Reopening of "Abu Bekr" Mosque in Azerbaijan is still questionable

Restart of operation of "Abu Bekr" Mosque in Baku will depend on the results of the investigation now conducted by law enforcement bodies of Azerbaijan after the armed attack on the Mosque. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that this was stated today at a press conference by Idayat Orudzhev, head of the State Committee for Working with Religious Structures (SCWRS) of Azerbaijan.

"Everything will depend on the investigation outcomes," Mr Orudzhev said. On the activities of the community of "Abu Bekr" Mosque, he said that "they had resumed operation without a due presentation of the Department of Caucasian Moslems." According to Orudzhev, this is against Azerbaijani legislation under which Muslim religious communities should get registered upon presentation of the Department of Caucasian Moslems (DCM).

It is necessary to note here that this legislative provision is causing disputes among religious figures. Earlier, Imam of "Dzhuma" Mosque in Icheri-Shekher (historical centre of Baku) Ilgar Ibragimoglu has stated that this rule was illegitimate since the DCM is "just another NGO, like other religious communities." Therefore, it is not logical to vest the DCM with special powers of registering Muslim communities, Mr Ibragimoglu believes.

As to the future of the "Abu Bekr" religious community, according to Idayat Orudzhev, head of the SCWRS, at registration the community had specified No. 4, Apartment 49a, Ismail Idayatzade Street as its legal address, while "Abu Bekr" Mosque has some other address. "Therefore, the claims of the community for this Mosque are legally invalid," said Mr Orudzhev.