Peter Lukimson, Israel. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza
“Azerbaijan – a territory of tolerance” is a new project of Azerbaijan-Israel Association (AzIs) in the Israeli town of Kiryat Gat, it is supported by Heydar Aliyev Fund. The goal of the project is to tell Israeli citizens about Azerbaijan, a country where no inter-ethnic conflicts have ever happened in any times of epochs, the atmosphere of friendship, mutual respect and understanding reigns between representatives of various nations, including the Jews.
“All historic chronicles and documents confirm that due to its geographical situation and the national character of the Azerbaijani people, there has never been inter-ethnic and religious conflicts, except for bringing it to the territory from abroad. Thus, Azerbaijan can be fairly called a cradle of tolerance in the East,” Lev Spivak, Director General of AzIs, says. It is fair toward Christian peoples (it is thought that one of Christian apostles died in Baku, and there was a chapel near the symbol of the city, the Maiden’s Tower, till the 1930s) and toward us, the Jews. In any century and any epoch you can find Jews who took prominent positions in courts of Azerbaijani rulers and evidence that Jewish communities prospered on the Azerbaijani territory. Before the mass repatriation to Israel, the Jews were an integral part of Azerbaijani science, culture, education system, and industry. 800 out of 1200 engineers of the Baku Air Conditioner Factory were Jews. All these facts provided the basis for a report prepared by AzIs, which is presented to guests of “Azerbaijan – a territory of tolerance” by the head of the Azerbaijani Culture Center Yegyana Salman.
The report is not the only element of the project. A photo exhibition which tells about operating mosques, synagogues, churches, and cathedrals on the territory of Azerbaijan takes place in halls of the Culture Centers in Israeli cities and towns. The existence of different religious temples confirms religious tolerance in the country. Moreover, guests can watch a movie about Azerbaijan, which was shot by journalists of the Second Chanel of the Israeli television, and learn about singers, musicians, artists, and poets, natives of Azerbaijan.
The first event which took place in Kiryat Gat was very successful. “I was born in the Caucasus,” Yakov Ifraimov, the vice-mayor of Kiryat Gat, told the audience. “I don’t need evidence of century-long traditions of good neighboring and tolerance in Azerbaijan. In Armenia 98% of the population is the Armenians, while Azerbaijan has always been multinational and the Azerbaijanis live together with the Jews, the Russians, the Armenians, and so on. There has never been anti-Semitism.”
Such events will take place at least in 10-12 towns and cities of Israel in 2014. In April the exhibition will come to Nesher, in May – to Tirat Carmel.
