(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 5. The US statement
regarding freedom of religion in Azerbaijan has no ground, former
president of the Israel-Azerbaijan International Association (Aziz)
Lev Spivak told Trend .
Spivak said this, following US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken's statement about the inclusion of several countries, with
Azerbaijan among them, in a "special watch list" regarding the
freedom of religion.
"These demarches are just an excuse to prove themselves, to show
off in front of someone. I don't think it carries any real meaning,
it has no ground," he said.
Spivak noted that by his occupation he is always in touch with
Jewish communities in different cities of Azerbaijan.
"I am well acquainted with the heads of the communities of
Mountain Jews, Georgian Jews, and the Ashkenazi community of Baku,
with the rabbi representing Chabad in Azerbaijan, the chief rabbi
in Azerbaijan. I know the Jewish community of Sumgayit, Red Town
(Krasnaya Sloboda). I have met Jews in Ismayilli, which has no
community, they just don't feel the need for it. They live an
ordinary life like all the Azerbaijanis around them, Muslims,
atheists, all kinds of people. I have met with the Jewish community
in Ganja, I know the chairman of the community. And never in all
the years that I have been dealing with matters related to
relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, as well as issues of
natives of Azerbaijan, I have never heard any complaint about
anything whatsoever," he said.
Spivak also shared a story related to the issue, taking place in
Israel.
"In 2007 or 2008, there was an annual meeting of the Knesset
Human Rights Commission. Representatives of various communities
gathered natives of Morocco, France, and Russia. Me and Head of the
Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Israel Yegiana Salman, represented
the natives of Azerbaijan. Everyone complained about certain
difficulties of Jews in their countries of origin. When it came to
us, I said that the difficulties of Jews in Azerbaijan are
absolutely no different from those of Azerbaijanis and do not stand
out in any way. We have always lived in Azerbaijan without knowing
who our neighbors are by nationality, and we have always celebrated
holidays of different religions with joy. I have a huge number of
Jewish friends in Azerbaijan, they are not looking to go somewhere
else, because they feel comfortable in this country. They don't
experience any discrimination or oppression. They are all satisfied
with their quality of life," he concluded.
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