Posted by 
Over the last two days, we listened to more than 40 speakers and spoke about consequences of religious intolerance, said Alexis Chahtahtinsky, OSCE Project Coordinator in Baku, in his closing speech at a conference dedicated to the promotion of religious tolerance, APA reports.
Chahtahtinsky said there are various ongoing problems in the OSCE area:
“Anti-Semitism and growing Islamophobia of the issues we’re concerned about. People no longer feel safe. In some cases, they get obliged to leave the countries they were born in. Economic problems are a threat to democratic values. To settle these matters in future, we need to take a thorough look into the problem and find out what causes them. The messages of religions and ideas of tolerance must be preached. Religious intolerance and radicalism are primary threats to global security. For this reason, related syllabuses must be developed so that the values we discussed here would be taught. I’m planning to work with Azerbaijan’s Education Ministry in this regard. It’s a new project. We should arrange events on religious tolerance. The situation in this respect is good in Azerbaijan, but we need to think of future generations. We should to find ways to attract youth to religious discussions. Religious communities can play a key role in strengthening religious tolerance. One initiative suggested the teaching of religion at Muslim, Christian, and Jewish schools. If religious communities cooperate, it can also prevent radicalism. At the international level states share their best experiences. The OSCE will make its own contribution. We stand ready for cooperation to restore peace,” he said.
Apa.az
