"The Parliament Magazine" speaks about religious tolerance in Azerbaijan

Baku. 17 July. REPORT.AZ/ A secular state with a majority-Muslim population, Azerbaijan is characterized by an enlightened and tolerant attitude towards religion and a high degree of peaceful cohabitation among different communities. Report informs, it is said in an article of "The Parliament Magazine" newspaper which covers the activities of the European Parliament.

The article says that Azerbaijan uniquely stands out as a country where Shia and Sunnis pray in the same mosque and are represented by a unified body, the Caucasus Muslim Board (CMB). It made possible by its secular state system, which is founded on freedom of religion, separation between church and state and equality of all faiths before the law. Secularism stands out as the major distinguishing factor, differentiating Azerbaijan from the majority of other Muslim states. 

"Azerbaijan could represent a model for other Muslim countries, as a successful example of how secularism brings about religious tolerance and social harmony. Azerbaijan can potentially be a bridge between the west and the east, being at the same time part of the Council of Europe, the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and the Commonwealth of Independent States, while also having military ties with the west," the article notes.