By Ayya Lmahamad

The U.S. has included Azerbaijan to the list of countries with the full religious freedom, the State Committee for Work with Religious Structures has reported.

This was stated in the statement published by the U.S. States Commission on International Religious Freedom in connection with the situation of religious freedom in the world.

According to the State Department, the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 divided countries into two categories of “special concern” and “special observation”.

The USCIRF statement reads that in the report for 2020, the “special observation” list mentioned the recommendation to include Azerbaijan there.

However, this year Azerbaijan was not included in any of the abovementioned categories.

USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission created by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) that monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad.

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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 

New York, NY (Top40 Charts) British indie-pop band Pale Waves have released a deeply personal video for their latest single “She’s My Religion,” which features frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie and her life partner Kelsi Luck in a series of candid, vulnerable vignettes showing that even the most mundane moments can be transformative when paired with the right person. It was directed by award winning filmmaker and photographer Jess Kohl.The raw and honest second track from their forthcoming full-length Who Am I? – out February 12, 2021, via Dirty Hit – is a non-typical love letter that sees Heather embracing her sexuality to represent a real, queer relationship without hiding behind the clichés of oversexualization or playful experimentation.

“I wanted to give my fans a song to find themselves in,” Heather says of the intimate new video. “I wish I had a song like this when I was a young girl trying to find herself in the world.”

“She’s My Religion” follows lead single “Change,” a catchy, retro-guitar track made up of stories of heartbreak from Heather’s friends, reflecting the different moods and emotions that we all go through. and PRESS HERE to watch the video and PRESS HERE to listen to the song, which was first played as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record In The World on BBC Radio 1, and was recently added the track to Billboard’s Best Tracks of 2020 year-end list.

Who Am I? – the follow-up to the band’s 2018 debut album My Mind Makes Noises which amassed over 70 million streams worldwide, opens up a bold new chapter for Pale Waves. Heather’s songwriting holds the last few years of her life up to the light, reflecting on her own mental health and growing pains – depression, distraction, and feelings of darkness – but also her experience of falling in love and becoming more open about her sexuality, emerging with a newfound clarity and optimism.

Who Am I? acts as the Pale Waves manifesto, inspiring inclusivity, self-discovery, and the notion of being whoever the hell you want to be. On the making of the album, Heather says “for me, music and art is for people not to feel so alone and isolated. I want to be that person my fans look up to and find comfort in.”

Who Am I? was recorded primarily in Los Angeles alongside producer Rich Costey (Muse, Foo Fighters, Sigur Rós), before the Coronavirus lockdown forced the making of the album to go virtual, with Heather remaining in LA and the rest of the band returning home to record their parts in their bedrooms, sending them back to LA to be added into the record.

Pale Waves – comprised of front woman Heather Baron-Gracie (she/her); drummer Ciara Doran (they/them); guitarist Huge Silvani (he/him) and bassist Charlie Wood (he/him) – made an immediate splash when the debuted on the music scene a few year ago, hitting the Top 10 on UK Album Chart, winning the NME Under The Radar award, making the BBC Sound of 2018 shortlist, touring with fellow Dirty Hit label mates and mentors The 1975 as well as Muse and The Cure, and appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers. They have performed at Reading, Leeds, Lollapalooza, SXSW, and Outside Lands Festival and have received praise from NPR, AV Club, The Fader, Stereogum, Nylon, Billboard, Ladygunn, and more.

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                                                    </span><span class="custom-caption"> <span class="ie-custom-caption">Prime Minister Narendra Modi at AMU's centenary celebrations (Twitter/BJP)</span></span>Underlining that “a lot of time was wasted last century in the name of differences”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a gathering of Aligarh Muslim University Tuesday that “the country is progressing on a path where none can be left behind because of religion, where all get equal opportunity to move ahead, and fulfil their dreams”.

Describing the AMU campus, its history of education as a “priceless heritage” of the country and praising its alumni across the world as “representatives of India’s culture”, the Prime Minister, addressing the centenary celebrations of the university via a video link, said: “There are ideological differences in a society, it is natural. But when it comes to attainment of national goals, then these differences should be kept aside.”

“When you young friends decide to move ahead with this thinking, then there’s no goal that we cannot achieve together. Be it education, economic progress, better living, opportunities, women’s rights, security, nationalism, these are every citizen’s requirements. These are some issues on which we cannot disagree because of our political, ideological compulsions,” he said.

“We must understand that politics is an integral part of society, but there are issues other than politics in society. A country’s society is much larger, far more pervasive than the thinking of politics and power. Even beyond politics, there is enough space to take the society forward. It is very important to keep exploring this space. A campus like AMU can do this work, all of you can.”

He said the development of a country or society should not be viewed through the prism of politics. “When we come together for a larger objective, it is possible that some elements get troubled. Such elements can be found in every society of the world. These are people with vested interests. To suit their own interest, they will employ every ploy, and spread negativity. But if building India is uppermost in our hearts and mind,then the space for such people will shrink on its own,” he said, adding that “politics can wait, not society, not the development of the country, not the poor”.

“A hundred years ago, in 1920, the youth of the country got a chance to dedicate themselves to the country, struggle and make sacrifices. That generation’s sacrifices gave India independence in 1947. Today’s generation has many opportunities to reach the goal Atmanirbhar Bharat, New India. That was 1920, this is 2020. The next 27 years are very important for you. In 2047, when India completes 100 years of independence, you will witness the historic moment, and you will also be part of the making of modern India. You must think of the country’s welfare,” Modi said.

“Today, the entire world is looking at India… There is curiosity about this being India’s century. We must have a single goal to make the country Atmanirbhar. It should not matter which family one was born in, in which religion one was raised…,” he said.

“AMU has given several freedom fighters and I would like to say that they came from different backgrounds, but worked together for the independence of the country. What was done for the freedom of this country, you have to do the same for the country. We have to work for a common ground. New India must be self-reliant, and the benefits will reach everyone equally. The youth can do it.”

In December 2019, AMU was one of the centres of protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and clashes on the campus had left over 70 people injured. Police arrested 26 people, including AMU students. Following the incident, university authorities announced an extended winter break.

In his address, the Prime Minister also spoke on the dropout ratio among Muslim girls which he said had declined from 70 per cent to 30 per cent. “I met an AMU alumnus recently who is also an Islamic scholar. He told me something very interesting which I would like to share with you. Under the Swachh Bharat mission, when more than 10 crore toilets were built, everyone benefited. Toilets were built without discrimination. But there is one aspect of Swachh Bharat which has not been discussed much. There was a time when the dropout rate of Muslim daughters was more than 70 per cent. It was a big hurdle in the development of the Muslim community.”

“For 70 years, the situation was that 70 per cent of Muslim daughters could not complete their education. Under these circumstances, Swachh Bharat mission started. Toilets for girl students was built on mission mode by the government. Now, the dropout ratio of Muslim women is just 30 per cent — from 70 per cent. Lakhs of Muslim daughters had to quit studies earlier due to lack of toilets. The government is doing everything to ensure that fewer Muslim women drop out. At AMU, there is a bridge course for dropout students. I have been told that at AMU, the percentage of women students has increased to 35 per cent,” he said.

“The government has special focus on the education and empowerment of Muslim daughters. In the last six years, the government has granted scholarships to one crore Muslim daughters,” he said.

While speaking on the importance of educating women, Modi said, “Even today, AMU can say with pride that the founder chancellor was Begum Sultan one hundred years ago. Given the circumstances 100 years ago, it was a big thing. The attempt to build a modern Muslim society had begun. With the end of the triple talaq malpractice, it has been moved forward. It used to be said earlier that if a woman is educated, then the whole family is educated. This is correct, but this has meaning beyond the education of family. Women should be educated, so they can use their rights correctly. So, she can decide her future. Education brings employment and entrepreneurship, which brings economic independence, which gives way to an empowered woman, who is equal to all others, whether it is about giving direction to the family or the country,” he said.

The Prime Minister also released a postage stamp dedicated to AMU on the occasion. AMU Chancellor Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, Vice- Chancellor Tariq Mansoor and Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank also took part in the virtual event.

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