Religious and political extremism should not be tolerated, said Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, head of Eurasian Institute, a non-governmental organization.
“Now, many people are trying to cause confrontation under the banner of Islam, which is mainly observed in the Middle East,” the political analyst said. “We witness in Georgia and Azerbaijan that Islam is the religion of peace.”
Rtskhiladze also commented on the increase in the number of crosses in the Georgian areas densely populated by Azerbaijanis.
“Putting crosses up in those areas is wrong and contrary to the Christian religion,” he said.
“The cross is a religious icon and cannot be put up everywhere. The cross can be put up in churches, memorials, etc. But putting it up everywhere is opposing Allah as you are opposing your kind countrymen and women who love you. We’ve never had such problems,” the political analyst added.
Rtskhiladze noted that people in Georgia are anxious about the coming of Arabs and Turks.
“I’m not saying that this is bad, but the population sometimes thinks of as something abnormal. You should not take the existence of crosses as a move against the Azerbaijanis of Georgia,” he said. “I think those who put the crosses try to show that this is their land and their religion. They’re mistaken because here in this land live our people – Azerbaijanis, who have their own religion.”
“The peoples of Azerbaijan and Georgia have always assisted each other. So it’s necessary to take a careful approach. Christianity is not a religion that stands against another religion,” he concluded.
`Multiculturalism preserved at state level in Azerbaijan, Georgia`
06 January 2017
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Multiculturalism develops and is preserved at the state level in the South Caucasus, especially in Azerbaijan and Georgia,” political analyst Gulbaat Rtskhiladze told on Friday.
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