Scandal: Mosques and athan under a ban

As sources from Azerbaijan report, Baku regime has forbidden all citizens who received an Islamic education outside the country to conduct religious and educational activities in Azerbaijan.

Authorities announced that they fear of spread of the so-called "radical Islam". For this reason, the Baku regime has closed a number of mosques, which, according to the authorities, could become "a hotbed of extremism."

Meanwhile, a ban on the call to prayer (Athan) in even open mosques of Azerbaijan, it seems extended to the entire country, and not only in Baku, AzanNews.Ru reports.

Thus the head of the Center for protection of religious faiths and freedom of conscience DEVAMM Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, commenting on the situation said that due to directive of Azerbaijani authorities Athan is now prohibited in three main mosques of Baku.

Some Azerbaijani independent Internet publications reported that there is information about the order of the authorities to prohibit the Athan in all territory of Azerbaijan.

In an interview with "Musavat" paper Ilgar Ibrahimoglu said that rule banning azan enters into force in Ganja, another Azerbaijan's town. 4 central mosques in Ganja do not call to prayer since November as Firdus Kerimov, a representative of Ganja's State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, ordered to halt the use of this religious tradition.

Azan was banned in "Kerbalai Abdullah" Mosque under threat of closing, Ilgar Ibrahimoglu also told. Duty imam of the mosque said that some officials demanded to suspend voicing of Athan: "Otherwise, they had threatened to close the mosque".

Athan in Baku's "Bibi-Geibat" Mosque and "Illahiet" Mosque sounded in a low voice since November 1, Deyeler.org reported.

"Teze Pir" Mosque stopped voicing Athan since November 2. Akhund (Mullah) of the mosque Faiz Nagizade told that this process gets underway not only in Azerbaijani capital, but in other towns and regions of Azerbaijan.