ICESCO, Azerbaijan set to protect Islamic heritage

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The Islamic World Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ICESCO) has organized an international webinar on "The Contribution of Islamic Art to Building Human Civilization and the Spread of Peace Values". 

The event was held virtually with the participation of Arab and Islamic countries, including Azerbaijan.

The virtual meeting highlighted the richness of Islamic art, its role in the formation of human civilization. The conference participants also discussed ICESCO's activities to protect the Islamic heritage.

During the meeting, Acting Minister of Culture Anar Karimov stressed the contribution of Islamic civilization to world culture. He briefed ICESCO Director-General of the Islamic heritage in the Karabakh region, which had been occupied by Armenia for nearly 30 years. 

The Culture Minister emphasized that Armenian vandalism is aimed at destruction not only of Azerbaijan's historical and cultural sites, but also the Islamic heritage.

In this regard, all cultural heritage should be protected regardless of religious origin. Anar Karimov stressed the need for global cultural institutions to give an objective assessment to Armenia's actions and condemn vandalism. 

He pointed out that the acts of vandalism against the Islamic cultural and religious heritage in the Azerbaijan's  territories previously occupied by Armenia should be strongly condemned by ICESCO and other international organizations. 

In his speech, Anar Karimov spoke about the work done in Azerbaijan to protect cultural heritage and to promote peace and dialogue. He spoke about activities carried out by Azerbaijan in partnership with ICESCO. 

As part of the cooperation, Baku was declared the "Capital of Islamic Culture" in 2009 and Nakhchivan in 2018. The 12th ICESCO General Conference was organized in Baku in 2015.

Noting that 2017 has been declared the "Year of Islamic Solidarity" by President Ilham Aliyev, Anar Karimov also informed about the projects implemented during the year.

Earlier, the Culture Ministry and ICESCO discussed ways of promoting cooperation and partnership in the sphere of restoring historical sites in Nagorno-Karabakh destroyed by Armenia in the past 30 years. The two parties examined ways of joint action to restore those sites. 

Azerbaijan has been a member of ICESCO since 1991. Established in 1991, these relations have entered into a stage of successful development after the awarding of Azerbaijan's First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva as Goodwill Ambassador of ICESCO on November  24, 2006. Aliyeva was honored for her services in the development of education and dialogue between civilizations.

The country is closely cooperating with various organizations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation - ICESCO, the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Conference of Parliamentary Union, the Islamic Conference of Youth Forum.

The Islamic World Heritage Committee, at its extraordinary meeting held at the ICESCO headquarters last year, approved the inscription the following heritage sites of  Azerbaijan on the list of the Islamic World Heritage: Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah’s Palace and the Maiden Tower, the Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace and the Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape.

During the 40th session of the Executive Council of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held on January  29-30, 2020, in Abu Dhabi a decision to change the name of the organization to the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) was adopted.