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Religious leaders in Azerbaijan condemns calls for believers to participate in protest rallies

16 September 2016 14:24 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. Believers should be at mosques, places of worship not in protest rallies or marches, Ilgar Hasanov, an authorized representative of the Caucasian Muslims Office (CMO) in Azerbaijan’s Astara district, told APA.

He was commenting on religious-oriented speeches and political calls made at the recent protest rally jointly organized by the oppositional National Council and Musavat Party on the eve of referendum on constitutional amendments.

Hasanov strongly condemned the calls for believers to participate in these rallies, calling them unacceptable.

Speaking to APA, Samid Guliyev, akhund of a mosque in Lankaran district, PhD student at Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, said that the participation of religious adherents in protests and rallies is wrong from the point of view of religion.

“I don’t agree with such calls both as a believer and citizen. In rally, the Sept. 11 rally of the National Council in Baku was organized with the financial support of some foreign organizations,” said Guliyev. “Calling believers to the rallies to be held on Sep.17-18 is an attempt to cause a confrontation between the state and religion. This is an attempt of certain foreign circles directed against religious tolerance, multiculturalism in Azerbaijan.”

Tahir Abbasov, CMO authorized representative for Ganja, told APA that no political organization is authorized to gather religious adherents to squares.

Abbasov noted that some religious youth fell victim to political games and end up in prison. “In the end, that young as well as his parents and close ones get into trouble.”

Barat Baghirov, CMO gazi for Garabagh, condemned attempts to manipulate religion and religious people for political goals, noting that the religious population of Garabagh and Aghdam support the state.