The Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB), Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, at the invitation of Miguel Ángel Moratinos, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), participated in the first ceremony of the joint initiative by the UNAOC and "Religions for Peace" titled "A Call for Peace, Ending Wars, and Respect for International Law" in the Kingdom of Spain.
On April 25, CMB Chairman A. Pashazade took part in a round table with religious leaders in the historic Spanish city of Guernica. Conveying the greetings of the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, to the participants, the CMB Chairman emphasized the importance of establishing a world order based on international legal norms, universal spiritual values, and traditional religious-moral principles for the sake of saving human life—the greatest value created by the Almighty. He stated that as long as war crimes do not subside, the Guernica tragedy should not be erased from memory and should serve as a symbolic warning to those who do not learn from the historical lessons of the two world wars. In this regard, the Sheikh-ul-Islam evaluated the UNAOC initiative to establish an "Alliance for Peace" and the valuable efforts of the High Representative, Mr. Moratinos, as a significant contribution to creating an atmosphere of peace and mutual trust in the world.
Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade noted that at a time when there is a great need for a spiritual assessment of global problems and the presentation of a multicultural lifestyle that can prevent manifestations of national, racial, and religious extremism, all ideas and initiatives serving human solidarity—including the years of Multiculturalism and Islamic Solidarity declared by President Ilham Aliyev, the Baku Process on intercultural dialogue he authored, and Azerbaijan's hosting of the 7th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations—serve the ideals of peace and coexistence in the world. He later added:
"The Republic of Azerbaijan, which ended military aggression and restored its internationally recognized territorial integrity within the framework of international legal norms and relevant UN resolutions, was subjected to war crimes, occupation, genocide, vandalism, urbicide, ecocide, and culturicide for 30 years. Today, the Azerbaijani state is reviving our cultural and spiritual heritage in our liberated territories, giving new life to our scorched lands, and engaging in peaceful construction and the work of real peace in the region."
On April 26, the purpose of the commemorative ceremony for the 88th anniversary of the tragic bombing in the historic city of Guernica was also to promote the message of peace, support respect for international law, and strengthen the condemnation of wars. In his speech, Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade touched upon an important point, stating: “Massacres committed based on national, racial, and religious affiliation, etched in the blood memory of humanity, are among the gravest and most unforgivable sins against humanity. Giving a political-legal assessment to war crimes and massacres is exceptionally important for justice to take its place.” While respectfully commemorating all victims of crimes against humanity—the massacres of Guernica, the Holocaust, Khatyn, Srebrenica, Khojaly, Rwanda, and others—Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade touched upon the Khojaly tragedy, stating that the Azerbaijani people are among those who have been subjected to the crime of mass murder. At the end of the ceremony, Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade, together with the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos and the Secretary General of Religions for Peace Francis Kuria, participated in an official wreath-laying ceremony in memory of the victims of Guernica.
In a meeting between Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazade and the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Ángel Moratinos, issues of mutual cooperation between the religious center and the UN body were discussed in detail. Within the framework of the ceremony, A. Pashazade met and held a productive exchange of views with the Mayor of Guernica-Lumo Jose Mari Gorrono, local government officials, the Secretary General of Religions for Peace Francis Kuria, and the co-chair of the movement—head of the Muslim community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mufti of Sarajevo Nedjad Grabus. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of Spain, Ramiz Hasanov, also participated in the ceremony.

Press Service of the CMB