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Sheikhulislam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade: Hajj expenses will be increased â€“ EXCLUSIVE

Sheikhulislam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade: Hajj expenses will be increased <font color=red>â€“ EXCLUSIVE </font>

13 May 2008 12:58 (UTC +04:00)

-Funerals are held too solemnly, without observing Sheriat rules in Azerbaijan now. What can you say about it?
-According to Sheriat, every deceased man is washed, shrouded, funeral namaz is done for him and he is buried. Everyone should have his own shroud when he is alive. I also have my shroud. After the man is buried, a stone is put on the grave. Then, the relatives of the deceased man offer condolences to one another and share their grief. Funeral repast for the deceased man should be symbolic. A cup of tea is enough in the funeral. And what happens today? It seems people are competing to make funeral repasts more solemn. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish funeral from wedding. There are a lot of meals and fruits on the tables. People take proud of it and try to show how they loved their deceased relatives. In fact, all this contradicts Sheriat and causes discrimination among people. Poor people feel ashamed, as they can not arrange funeral repast. Arranging such solemn funeral repasts in Azerbaijan is not right.
-How can it be prevented?
-Kadee Council of Caucasian Muslims Office has a decision condemning such actions. But a decision is not enough. We can not make people give up this. People should be enlightened for this. I think people should be taught by personal example. If a rich man arranges an ordinary funeral repast, it will be a lesson for all. People should understand that it is not a fashion, but the rule of Sheriat. It will be a good deed if the money spent on funeral repasts, is spent on the solution of other problems. There are old peopleâ€™s homes, boarding-schools, refugees and poor families in Azerbaijan. Couldnâ€™t they help them? If somebody wants to do a good deed, he can help the families on low income.
-We see empty graves in the cemeteries recently. Some people dig grave for themselves while alive and even put gravestoneâ€¦
-I positively condemn such cases. It is not certain it will be fated those people to be buried there or not. It is madness to dig grave alive while knowing this true. On the other hand it is great sin. There is another problem now. People cast the graves concrete, which is against Shariat. Even there are some people who construct tombs and erect monuments on the graves of their relatives or enclose the graves with iron barriers. In fact the grave should be mixed with the soil several years later.
-You said that funerals were held not according with the religious rules. Are your satisfied with the weddings?
-As I said before often weddings and funerals donâ€™t differ from each other. Our people breach rules both in weddings and funerals. People are going to the weddings to be entertained, to meet relatives and to congratulate young married. Sometimes I am attending the weddings of my relatives. Believe me it is anguish for me, I return from the weddings tired because weddings are very noisy with deafening music. I would like to touch upon the squandering in the weddings. There is no little space on the tables. Why they need in such squandering? What the people would like to show with that?
-By the way recently engaged couples register the marriages in the wedding houses. Is it correct?
-It is very concern issue. The marriage should be registered under the special rules and circumstances. It is not correct to register marriage between the engaged couples with the wineglasses on hands. Marriage registration is special ceremony. It is one of the state attributes and high moment of the foundation of family, which is part of the society. Registration in the weddings is disrespect to the national laws. During the Soviet period engaged couples were registered before the national flag and emblem, but now they are registered before glasses of Champagne. The ceremony of marriage registration should have educational character. There should be discipline in this field. People should realize their responsibility. I think the government should focus on this issue and provide the observation of the rules.
-You traveled to all Moslem countries almost. Where you saw wedding or funeral ceremonies similar with ours?
-I didnâ€™t see such ceremonies anywhere. Weddings or funerals are not repast in other Moslem countries. I have to say that we are doing some work for organization of funerals in accordance with Shariat. There will be special places for funerals in Taza Pir Mosque after the completion of reconstruction work there this autumn. There will be opportunity to organize nine funerals at the same time and people will observe real religious rules. We will also create places for the wedding ceremonies in the mosque. If someone would like to arrange wedding in accordance with the religious rules, they will get opportunity to use this chance. Engaged couples can visit the mosque to pray for their future happiness. May be it will enable us to observe the rules and orders.
-Though Azerbaijan is known as tolerant country, there is information about pressures on religious sects.
-Criminal uses his belief or post to publicize the issue. This is not true. Nobody can say that he was arrested for his belief. May be, member of some religious sects was arrested and it can be linked with his violation of the laws. But it is strange to say that somebody has been arrested for his beard and the way of pray. I condemn pressures on somebody for his belief.
-There are hundreds religious sects in Azerbaijan. Can they be serious danger for Azerbaijan?
-There can not be such danger. Religious sects entered Azerbaijan at the beginning of 1990 abusing contradiction in the country .They have five or ten members. Few people believe in them and therefore there can not be such danger.
â€œNurchu â€œmovement banned by Russia has broadly spread in the country and there are rumors that it can be real danger in future.
I can not say anything about it. There should be facts while speaking about any religious sects.
You stated that religious men would vote for Ilham Aliyev and it has not been accepted unambiguously. Several religious men called you to be responsible â€¦
I understand my responsibility and I know what to say. I said it as a chairman of Caucasian Muslims Office and expressed wish of people represented by me. Nobody should use this issue in favor of him. Sometimes such persons interfere in issues which are outside their competence.
- What about preparation for Hajj?
-We have started preparation for Hajj. The prices will become more expensive. It is linked with inflation in the world. We do not raise the price ourselves. Services for pilgrims will become more expensive. Several measures have been taken for comfort of pilgrims. Buses are renewed. Turkish-made buses will be brought to Azerbaijan for pilgrims. We have leased hotels in Saudi Arabia for pilgrims according to 5-year contract.
- Which foreign countries will you visit soon?
- I will visit Central Asia, France, Germany, England, and Saudi Arabia. I will participate in the conferences in these countries.