Organization Of Islamic Conference Foreign Ministers Gathered In Bak

ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE FOREIGN MINISTERS GATHERED IN BAKU

Regnum, Russia
June 19 2006

On June 19, 33rd session of the Organization of Islamic Conference
(OIC) foreign ministers began in Baku, a REGNUM correspondent reports.

In this connection, auto traffic was restricted in some Baku avenues
and streets in order to guarantee security of participants of the
OIC 33rd session.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev opened the session. He stated that
processes in the world, including attempts of some western countries’
mass media to equalize Islam with terror, worried Azerbaijan. Mr.

Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan might not allow that because Islam
was religion of prosperity and peace; it might not be called religion
of terror. According to him, Azerbaijan was victim of terror itself
because only Armenians committed more than 30 terrorist acts in
Azerbaijan, as a result of which more than 2,000 Azerbaijanis died.

Terror does not have religion or nationality, President Aliyev
concluded. Also, he stressed importance of a dialogue between
civilizations and religions.