Controversial Visit: Religious leader of Azerbaijan “is not afraid” to say “all that needs to be said” in Yerevan

By ARIS GHAZINYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
28/11/2011

Sheikh ul-Islam and Grand Mufti of the Caucasus Allahshukur Pashazade’s visit to Yerevan is in the focus of public attention, and not only because he represents Azerbaijan.

Pashazade arrived in Yerevan Monday, to participate in the meeting of the Presidium of the CIS Inter-Religious Council, along with leaders and representatives of religions traditionally professed on the territory of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The Grand Mufti of the Caucasus is known for his Armenophobic statements. In 2006 he said: “I am ready to declare jihad for the liberation of Azeri territories.”

At other times he has said:

“Nagorno Karabakh is our land, and we will return there. We will go back to our lands by all means; the occupied territories have to be liberated, be it by peaceful or military means.”

“Deception and betrayal are in the Armenian blood. They sat at our table and ate our bread, but as soon as they left our home they spoke against us.” This statement was made at his meeting with Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance.

Last year in spring, during Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II’s visit to Baku, he made an even more provocative statement for the press, claiming that upon his advice Garegin II secretly, under the cover of darkness, visited the “Alley of Shahids” and was allegedly shocked “by what he saw”.

Later, after this lie was successfully circulated by mass media, he disclaimed his own words and called the incident a “misunderstanding”.

Prior to his visit to Armenia, Pashazade signed a joint declaration with the Turkish Minister of Religious Affairs Mehmet Görmez.

Mass media report that the declaration states the need for collaboration in order to ensure proper settlement of the Karabakh issue and stresses the common Azeri-Turkish position on the issue.

Following the solemn ceremony devoted to the 65th anniversary of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia with Pashazade’s participation, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church stated:

“If Allahshukur Pashazade’s visit to Yerevan goes with no provocations, we can start speaking about the start of a new stage in the settlement of regional conflicts.”

Pashazade is known as an instigator even in some circles at home.

In particular, imam of Juma (Friday) cathedral mosque, philosopher-theologian Haji Ilgar Ibrahimoglu commenting on Pashazade’s statement that “deception and betrayal is in the Armenian blood”, said:

“No reasons or arguments can or should lead to such xenophobic statements from a person performing the duties of a religious leader and, more so, from someone professing Islam.”

Meanwhile, the leader of Muslims of Azerbaijan himself stated in October that he is “not afraid of Armenians” and is planning to say “all the words that have to be said”.

Armenian refugees who had escaped from Azerbaijan have spoken against Pashazade’s arrival in Yerevan. According to Grigory Ayvazyan, president of the Assembly of Azeri Armenians, “Pashazade’s visit is unacceptable to Azeri Armenians for a simple reason that he is an instigator and was one of the organizers of the Armenian pogroms in Baku in January of 1990.”

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