BAKU: US Ambassador To Azerbaijan Hosts Iftar

US AMBASSADOR TO AZERBAIJAN HOSTS IFTAR

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Oct 14 2006

US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mrs. Anne Derse hosted iftar in her
residence, on October 13. She invited the religious figures and heads
of the diplomatic corps.

Mrs. Derse said that Ramadan is the holiest month for the hundred
millions of world Moslems, including US ones. The governments and
religious communities should join efforts to combat with the forces
trying to violate stability and turn civilizations against one another,
Ambassador said.

Mrs. Derse stated that there were many Moslem organizations in the
United States, and the US government highly respects their opinion.

Azerbaijan is an example of ethnic and religious tolerance just like
the United States. Over the ages, Moslems, Christians and Jews live
side by side here in tranquility. Azerbaijan as an active member of
the Organization for Islamic Conference (OIC) advocates peace and
stability in the region.

Head of Caucasus Moslems Clerical Office Sheykh-ul-Islam Haji
Allahshukur Pashazade, in his turn, noted that Azerbaijan has a great
prestige both in the Moslem world and Europe. It once again testifies
the tolerance of our nation. I’d like the holy month to become a month
of armistice for the world Moslems, and stop the war and terrorism.

Sheykh said that Azerbaijani society wants the United States to become
more active in the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution efforts.

Haji Allahshukur Pashazade condemned those, who use the religion to
kill the people, commit terror acts and try to break the dialogue
between the civilizations. He stressed that humiliation of Islamic
values in some countries may pose a threat. He also criticized the
bill adopted October 12 in the French parliament making a crime the
statements denying so called "Armenian Genocide", which may bring to
the grave consequences.