Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynli / Ban on the spread of books on Islam exported to Azerbaijan caused disagreements. "It is not right to ban the spread of books on Shiite trend of Islam," Haji Allahshukur Pashazade, the chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Department, Sheik-ul-Islam of Caucasus, said to a conference Model of Tolerance - Azerbaijan, in Baku on 16 November.
The State Committee on Religious Organizations did not allow the spread of 30 books, dealing with Shiite trend of Islam. Haji Abdul, an independent believer, told journalists that the State Committee holds partial position not allowing the spread of these books on Shiite trend. Azerbaijan gives more replies to the spread of books on Christianity rather books on Islam.
Pashazade said that if a religious book leads to inter-religious, interstate resistance, the spread of such books should be banned. The chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board said that books on Shariat do not lead to resistance.
The Caucasus Muslims Board and the State Committee on Religious Affairs will discuss shortly a list of books which are banned for distribution. A reply will be given for books permitted in the country.
Hidayat Orujov, the chairman of the State Committee, said in his address to the gathering that the books of Shiite trend, which were banned for dissemination, actually contained radical ideas provoking resistance. Moreover, the books referred to Sunnite trend were also among the banned publications. "The banned Shiite and Sunnite publications are almost similar," Orujov said.
He said that the Committee prevents the activities of the Islamic trends. "Unfortunately, there are dangerous books among the books imported to the country, which lead to inter-religious resistance," he said.