Ilham Aliyev Calls for Islamic Unity Against Islamophobia

President Ilham Aliyev hosted the 7th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Muslim Religious Boards of the Organization of Turkic States and a conference on Sayyid Yahya Bakuvi in Baku on September 15. Aliyev called for the consolidation of the Turkic, Caucasian, and Islamic worlds to protect their sovereignty and resist international double standards, which he argued allowed Armenia to sustain the occupation of Azerbaijani territories for decades.

During the meetings, Aliyev declared that an "undeclared war" is being waged against the Islamic world through a targeted policy of Islamophobia and the discrediting of Muslim societies. He criticized Western institutions, including the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, for failing to designate Armenia as an aggressor. He further detailed the destruction of 65 mosques and the desecration of others during the Armenian occupation of Garabagh and East Zangezur, accusing Armenia of keeping livestock inside mosques to humiliate the Islamic world.

Aliyev highlighted the "Great Return" program to resettle nearly one million Azerbaijanis displaced by ethnic cleansing. While reaffirming a commitment to peace with Armenia, he emphasized that reconciliation must not sacrifice historical truth. He proposed transforming the gathering of religious leaders into a permanent institution and positioned Azerbaijan as a neutral platform for reconciliation ahead of the upcoming Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Baku.