Mammadov: No contradiction between Azerbaijan's secular model and religious values
There is no contradiction between Azerbaijan's secular state model and religious and spiritual values, Ramin Mammadov, chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, wrote on Facebook.
Freedom of religious belief, the principles of the rule of law, secularism and respect for national and spiritual values complement one another and strengthen social stability and solidarity in Azerbaijani society, he said.
A secular state does not deny religious values but provides legal mechanisms to protect them, according to Mammadov. Secularism means governing on the basis of law, equality of citizens regardless of their religion and belief, and guaranteed freedom of worship, he said. That model creates the ground for people of different worldviews to live peacefully and safely within a common legal framework.
Mammadov wrote that one of the key questions facing the country is what values, model of thinking and civic responsibility the future Azerbaijani society will be built on. The task is to raise citizens who are aware of their national identity, think independently, assess modern challenges correctly and understand responsibility for statehood, he said.
Youth policy always held a special place in the statehood philosophy of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, according to him. "Our young people must be brought up in the national spirit, on the basis of our national and spiritual values," Heydar Aliyev said at the First Youth Forum in 1996, in words Mammadov described as still relevant.
That policy is being continued by President Ilham Aliyev with the challenges of the modern period in mind, Mammadov wrote. In his speech at the VIII Congress of the New Azerbaijan Party, the head of state said ideological security was important and named education, knowledge and patriotism as important factors in protecting young people from alien and harmful influences, while drawing attention to preserving national values, traditions and way of life.
The foundation of this process is laid in the family and developed systematically in educational institutions, he said. A third factor shaping the outlook of young people is the information space: the internet, social media, digital technologies and artificial intelligence widen access to knowledge but also accelerate the spread of various ideological influences.
An abundance of information does not in itself guarantee a correct worldview, Mammadov said. Without the ability to assess the reliability of information and to choose between different influences, wide access can increase the risk of being misdirected, he said.
For that reason security of thought matters alongside information security, according to him. It involves the ability to analyze information, recognize manipulation, compare different opinions and take decisions on the basis of sound judgment.
Religious knowledge and moral values also occupy an important place in forming a person's outlook, and it is important that young people acquire religious knowledge from sound and reliable sources, Mammadov said. He called for distinguishing a correct understanding of religious concepts from superstition, spiritual values from radical ideas, and religious faith from manipulative appeals that abuse that faith.
Religious values should serve human dignity, mercy, justice, mutual respect, social solidarity and peace, he said.
The impression is sometimes created that a choice has to be made between protecting national values and integrating into the modern world, Mammadov wrote, but no such forced choice exists between national identity and modernity. Attachment to national values should not be an obstacle to openness to scientific knowledge, technological innovation and modern thinking, he said.
