“Azerbaijan’s relations with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) represent one of the main priorities of the country’s foreign policy, and these ties have been developing since 1991. Azerbaijan was admitted as a full member of the organisation at the Summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference held in Dakar on December 8, 1991. In 1994, Azerbaijan’s permanent mission to the OIC was established. In resolutions adopted across various years, the OIC has condemned Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan and recognized the Khojaly genocide.”
Political analyst Bakir Hasanbayli said this to Globalinfo.az as he commented on President Ilham Aliyev’s reception of OIC Secretary General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed on October 26.
The political analyst noted that during the Patriotic War in 2020, the OIC issued statements supporting Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity:
“The year 2017 was declared the ‘Year of Islamic Solidarity’ in Azerbaijan, and the city of Baku hosted the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games. Cooperation between Azerbaijan and the OIC continues in economic, trade, labor, and humanitarian spheres. During the meeting between President Ilham Aliyev and OIC Secretary General Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, discussions focused mainly on cooperation in the media sector, joint efforts to counter disinformation, and projects to be carried out during Azerbaijan’s chairmanship. The sides highlighted the importance of expanding media cooperation within the OIC and the joint efforts of member states to counter false information.
An exchange of views took place on various projects planned for implementation during Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the organisation. Both sides expressed their commitment to increasing joint efforts to enhance the organisation’s international standing and further strengthen solidarity among Muslim countries. The Secretary General praised Azerbaijan’s full restoration of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, stating that the OIC supports the head of state’s efforts to establish peace in the region. During the meeting, congratulations were also extended on the upcoming Victory Day, and the historical contributions of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in building relations between Azerbaijan and the OIC were commemorated. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation maintains a firm, resolute stance unequivocally supporting Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity against any provocative actions directed against Azerbaijan. The organisation fully defended official Baku’s steps both during Armenia’s former policy of occupation, throughout the Second Karabakh War and anti-terror operations, as well as in the post-conflict period. The OIC has consistently condemned military and political provocations committed against our country through official statements, describing the targeting of civilians and attacks as gross violations of international law.”
Bakir Hasanbayli
The analyst stated that the OIC General Secretariat and member states consistently declare their unequivocal solidarity with the state and people of Azerbaijan during all tense periods:
“The organisation’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission has regularly dispatched fact-finding missions to our country to examine on-site the destruction committed in the liberated territories and the annihilation of cultural and religious heritage, documenting these provocations. Azerbaijan’s high standing in the OIC and the statements made during the Secretary General‘s official visits to Azerbaijan reaffirm that the Islamic world stands with Azerbaijan against any biased actions and provocations aimed at disrupting regional stability.
Debates that arose in Azerbaijan following the Cabinet of Ministers’ decision on unified school uniforms and the principles of secularism in secondary schools have provoked varied reactions on the international stage. On this matter, there is no negative response from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation against Azerbaijan in the form of official condemnation, sanctions, or any special statement. On the contrary, high-level relations and the partnership platform between the organisation and the country continue actively. The current situation surrounding this issue, the allegations of provocation, and the OIC’s approach are characterized as follows.
At a time when debates over school uniform regulations were heating up in the foreign media and some regional countries, President Ilham Aliyev received the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in Baku. This demonstrates that there is no general “hijab ban” or mass arrests over it in the country. The decision solely concerns the introduction of a standard uniform in state secondary educational institutions based on the principle of secularism. The OIC is founded on the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and respect for the sovereignty of member states. The leadership of the organisation highly values Azerbaijan’s contributions to Islamic solidarity and accepts domestic educational or dress codes as the sovereign right of the country itself. Consequently, attempts on some foreign platforms and social networks to present Azerbaijan’s secular dress codes as a “provocation against Islam” or a “hijab ban” received no institutional support from the official OIC, and the organisation maintained its strategic and friendly relations with the Azerbaijani state.”
Turan Rzayev
Globalinfo.az
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