Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim!

The Scientific-Religious Council of the Caucasus Muslims Clerical Office expresses deep concern over the latest challenges of some religious figures of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the protests outside Azerbaijan's consulate in Tabriz and states the followings:
Fourteen centuries ago since the Azerbaijani people became a part of the Islamic world it has been always proud of the sacred Islamic values and relied on these values in formation as a nation. During the latest century, from the beginning of gaining its independence the country's state flag symbolizes also the Islam. Realizing high wishes of our nation after a 70-year-long atheistic regime and giving new life to mosques and places of worship, Heydar Aliyev made his first step as the head of state from visiting the Tezepir Mosque on Mowlud of Prophet Mohammad. Later he visited the Kaaba, ordered on restoration of the Bibiheybat Mosque, the steps which are evidence to revival of religious values in Azerbaijan. Mission of consecutive realization of the high wishes of the great leader connected with the future of our people, was later implemented by the head of Azerbaijani state Ilham Aliyev. The world is witness that thanks to efforts of the head of our state Azerbaijan marches today on a successful way of high development, reaches successes in all spheres of life. In maintenance of our achievements, undoubtedly, great role is played by preservation of our national-spiritual traditions, the respectful relation to our religious values which stand at the heart of these traditions, to the representatives of all religions.
If in the Soviet period in Azerbaijan there were 18 mosques, now, in independent Azerbaijan operating are about 2000 prayer houses. With material and encouragement of our state, and also in the sideline of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation over the last 10 years in Azerbaijan 417 mosques have been repaired and restored, repair and restoration of mosques are realized not only in the country, but also beyond its borders. An example to it is the mosque of Bayragli Came in Serbia which thanks to support of the head of our state has been restored and given to believers. Thanks to care of the head of the state that strongly adheres to our national-cultural values, the Tezepir and Ezhderbey Mosques, the Juma Mosque in Shamakhi, the Imamzade Mosque in Ganja and other prayer houses after fundamental repair and recovery work have been given to believers, and this process consistently continues. Realization of all this at state level, thanks to personal attention and care of the head of the state very much pleases the Azerbaijani people.
Secular state is the choice of our nation. Constitution of the independent Azerbaijani state supports legal-democratic and secular state form, and protects freedom of faith. We, scientific and religious figures of the Republic of Azerbaijan, being citizens of the state that devotedly supports national-spiritual heritage, cannot but remain indifferent to the negation of our achievements, the insults against our nation, state and national-spiritual values by those who turn blind eye to the merits of the esteemed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who has deserved trust of millions of people, elected by people, who, along with economic and political development of country, also gives life to our religious monuments.
We don't accept humiliations against Azerbaijani state, insult on its state attributes, abusive expressions against its President used by some religious figures of Iran, various ultimatum-like warnings to the Azerbaijani people and state, threatening of our independence policy, and consider it as interference with our domestic affairs. The real aim of these provocations is not religious brotherhood, Islamic solidarity, demonstration of common relations or as if caring of our nation`s honour, but to cause detriment of our stability and confrontation inside of the society through imposing the name of Islam. Such actions and statements are unacceptable especially after the statement of the Head of State saying Azerbaijan`s territory will not be let to be used for any aggressive acts against Iran. The so-called news on organization of gay-parade and the related issues which have never been accepted by our state and society, constant threats against our country are nothing but partiality and knavery.
Our wish is to live in peace and mutual cooperation with all nations and states in our region and all over the world. We hope our friends are happy to see our achievements as an independent state. We want the others have what we have. We cherish for the fair position of the world community, support of friendly and brother states in the restoration of our territorial integrity, victory of our justice position. We have never felt the support of Islamic solidarity, religious brotherhood when we needed it. Both in the soviet times when our religious values were under threat and when the Armenian extremists implemented their aggressive acts against our nation, in the case when the needed steps were required, now, making such needless statements without any reason is not understandable at all. We regret that we don't hear the fatwas of the Iranian authoritative clericals on occupation of the Azerbaijani lands by Armenians, the destruction and insult of the mosques in Shusha and Agdam, hundreds of Islamic prayer houses, the deportation of over one million of Azerbaijanis ousted from their homelands, and instead, we are witnesses of Iran's consecutive material and moral support for the aggressive state of Armenia.
We, hereby, restate that the Azerbaijani people, Inshallah, will never go mad on the provocations and insidious rumors, and beat off all obstacles on the way to independence. We would advice the mentioned view to the religious figures of Iran either, and urge them to stop the baseless insults, to be far away from the slanders which are disrespect to our Islamic morality, national and spiritual values.
Let Allah help us!

Baku, May 11, 2012