Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend I.Alizade / The member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Ganira Pashayeva, said on 29 June by telephone from Strasburg that the PACE calls on to take urgent measures to avoid the growing contradiction between cultures and religions.
She said that the recent meeting of the PACE summer session on 29 June focused on the report of the rapporteur of PACE Committee for Culture, Science and Education, Luis Mary de-Punkta, under title of 'State, religion and human rights' and report of other rapporteur of the same Committee, Finnish parliamentarian, Finika Foskayner, under title of 'Religious abasement and intentionally action people for their religion'.
According to Pashayeva, it was stated during the meeting that anti-Semitism has strengthened in various European countries. "It is of concern and it will bring nothing good to Europe and the world. Therefore, the Council of Europe considers it necessary to activate the dialogue between cultures and religions," Pashayeva added.
She said that the session covered possible negative results of these tendencies and steps to expand dialogue between cultures and religions. It was stated that together with the State, the NGOs and media should also do much. She stressed that the discussions were also attended by the members of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE. The Azerbaijani parliamentarians said that a great role in expanding dialogue between cultures and religions falls on the share of the society. "We stressed that there has never been contradiction between cultures and religions in Azerbaijan. The peoples of various cultures and religions reside in Azerbaijan. All conditions have been created for them and there is no pressure in Azerbaijan. We presented to their attention the positive situation in Azerbaijan and that the Country pays great attention to this issue," Pashayeva said.
As a result of the reports, two Resolutions were passed.
"Strengthening of xenophobia, Islam-phobia and anti-Semitism is a blow for the European values and human rights. Serious steps should be taken to prevent them," the Resolution said.
PACE calls on the journalists to be attentive and avoid such tendencies in their reports, articles and speeches. The NGOs were also urged to expand activity in this regard.
The PACE considers it necessary to hold conferences on this problem.
The PACE summer session took place in Strasburg between 25 and 29 June. The session did not focus on issues regarding Azerbaijan.