On December 23, the Forum of Azerbaijani Clergymen on the topic "Actual issues of religious education: tradition, experience and perspectives" will be held in Baku.
The forum is attended by representatives of relevant state institutions, various denominations operating in the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as teachers of religious educational institutions, theologians and specialists.
A photo exhibition dedicated to the theme "Western Azerbaijan: maps, exhibits, monuments, deportation" is shown within the framework of the Forum of Azerbaijan Clergymen.
At the Forum, which began with the playing of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of our country were commemorated with a minute's silence.
At the event, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev's address to the participants of the Forum of Religious Leaders of Azerbaijan on the topic "Actual issues of religious education: tradition, experience and perspectives" was read.
The address was delivered by Farah Aliyeva, head of the Department of Humanitarian Policy, Diaspora, Multiculturalism and Religious Affairs of the Presidential Administration.
Later, a video presentation of the AMIN (Azerbaijan Multicultural Information Network) project was held, which is a single electronic services portal where the information base about the places of religious worship, shrines, specialized sales points, religious figures operating in the country is collected in a systematic form in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Ramin Mammadov, Chairman of the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations, while making the opening speech, said that the model of state-religion relations founded by National Leader Heydar Aliyev refers to historical traditions and universal values. The center of this policy, successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev, is not religion or ethnicity, but the human factor. Today, the participation of representatives of all ethnic and religious communities in this event is a quality indicator of the system of public relations in Azerbaijan based on universal principles such as multiculturalism and tolerance. The chairman of the committee noted that one of the main factors that make our state strong is that we protect our multicultural traditions as well as our national and moral values. 4 years ago, the people of Azerbaijan united around the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and freed their land from occupation. It was also the liberation of our mosques, which were destroyed and insulted for 30 years, and our temples, which were tried to change their ethnic and sometimes religious affiliation. On the initiative of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation is successfully carrying out the restoration of historical and cultural monuments in Karabakh and East Zangezur. During his speech, Ramin Mammadov, who spoke about the dangers of external ideological interference in societies, creating division, polarization, and religious-ethnic enmity, emphasized that Azerbaijan is one of the most stable countries in this sense. He said that this is not a reason to be complacent and ignore possible and probable ideological threats. We must not forget that globalization sometimes means globalization of threats. A strong state also detects such possibilities in time, predicts them, and takes necessary preventive measures. This forum is of great importance in terms of religious education, promotion of secular values, traditions of multiculturalism, and discussion on preventing the politicization of religion. When we say the actual issues of religious education, we mean these directions first of all. It was reported that the address of His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, addressed to the participants of the forum is the highest award given to this event. The recommendations reflected in the address of Mr. President determine the philosophy and ideological content of our plans for the future.
Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims Administration, Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade, said that religious figures have great responsibilities in the field of religious education of the people of Azerbaijan, who won victory in the 44-day Patriotic War under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. He said that the large-scale construction works carried out by the victorious Azerbaijan in the free Karabakh, our restored religious and spiritual heritage, the growing international reputation of our state - all these should be reflected in religious and spiritual education, and our clergy should be able to convey these glorious facts to people in the highest way. .
Ali Ahmadov, the first deputy speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said that Azerbaijan is presented to the whole world as a center of religious tolerance and multiculturalism. Talking about the importance of religious education, Ali Ahmadov said that our country is undergoing a transformation in this direction. It is very important for our citizens to understand and define their attitude towards religion by understanding it as it is, as well as from the point of view of forming their views on society. Speaking about the fact that the implementation of religious education is quite a sensitive issue, the first deputy speaker of the Milli Majlis spoke about the importance of correctly defining the target audience of this process as the main issue.
Academician Isa Habibbeyli, president of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, noted that the number of cases of Islamophobia is increasing in the world, and that this is a blow to humanity. He said that state-religion relations, which were founded by Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, have become an important principle of spiritual improvement. Our country is an example to the world in this respect.
The academician stated that the policy of President Ilham Aliyev, who duly continued the political course of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, was indispensable in the transformation of independent Azerbaijan into a magnificent Azerbaijan, and emphasized that Azerbaijan has great experience in the field of inter-religious dialogue. He added that the policy of tolerance in our country has become the normative principles of our society.
Isa Habibeyli, who appreciated the 1st Forum of Religious Leaders organized by the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations, pointed out that in the future, it is important for ANAS to hold conferences dedicated to the scientific basis of religious education together with the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations   and the Caucasian Muslims Office.
The Deputy Minister of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Firidun Gurbanov, said that in our country, state-religion relations are regulated by the principle of secularity. In the educational programs of the general education level, in the educational programs of the subjects "Life Knowledge", "Azerbaijani History", "General History", the students are taught to respect cultural and religious diversity, to form clear ideas about religions, and to respect multicultural values. F. Gurbanov also added that universal values that unite different religions are inculcated in the teaching of those subjects, students acquire general knowledge about religious holidays, common shared values promoted by heavenly religions - to be honest, not to lie, not to do evil, etc.
Bahar Muradova, the chairman of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children's Problems of the Republic of Azerbaijan, spoke about the peaceful existence of peoples and ethnic groups belonging to different religious confessions in our country and the preservation of the uniqueness of the model of coexistence formed on this basis. He emphasized that this, in turn, forms the basis of the values of multiculturalism and tolerance that we have and are rightfully always proud of. In our country, within the framework of the Constitution and legislation, all religions are provided equal development, and people belonging to different cultures have the opportunity to live together. Noting that the traditional policy of multiculturalism and tolerance is still being continued in our republic, Chairman of the Committee spoke about people of different religions and cultures enriching each other in harmony.
The panel of the event will be devoted to the topics "Religious threats in a secular state: a political-ideological view", "The role of the religious factor in the realization of women's rights", "Azerbaijani multiculturalism: experience, tradition and modern challenges" and "Religious education models in a secular state: theory and practice". sessions, the main directions of the policy in the religious field, current issues, and the current situation related to the religious situation in the country will be discussed.