Azerbaijan to officially designate Holocaust Memorial Day

Azerbaijan is set to become one of the few Muslim-majority nations to officially observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. This was announced by the President of the Republic, Ilham Aliyev, during a meeting with Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and a prominent advocate for Jewish-Muslim interfaith dialogue. The Azerbaijani leader also pledged financial support for "Or Avner," the nation's sole Jewish school located in Baku, which has recently experienced budgetary difficulties.

According to Marc Schneier, he requested the initiative during his meeting with Aliyev, to which the Azerbaijani President readily agreed. "We would be privileged to implement this and to be part of this initiative," Schneier quoted Aliyev as saying. The Rabbi noted that the Azerbaijani leader has instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the Israeli Ambassador to arrange the commemorative events.

Marc Schneier described President Aliyev's decision as "an extraordinary paradigm of goodwill at the highest governmental level." Concurrently, the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Azerbaijan and representative of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, Shneor Segal, expressed his gratitude to Ilham Aliyev for his ongoing patronage of the community and for ensuring a secure environment for Jewish people within the country.

Michael Mirilashvili, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, conveyed his appreciation to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan in an official letter of gratitude:

"Dear Mr. President,

On behalf of the leadership of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress and myself personally, I wish to express our profound gratitude for your decision to officially recognize International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the state level. This policy constitutes a significant precedent for other nations regarding the preservation of Holocaust memory. Permit me also to convey our deep appreciation for your commitment to support the 'Or Avner' Jewish school in Baku.

For over a millennium, the Jewish community has resided in Azerbaijan in an atmosphere of security and mutual respect. Numerous representatives of the Azerbaijani Jewish community have actively participated, and continue to do so, in the political, cultural, social, and economic spheres of the Republic. We are highly appreciative of your prudent national policy and your consistent, resolute stance against antisemitism on the international stage. We deeply value your personal contribution to fostering and consolidating the close relations and bilateral economic ties between Azerbaijan and Israel. We remain confident that the Jewish community of Azerbaijan will continue to flourish for the prosperity of the nation."