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

Modern-day Azerbaijan as a shining example of multicultural development

The political decisions based on the desire of the administration of Azerbaijan to shape a modern multicultural society and the centuries-old traditions of tolerance of the people of Azerbaijan have created a situation in which ‘there is no alternative to multiculturalism’. Indeed, ‘there is no alternative to multiculturalism’. To quote President Ilham Aliyev, ‘the alternative to multiculturalism is xenophobia, discrimination, racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism…’ – ‘truly dangerous trends’ that lead to horrible outcomes, unacceptable to progressive mankind. ‘Multiculturalism has many addresses in the world, and one of them is Azerbaijan.’ Azerbaijan is becoming a centre of multicultural development, as the model of Azerbaijani multiculturalism is acknowledged as an example to many modern societies.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has defined the Azerbaijani model of multiculturalism very precisely and briefly: ‘… the strength of every society lies in its religious and national diversity… Of course, this requires the necessary traditions and, at the same time, the conduct of state policy at an appropriate level. Both of these factors exist in Azerbaijan.’

Actually, two factors in Azerbaijan’s multicultural policy – the political decisions of the administration based on multicultural security, and the centuries-old traditions of tolerance of the Azerbaijani people – integrate organically­. The decisions of the administration aimed at supporting cultural diversity within the framework of Azerbaijan’s

Section II

Chapter 3

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Azerbaijani Multiculturalism

multicultural model do not allow cultural fragmentation. They do not contradict the universal values of social integration. Compromise is reached, because the interests of the sides do not contradict each other, and this is not a zero-sum game, it is a game of coalition in which all will benefit from comprehensive mutual activity and collaboration, and from the interests of the state.

It should be said that unlike Western European count­ries where multiculturalism arises from the need to integ­rate­ immigrants into society, multiculturalism in Azerbaijan is a historical way of life which is supported by all the inhabitants of this ancient land. The Azerbaijani nation includes all the nations living in the country, and all of them are Azerbaijanis. Ethnic and religious tolerance­ is the result of the long coexistence of the beliefs of the past and present inhabitants of the country. The Azerbaijani Turks as an ethnos have built their own state over millennia, and for centuries the Azerbaijani language has been the means of interethnic communication. The Azerbaijani Turks themselves emerged on the basis of the majority Turkic community intermixed with Caucasian and Iranian social groups. This created a unique ethnic environment that absorbed the cultural norms and values of these strata. Down the centuries it accumulated capital in maintaining cultural distinctiveness and in integration, now known as multiculturalism, which is an asset and a great advantage for Azerbaijan. In short, traditions are a form of the past without which neither the present nor future is possible. The original multicultural tradition is one of the traditions of the Azerbaijani people, which is in the focus of the state policy of Azerbaijan, and is skilfully managed.