Rabbi Marc Schneier, President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding held a private meeting in Baku with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev. In their meeting, both the President and the Rabbi discussed a number of issues including the Foundation’s expanding role in Azerbaijan in the field of Muslim-Jewish relations. Rabbi Schneier remarked to the President that Azerbaijan is a fitting location for a global conference focused on Interfaith and intercultural relations because Azerbaijan has throughout history been a meeting point of cultures and religions and a haven for inter-religious and inter-cultural peace and understanding. Muslims and Jews have lived together peacefully and worked harmoniously for the development of Azerbaijan going back to the time of the Shirvan Shahs in the 16th Century through the Soviet period and the creation of independent Azerbaijan in 1991. The Jewish community-both the indigenous Mountain Jews as well as Ashkenazi Jews, most of whom fled to Azerbaijan from the western Soviet Union during the Nazi invasion – was received with open arms by the majority Muslim population.

Rabbi Schneier was a keynote speaker at the 1st Plenary session of the 3rd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku, on Monday May 18, 2015. At the plenary, “Sharing Culture for Shared Security: Soft power and diversity in the modern age”, the Rabbi stressed the role of Azerbaijan in bringing cultures closer to each other. He delivered a compelling speech about FFEU’s successful “Standing Up For Each Other” methodology and reminded the more than 500 religious leaders from over 100 countries, that Muslims around the world are speaking out against terrorism and Islamic extremism.