Broadcasts on Islam are put off the air in Azerbaijan

Cases have recently become frequent in Azerbaijan, when broadcasts on religious topics are urgently taken out of television programs. Thus, the ANS TV channel has cancelled a popular broadcast "Allah Khaggy" (Swear by Allah).

It has become known to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent from informed sources that other TV channels have also received instructions to take religious broadcasts off the air. The TV channel managers make no comments as to the reasons for stopping these programs.

Meanwhile, human rights activist Ilgar Ibragimoglu has resolutely criticised the disappearance of religious broadcasts, having treated this fact as "television censorship."

"Stopping the broadcasts aimed towards propagation of moral values has become a dangerous tendency. Against the background of round-the-clock primitive and low-standard show programs that dominate the TV channels, the fact of closing the extremely few religious broadcasts is disturbing all the citizens," the human rights activist believes.

Meanwhile, as a result of operative measures undertaken by employees of the Ministry of National Security (MNS) of Azerbaijan, a group of Wahhabites was detained in the city of Sheki. It was found out during the operation that they were disseminating religious literature, CDs and other items among city dwellers. A criminal case was initiated on the fact, and now the investigation is underway.

In the town of Zagatalakh, the believers are again prosecuted for having beards. Local residents inform that such cases have become especially frequent recently, with the start of the Ramadan month.