Azerbaijani Mosque Forced to Close during Ramadan
25 September 2009
Four days before the end of Ramadan, Azerbaijani police officers closed the only Sunni mosque in the northwest town of Gyanja. The mosque was closed despite pleas from local Muslims to postpone the closure until after ‘Eid al-Fitr, the ‘breaking of the fast' feast signifying the end of Ramadan. Local officials claim the mosque had not registered their application under the new Religion Law passed in June 2009, but the law itself states that registration is not required until January 1, 2010. Muslims in the area claim they re-registered but the religious affairs official of the town told them to wait and refused to submit their application. The state has also forbidden Muslims from praying and celebrating the feast in the streets as an alternative to the mosque.
The mosque's building was once a church but was closed during the Soviet era. The building was later given to the local Muslim community as a place of worship. The closing of the Gyanja mosque is just one of several mosque closings in Azerbaijan. Two of the closed mosques were demolished this past year due to claims by local officials that they were built illegally. Sunnis have disproportionally been affected by these closings; most Muslims in Azerbaijan are Shi'a.
Please pray that Muslims in Azerbaijan will be able to worship in their mosques without legal restrictions or forced closures. Pray that the government—including local officials—will ease limitations under the new Religion Law and allow citizens to practice freely.
Read more: http://forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1350 AND http://www.globalengage.org/issues/prayer/925-azerbaijan-introduces-new-religion-law.html
Last updated 28 September 2009