The Baku Network Research and Analysis Public Association, with the support of the Agency for State Support to Non-Governmental Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, held a meeting with students at the Institute of Theology as part of the project “Supporting Increased Awareness of Malicious External Influence and Fake News.”
Sahil Karimli, Deputy Director of the Trend News Agency and a project trainer, noted that attempts are currently being made to spread fake news targeting Azerbaijan in order to undermine unity and solidarity within society, a Trend correspondent reported from the event.
“To a greater extent, the efforts of these analytical centers and political circles are aimed at the younger generation. They target Azerbaijani youth who have been raised in a spirit of patriotism in an attempt to create certain divisions. We chose the Institute of Theology for this meeting so that we could share our views with future religious leaders and also engage in an exchange of ideas with young people. Various forms of malicious external influence continue to operate under the guise of religion today, and they will undoubtedly continue to exist in the years ahead,” he said.
Elchin Alioglu, Chairman of the Baku Network Research and Analysis Public Association, emphasized in his remarks that there are specific reasons why Azerbaijan has become a target.
“First, we are a society in which Jews, Tats, Christians, Molokans, and others treat one another with respect. For centuries, we have lived in an atmosphere of friendship and good-neighborly relations. In Baku, a synagogue, a mosque, and a church can all be found on the same street. Second, there is the policy pursued by Azerbaijan. Certain external forces tried to aggravate relations with Iran, but they failed. The people living there are our brothers and sisters. Now those same forces are also trying to damage relations with brotherly Turkey. Those currently conducting a biased campaign against our country in Turkey are not ethnically Turkish. These are groups financed from abroad,” he said.
Anar Gafarov, Head of Department at the Institute of Theology, noted that there are certain mechanisms through which beliefs are formed.
“In reality, nothing can be accomplished without beliefs. The issue is that a person’s beliefs are not always directed toward positive phenomena. At times, belief in negative tendencies is also cultivated within society. In order to divide and fragment society, negative phenomena are sometimes deliberately fostered in various areas. Without media literacy and digital literacy, combating disinformation is not easy. Whenever we read a news report, we must verify its source,” he said.
