BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 17. The Azerbaijani State Committee on Religious Associations has made a statement protesting against the biased resolution of the European Parliament adopted on March 10, 2022, Trend reports via the committee.
According to the statement, the resolution was prepared under the influence of the Armenian lobby, doesn’t reflect reality, and contains false Armenian statements.
The statement noted that the resolution nothing mentions the true situation connected with the fate of Azerbaijani historical and religious monuments.
So, during the period of Armenian occupation in the territories of Azerbaijan, 65 out of 67 mosques were destroyed (the Aghdam Juma mosque was partially preserved due to the fact that it was used by Armenian armed forces for military purposes, and the Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque in Shusha, after the so-called repair, was presented as a "Persian" mosque ).
The resolution also mentions nothing about the ethnic cleansing and genocide against Azerbaijanis by Armenia, the Armenization of Azerbaijani toponyms, the destruction, along with 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, in general, about the vandalism against the religious and cultural heritage of Azerbaijan.
Besides, nearly 900 cemeteries were completely destroyed, tombstones were broken, and graves were excavated with the desecration of the remains. Azerbaijani citizens were deprived of the opportunity to visit the graves of their loved ones for 30 years.
The committee's statement once again highlighted the fact that during the 2020 second Karabakh war, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces didn’t conduct any military operations against civilians, as well as religious facilities, which was repeatedly 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.
Besides, according to the committee’s statement, the Azerbaijani side has repeatedly stated that the protection of historical and religious monuments in the territory of Azerbaijan, including the liberated lands, is the responsibility of the Azerbaijani state.
The statement further said that the ongoing restoration of two churches, along with mosques, in Shusha, is a clear indicator of Azerbaijan's respectful attitude towards 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. “However, the Armenian side violates, along with this Convention, 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 reminded that following the video meeting held on February 4, 2022, with the participation of the President of Azerbaijan, the President of France as the chairmanship of this country in the EU, President of the Council of the EU and the Prime Minister of Armenia, an agreement was reached to send a UNESCO mission to Azerbaijan and Armenia.
According to the statement, the above agreement is a confirmation of the need to study the state of the cultural heritage belonging to the Azerbaijani people on the territory of Armenia.
In conclusion, the committee’s statement expressed regret that the resolution of the European Parliament didn’t mention all the facts.