Azerbaijani cultural and historical heritage, including mosques and graveyards in nowadays Armenia, were destroyed, and toponyms were changed, said Ulviyya Zulfikar, spokesperson for the Western Azerbaijan Community.

She made the remarks while speaking at an international conference themed "Islamophobia as a specific form of racism and discrimination: New global and transnational challenges" in Baku on Thursday, News.Az reports.

The Community spokesperson stressed that the last deportation in 1988-91 turned Armenia into a mono-ethnic country.

“More than 300,000 Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their houses and 216 Azerbaijanis were killed during this inhuman action. And the territorial claims against Azerbaijan followed the last deportation and led to the first Karabakh war and 30 years of occupation of Azerbaijani territories. However Azerbaijan liberated its territories in 2020 during 44 days War - The Second Karabakh war,” she said.

U. Zulfikar pointed out that the Blue mosque of Azerbaijanis – the only mosque which survived among 300 mosques is presented as a heritage of Persians.

“While it is a crime and a big sign of islamophobia to destroy 300 mosques, it is also beyond humanity to present the heritage of one country as belonging to another,” the Community spokesperson added.

News.Az