367 religious communities passed the state registration in Azerbaijan. 31 of them are non-Islamic communities. The U.S. Ambassador Ms.Anna Derse (on the right) said “there must come a day when the religious organizations in Azerbaijan will act independently, without registration by the government, like in the USA”. The Ambassador mentioned that when this day comes, there won’t be necessity for such agencies as the State Committee on the Work with Religious Structures. (20-Nov-06)
Written by Shahla Ismailova/HRH Baku, on the basis of Day.Az, Today.Az; photos by Turan Info Agency and Yeni Musavat.
However, the chairman of the State Committee Hidayat Orujov commented that the elimination of the Committee in the current circumstances is absurd. “it can be only when the public-political and religious atmoshopere reach the level, similar to the one in the USA”. He said “there are the points, which we should not talk about in the mass media outlets. The state Comiitee must function for presventing the radical grops intervening the activity of the religious organizations and society”.
The head of the Caucasian Muslim Religious Department – Sheykh Allahshukur Pashazadeh (on the right) commented that in the USA the patriarchy has the right to appoint people to the church. “The patriarchy is partially financed by the government; therefore, the absence of the religious Committee in the USA is just for appearance. In the USA the religious structure is organized in the way, that the patriarchy substitutes the State Committee”.
 said “there must come a day when the religious organizations in the Republic of Azerbaijan will act independently, without registration by the government, like in the USA”. The Ambassador mentioned that when this day comes, there won’t be necessity for such agencies as the State Committee on the Work with Religious Structures. (20-Nov-06)
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