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By Trend

A virtual event dedicated to Azerbaijan’s Republic Day was hosted in Los Angeles by Azerbaijan’s Consulate General on May 26, 2021. Premiered on social media platforms, the event highlighted congratulatory video messages by elected officials from California and other U.S. States, as well as prominent faith and community leaders.

Opening the event, Azerbaijan’s Consul General and Dean of Los Angeles Consular Corps, Nasimi Aghayev, talked about the history and achievements of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR). Consul General Aghayev underlined the historical importance of ADR as the first secular democracy in the Muslim world, which also became the first majority-Muslim nation granting voting and election rights to women. He further noted that since restoring its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has become one of the world’s fastest developing and modernizing countries. Consul General Aghayev stressed Azerbaijan’s readiness for regional peace, noting that important steps are being undertaken to make the sustainable peace a reality.

In their congratulatory video messages sent to the Consulate General, California Senator Josh Newman, Arizona Senator J.D. Mesnard, Utah Senator Gene Davis, Washington Senate President (2015-2017) and Pierce County Councilmember Pam Roach, Irvine City Mayor Farrah Khan, San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Stephen Whitburn congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on the 103rd anniversary of Azerbaijan’s first republic. They also highlighted Azerbaijan’s rapid development, the strong friendship and partnership between Azerbaijan and the U.S., and Azerbaijan’s growing ties with California and other Western U.S. states.

The CEO of the American Jewish Committee, one of the largest Jewish organizations in the U.S. and the world, David Harris; the Associate Dean of the Los Angeles-based, 400,000-member Simon Wiesenthal Center, Rabbi Abraham Cooper; Chief Rabbi of Sinai Temple, one of the most influential synagogues in the U.S., Rabbi David Wolpe; the President of Iranian American Jewish Federation, the largest Iranian Jewish organization in the world, Susan Azizzadeh; one of the most renowned leaders of Asian American community, the President of FACE, Hyepin Im; President of the Congress of Christian Leaders, Rev. Johnnie Moore; Co-Founder of Jewish Republican Alliance, Mitch Silberman; Member of California Baha'i Council, Randolph Dobbs; Chairman of the Council of Pakistan, Adnan Khan; former President of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, Ergün Kırlıkovalı; President of the California Azerbaijan Friendship Association, Kimiya Mammadova; Director of Baku International Multiculturalism Center - U.S., Dr. Jannah Scott; President of San Diego-Baku Friendship Association, Martin Kruming; and Chairwoman of Monterey-Lankaran Friendship Association, Nancy Selfridge, congratulated, in their video messages sent to the Consulate General, the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Republic Day. Commending Azerbaijan’s ancient traditions of multiculturalism and interfaith and interethnic harmony, they underlined that the people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds have been living together in peace, dignity and mutual respect in Azerbaijan.

The celebration also included the Bayati Shiraz Mugham piece, as well as music and dances of Azerbaijan’s different ethnic groups performed at the “Khari Bulbul” Festival recently held in Shusha, the Cultural Capital of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the performance of Azerbaijani composer Polad Bulbuloglu’s “Aman-aman ayrılıq” song by California-based Azerbaijani Kamancha master Imamyar Hasanov was presented.

The event can be watched here: https://youtu.be/1kxbjTj8hH0

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