An event titled "Bir Vətən, bir ürək!" ("One Homeland, One Heart!") was held on September 26 at the House of Tolerance, which operates under the Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB), in connection with September 27 – Commemoration Day.
AZERTAC reports that the event was attended by representatives of the CMB, heads of religious confessions operating in Azerbaijan, representatives of religious communities, family members of martyrs, veterans (qazis), students, and others.
Fatma Pashazade, the director of the House of Tolerance, speaking at the event, emphasized that September 27 is a special day in the history of Azerbaijan. She noted, "Thanks to the wise policy and iron will of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, as well as the heroism and dedication of our brave sons, today we live as a free, strong, and victorious nation. The gathering of representatives of various religious communities at this event carries great significance. This is because members of different communities in Azerbaijan live like one family. They also united during the Patriotic War. With this, we once again demonstrated to the world that Azerbaijan is a tolerant country."
A video was then shown on the anniversary of the Patriotic War.
Fuad Nurullayev, Deputy Chairman of the CMB, spoke about the love for the Homeland (Vətən): "The children of Azerbaijan, regardless of their religious position, united around the 'Iron Fist' during the Patriotic War. The martyrs inscribed their names in history. Martyrs are not forgotten when they die, but when they are not remembered. Therefore, we must keep their memory alive always."
Milikh Yevdayev, Chairman of the Mountain Jews Community, stressed that the souls of the martyrs are at the highest peak in the presence of God. "In the world, one cannot look directly at the Sun and at death. Martyrs, however, are people who looked directly at the face of death. That is why they were granted the peak of martyrdom. Great Leader Heydar Aliyev always noted that freedom is such a blessing that the rest of the world's blessings are worth a mere drop of water next to it. Our freedom was ensured, and we were granted a magnificent Victory. Thus, we were able to introduce our identity to the whole world. The world now knows what the Azerbaijani people are capable of. We must be grateful to our ancestors for choosing such a beautiful place as a Homeland for us," he emphasized.
Bishop Alexiy (Smirnov) of the Baku and Azerbaijan Eparchy, in his speech, recalled that the Patriotic War resulted in the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan: "Azerbaijan has always been a multicultural country. Representatives of religious communities here live like one family in peace and tranquility. We will continue to be together in all difficult moments."
Surkhay Mammadli, a qazi of the CMB, noted in his speech that those who sacrificed their lives for the Homeland reached the highest peak, and that martyrdom is a profound concept.
Toral Aghayev, press secretary of the Apostolic Prefecture of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan, recalled in his address that everyone came together on the day the Patriotic War began in 2020: "Not everyone expected members of different religious communities to be together. The Azerbaijani people and its leadership overturned all plans. We showed everyone that diversity can truly be a source and a factor of strength. From the moment the war started, we, as the Catholic Church, prayed for a just peace."
The event was attended by Elyar Islamoghlu, the brother of martyred Major Vusal Aliyev; Zeynab Samadova, the wife of martyred Lieutenant Teymur Azimov; Sadaqat Qurbanova, the mother of martyred Imran Qurbanov; Nataliya Quliyeva, the wife of martyred Badraddin Guliyev; a family member of martyred Lieutenant-Colonel Murshud Rahimov; and veterans Shiraz Hasanov and Vusal Hasanov.
Veteran Shiraz Hasanov, speaking at the event, recounted his combat memories, stating that he was wounded twice: "We liberated Shusha from the enemy. We fought for five days without food or water. The 'Shusha operation' shook the world. Everyone is talking about this operation," he noted.
Elyar Islamoghlu stated that everyone in our country lives equally, regardless of religion or language: "The martyrs of this country are eternal. People of different religions will continue to live comfortably in unity and equality in our country."
Zeynab Samadova and Nataliya Quliyeva also spoke about the love for the Homeland and the eminence of the peak of martyrdom.
Bakhtiyar Najafov, Deputy Chairman of the CMB and Qazi of Iravan, emphasized in his speech that sacrificing one's life in the path of truth is a source of pride. He noted that President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva always stand by the families of the martyrs.
The event concluded with prayers for the souls of the martyrs.