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

the country’s wealth and its priority. We appreciate and protect it.’ He directed his political work towards perpetuating that wealth.

At the initiative of the National Leader and on his instructions, the state’s protection of multicultural traditions in Azerbaijan is enshrined in legal documents, including the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan. That is, the principle of tolerance, which constitutes the basis of the policy of multiculturalism, is clearly set out in a number of articles of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan: ‘Religion and the state’ (Article 18, Paragraph 1); ‘The official language’ (Article 21, Paragraph 2); ‘The right to equality’ (Article 25, Paragraph 3); ‘The right to national identity’ (Article 44, Paragraphs 1, 2); ‘The right to use one’s mother tongue’ (Article 45, Paragraphs 1, 2); ‘Freedom of thought and speech’ (Article 47, Paragraphs 1, 2, 3); ‘Freedom of conscience’ (Article 48, Paragraphs 1, 2); ‘The Independence of judges, fundamental principles and prerequisites for the administration of justice’ (Article 127, Paragraph 10).

The National Leader was right to consider the policy of multiculturalism a part of the democratic development of the country. He viewed the protection of the rights and freedoms, including the ethnocultural and religious values, of the national minorities living in the territory of Azerbaijan in the context of basic human rights and freedoms, which is an important principle of democracy. The Republic of Azerbaijan, which finally set out on the path of democratic development under the guidance of the National Leader of the country, had to ensure equal rights for all the citizens of Azerbaijan, irrespective of their faith, language and race.

It was natural that the National Leader should have put forward the principle of Azerbaijanism as a national ideology to counter ethnic nationalism. Azerbaijanism is essential for the development of the Azerbaijani people and society and for statehood as whole and is the main moral basis of multiculturalism. He pointed out that ethnic nationalism essentially leads to ethnic separatism and conflicts among nations. Meanwhile, the ideology of Azerbaijanianism unites all the citizens living in the country,

irrespective of their faith, language and race. As the National Leader said, ‘In reality Azerbaijan is the shared motherland of all the nationalities and peoples living in its territory. The Azerbaijani, Lezghi, Avar, Kurd, Talysh, Udi, Kumik, as well as others living in our territory are all Azerbaijanis.’ These words are extremely significant today and make clear the political reality that all the nations living in Azerbaijan may attract the interest of the rest of the world as Azerbaijanis, but that separately they will be of interest to no one!

As the political founder of Azerbaijani multiculturalism, National Leader Heydar Aliyev attached special importance to cooperation with such international organizations as the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, European Union and Organization of Islamic Cooperation in implementing the policy of multiculturalism. The National Leader used to note the importance of Azerbaijan’s adherence to the conventions on the protection of rights and freedoms of national minorities adopted by the aforementioned organizations. Under his leadership the Azerbaijani government succeeded in establishing effective cooperation with these organizations on human rights including the protection of the rights of national minorities. Azerbaijan has joined many international conventions on the protection of human rights and those of national minorities. These conventions include the Council of Europe’s framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. This convention was signed by the Azerbaijani government on 1 February 1995 and ratified on 6 June 2000. Every five years the Republic of Azerbaijan submits to the Council of Europe a report on the fulfilment of its commitments under the framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

Thus, by introducing multiculturalism as part of the ideology of Azerbaijanism, National Leader Heydar Aliyev laid the foundations of multicultural policy in our country and became the political founder of Azerbaijani multiculturalism. The National Leader’s great

Section II

Chapter 2

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Azerbaijani Multiculturalism

work on multiculturalism is associated with the name of his worthy successor President Ilham Aliyev.