The State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Specifying the system of values had an exceptional importance since the early years of independence for the country that was in the early stage of the state formation in a complex internal and external conditions in Azerbaijan. Defining the principal aspects of the state's attitude to religion as well as variety of religious confessions and communities operating in the country was considered significant in such period of time. Key principles of state and religion, legal framework that regulating this sphere were developed under the presidency of Heydar Aliyev, national leader of Azerbaijan people, the founder of the independent Azerbaijan as a part of state formation process. One of the great and historical services of our Great Leader in the regulation of the sphere of state-religion relations was the establishment of the State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan on June 21, 2001. Creating favorable conditions for the implementation of the Article 48 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and conducting state policy in the religious sphere, compliance with the provisions of the legislation on religious associations and coordination of the activities of the relevant executive authorities in relation to religious associations and other duties were in front of the committee. Moral Values Promotion Fund was established under the State Committee on Religious Associations with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated October 10, 2017 in order to support existing religious confessions, to provide protection and developent of moral values as well as strengthening government support to this sphere. The Azerbaijani Institute of Theology under the State Committee on Religious Associations was established with the decree of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on February 9, 2018 to maintain the protection and development of the religious and spiritual environment based on historical traditions of the Azerbaijani people and the logical result of state policy and to provide training of highly qualified personnel in the religious activity.

• to create favorable conditions for exercising freedom of religion;
• to provide control over complying with the legal acts on the freedom of the religious freedom;
• To provide registration of religious associations in the manner prescribed by law of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to provide changes and addition to the regulations (statues) of these associations respectively;
• to provide necessary assistance in the achievement of agreements with the state bodies on the request of the religious associations and to provide necessary state support to religious associations in the solution of matters required;
• to provide assistance in strengthening mutual understanding, tolerance and respect between the religious associations of various religious beliefs, to prevent confrontation and discriminations and other negative cases on religious ground;
• to establish database based on information received from religious centers, religious offices and other religious associations;
• to provide assistance to religious organizations with their business relations with international religious movement, forums, international religious centers and foreign religious associations;
• to provide religious examination with the participation of the representatives from religious associations and relevant specialists;
• to coordinate the activities of executive bodies relating to religious affairs and to ensure control over these activities. To provide assistance in organizing the work of religious commissions established under the district and city executive;
• To review programs of religious education and provide them with the expert opinion on the quality of education;
• To participate in the visits to holy places abroad and in reaching inter-State agreements on these affairs

Moral Values Promotion Fund was established under the State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated October 10, 2017. The Foundation is a non-profit legal entity that provides state support to the protection and development of moral value, the implementation of social projects in this area, as well as the exercise of religious freedom of citizens in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Theology Institute of Azerbaijan was established under the State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated February 9, 2018. The aim on founding the institute is to preserve and develope religious, spiritual atmosphere based on the historical traditions of the Azerbaijani people and which is the logical consequence of state policy, to train highly qualified personnel in the area of religious activity as well.

1. Rafig Aliyev – June 21, 2001-June 25, 2006
2. Hidayat Orujov – June 25, 2006-May 31, 2012
3. Elshad İskenderov – May 31, 2012-May 2, 2014
4. Mubariz Gurbanlı – since June 21, 2014

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1. Actual problems of Islam and modern age, international conference on "The attitude of İslam towards terror: true meaning and distorted interpretation", Baku, 20-21 December 2001
2. Seminar on "Ensuring Freedom of Religion and Belief against Extremism: challenges and current experience in Azerbaijan", Baku, 17-18 June 2002 (OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, OSCE Office in Baku and Together with the SCRA)
3. International Conference on "Cooperation in the Caucasus for Peace", Tbilisi, July 17, 2002. (Co-held)
4. International Conference on "The role of religion and belief in the democratic society: investigation of ways to fight terrorism and extremism", Baku, October 10-11, 2002. (Conducted by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) with the support of the Government of Azerbaijan).
5. "Religion and democracy: theory and historical experience". June 21, 2004.
6. International Conference on "Heydar Aliyev and Religion Policy in Azerbaijan: Realities and Perspectives", Baku, 3-4 April 2007.
7. International Conference on "Interreligious Dialogue: from mutual agreement to joint collaboration", Baku, 6-7 November 2009.
8. Baku Summit of World Religious Leaders, April 26-27, 2010
9. "The State and Religion: First İnternational Baku Forum on "Strengthening Tolerance in a Changing World", 19-21 December 2012
10. International Conference on Intercultural Dialogue: Interaction between Culture and Religion. (Jointly organized by the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, and Ministry of Culture and Tourism - September 1-2, 2014)
11. "Islamic Enlightenment and Modernity" - jointly organized by the ANAS, the Caucasian Muslims Office and the State Committee on Religious Associations - April 15-17, 2015
12. "Tolerance and cohesion models: the example of Azerbaijan for a new Europe" (November 30, 2015 in the Belgian capital, Brussels, the International symposium)
13. International Conference on Past and Present of Albanian Apostolic Church (organized by the State Committee on Religious Associations, Baku International Multiculturalism Center, Copyright Agency and Albanian-Udi Christian Religious Community of Azerbaijan) - July 20, 2016
14. International conference on "Islamic Solidarity - Challenge of Time" (jointly organized by the Caucasian Muslims Office, State Committee on Religious Associations, National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan and Baku International Multiculturalism Center) - March 15, 2017
15. International conference on "Islamic Solidarity: Harmony of Religious and Cultural Diversity" - Co-organized by the Caucasian Muslims Office, State Committee on Religious Associations, Baku International Multiculturalism Center and International Turkish Culture and Heritage Foundation - April 12, 2017
16. Panel on "Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue on Heydar Aliyev and Azerbaijan" (Organized by the State Committee on Religious Associations and Baku International Multiculturalism Center within the framework of the IV World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue) May 4-6, 2017
17. International Conference on "Islamic Solidarity in the Case of Iranian-Azerbaijani Friendship" (Caucasian Muslims Office, State Committee on Religious Associations, International Association for the Promotion of Islamic Sects of Iran, together with the Organization for Culture and Islamic Relations) August 7, 2017 year - Tehran city
18. International Conference on "Islamic Solidarity in the Case of Turkish-Azerbaijani Friendship" (Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate, State)The State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Caucasian Muslims Office, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Islamic History, Art and Cultural Studies Center (IRCICA) and Marmara University jointly) - September 25, 2017. - Istanbul city
19. International conference on "Islamic Solidarity in the Case of Uzbek-Azerbaijani Friendship" - Caucasus Muslims Office, State Committee on Religious Associations, Committee for Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Uzbek Muslims Office - October 18, 2017 - Tashkent city
20. International Conference on "Peace and Multicultural Life Contribution of Islamic Solidarity and Interfaith Dialogue" organized by the State Committee on Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Caucasian Muslims Office, Ministry of Justice of Spain and Evsen Foundation - November 6, 2017. Madrid
21. International Conference on "Russia-Azerbaijan: Inter-confessional Dialogue and Islamic Solidarity for Peace, Security and Cooperation" - (co-organized by the State Committee on Religious Associations, Caucasus Muslims Office, St. Petersburg State University, Spiritual Board of Muslims of St. Petersburg and North-West region of Russia) - St. Petersburg, November 23, 2017.
22. International Conference on "Year of Islamic Solidarity: Call of Azerbaijan" – co-organized by the State Committee on Religious Associations and Caucasian Muslims Office - September 28, 2017. Baku city
23. International Conference on "2017-Year of Islamic Solidarity: Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue" – co-organized by the Caucasus Muslims Office and the State Committee on Religious Associations" - December 21, 2017. Baku city
24. International Conference on "Multiculturalism and Inter-religious Tolerance: the Experience of Azerbaijan and Its Significance for Europe" - Co-organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Republic of Finland, the Caucasian Muslims Board (CMB), the State Committee on Religious Associations and the Aleksandria Institute under the Helsinki University ) - April 27, 2017. Helsinki
25. International Conference on "Improving the Interfaith and Inter-Civilizational Dialogue From Dialogue to Cooperation" – co-organized by the Baku International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Cooperation under the CMB, the State Committee on Religious Associations, Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan

to the Federal Republic of Germany, the German-Azerbaijan Forum and the Cultural Diplomacy Academy - November 19, 2018. Berlin

1. International Conference on "Improving the Interfaith and Inter-Civilizational Dialogue From Dialogue to Cooperation" - (co-organized by the State Committee on Religious Associations and the Caucasian Muslims Office) - March 5, 2019 – Baku

• "Heydar Aliyev Policy: Tolerance" book
• Collection of official documents regulating state-religion relations in the Republic of Azerbaijan
• "Tolerance: what we know and do not know" book
• "Homeland and state love in Islam"
• "Ilham Aliyev: Azerbaijan is an Example of Tolerance"
• "Religious Issues in Azerbaijan: Threats and Targets: On the plane of ideological, national, social security"
• "Christianity in Azerbaijan: From Past to Present"
• "Religious radicalism and superstition: two faces of a medal"
• "Azerbaijani multiculturalism in the eyes of the world"
• "Let's say "stop" to religious radicalism!"
• "Historical and religious monuments under occupation"
• "Jojug Marjanli Mosque: Contribution to Islamic Values"
• "Multiculturalism"
• "Islam rejects terror and violence"
• "Fighting against religious radicalism: from Islam to" Muslim "
• "The Biggest Disaster of the 21st Century: ISIS"
• "Azerbaijan multiculturalism through the eyes of the world"
• "Tolerance and Multicultural Documents Collection"
• "The Ideology of Azerbaijanism: As One of the Main Principles of National and Moral Values"
• "Missionary Methods and Strategies"
• "Historical and religious monuments under occupation" (in Russian)
• "The Role of Mass Media in Fighting against Religious Radicalism: International Experience and Observations"
• "Islam is against terror"
• "Religious radicalism and superstition: two faces of a medal"
• "Thanksgiving for the mornings"
• Short Islamic Encyclopedia

1. "Azerbaijan- the land of tolerance"
2. "Fitna"
3. "Testimony"
4. "Unity is in our blood"
5. "The Future on the Horizon"
6. "Read!"