Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur PASHAZADEH 

Based on my moral responsibility of a religious leader before the Supreme Creator, I declare the following: 

During the almost 30-year period of Armenia's occupation of 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan and its failure to comply with the requirements of the UN Security Council resolutions, we always advocated for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, supported the negotiating process at various levels, including between the religious leaders, did not call for hatred and did not make provocative statements on behalf of religion. 

Thanks to the meetings of religious leaders on the peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in Montreux, Rostov, Moscow, Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku, held under the supreme patronage of the World Council of Churches, the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Vatican and especially the Russian Orthodox Church, we did not allow the issue to evolve into confrontation of the religions. However, to our great regret, the efforts towards a peaceful and fair settlement of the conflict were not supported by the Armenian Church. 

Contrary to the interreligious dialogue calling for peace and the declarations signed by the current Armenian religious leaders, the Armenian Apostolic Church did not come up with ideas of peace that would provide salvation for the people, and did not call for harmony, peaceful life, mutual understanding and cooperation. Conversely, it morally justified the criminal actions of Armenian political leaders who have been for years rejected to comply with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the documents of other international organizations demanding the liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. A continuation of such activities, including the recent trip of the Catholicos of Armenia Garegin II to the Khankendi city of Azerbaijan, and the expression of revanchist statements by him are very regrettable. It should also be noted that the Armenian Church spreads false information that Christian religious sites are allegedly under threat in otherwise tolerant and multicultural Azerbaijan, and that the people are prevented from visiting them and performing their religious rites. This is being claimed despite the fact that there is not a single mosque and Islamic religious site in the territories liberated from occupation that remain intact and not desecrated.

The belligerent rhetoric

 and behavior have not yet benefited anyone in history. The war brought grief to the Armenian people. Mothers cry for their sons who died and went missing as invaders in a foreign land. Calls for death, occupation, torture and violence instead of those for peace, good neighborliness and coexistence run counter to religious values. There is no doubt that such an approach does not serve to happy and prosperous life of peoples, especially the Armenian people, in the region. The mission of a religious figure is not to ignite conflict and confrontation, but promote sacred ideas such as harmony and tranquility. 

During the 44-day Patriotic War, the whole world saw the unity of the People of Azerbaijan people with its army, which rallied around the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to restore the justice and liberate our lands. At present, Azerbaijan, which has restored its internationally recognized territorial integrity, comes up with projects aimed at promoting economic development of the region, including Armenia, and improving the well-being of the peoples in the region, including the people of Armenia. The only Creator for all calls on us- the religious leaders- to continue efforts in the name of peace, tranquility and a just solution to the problems of our peoples. Avoiding hostilities is absolutely vital now. The path to peace and mutual understanding is not easy, as it requires unified efforts to sustain peace. It is necessary to strongly condemn the calls for war in such a critical period. Peace and stability are essential for happy and peaceful life, and therefore it is necessary to resolutely refrain from diverting the ongoing developments in our region to wrong direction. The international community should not remain indifferent to this issue. Addressing the international community and religious leaders, I urge them to condemn the actions of the Armenian Apostolic Church that run counter to orders of the only Creator, and render support to peace and progress in our region, not war. May the Almighty help establish peace and tranquility. Amen! Baku, June 09, 2021.