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Professor Rafiq
Aliyev
Chairman of State Committee on working with Religious Organizations
Ahmed Javad Street
Baku 370001, Azerbaijan
c/c:
IlhamAliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Kjell Magne Bondevik
Prime Minister of Norway
Jan Petersen
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway
George W. Bush
The president of the United States of America
Ambassador Steinar Gil
Royal Norwegian Embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan
Oslo, January 30th 2004.
Dear Sir,
This urgent letter from the Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion
or Belief goes to Professor Rafiq Aliyev, as Chairman of the State
Committee of Azerbaijan Republic for Work with Religious Associations,
the official body of Azerbaijan Republic in charge of facilitating
the lawful operation of religious communities (cf. Con-stitution
of Azerbaijan, Article III item 48, and Presidential Decree of 21
June 2001 #512) and at the same time informs pertinent governmental
leaders in Azerbaijan Republic, in the United Sates and Norway,
and NGOs known to be concerned with religious freedom in Azerbaijan
Republic.
Our letter addresses widely and reliably reported threats directed
against the Muslim religious community of the Juma Mosque by the
Executive Branch of Baku City through the Administration of the
Historical-Architectural Reserve "Icherisheher." The Muslim
religious community in this famous and venerable Azer-baijani Mosque
has, as all informed parties well know, been legally registered
with the Ministry of Justice since 1993. In the Soviet period, the
Juma Mosque had been debased into a Carpet Museum. The said Admini-stration
now threatens the Muslim religious community with expulsion from
the Mosque premises, on the ground that its Imam, Mr. Ilgar Ibrahimoglu,
who is presently under detention on dubious charges, has partici-pated
in the 15 -16 October 2003 public clashes. And, to add insult to
injury, the said Administration makes known that it intends to re-transform
the Juma Mosque into a Carpet Museum.
As you know, the Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief
has had the honor of supporting the Inter-national Religious Freedom
Association (IRLA) in establishing an Azerbaijan Chapter of IRLA,
in September 2002. Both then and during our visit with the Azerbaijan
Chapter of IRLA in September 2003 we met cordially with you, Professor
Rafiq Aliyev, as head of the State Committee of Azerbaijan Republic
for work with Reli-gious Associations.
Imam Ilgar Ibrahimoglu has been Secretary General of Azerbaijan
Chapter of IRLA since its commencement. Working with the rest of
the board, which includes representatives from a wide range of religious
denominations, Mr Ilgar Ibrahimoglu has done much to enhance inter-religious
understanding and mutual respect in your country. - Whatever disagreements
you may have with Mr Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, we feel sure that you will
want to belittle his significant achievements in this important
field for your country.
We now implore and beseech you, in you high office, that you see
to it that the Executive Branch of Baku City and the said Administration
promptly put and end to the threatened expulsion of the Muslim religious
commu-nity form its legitimate quarters. Such an expulsion would,
no doubt, violate the Constitution and the law of Azerbaijan Republic
as well as the Azerbaijan Republic's solemn obligations under International
Human Rights agreements. - Moreover, a Soviet-style re-transformation
of a religiously vibrant and law-abiding Juma Mosque into a Carpet
Museum would constitute an appalling international disgrace to Azerbaijan
Re-public. We are confident that neither you nor other responsible
authorities of Azerbaijan Republic will let this disgrace take place
and we trust you will do your utmost to reverse the decision to
expel the Muslim religious community from the Juma Mosque.
Yours truly,
The Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief
Secretary General of the Free Churches of Norway
Tore Lindholm (Sign)
Oslo Coalition Board Member
Associate Professor at Norwegian Centre for Human Rights
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