Baku/17.05.23/Turan: The US State Department recently released its annual report titled "International Religious Freedom in 2022," which sheds light on the status of religious freedom worldwide. Azerbaijan finds itself among the countries on the Special Monitoring List for significant violations of religious freedom, alongside Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan. The report highlights concerns regarding religious freedom in Azerbaijan, emphasizing the government's increased control over religious activities.
According to the report, Azerbaijani law mandates that all religious communities undergo state registration, and permission from the government is required for the use of religious literature and materials. In March, President Ilham Aliyev enacted several amendments to the religious law, including the transfer of the appointment of imams from the nominally independent Administration of Muslims of the Caucasus to the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations. This move formalizes state interference in religious affairs.
Human rights activist Javad Javadov shares his perspective on the matter in the program "Difficult Question." He argues that religious freedom in Azerbaijan has been deteriorating over the years and should be viewed within the broader context of human rights in the country. Javadov points out that the situation concerning religious freedom began worsening prior to the "Nardaran events" and that the state has been using administrative resources and legislative changes to exert control in this domain. Despite the constitutional separation of religion and the state, recent legislation amendments and negative trends suggest that the state is directly involved in religious affairs. Javadov highlights state interference in areas such as the appointment of imams in mosques, state-funded salaries for imams, and the regulation of the timing of festive prayers during Ramadan, asserting that these actions constitute direct state intervention in the religious sphere.--0--
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