KCCD and Azerbaijan's Consul General in Los Angeles Hosts Special Gathering with Hispanic and Asian American Christian Faith Leaders
Korean, Chinese and Hispanic communities of Los Angeles, as well as representatives of various Christian organizations, universities and mass media attended the event
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Los Angeles, CA -
On Thursday, October 13, 2016,
Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD)
held a special gathering
with the
Consul General of Azerbaijan, Nasimi Aghayev
bringing together leaders and active members of churches belonging to primarily Korean, Chinese and Hispanic communities of Los Angeles, as well as representatives of various Christian organizations, universities and mass media.
This special gathering highlighted the interfaith programs and initiatives Azerbaijan is implementing to work towards peace and harmony.
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Consul General of Azerbaijan Nasimi Aghayev presenting on the country of Azerbaijan
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| Hyepin Im, KCCD President/CEO |
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"Azerbaijan is an amazing country with 2,000 year history of religious tolerance and acceptance." Said KCCD President Hyepin Im. "
This is even more amazing being a country that is 95% Muslim. It is a country that has the key to the world peace. On behalf of KCCD and our host committee pastors, we are grateful for the opportunity to bring Hispanic and Asian American pastors and leaders together today for great fellowship and opportunity to learn of Azerbaijan's rich history and leadership in the world and to pray for peace. We were inspired and amazed."
Other attendees shared the same reactions regarding their experience at the meeting:
Rev. Sam Park
Lead Pastor of Community Church at Holliston
"Our meeting with the Consulate General of Azerbaijan was an eye-opening experience. Consulate Aghayev and his staff were not only gracious hosts, but their presentation of their history and vision for their future was inspiring as well. Frankly, much of the stories and information we, as U.S. citizens, receive regarding countries in the Middle East are not positive. So, to hear the Azerbaijani history of multi-ethnic and inter-religious co-existence and cooperation was remarkable. Moreover, hearing of the efforts of President Aliyev and his wife gave me a certain amount of hope that I did not have before. The greatest lesson from our visit though was the age-old one of: "building relationships is building bridges." Meeting, eating, and even SINGING with others draws out our common humanity and brings out the best of who we are. My hope is to one day visit Azerbaijan with my family and learn even more of what makes that country so special."
Margaret Yu
National Executive Director of Epic Movement
"As a group of Latino & Asian American community and religious leaders, we had the honor of hearing from the Consulate General of Azerbaijan, Aghayev. Learning about the history and the struggles of his country helped us to get to know him and his people. Hearing of the unique ways of how Azerbaijan has learned to co-exist as a diverse multicultural and multi-faith community gave all of us new ideas to serve as we seek to also be encouraging neighbors in Los Angeles. My personal favorite was having all of us share a meal together and even singing together as we experienced their hospitality and welcome. (It was so fun and enriching!) Finally, the Consulate General also gave me hope that we too can see growth and solutions to poverty if we can strive towards learning how to co-exist in a friendly open multicultural and multi-faith city. We learned that with Azerbaijan's growth in diversity, they were also able to decrease the number of people living in poverty. If we all strive to live out true diversity, we too can do some great work together to solve some of our poverty or racial problems for the better of our city.
Thank you, KCCD & Consulate Aghayev for giving us hope as we continue to lead and serve our diverse communities in LA."
Rev. Walter Contreras
Vice President of NaLEC / National Latino Evangelical Coalition
"As a leader of over 3,000 congregations I am so inspired and moved by the spirit of the United front of the inter religious relationships that Azerbaijan lives out. I am totally amazed to see Azerbaijan commitment in leading us with integrity a path that we should all take."
Dr. Sophie Chao Wong
President/CEO, Chinese for Christ, Inc.
"As a member of the Host Committee for the Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD), I was humbled and honored to attend the inter-faith meeting and reception at the Azerbaijan's Consulate in Los Angeles on October 13th, 2016.
As the complexities of globalization continue, it is imperative for leaders of all faiths to unify under our common principles and values: faith in God compels us to believe in humankind as a creative force in the world. By sharing our beliefs and entering into dialogue about our faith, we see the bonds of grace and compassion drawing us together.
Sharing food, music, conversation - these are the cornerstones for networking our seemingly disparate cultures together and forging alliances based upon the common moral precepts of our respective faiths.
On behalf of all of us from Chinese for Christ, Inc., we were impressed by Azerbaijan's profound history and its continued commitment to respecting people of all faiths. Through constructive forums such as the one you hosted, there is no doubt that the power of God reflects through our unity and radiates forth a Divine message of hope.
Thank you again for a truly auspicious and inspirational event."
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AZERTAC - Azerbaijan State News Agency
Azerbaijan's Consulate General in Los Angeles hosts event with Hispanic and Asian American Christian faith leaders
17.10.2016 [13:25]
Baku, October 17, AZERTAC
Azerbaijan's Consul General in Los Angeles hosted a special gathering with Hispanic and Asian American Christian faith leaders. Held at the Consulate General jointly with Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD), the event was attended by leaders and active members of churches belonging to primarily Korean, Chinese and Hispanic communities of Los Angeles, as well as representatives of various Christian organizations, universities and mass media.
In his remarks, Azerbaijan's Consul General Nasimi Aghayev spoke about the historical and cultural roots of his country's strong traditions of multi-faith tolerance and multiculturalism, the ancient history of Christianity in Azerbaijan, as well as elaborated on the current atmosphere of brotherhood reigning between various religions and ethnicities in the country. Aghayev mentioned that despite all the challenges Azerbaijan has faced and continues to face, being located in a complicated geography, the country has been able to build a successful model of tolerance and positive multiculturalism, which allows for Muslims, Christians, Jews and representatives of other faiths to live in peace, harmony and dignity. He also mentioned the unique Shia-Sunni Muslim harmony existing in Azerbaijan, which is even more relevant today considering the recent tragic developments in some other parts of the wider region.
The Consul General noted that thanks to the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, this environment of multi-faith and multicultural harmony and tolerance is becoming stronger and stronger every day in the country. He stressed in this regard that the year 2016 had been proclaimed by the President to be the "Year of Multiculturalism" in Azerbaijan.
The diplomat highlighted the many projects undertaken by Azerbaijan both in the country and beyond to promote interfaith tolerance and understanding, from building and rebuilding mosques, churches and synagogues in Azerbaijan to financially supporting the country's faith communities to the restoration of catacombs in Vatican by Azerbaijan's Heydar Aliyev Foundation led by First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.
Speaking afterwards, the KCCD President Hyepin Im - one of the leading figures of the Korean/Asian American community - said: "Azerbaijan is an amazing country with 2,000 year history of religious tolerance and acceptance. This is even more amazing being a country that is 95% Muslim. It is a country that has the key to the world peace. On behalf of KCCD and our host committee pastors, we are grateful for the opportunity to bring Hispanic and Asian American pastors and leaders together today for great fellowship and opportunity to learn of Azerbaijan's rich history and leadership in the world and to pray for peace. We were inspired and amazed."
Speaking on behalf of the Hispanic faith community, Rev. Walter Contreras, Rev. Jose Pepe Cabelleros and Rev. Carlos Rincon expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to get to know a country that has created a space for all religions. They stated the need to widely study the progressive model Azerbaijan is offering, not only in Los Angeles and the U.S., but also in other parts of the globe.
At the end, prayers for Azerbaijan and its continued success were read by faith leaders of both communities.
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