Religion

Religion

Azerbaijan makes amendments to law on â€œFreedom of religionâ€

10 June 2011 15:32 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov â€“ APA. Azerbaijani parliament discussed draft amendments to the law on â€œFreedom of religionâ€, APA reports. Giving information about the draft chairperson of the parliamentâ€™s committee for human rights Rabiyyat Aslanova said 19 amendments were proposed to the law. She said there is no problem concerning the registration of religious communities in Azerbaijan.

MP Igbal Agazadeh noted that according to the amendment, Islamic religious organizations are to report to the Caucasian Muslims Board.
â€œBut not only Islamic religious organizations are functioning in Azerbaijan. There are also other religious organizations. Does it mean that they must not report? It should be clarified,â€ he said.

Gudrat Hasanguliyev said there are forces who want to strengthen religious extremism in Azerbaijan. He blamed Turkey and Iran.
â€œWhen we say in Turkey â€œWhy do you open the border with Armenia?â€, they ask why we close mosque. See how many Turkish cars there are in Armenia. Turkey and Iran, not Russia support the occupying Armenia,â€ he said.

In his speech, Musa Gasimli said that the teenagers were sent abroad for getting religious education: â€œThey will create a risk for the country after returning. Another problem is religious publication. The publishing houses publish various religious books for their own profitâ€.

Siyavush Novruzov asked why the religious organizations werenâ€™t wearing the clothes belonging to Azerbaijani people: â€œAzerbaijan must apply the Iranian system in this sphere, the believers must have neat uniformâ€. Novruzov touched the establishment of Muslim religious community in Georgia and considered important of Azerbaijani Parliament to send appeal to the Georgian Parliament: â€œGeorgia must be appealed. We have not spoken about your changing of place name. Now they will establish a community in their favor, will bring one swindler and appoint him as community head. Then one will take such step. Such steps must be finishedâ€.

In his speech, CMB deputy chief, rector of the Baku Islamic University Haji Sabir Hasanli positively assessed the amendments to the law.

The draft law was adopted by putting to the vote.