The visit of Allahshukur Pashazade, Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board, to the Republic of Mauritius continues.

Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade addressed the 2026 World Council meeting of the "Religions for Peace" organization, held on June 23–26 on the theme "Building Pathways Toward Shared Blessed Flourishing."

Conveying the greetings and blessings of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan to the participants of the event and to the state and people of Mauritius, the CMB Chairman emphasized that the Azerbaijani state is an active participant in the process of dialogue and cooperation among civilizations and religions, as well as in international peace initiatives, and that our country regularly hosts prestigious international events in these areas. Describing his participation as Co-President in the work of the world's largest and most wide-reaching international interreligious peace organization as a mark of great trust in Azerbaijan and in himself personally, Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade characterized his representation in the "Religions for Peace" organization as an opportunity to contribute to peacebuilding and the securing of peace — something the world so acutely needs — and to share his experience.

Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade stated that in the modern era — marked by confrontations and growing human slaughter, by clashes along geopolitical and economic lines as well as on ethnic, religious, and racial grounds, by calls to hatred, the nuclear threat, the arms race, humanitarian catastrophes, and climate change that call the very existence of the human race into question — the principal source of the problems threatening humanity's existence lies in attempts to violate the divine order, in the sowing of corruption, and in people's estrangement from their moral and spiritual roots. He said: we pray for the restoration of peace in the world, and as a religious center we actively defend this position on all international platforms in the sphere of interreligious dialogue and cooperation.

In his speech, Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade stressed that one of the matters of vital importance in our time concerns the penetration of the phenomenon of artificial intelligence into our lives: "In this era of boundless development of digital technologies, the unrestricted spread of these innovations into every sphere of our lives creates, alongside new opportunities, many potential harms. What matters most in this issue is the observance of moral and ethical boundaries, the prevention of the harms that are highly likely to arise, and above all, the primacy of human intellect in the issuing of religious (Sharia) rulings. Islam is a progressive religion that encourages science and enlightenment. We, religious figures and believers, must also make use of the possibilities of artificial intelligence. When artificial intelligence is considered in the context of human rights, a crucial point is that the integration of religious values into artificial intelligence must not infringe upon the freedom of worship between Allah and His servant. We, religious leaders, must convey this truth to people: artificial intelligence, however intelligent it may be, has no soul, and therefore cannot replace the human being in worship. Artificial intelligence holds enormous possibilities in science, education, technology, medicine, the service sector, manufacturing, and other fields, and humankind should benefit from these possibilities."

In his address, CMB Chairman Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade brought to the attention of the participants of the international event that Azerbaijan's unique model of multiculturalism and inter-confessional understanding is our way of life, the policy of our state, and a successful example of coexistence for the whole world. The Azerbaijani state, having fully restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty, is today carrying out reconstruction work and population return projects in Karabakh, liberated from occupation, eliminating the consequences of ecocide and urbicide, and making genuine efforts toward peace and progress in our region.

Within the framework of the international event in Mauritius, CMB Chairman A. Pashazade held a series of bilateral meetings.

During the meeting with Dr. Francis Kuria, Secretary General of the "Religions for Peace" (RfP) organization, the head of the organization expressed his satisfaction at Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade's participation in the event in his capacity as Co-President of the RfP World Council. He expressed his confidence that Azerbaijan's rich traditions of multiculturalism and tolerance would prove valuable to the work of the organization.

Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade expressed his readiness to give comprehensive support to the peace-loving aims and initiatives of the RfP organization, and brought to his interlocutor's attention the proposal to hold one of RfP's future events in Azerbaijan.

On June 23, Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade met with Emmanuel Adamakis, Metropolitan of Chalcedon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders (MCE).

The meetings discussed the prospects for the future development of the CMB's relations with the Ecumenical Church and the Muslim Council of Elders, as well as matters of participation in international interreligious events to be held in various countries during the current year. At the Sheikh ul-Islam's proposal, the MCE Secretary General expressed the Council's readiness to take part as co-organizer of the International Scientific-Practical Conference dedicated to Seyyid Yahya Bakuvi, the renowned medieval Azerbaijani scholar and thinker, to be held in Baku this September.

Within the framework of the international event, CMB Chairman A. Pashazade met with Dr. Jerry Pillay, head of the World Council of Churches. Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade placed special emphasis on the peace agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan, noting that the Caucasus Muslims Board has never spared its efforts in this direction. He stressed with regret that the Armenian Church not only fails to support the work of peacebuilding but, on the contrary, refuses to retreat from its revanchist position. Drawing attention to the importance of the World Council of Churches taking a sensitive approach to this subject in light of the new, peace-oriented realities, the CMB Chairman expressed his hope that this point would henceforth be taken into account in the WCC's events and in the decisions it adopts.

The meeting, held in a cordial atmosphere, was productive from the standpoint of the prospects for developing bilateral relations. The head of the World Council of Churches expressed his interest in participating, at the invitation of the religious center — the CMB — in international events hosted by the Azerbaijani state, which plays a leading role in the field of interreligious dialogue and cooperation and makes practical contributions to this work.

Within the framework of the international event, Sheikh ul-Islam A. Pashazade also held bilateral meetings with Mohamed Elsanousi, Director of the US Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers; Rabbi Yitzhak Dayan, Rabbi of Thessaloniki and member of the Executive Committee of the Conference of European Rabbis; William Vendley, former Secretary General of Religions for Peace; and other prominent forum participants.

CMB Press Service

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