HAJI ALLAHSHUKUR PASHAZADEH: CHRISTIANITY CANNOT POSSIBLY BE SECOND RELIGION IN AZERBAIJAN

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 28 2007

Chairman of Caucasus Muslims Office, Sheikulislam Haji Allahshukur
Pashazade familiarized himself with the reconstruction in Taza Pir
mosque, APA reports. Sheikh also performed prayer in the mosque.

In a briefing, Pashazadeh said that the organization he chairs can
be changed structurally.

He said that CMO has worked only with 18 mosques but it will have to
work with nearly 2,000 mosques.

Sheikulislam stressed that CMO needs large office and stressed that
reconstructions are linked with changes in the office.

"We need large office for operating. Moreover, we need a lot of
personnel," he said.

Sheikulislam also spoke about religious situation in Azerbaijan and
stressed that tolerance exists in the country.

Pashazade also commented on the statement "Azerbaijan should become
Christian country in order to achieve a solution to the Karabakh
problem," sounded in the roundtable held on Karabakh problem.

"Azerbaijan is a Muslim country. So, Christianity can not be accepted
as the second religion. There are many who do not like us because
we are Muslim country. Atheists remaining from the Soviet time may
voice such statements," he said.