Today.Az » Society » Baku hosts International conference "Different forms of Islamophobia and Xenophobia: their impact on youth and youth role in their prevention"
06 November 2008 [10:28] - Today.Az
An international conference "Different forms of Islamophobia and Xenophobia: their impact on youth and youth role in their prevention" kicked off in Baku. The conference was organized by the Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Council of Europe, ISESCO, the European Youth Forum and the OIC Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation under the slogan of "Beyond religious differences"”. Addressing the conference, Minister of Youth and Sport Azad Rahimov said Azerbaijan became an example for the entire world world for secularity and freedom of conscience.
"Representatives of nearly 80 nations and ethnic groups are living in Azerbaijan now and they are full-right citizens of Azerbaijan."
The minister said Azerbaijan’s government followed the policy to form environment free from the national, religious and ethnic discrimination.
Director for Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe Ralph Rene Weingartner emphasized the Azerbaijan’s activeness in the youth policy. Head of the ISESCO Secretary General’s Office Ahmed Said Ould Bah said attacks against Islam were intensified after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. "It is a groundless enmity of the forces, who are against the extension of Islam and Muslims. Unfortunately we face with Islamophobia in the socio-political sphere too. Impunity of attackers against Islam encourages others for such behavior. We all should join efforts to settle this problem".
124 representatives from 43 countries are attending the conference, which will finish on November 8 with the adoption of Baku Youth Initiative as a final document. This document will regulate the activity of young people in the next years.
/APA/
|
|
