Western Azerbaijan Community

The Western Azerbaijan Community welcomes the decisions adopted at the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Qazis of the Caucasus Muslims Office, held on May 22 in Baku, regarding the restoration of the activities of the Iravan Qaziyat, the approval of its Charter, and the election of the Qazi of Iravan.

We remind that, with the exception of the Blue Mosque in Iravan, almost 300 mosques that once existed in Western Azerbaijan were destroyed by Armenia. In addition, more than 500 cemeteries were demolished, and the cultural and religious heritage of Azerbaijanis was systematically erased. This constitutes a gross violation of international law and human rights.

The restoration of the activities of the Iravan Qaziyat is an important step towards ensuring freedom of religion, reviving the multicultural environment in Western Azerbaijan, and restoring historical justice. This decision also represents a significant step toward the return of Azerbaijanis who were forcibly expelled from Armenia to their historical lands.

The Western Azerbaijan Community demands that the Government of Armenia create conditions for the unimpeded use of the Blue Mosque by Azerbaijanis, restore the destroyed mosques and other cultural monuments belonging to Azerbaijanis, and ensure the safe and dignified return of the Azerbaijanis expelled from Western Azerbaijan to their native lands.

We call on the states of the world, the UN, and other relevant organizations to put pressure on Armenia to eliminate the injustice it has committed.