Mayor of the city of Jackson, the capital city of the U.S. state of Mississippi, Chokwe Antar Lumumba proclaimed May 28, 2018 to be Azerbaijan National Day in Jackson, Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington told us.

In an official letter, Chokwe Antar Lumumba  notes that Azerbaijan declared its independence on May 28, 1918, establishing the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic becoming the first secular parliamentary democracy in the Muslim world, and was recognized by other democratic nations, including the United States; and during the short period since their independence, Azerbaijan granted all people the right to vote regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or religion, becoming the first Muslim nation to grant women the same political rights as men.

The letter reads that on May 28th, Azerbaijanis in Jackson and around the globe will celebrate the centennial of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as National Day and remember the contributions of their forefathers to the spread of democracy in the regions of Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East. He also encouraged all citizens to join in celebrating the many contributions of the Azerbaijani people.

Aliqismet BADALOV,
“Khalq qazeti”