Baku to host international conference on fight against Islamophobia

On March 8-9, the Baku International Multiculturalism Centre (BIMC), the Centre of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Centre), and the G20 Interfaith Forum will organise an international conference dedicated to the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, themed "Protecting Diversity: Fighting Islamophobia in 2024", Azernews reports.

130 international guests, including scientists from 30 countries around the world, experts from international organisations, religious figures, and representatives of non-governmental organisations, are expected to participate in the conference. Two plenary sessions will be held within the framework of the conference. Each panel is supposed to have 6-7 speakers.

"Multiculturalism, Islam, and the Clash of Civilizations Theory: Rethinking Islamophobia", "Shaping Public Opinion: Digital Islamophobia" and "Struggle with Islamophobia in the Context of Higher Education" in the panel session entitled "A Call for global dialogue to promote tolerance, peace, and respect for human rights and religious diversity" sessions will be organized.

In the panel sessions on "Similarities and differences about Muslims in Western Europe, basic human rights of the Muslim community", "Policies against Muslims in France: Normalisation of Islamophobia", and "Deliberate acts of destruction and insult of Islamic cultural and religious heritage in non-Muslim countries" and "The Matrix of Gendered Islamophobia: repression and resistance of Muslim women, gender and society" will be held.

On March 10, the conference participants are scheduled to visit Shusha, which has been declared the cultural capital of the Islamic world in 2024.

It is worth noting that March 15 was announced for the first time at the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Niamey, Niger, on November 27-28, 2020. In 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted March 15 as the "International Day of Combating Islamophobia".