Azerbaijan’s Model of Religious Tolerance Attracts Great Interest in Berlin
Under the title “Unity in Diversity: Interreligious Voices from Azerbaijan in Dialogue,” an important event took place on June 25, 2025, at the Azerbaijani Cultural Center in Berlin. It sent a powerful message in favor of religious tolerance, cultural diversity, and interfaith coexistence. The event was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Germany and the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations.
High-ranking representatives from the German Foreign Office and other federal ministries, foreign ambassadors, religious leaders, journalists, and figures from academia and culture were in attendance—a wide cross-section of German society reflecting the importance and relevance of the topic.
Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Berlin, Nasimi Aghayev, opened the event with compelling words: “This event embodies exactly what our time so urgently needs: dialogue, mutual respect, and true togetherness across borders.”
He emphasized that Azerbaijan is a country where “diversity is not managed, but lived. Where Shia and Sunni Muslims pray together. Where Jewish communities are protected and respected. Where Christians are part of society—not on the margins, but at its center.”
Ramin Mammadov, Chairman of the State Committee, highlighted the active role of the Azerbaijani state in protecting religious freedom and promoting a lived multiculturalism—an approach supported by concrete political measures and strong civic engagement.
Renowned Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, described Azerbaijan as a “model for religious tolerance” and stressed the importance of making this reality more widely known internationally.
In a subsequent panel discussion, leading representatives of Azerbaijan’s Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities shared accounts of peaceful coexistence and mutual trust in their homeland. They all affirmed: Azerbaijan’s model of religious coexistence is not an ideal—it is everyday life.
A cultural highlight was a concert by the AJAM Quartet – an ensemble of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian musicians – that brought the spirit of unity to life through music.
The Azerbaijani delegation also made a strong impression in political Berlin. In meetings with Armin Laschet, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, other Bundestag members, and Thomas Rachel, the Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion and Belief, the topic of interreligious dialogue was discussed at the highest level.
As part of their visit, the delegation toured the House of the Wannsee Conference and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. They also met with Daniel Botmann, Executive Director of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Abdassamad El-Yazidi, Secretary General of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany. Further meetings were held with representatives of the Syriac Orthodox Church, and visits were made to the Şehitlik Mosque and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These encounters highlighted the shared commitment to religious dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence among faith communities.
The event and the visit to Berlin were a clear affirmation of the power of unity in an era of increasing division. Azerbaijan demonstrated that religious and ethnic diversity is not a weakness, but a strength—when built on trust, respect, and shared values. As Ambassador Aghayev put it:
“Interreligious harmony is not a utopia—it can be a lived reality. In Baku, in Berlin, and everywhere people choose to build bridges instead of walls.”
Video of the event: https://youtu.be/paeEa-EAG8c
