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President: Georgian-Muslims cannot be denied right to follow religious traditions

Politics Materials 26 January 2011 12:44 (UTC +04:00)
“By refusing to build mosques in Georgia, we are refusing the hundreds of thousands of Muslims living on our territory of their right to be Georgian citizens,” Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili told the PIK television channel last night.
President: Georgian-Muslims cannot be denied right to follow religious traditions

Georgia, Tbilisi, Jan. 26 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /

"By refusing to build mosques in Georgia, we are refusing the hundreds of thousands of Muslims living on our territory of their right to be Georgian citizens," Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili told the PIK television channel last night.

Saakashvili stressed that this is not a religious issue, as a segment of the Georgian population is Muslim and they cannot be denied the right to observe their religious traditions.

"It is easy to throw populist slogans around, but we have to have a responsible attitude toward our fellow citizens regardless of their religious and national identity," Saakashvili said.

He added that there is nothing wrong with reaching an agreement with the Turkish side.

"We offered to build several mosques in exchange for the rehabilitation of our churches in Turkey, and I think there is nothing wrong here," he said.

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