Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 5 / Trend V.Mammadov /
Only five religious communities of the total thirteen religious communities have been registered in the Azerbaijani city of Ganja, State Committee for Working with Religious Associations Department Head for the western region Firdovsi Karimov told Trend . Five of these communities have transferred documents for a certificate to the committee, he added.
About 120 communities have already passed re-registration in the country.
According to the additions, Article 18 of the Azerbaijani Constitution bans the spread and propaganda of religions humiliating human dignity or contradicting principles of humanity. All religious communities can act only after they have been registered with the relevant bodies of the executive power and included in the state register of religious organizations.
The religious community of believers of the Narimanov district, the religious community of the Ilahiyat mosque and the religious community of the Shahidlar mosque also have not appealed for registration.
Roughly 102 religious communities, including 101 Islamic and one Jewish religious community, were registered in Azerbaijan in 2008. The number of religious organizations has reached 534 in Azerbaijan.
According to Karimov, about six Muslim and seven Christian communities operate in the Ganja city.
Three Muslim communities, the Gazahlar mosque, Khazrati Zeyneb mosque and Shahsevanlar mosque, have been registered and obtained a certificate, he said. Other religious structures, including the Mosque of Shah Abbas, the Fatimeyi-Zahra religious community and Gyrykhly religious community submitted documents to the committee, he added.
According to him, only one Christian community - the religious community of St. Alexander Nevsky Church, have passed registration. The two religious communities submitted papers to the committee in late 2009. The remaining four religious communities have not submitted their documents for the registration to the committee.
The committee will take actions in accordance with the law towards the religious structures that did not apply for registration, Karimov said.
He also said that the committee develops special instruction in connection with the registration of sanctuaries. The registration of the Imamzade sanctuary will be reviewed after the document is prepared.
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