Baku hosts adoption of declaration by OTS Muslim religious leaders PHOTO / UPDATED

Muslim religious leaders from the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) have adopted a declaration in Baku outlining joint efforts to combat terrorism, extremism and other threats.

The declaration was read out by Salman Musayev, deputy chairman of the Caucasus Muslims’ Board, according to Report.

The participants reaffirmed their commitment to the goals and principles of the agreement establishing the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, signed in Nakhchivan on October 3 2009, as well as declarations and documents adopted at OTS summits.

The document calls for continued joint efforts against terrorism, extremism, separatism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and Turkophobia. It also proposes using Turkic-Islamic spiritual and cultural traditions to promote peace and educate young people.

The religious leaders agreed to support religious education, establish religious centres and develop exchanges of students, teachers and religious literature.

They also agreed to work towards jointly determining the dates marking the beginning of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, taking regional specificities into account, and to develop common fatwas based on the principles of moderate Islam.

The declaration calls for co-operation on protecting the rights of people, women and children in line with Turkic-Islamic spiritual and moral values. It also commits the participants to countering foreign interference, harmful propaganda, sectarianism and ideological provocations in the religious sphere of Turkic states.

The document further calls for translating religious literature into the languages of Turkic states, holding joint seminars, conferences and symposiums, and promoting the study of Turkic history, as well as pilgrimages and tours to religious and historical sites in OTS countries.

The declaration was adopted and signed in Baku on September 14. It was drawn up in English in a single copy and deposited with the Secretariat of the Organisation of Turkic States.

The seventh meeting of the Council of Heads of Muslim Religious Administrations of the OTS was held in Baku on the same day.

Those attending included Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, chairman of the Caucasus Muslims’ Board; Mufti Nauryzbay Taganuly, chairman of the Muslim Spiritual Administration of Kazakhstan; Mufti Abdulaziz Zakirov, chairman of the Muslim Administration of Kyrgyzstan; Professor Safi Arpaguş, head of Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs; Mufti Nuriddin Kholiknazar, chairman of the Muslim Board of Uzbekistan; Mufti  Rahman Gurbanmuradov, chairman of the Muslim Spiritual Administration of Turkmenistan; Hakan Moral, head of the Religious Affairs Department of Northern Cyprus; and OTS Secretary-General Ambassador Kubanychbek Omuraliev.

12:03

Azerbaijan will host the adoption of a Baku Declaration by Muslim religious leaders of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS).

OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliev announced this at the 7th Meeting of Muslim Religious Leaders of the OTS in Baku, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

He said the declaration, along with additional decisions and a communiqué, would address key issues and goals for Muslim religious leaders across the OTS.

Omuraliev also said participants would re-elect the chair of the Meeting of Muslim Religious Leaders in Baku.

By Aghakazim Guliyev