AZERBAIJAN SAYS NOT TO CLOSE TURKISH-FUNDED MOSQUE

Anadolu Agency
May 22 2009
Turkey

Baku authorities on Friday stepped back on the closure of a
Turkish-funded mosque after the huge reactions.

Baku authorities on Friday stepped back on the closure of a
Turkish-funded mosque after the huge reactions.

Baku officials had made a statement over the reports that Baku State
University Divinity School Mosque will be closed.

However, the officials denied the closure saying that the ban on
mosque is "not considered."

Generally, eight to ten thousands of people perform Friday prayers
in the Faculty Mosque, but it is expected that people from other
mosques in Baku will go to the mosque as a reaction today, at least
20 thousand people are expected to come together in prayer.

Azeris in Baku on Thursday said they would gather to perform Friday
prayer despite the possible closure.

Faculty and Mosque began their activities in 1992. Both faculty and
the mosque’s costs are covered by the Turkish Religious Foundation.

However, since the faculty opened, problems have never been
finished. The faculty can accept "only 50 students per year". Although
It is the only Divinity School in the country, the faculty still can
not have permission to open postgraduate, doctoral programs after
17 years.

Azerbaijan had destroyed a mosque that named after Prophet Muhammed
(PBUH) as well as another one in Petrol island, and shut down Sehitlik
Mosque, which was built by Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs.

A mosque was built on 28 June, 1995 beside the Martyrdom cemetery
erected in Baku in honour of 1130 Turkish soldiers died fighting
withing "Caucasian Islam Army" against Armenian and Russian soldiers
that occupied Azerbaijan in 1918.