Religion

Religion

US religious commission falsifies historical facts

06 May 2016 17:32 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has falsified some historical facts, Nijat Mammadli, head of the international relations department of Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, told APA on Friday.

He was commenting on the USCIRF 2016 Annual Report on the state of international religious freedom.

The department head noted that as in previous years, unreliable sources were used, unspecified and unverified information was reflected in the report.

Unfortunately, the state commission falsified usual historical facts in its report of this year and consequently demonstrated a biased position. Azerbaijan-related part of the document presents a historical background contrary to its nature and the reference includes a falsification and an obvious biased position. The document repeatedly refers to the “2009 Religion law” whereas the law on “Freedom of religious belief” was adopted in 1992 and made amendments several times in 2009. Another mistake is relating the history of Caucasus Muslims Board to the Soviet period. Obviously, the report aims at misleading public opinion on Azerbaijan deliberately distorting either historical facts or the realities”, he said.

N. Mammadli noted that Azerbaijan has been included in the second category in this year’s report too as if level of religious freedom gives rise to anxiety. This category includes 10 countries: “There is groundless information in the report about delay of registration of religious institutions, stiffening of punishments on religious activity and creation new legal obstacles, hijab bans at universities. During the reporting period, USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos, members Catherine Cosman and Daniel Mark have been invited to Azerbaijan by the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations and made additional statement in the report about this visit. Regretfully to note that though they noted unique of our country’s deep tolerance traditions among the Muslim countries, they tried to justify Azerbaijan’s inclusion in the second category basing on unsubstantiated facts. The State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations invites the USCIRF to cooperation in order to prepare such statements in the future more objectively and substantially”.