By Sabina Mammadli
Azerbaijan’s State Committee on Religious Associations has stated that a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on March 10 doesn’t reflect reality, and contains false Armenian statements.
The committee made remarks in a statement of protest against the biased resolution, which is believed to have been drafted under the Armenian lobby’s influence
It was pointed out that the resolution fails to address the true situation regarding the fate of Azerbaijan’s historical and religious monuments.
The committee brought up evidence of Armenian destructions on Azerbaijani territory during the 30-year occupation. It underlined that 65 out of 67 mosques were destroyed, the Aghdam Juma mosque was partially preserved due to its use by Armenian armed forces for military purposes, and the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque in Shusha was presented as a “Persian” mosque after the so-called repair.
According to the committee, the resolution makes no mention of Armenia’s ethnic cleansing and genocide against Azerbaijanis, the Armenization of Azerbaijani toponyms, the destruction of hundreds of historical and cultural monuments, mosques, and other shrines, the desecration of religious values, the facts of the Gregorianization or destruction of Albanian churches, or, in general, vandalism against Azerbaijan’s religious and cultural heritage.
Furthermore, nearly 900 cemeteries were completely destroyed, tombstones were broken, and graves were excavated with the remains desecrated. For the past 30 years, Azerbaijani citizens have been denied the right to visit their loved ones’ graves, the committee said.
It reiterated in the statement that during the 2020 second Karabakh war, the Azerbaijani armed forces did not conduct any military operations against civilians or religious facilities, as confirmed by foreign journalists.
“Following the second Karabakh war, the Azerbaijani government announced its intention to restore all religious monuments destroyed by the Armenian armed forces in the territories liberated from Armenian occupation during the war, and this process is already being carried out as part of the socio-economic development of these territories on the basis of the ‘Great Return’ program,” the statement said.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that it is the responsibility of the Azerbaijani state to protect historical and religious monuments on its territory, including liberated lands.
Furthermore, it stressed that the ongoing restoration of two churches in Shusha, as well as mosques, is a clear indication of Azerbaijan’s respect for other cultures and religions.
“Azerbaijan, unlike Armenia, doesn’t discriminate against historical and cultural heritage on religious and ethnic grounds and is committed to its obligations under international conventions, including the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in Time of Armed Conflict,” the statement emphasized.
The committee added that along with the abovementioned convention, Amenia violates the requirements of the “International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”, the European Convention of 1992 “On the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage” and other international documents.
The statement also stated that an agreement was reached to send a UNESCO mission to Azerbaijan and Armenia following a video meeting held on February 4, 2022, with the participation of the President of Azerbaijan, the President of France as this country’s chairmanship in the EU, the President of the Council of the EU, and the Prime Minister of Armenia.
According to the statement, the above agreement confirms the need to investigate the state of the Azerbaijani people’s cultural heritage on Armenian territory.
Finally, the committee expressed regret that the European Parliament’s resolution did not include all of the facts.
A reminder that the European Parliament issued a resolution on March 10 that contained defamation and explicit anti-Azerbaijani propaganda.
The resolution is titled “On the Destruction of the Cultural Heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh”. It’s also worth noting that the story isn’t about Armenian graffiti, but rather about a specific “Armenian heritage” that was allegedly destroyed during the 44-day war.
According to reports, 679 deputies voted, with 635 in favor of the resolution, two opposed, and 42 abstaining.