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Hidayat Orujov: â€œExisting realities dictate closing of Abu Bakr mosqueâ€ â€“ INTERVIEW

Hidayat Orujov: â€œExisting realities dictate closing of Abu Bakr mosqueâ€ â€“ <font color=red>INTERVIEW </font>

23 July 2009 10:39 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev â€“ APA. Interview with Chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations

- How do you value current religious situation in the country?

- The religious situation in the country is stable and normal. The government secures freedom of conscience of the people and takes important measures to strengthen legal basis of the state-religious relations, to protect existent atmosphere of tolerance, to strengthen cooperation between the religious confessions and to prevent tendencies of religious intolerance and confrontation. Unfortunately there are radical groups which serve the interests of some foreign political circles. The Azerbaijani society is not accepting them because those groups and persons have no relations with the religion, but they have no force of influence on the political situation in the country.

-How true are the recent reports about the closing and removal of the mosques?

-There is no ground for those reports. It is a slander. There are negative cases in the religious situations, but closing and removal of the mosques are not the ways of elimination of those cases. The government of Azerbaijan is able to eliminate those negative cases and its work is dictated by the interests of Azerbaijani people and society. The people understand that it is necessary to strengthen control over the religious processes. If the radical groups serving the interests of foreign countries and forces are not prevented, they can create religious tensions in the country. No mosque was removed in the country. Only the mosque in Neft Dahslari (Oil Stones) was removed because it was under the threat of collapse. Unfortunately some groups try to introduce removal of illegal constructions as a closing and removal of mosques.

-Please explain use of words â€œlegalâ€ and â€˜illegalâ€ concerning the mosque constructionâ€¦

- Some people try to introduce some buildings under the construction as a mosque. There is no word of â€œillegalâ€ in the religion. There is â€œharamâ€. It means that illegal construction is haram. There are many facts in the history of Islam that the mosques turned into the nest of intrigues and provocations were removed. It occurred even in the period of Prophet Muhammad. A part of church territory was seized illegally during the Hazret Omarâ€™s period and a mosque was built there. Omar received complaints about that and decided to remove the mosque and to return the territory to the church.

- How does the government of Azerbaijan care about the religious facilities and persons?

-22 mosques are constructed in the different regions of the country currently and construction of nearly 30 mosques was delayed because of financial problems. Why they donâ€™t focus the construction of the mosques, but does focus removal of a building under the construction? I am proud that many holy places, Bibiheybat shrine, Icherisheher Friday Mosque, Ejderbey mosque and other holy places were reconstructed in Azerbaijan and newly-reconstructed and enlarged Tezepir mosque complex was reopened on July 6. It is a large complex which meets both classic and modern architecture demands. Addressing the opening ceremony, President Ilham Aliyev said religion and the government are separate in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is a secular country, but we are loyal to our national and religious traditions and values. Heydar Aliyev Foundation also attaches special attention to the restoration of the mosques and religious monuments. Azerbaijan is a country, where the mosques are built and reconstructed, but not removed.

- What is the stance of the State Committee regarding the closure of â€œAbu Bakrâ€ Mosque?

- You know, some persons in the society want the restoration of the mosqueâ€™s activity. Let me further tell you that the State Committee has no interest in closure of any mosques. But bloody incident occurred in the mosque and peoples lost their lives. Some want the restoration of mosqueâ€™s activity, but not the punishment of the committers. Therefore, existing realities dictate closing of Abu Bakr mosque.

- Annexes and amendments made to the law on â€œFreedom of Religious Beliefâ€ were not met unambiguously. Even some assessed it as the governmentâ€™s interference in religious affairs.

- Unfortunately, some people do not understand the essence of annexes and amendments made to the law on â€œFreedom of Religious Beliefâ€ assess it as the governmentâ€™s interference in religious affairs. Itâ€™s completely normal and natural to make annexes and amendments to some laws, including the law on â€œFreedom of Religious Beliefâ€ in accordance with the development level of Azerbaijani society.