Hawzah News Agency (Qom, Iran) - The 17th International o Rabi Karabakh conference began on Monday in Qom with the presence of prominent practical and religious figures of Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus:

The final statement of gathering reads:

In the name of Allah the all-compassionate the all-merciful

«وَ ما لَکُمْ لا تُقاتِلُونَ فی سَبیلِ اللَّهِ وَ الْمُسْتَضْعَفینَ مِنَ الرِّجالِ وَ النِّساءِ وَ الْوِلْدانِ الَّذینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنا أَخْرِجْنا مِنْ هذِهِ الْقَرْیَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُها وَ اجْعَلْ لَنا مِنْ لَدُنْکَ وَلِیًّا وَ اجْعَلْ لَنا مِنْ لَدُنْکَ نَصیراً.»

And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper

Azerbaijan is a Muslim country, that its nation is devoted to the Prophet (PBUH) and his household (PBUT) that has a deep culture and history. The Lankaran and Karabakh regions, especially throughout Shia history; were the cradle of great scholars and that has shone in the sky of science and knowledge. The 70-year rule of communism over this region has never diminished the devotion of its free and honorable people to the religion of Islam and the great prophet and his pure household (PBUT). The great people of this ancient land; have always shown their steadfastness in the path of Islam and the Qur'an and resisted against the arrogant and corrupt powers. The land of Azerbaijan, especially the Nagorno-Karabakh region, is part of Islamic lands which has been occupied by others; it is cruel and contrary to the instructions of the Qur'an and the manners of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) and international law and historical facts.

The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, on 17 Rabi al-Awal 1442 (coinciding with 13 Aban 1399 and 3 November 2020), has spoken about the importance and position of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the need to retake all its occupied territories and the Nagorno-Karabakh region. To explain His instructions, the 17th of Rabi Karabakh Conference was held by the Islamic seminaries and other institutions of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Monday, March 1, 2021, in the presence of religious, cultural, and political scholars at the Ahl al-Bayt House in the holy city of Qom. At the end of the conference, a statement was prepared in 10 paragraphs which read as follows:

1- According to international law, the Nagorno-Karabakh region belongs to the Republic of Azerbaijan and is part of Islamic lands that is inseparable from this land. Therefore, based on Qur’an’s and Ahlulbayt’s teachings we support and defend the oppressed people of Azerbaijan, and we believe that the government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan have acted perfectly and legally in the liberation of their lands, and by doing so, have sought to implement four UN Security Council resolutions.

2- The participants of the 17th of Rabi Karabakh Conference emphasize the need for unity among the Muslim people of the Republic of Azerbaijan and call for the avoidance of any differences and divisions against the enemies and those who pursue dark goals in the region; they have to be careful as they must realize the issue of security and peace in the region, far from taking refuge in foreign forces and their interventions and the Zionist enemy, and not seeking help from its allies and friends.

3- International organizations are expected to use the available instruments to force the occupying party to acknowledge the territorial sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan and to end the occupation.

4- Some countries are pursuing their dark and divisive goals by creating a wave of Iran phobia and Shia phobia. By creating pessimism towards the people and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and spreading baseless rumors; they seek to sow discord between the two nations of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan to make the insecure region achieve their goals. They want to pave the way for the presence and influence of Takfiri forces, arrogant powers, and Zionism in these areas to achieve their illegitimate goals in the shadow of war and discord. Therefore; it is the religious, legal, moral, and human duty of Muslims, especially the honorable people of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to defend the territorial integrity of the beloved and friendly country, the Republic of Azerbaijan, with full awareness of the conspiracies and to resist the influence of foreigners in this Islamic country. One must be vigilant against conspiracies and recognize the friend from the enemy.

5- We believe that the portrayal of the false Zionist regime and takfiri groups, whose hands are stained with the blood of innocent people, from Shiites and Sunnis to Christians and even Druze, and who have been engaging in sedition in the region for years, indicates a new dark conspiracy that needs to be thwarted. All sides of the story, especially the dear and proud nation of the Republic of Azerbaijan need to be aware.

6- Islamic Seminaries, great authorities, its professors, and students based on the teachings and enlightened rules of Islam; have considered themselves obliged to support and defend the great nation of the Republic of Azerbaijan and has always been and will always be by their side. The scholars and members of the Islamic seminaries emphasize the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and will not allow the seditionist groups of global arrogance and international Zionism; divide the two nations of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

7- The culture of resistance, jihad, and martyrdom, which is one of the main foundations of the religion of Islam and the Holy Quran, along with the discourse of Ashura and the logic of Aba Abdullah Al-Hussein (PBUH), has created a very strong barrier against the oppressors and arrogates of the world for any hegemony. Islamic seminaries consider the deepening and expansion of the culture of spirituality and jihad based on rationality, epic, and Hussaini mysticism as liberating, honorable, and guaranteeing the happiness of this world and the hereafter and make the achievement of governments in national, regional, and international affairs. Accordingly, the scholars and elites of the Republic of Azerbaijan are expected to neutralize the conspiracies of the enemies to create divisions between the two nations of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan by insight and awareness, and not to allow disruption between deep historical, cultural and religious relations between the two countries.

8- As the Supreme Leader said: "... International borders must be respected; that is, the two sides must not interrupt the international borders of countries, and international borders must be protected, and terrorists must not be stationed near our borders." Accordingly, we ask the esteemed government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, first, to consider the presence of Takfiri and Zionist groups and to take appropriate and regrettable measures, and secondly, to follow and implement the necessary measures and measures to avoid encroaching on international borders.

9- The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan enjoy deep historical, cultural, linguistic, and political geographical commonalities. The great capacities of these two are very high for the development of and cooperation in all fields. While appreciating the current cooperation process, we ask the officials, elites, professors, students, and academics, especially the youth of the two countries, to activate the various unused economic, scientific, cultural, social, and political capacities of the two sides through volunteer efforts and tactics to the highest in a way that is an unparalleled model for the world.

10- Finally, in honor of the recent victories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, we ask God Almighty high ranks for the martyrs of this war, and we hope that this conflict will end as soon as possible with the acknowledgment of the rights of the people of Azerbaijan to prevent further bloodshed.

Peace be upon you and may God have mercy on you and bless you.