Moslems of Azerbaijan criticize demolition of "Fatmai-Zakhra"

"Ruined Mosques" - this was the topic of the roundtable held on September 7 at the Baku Media Centre on the initiative of the Centre in Defence of the Freedom of Worship and Religion (DEVAMM.) Demolition of three mosques, while in 2009 Baku was proclaimed the capital of the Islamic culture, is discrediting Azerbaijan before the Muslim world - this was the leitmotif of the roundtable.

"First they demolished the Mosque of 'Prophet Mohammed', then the Mosque on 'Oil Stones', now they want to ruin the Mosque 'Fatmai-Zakhra'. It's a provocation against the statehood and a rough violation of our national-cultural wealth, the freedom of worship and of human rights as a whole," said the head of the DEVAMM Ilgar Ibragimoglu.

In his opinion, "it is a political not only religious matter." "We need to take into account the influence of the campaign of mosque demolition on the attitude to Azerbaijan of the Organizations of Islamic Conference, which has until now actively supported our country in the international arena," Mr Ibragimoglu said.

"Not only believers, but the whole society should protest against demolition of mosques, In fact, this is damage to national traditions and spirituality of the people," said Shakhin Gasanli, imam-jama'at of the Mosque "Meshadi Dadasha" in Baku. "Demolition of two mosques could be regarded as coincidence; but when they ruin the third one - it's already a targeted trend," he has added.

In his turn, Tofig Razizade, head of the religious community of the Mosque "Fatmai-Zakhra" located in the Surakhan District of Baku, has treated the court decision to demolish the mosque as "illegal". In his opinion, "this was done by bureaucrats, while President Ilham Aliev is just unaware."

Earlier Ilgar Ibragimoglu, the head of the DEVAMM, had addressed Sheikhulislam Allahshukyur Pashazade, head of Department of Moslems of the Caucasus, with a request to help to prevent the demolition of the Mosque "Fatmai-Zakhra".

"I'm supporter of legality. However, if some of the mosques were built illegally, they can be legalized in the name of the Allah, that is, there's no reason in smashing mosques down," Mr Pashazade said.