Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 3 / Trend , K.Zarbaliyeva /
About 315 religious communities have submitted documents for registration up to now, the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations Chairman Hidayat Orujov said today.
"About 315 religious communities have submitted their documents to the State Committee. The documents are being considered every day. A great number of religious communities will be registered by late this month," Orujov said.
Twenty religious communities have been re-registered in Azerbaijan.
The additions and amendments have been made to the law on "Freedom of religion" at the last session of the Milli Majlis (the Azerbaijani Parliament).
According to the additions, Article 18.of the Azerbaijani Constitution bans the spread and propaganda of religions which humiliate human dignity or contradict the principles of humanity. All religious communities can act only after they are registered in the relevant bodies of executive power and included in the state register of religious organizations.
Roughly 102 religious communities were registered in Azerbaijan in 2008. Thus, the number of religious organizations reached 534 in Azerbaijan.
Orujev said18 of 20 religious communities, having registration certificates, are Islamic communities operating in Baku and Absheron peninsula. Two others are community belonging to the Baku and Caspian Eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Community of Mountain Jews in Baku.
Orujev said that part of religious communities, operating earlier, was registered in 1990. Most of them have been established by groups seeking to disrupt the religious stability in the country.
"Azerbaijan and its public have well-known position on these groups. Thus, there is a serious need in the state re-registration of these groups. It was reflected in the additions and amendments made in the law. If the religious community serves other purposes, its activities are suspicious. These factors must be taken into account during registration," Orujov said.
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