Religion

Religion

State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations begins allocating financial aid to religious communities - PHOTO

State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations begins allocating financial aid to religious communities - <span style="color: red;">PHOTO

29 May 2015 13:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku – APA. The State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations has begun allocating financial aid to religious communities, the Committee told APA.

For this purpose, the State Committee on Friday held a meeting with the chairmen of the 10 religious communities which had received financial aid.

In accordance with the order signed by President Ilham Aliyev on 27 November 2014, an amount of AZN 2.5 million has been allocated to the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations from the presidential reserve fund envisaged in the 2014 state budget to provide financial aid to religious communities in order to further heighten spiritual enlightenment and promotion of national-moral values in the country.

State Committee Chairman Mubariz Gurbanli spoke about the importance of the order signed by President Ilham Aliyev, noting that the allocated funds will be spent on further strengthening spiritual enlightenment and promotion of national-moral values in the country. Gurbanli also said that an assessment commission on the allocation of the financial aid to religious communities has been created, and after discussing projects proposed by communities, the commission makes a decision on allocating funds to communities based on those projects.

He also added that chairmen of religious communities should also take into account the opinion of their community members on how to use the funds to be given to their community.

Gurbanli emphasized in his speech the importance of religious enlightenment, saying it’s necessary to teach people national-moral and religious values as they actually are.

He said that the implementation of projects by communities, religious awareness and accurate promotion of national and moral values, and especially the interpretation of religion to young people will have a positive impact on the fight against radicalism.

Stressing the need to promote the ideology of Azerbaijanism, the committee chairman said Heydar Aliyev turned Azerbaijanism into a state ideology.

“At present, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev successfully continues this policy. The Azerbaijani government takes care of religion. Thus, new mosques are being built, historical and religious monuments restored in the country,” he said.

Moreover, Gurbanli stressed the importance of mutual cooperation between heads of religious communities and akhunds and imams, as well as representatives of the Caucasian Muslims Office.

Head of the religious community of Mushfigabad mosque in Garadag district Ilshad Suleymanov addressed the meeting, expressing gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev on behalf of clerics for his attention and care, as well as the funds allocated to religious communities.

Head of religious community of Khanum Zahra mosque in Yasamal district Ramiz Teymurov emphasized that the funds allocated to the communities will have a positive impact on the proper promotion of religious awareness among young people. He also added that clerics welcome the president’s relevant order and regard it as a historic event.