Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku International Multiculturalism Centre Azerbaijani Multiculturalism Textbook for Higher Education

Interreligious relations are established on the basis of mutual respect and cooperation.

1. 
   Ensuring the religious freedom of Azerbaijani citizens is one of the priorities in the domestic policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which has chosen the democratic path of development and has a distinctive atmosphere of tolerance and multiculturalism. The Republic of Azerbaijan values the freedom of religious belief of its citizens as part of their rights and freedoms. Religious freedom is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on the law ‘On freedom of religious belief’ and on other normative and legal acts of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
   

Religious freedom is ensured in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The third paragraph of Article 25 (‘The right to equality’) of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, says:

‘The state guarantees the protection of the rights and liberties of all the population irrespective of their race, ethnicity, religion, sex, origin, property, social status, credo, membership of political parties, trade union organizations and other social affiliations. Restriction of rights and liberties on the grounds of race, ethnicity, religion, language, sex, origin, credo and socio-political affiliation is prohibited.’

Paragraphs One and Two of Article 48 of the Constitution of the

Republic of Azerbaijan (Freedom of conscience) say:

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‘Everyone enjoys freedom of conscience’ and ‘Everyone has the right to determine independently his/her attitude to religion, to practise any religion individually or together with others, or to practise no religion, to express and spread one’s beliefs concerning religion.’

In December 2014, at the opening ceremony of the Heydar Mosque in Baku President Ilham Aliyev said the following on ensuring freedom of religion in the Republic of Azerbaijan: ‘All religious freedoms are fully ensured in Azerbaijan. It seems to me that this area is very important for our comprehensive development. Freedom of religion is completely guaranteed in Azerbaijan.’

2. 
   On the second point indicating the high level of relations between state and religion in the Republic of Azerbaijan, i.e. all religions and religious sects are equal before the law, it should be said first of all that this applies only to the religious organizations that have been registered by the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations.
   

The State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations registered 861 religious organizations and communities between 2009 and 2018, of which 21 were non-Islamic and 830 Islamic religious organizations. Of the 31 non-Islamic organizations 20 were Christian organizations, 8 were Jewish, two were Baha’i and one Krishna. Although 96 per cent of the population of the Republic of Azerbaijan is Muslim, the state does not allow any discrimination among the religions. Article 18 (Para. 1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan says: ‘All religions are equal before the law.’ Article 5 of the law of the Republic of Azerbaijan ‘On freedom of religion’ says: ‘All religions and religious organizations are equal before the law. Establishing any superiority

Section II

Chapter 5

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Azerbaijani Multiculturalism

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