rich cultural and historical heritage in Western Azerbaijan, a region from which Azerbaijanis were forcibly expelled.
“Unfortunately, in the historical lands of Western Azerbaijan, from which our fellow Azerbaijanis were also expelled, our people’s rich tangible and intangible heritage was deliberately and systematically annihilated or falsified as part of a policy aimed at erasing all traces of Azerbaijanis from their historical and ethnic lands,” President Aliyev remarked, emphasizing the importance of preserving cultural identity and historical truth.
The President further stressed the significance of recent decisions aimed at restoring Azerbaijan’s historical justice, specifically referencing the restoration of the Irevan Qadi Council. “The decision to restore the Irevan Qadi Council, made at the meeting of the Caucasus Muslims Board Qadi Council a few days ago, was an important step toward restoring historical justice and conveying the truth to the international community about the destruction of our cultural, religious, and moral heritage located in Western Azerbaijan,” Aliyev noted.
The International Conference, which seeks to address and combat Islamophobia globally, also served as a platform for the Azerbaijani President to shed light on the ongoing challenges faced by his country in protecting its cultural and religious identity, particularly in regions impacted by historical conflict and displacement.
