Baku (AsiaNews) After months of threats, Azeri authorities forced out 700 Shiite worshipers from the Djuma Mosque, in Baku's historic district. For many of those present, the whole thing was a "throw back to Soviet times". The Djuma Mosque is one of the oldest Muslim places of worship in the former Soviet Union dating back to the 7th century. The Azerbaijan government wants to turn it into a Carpet Museum.
The authorities' decision to close down this important Mosque goes back to the presidential elections of October 15, last year. At that time president Heydar Aliev had announced that his sun Ilham would succeed him as indeed happened. International observers noted several cases of electoral fraud. The election of the younger Aliev led to protests by the opposition and human rights activists, which the authorities violently repressed. About a thousand protesters were arrested and among them there was Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, the Imam of the Djuma Mosque. He was released soon after. Ibrahimoglu is known for his moderate positions, for being close to the activists, for being a staunch defender of religious freedom and for being a steadfast opponent of the Aliev regime.
Since early this year, Azeri authorities have justified the closure of the Djuma Mosque on the grounds that it has been "illegally" occupied since 1992. This is just a pretext. The government's intentions were made clear by Rafik Aliyev, chairman of State Commission on Religious Affairs. In answering a question about why it took them 12 years to intervene against Imam Ibrahimoglu, he said: "You can't be both a religious and a political leader." (FC)