AZADLIQ newspaper, March 18, 2005

NARIMAN GASIMOGLU AT THE TARGET OF FUNDAMENTALISTS

“Ahli-Beyt” group said to be operating in “Hadji Soltan Ali” mosque declared jihad against the theologian-scholar, the author of translation of Koran

The criminal situation that remains overly tense has opened the way for criminal groups to feel free to operate in the country. Not long ago these groups used to beware to operate so openly but the situation is opposite to that now as the criminal units operating openly terrorize whomever they regard as those standing against their interests. It’s also worth noting that criminalization of law enforcement bodies adds to incentives the criminal groups gain for such kind of activities to be carried out this way.

It’s not by chance that Ilham Aliyev (the president of Azerbaijan) often emphasizes in his speeches the instability of the criminal situation the country is involved in. The matter is when commenting on the murder of Elmar Huseynov (a prominent journalist murdered in March 2005) at one moment says “no one is safeguarded against this” or talking on the criminal activities of gangs led by senior officials in the Interior Ministry at another says “any official structures may have shortcomings like this”. Such confessions made at the highest level also indicate how tense the situation is with criminality as well as at what risk the public figures’ lives are nowadays. It could be assumed that any wealthy person can place an order for killing of any public figure who crosses their interests or whom they simply don’t like as Hagji Mammadov (one of senior officials in the Interior Ministry who led the criminal bands since 1996) said in his testimony. All this is similar to what did a group named “Ahli-Beyt” targeting Nariman Gasimoglu, theologian, the vice-chairman of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party in charge of religious affairs in the party.

Before we talk on what happened we want to stress Nariman Gasimoglu is advocate of scholarly approach to be produced when it comes to the religious affairs rather than superstitious or fanatical stands. He has had over and over again talks on this topic. His focusing on scientific methods when conveying the main messages of Islamic religion to the society is positively met by majority of people. Nevertheless, some people with still medieval mode of thought and intentions to spread wide their superstitious religious views apparently do not feel happy and satisfied with this kind of approach produced by Nariman Gasimoglu. These days we got an information that jihad was announced against his personality in one of the religious sermons held in Hadji Soltan Ali mosque which is located behind the metro station “Nizami” in our capital city. This information coincided with the fact that last Saturday when Nariman was getting out of at “Space” channel radio building after having finished his talk at the radio program two unknown young men stepping up to him told him they represented the “Ahli-Beyt” group and the group members were infuriated with his talks. Then they let him know among the group members there were some who intended to make short work of him. Nariman trying to hold a dialogue with them in the context of Islamic enlightenment work attempted to convince them both that such kind of moves were opposite to the essence of our religion. Their response was that you are an infidel in the eyes of our community. The scholat was offered to change his views on Muslim women’s head scarf. We don’t rule out that “Ahli-Beyt” followers have intentions to attempt his life when they will gain matured ground for that. So after we got this information we started to make our inquiry for making picture clear about activities of such kind of community.

The officials in law enforcement bodies answering our question said they could not clarify the case since there was no formal application addressed to them so far. Hadji Akif who is in charge of press service for Caucasian Muslim Department advised us to contact the section of mosques in the Department. The latter in it’s turn told us to address our inquiry to State Committee for the Work with Religious Organizations as the Committee was the very body which regulated the issues related to the activities of religious communities and their registration with the government. Strange to say that however we tried during two days we could not get any answers from Rafiq Aliyev, the chairman of the Committee. Press service for this Committee said they did not have any information about this community. Finally we tried to call Hadji Mir Annagi Nagiyev, the imam of Hadji Soltan Ali mosque. The call on the phone number 495-45-56 was first taken by his deputy who said he had no idea about the community in question. The phone conversation was followed then by Hadji Mir Annagi himself who also told this kind of community was never attending the mosque. As for jihad case Hadji Mir Annagi said “Koran also suggest that people who rise in opposition to religion should be fought”. Despite all of denials the imam and his deputy came up with we could identify that some people under the umbrella of so called “Ahli-Beyt” group indeed gathered in that mosque. We also have some information on what religious sect the group members fight for but anyway we don’t want to touch upon this as long as we need to get much more information and our investigation is going on. We wonder how “Ahli-Beyt” group could take liberties with threatening the theologian scholar in the country where we have two official bodies being in charge of religious situation – one is State Committee for the Work with Religious Organizations and another is Caucasian Muslim Department both of which neither investigate its activities nor react to what it does. We guess there is no need to say what we could expect to happen in the end. It was not accidental a few days ago an expert of influential Nickson Center (USA) also made it public that Islamic fundamentalism started to take root in Azerbaijan at large scale. So now you behold these groups feel so free to do whatever they can imagine that they are plotting against a person whom they are not satisfied with and who advocates Islam in our country in a way worthy of its essence and who is the author of brilliant translation of Koran. We are going to keep on our investigation.

Fikret Huseynli


AZADLIQ newspaper, March 19, 2005

THE TERROR STILL ON AGAINST NARIMAN GASIMOGLU

Law enforcement bodies and heads of related governmental structures are supposed to neutralize without fail a group operating under the name “Ahli-Beyt”

Yesterday we published information on death threats addressed to Nariman Gasimoglu, the theologian, scholar, translator of Koran by members of community called “Ahli-Beyt”. We had noted a group of people attending Hadji Soltan Ali mosque located in close vicinity of “Nizami” metro station is said to be operating as “Ahli-Beyt” community members. They have chosen the theologian as target to be attacked for his views on Muslim women’s head scarf and orther religious items. Last Saturday when Nariman had finished his talk at “Space” channel radio program they approached him telling they represented the “Ahli-Beyt” group and demanding that he backtrack on his views on head scarf and other religious issues. They warned that he could undergo physical punishment. We have to remind that although we contacted the related governmental structures we could not get any precise answers to our questions. However it should never be acceptable for the scholar to be threatened by killing because of his interpretations of religion in a scientific way. Let us note that Nariman Gasimoglu can be target of terror attacks at any moment. What points at all this is about the facts of terror activities of groups operating in the country under the religious envelope. For information of our readers we note that the Ministry of national security three days ago stated one of such groups got prevented from its planned moves. This very fact suggests to us a group operating under the name “Ahli-Beyt” could be considered as being in the circle of influence of any terror unit. Moreover, a person who contacted our staff yesterday and asked to be unnamed put forward his own version saying that “Ahli-Beyt” could be in truth managed from abroad. He also noted this group could have ideological linkage with terror groups operating in one of the neighboring countries. We have no intention to say to what extend it could be in compliance with truth as it needs to be investigated by the related governmental structures but we believe they carry out their own investigation on the groups operating under the name “Ahli-Beyt” or other possible names. However, it seems to be of interest that after our newspaper touched upon this case in yesterday’s issue those people became more aggressive instead of taking wait-and-see stand for a while. We were advised by Nariman Gasimoglu that he once more underwent pressure yesterday after he finished his regular talk on “Space” TV.

What happened was that in a few minutes right after his talk he received a phone call to his cellphone from a person who threatened the theologian by murder. This very fact suggests an idea to us that Nariman Gasimoglu can become real target for physical terror attacks so along with our intention to follow the case we also urge the heads of law enforcement bodies and other related structures to keep their eyes on the issue. Our questioning eyes are fixed on these bodies. The suspected group operating freely and targeting the scholar should be neutralized and brought to justice without fail. As for us we are determined to keep on investigating this case.

Fikret Huseynli

“Yeni Musavat” newspaper, March 19 2005

WHY IS THE THEOLOGIAN-SCHOLAR BEING PERSECUTED?
Nariman Gasimoglu: “It seems hard to perceive the divine values”

Ilgar Ibrahimoglu: “It is a subversive activity held on behalf of faithful believers”

Nariman Gasimoglu, the theologian scholar is being threatened. The matter is that a few days ago two men claiming they represented “Ahli-Beyt” community warned he would get punished physically. The other information is about jihad declared against him by religious community members of Hadji Soltanali mosque for some religious views he adhered to.

We had a talk with the scholar himself on the case. N.Gaimoglu said some people thought the religious values he advocated with the main focus on Koran were conflicting with Islam. According to what he says these people demand that he put an end to his talks. “I explained to them that difference of opinion was a value respected by Islam as Koran says “there is no compulsion in religion”. Moreover, there is another Koranic verse which is about infidels and reads that your religion is for you and their religion is for them and let the infidels worship their own religion. All this speaks for tolerance in Islam believers must keep to and never violate as it comes for punishment which is exclusively in power of God, the Most High”- he said.

He also noted some people with religious conscience still being affected by medieval sectarian tendencies seem to be unaware of Koranic logic: “These people do not read Koran at all. What they read actually are religious pamphlets in which you might find quite unacceptable clauses banning, for example, playing chess. The toughest thing for holding discussions with them is that scholars like me and these people approach to religion from rather different angles. On the one hand there are unchanged views inherited from medieval centuries, because which the Islamic world is in current situation, on the other the Holy Book Koran which although remains unchanged but keeps its strength and dynamics as a divine text unraveling each time new wisdoms. It seems they have hard time perceiving the divine values”.

He says he has already put in a claim with law enforcement bodies for relevant investigation. He does not rule out the role of foreign hand on the case: “Perhaps some shady circles also want to make our country embrace terror traditions which did not exist in the past”. Talking on how Azerbaijani intellectuals yet at the beginning of the 20-th century faced such threats from religious circles N.Gasimoglu expressed his displeasure of the fact that the whole society is short of concern about things like what happens these days: “I feel quite sorry for Azerbaijan public opinion and intellectuals to display kind of indifference to this matter as the dark values could become the host of the situation where the civic stands would appear to be so weak”.

The scholar said he offered these people open discussions many times but no one accepted his offer. Nariman touched also upon the head scarf issue. By the way, he is advocate of an idea that Islam does not necessarily demand that women are supposed to be cloaked in hijab or wear head scarf: “there are different views on that in modern Islamic theology. However, when you advocate what you consider right you have to come up with proper arguments. The other point is hijab is not the case that could affect the fate of Islamic religion. I have different views on hijab and certain arguments to underpin them, for example, with the focus on Koranic verse which reads: “O children of Adam1 We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover sexual parts of your body; and raiment as an adornment; and the raiment of righteousness is better”. This verse speaks clearly for kind of conventionality of raiment and suggests the preference be given to the faithfulness. Am I supposed to hide what Koran says in order to gain the liking of certain people? I don’t have any material claims for religion as some clerics do. I only want to preach real religious values which apparently harm material and social resources of those who attack me”.

Hadli Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, the leading coordinator of Devamm (center for advocating religious freedom), imam of Juma mosque community (which was ousted from the mentioned mosque back in 2003) condemned the incident and assessed it as a subversive act. He does not believe faithful believers could act this way and says it needs to be investigated: “It is strange that Nariman Gasimoglu is being threatened this way, which actually did not occur last times. The incident increases my suspicions and I guess it is a subversive act carried out on behalf of faithful believers. They want to show that the religious situation is in awful climate. But I am determined to say any person faithful could never react to his views this way”.

Hadji Ilgar says different views of people should be met normally in society but at the same time he does not rule out that the reason for such an incident might have been caused by the aim to distract the society from the real problems: “There is a definition of religious pluralism. Every person can become the owner of opinions without claiming to exclude others from doing that. We need discussions under the normal conditions. As for the incident we might say it happened also to distract the public opinion from well-known pressures put on freedom of speech and free journalism”.

He promises to investigate the case as an human right activist and calls on public opinion to be attentive to this incident: I have never heard of the community under the declared name. I think the involved circles try to put a slur over many people who could be a priori associated with the mentioned name. So the whole society and in particular journalists have to display sensitivity in regard with this case”.

Finally let us note that Noble Koran was sent to earth 1400 years ago as a holy book This book thought to be existing till the end of the world is so rich and complete that the subjects it touches upon maintain their modernity for today’s human being as it did for people who lived in 7-th century. It should be stressed that human being having researched Koran and interpreted it throughout the last centuries never could run into final outcome. So any views and interpretations held by intellectuals in different aspects on Koranic instructions should not be met with anger.

Mirkelam

AZADLIQ newspaper, March 30, 2005

SUPPORT GIVEN TO NARIMAN GASIMOGLU FROM TURKEY

We wrote last week on incident with terror threats addressed to Nariman Gasimogly by religious fundamentalists. In response to this we received a letter sent from Turkey by Mazahir Avshar, prominent Azerbaijani painter and signed along with him by Azerbaijani teachers working for Konia and Seljuk Universities. The letter reads as follows:

“Dialectical struggle between truth and lie or good and evil or right and wrong has continued over centuries. Unfortunately, the history witnessed a great deal incidents when advocates of righteousness and goodness were left alone and helpless in Kerbela fields (battle field for freedom and human values) or hanged at gallows or were skinned alive.

We see now how Islam, the religion of mind and logic when falling into the hands of some Black-Hundred suspicious circles gets polluted by imaginary religious stories and superstitious values incompatible with its content and thus may act in favor of those who choose to increase their attacks against our dear intellectuals who bravely and tirelessly struggle for stripping it of lies and darkness. We strongly condemn gruesome attacks and threats addressed by fundamentalists against Nariman Gasimoglu, the theologian-scholar, the author of brilliant translation of Koran into our native language, one of those intellectuals. There is Azerbaijani proverb which says “the truth could be defeated for a while but will never disappear”. So intellectuals like Nariman Gasimoglu are not supposed to worry about the fate of truth. Creatures with evil intents and evil nature are wrong to think they would be able to shackle free thought by producing threats and all kind of brutalities and consequently intellectuals like Nariman Gasimoglu would be left alone and helpless. Progressive sons of our people, bearers of thoughts and light of Sabir, Mirza Jalil, Uzeyir Hadjibeyli who fought for the prosperity of Azerbaijan a century ago are now with Nariman Gasimoglu and express their censure on dirty attacks against his personality.

AZADLIQ newspaper, March 31 2005

AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION IN DEFENSE OF NARIMAN GASIMOGLU

Religious Freedom Organization Forum 18 spread information on death threats against the scholar

Oslo, Norway based Religious Freedom Organization Forum 18 released information on threats against Nariman Gasimoglu, theologian-scholar, deputy-chairman of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party.

It says: “There were two death threats against him over the past month. These threats were followed up by threats on Iranian-based Azeri-language television…

Nariman Gasimoglu told he believed the police were unwilling to uncover the "whole network" of those he thought might be behind the death threats…

People addressing threats demanded that he stop expressing his own views on the Koran and particularly on the headscarf issue. N.Gasimoglu is vice-chairman on religious affairs for Azerbaijan Popular Front Party but insists the religious enlightening work he is engaged in is motivated by his own initiatives.

EXPRESS newspaper, April 1, 2005

JIHAD DECLARED AGAINST NARIMAN GASIMOGLU

Religious bodies condemning the incident say: “This is a violation of either religious or secular rules”

We received an information that the imam of Sultan Ali mosque got angry with views sounded at the tongue of Nariman Gasimoglu when he appeared on Space TV channel program. It came to jihad the imam declared in one of his sermons he delivered in the mosque. Moreover, two of “Ahli-Beyt” community members blocking up N.Gasimoglu’way when he was getting out of “Space” building threatened him. This incident was met with anger by officials working for religious bodies.

According to Samed Bayramzadeh, the head of department in the State Committee for the work with religious organizations (SCWRO), sermons like what delivered in the mentioned mosque are incompatible either with religious or secular rules. He says decision made for jihad is to be only in power of first official who is represented in Azerbaijan by sheykhulislam Hadji Allahshukur Pashazadeh. If the latter does not release the relevant fetva (instruction) other clerics have no right to release it on their own as no one among those clerics has any legal power to do this.

As to the incident with threats he says he has not enough information about this. Besides, according to him SCWRO does not consider cases when believers address threats against each other. “Nariman Gasimoglu as any other citizen being threatened should appeal to Interior bodies. At the same time he should know any alleged fetva released about him is out of any legal ground. Threatened person should demand his safety be protected as rights of all including those of believers are safeguarded under laws and Constitution”.

As to Soltan Ali mosque S.Bayramzadeh noted the Committee was responsible only for activities of those communities registered with government. “In the case the community in question does not exist formally in the mosque where the imam has been appointed by Caucasian Muslim Department then it is the Department which should be responsible for what is going on in the mosque – religious services, sermons, worships”- he said.

According to Hadji Akif, the press secretary for Caucasian Muslim Department, it is wrong for mosque imam to use this kind of phrases in his sermons and release fetva about the scholar. “Any words of whatever kind have to be met and responded by only words. Any person discontent with Nariman Gasimoglu’s views would ask him to clarify his thoughts and come up with relevant arguments. If we claim living in civil society no one could be threatened, be subject to jihad then”- he said.

H.Akif also noted that if the mentioned mosque embraced negative activities of some groups the mosque is not allowed to operate this way. “But I do not have any information about them. If the information covered is true it does not bring honor to Azerbaijan”- he said. He added that N.Gasimoglu is due to identify his further steps himself. According to him, the religious bodies are not capable of protecting the scholar. “Because there are the related laws providing human rights. No one in Azerbaijan will be persecuted for his or her religious views. Intolerance may stem from sectarianism but anyway it should be prevented by laws”- he said.

Elnur Mammadli

AZADLIQ newspaper, April 7, 2005

NARIMAN GASIMOGLU FORGAVE THOSE THREATENING HIM BY TERROR

In last weeks issues of our newspaper we wrote on terror threat incidents that Nariman Gasimoglu, prominent theologian-scholar faced. We remind once again these gruesome attacks were carried out with the purpose to prevent his theological views from being made public through mass-media and stop his Islamic enlightening work he has been conducting for years.

This case gave rise to international resonance too. As part of this we published related notes in previous issues of our newspaper. We also want to note for information this case was met with anger in some circles of NGOs and intellectuals who pegged the fundamentalist circles claiming the Islamic religion in a rather shameless way as source of danger for Azerbaijan’s future. The other matter that attracted attention over the last days was that terror threats against Nariman Gasimoglu were followed up by Iranian-based Azeri-language TV program “Seher-2” which told the scholar’s religious talks allegedly caused anger of Muslim believers. Our questioning eyes were fixed on law enforcement bodies.

According to information we have the police has already identified persons involved in terror threat incident. These two young men are Lenkeran regionborn Rza and Rehman who have linkage to “Ahli-Beyt” musical group. Leader of the group sharply condemned the incident and told these two young had misused the name of group.

Last week the young men in question came to the newspaper office when Nariman Gasimoglu had a meeting with them at their request. Akif Islamzadeh, the prominent artist and Tofik Turkel, the correspondent for Turan News Agency also took part in the meeting. Participants told that tolerance towards the diversity of thoughts and opinions is highly valued in Islam which has no ground for terror threats to be used to urge others to backtrack on their own views. They also stressed our country had a great deal of true religious enlightenment and Nariman Gasimoglu was the very person who contributed a lot in this field. Persons involved in terror threat incident expressed their apologies and remorse for what they had done. Nariman Gasimoglu called on them to take care of their religiosity which needed to be improved. He also asked them both to be cautious not to be used by network of forces jealous about independence of our country and in case they had been already hired by the network in question they should leave it for the sake of Azerbaijan and their own future. The young men agreed with N.Gasimoglu. The scholar for his turn said he forgave them as he was driven by God’s intention to have mercy upon those who was led astray and referred to the verse 34, Chapter “Spelled Out” of Koran: “A good deed and an evil deed are not alike: repel evil with something that is finer, and notice how someone who is separated from you because of enmity will become a bosom friend”.

Fikret Huseynli