Rabbi: All attempts to accuse Azerbaijan of religious intolerance wide off the mark

There has never been any oppression for religious views or beliefs in Azerbaijan.

The director of the Baku Jewish School, the chairman of the Azerbaijani-Georgian Jewish community, Rabbi Zamir Isayev, told Report.

Commenting on the decision of the US State Department to include Azerbaijan in the watchlist [requiring special attention] of countries where violations of religious freedoms may occur, the rabbi called it a manifestation of absurdity.

“We believe that this is another manifestation of double standards in relation to Azerbaijan. All attempts to accuse us of displaying religious intolerance are simply ridiculous and groundless.”

He noted that neither in the past nor in the present the Jewish community has ever encountered anti-Semitism in Azerbaijan.

“The Jewish community of Azerbaijan is thriving. She has never encountered anti-Semitism. We only see support from the state towards us.”

Zamir Isayev recalled that in Jewish schools in Azerbaijan, they study the culture, history, and traditions of the Jewish people as part of the state education program.

“This shows the state’s attitude towards us, that it cares not only about the present but also about the future of our community,” he said, adding that services are held in the country’s synagogues without any obstacles.

According to him, even despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, in Azerbaijan, where predominantly Muslims live, the Jewish community did not feel any oppression even at the everyday level.

“Good neighborly and fraternal relations here are not interrupted and continue no matter what.”