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JEWS AND CHRISTIANS ARE OFFENDED IN AZERBAIJANI TEXTBOOKS
10:34 22/04/2013 " SOCIETY
The head of the community of Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan Melih
Evdayev and senior pastor of the Baptist Church in Azerbaijan Ilya
Zenchenko believe that the Azerbaijani textbook for the 5th grade
offends Christians and Jews, the Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo states.
As stated in the material, the fifth grade textbook entitled "Knowledge
of the world", approved by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan
in July 2012, reads:
"The first man, Adam, is also the first prophet. All the prophets
from Adam to Prophet Jesus preached people faith in one God, and how
he should be worshiped. However, the roots and the dictates of creed
they preach, were eventually broken, and their origins were lost. For
example, over time, such traditional religions as Christianity and
Judaism, were eventually changed by the Christian and Jewish religious
leaders and lost their original meaning. Then Allah Almighty decided
to warn all the people once again and chose the Prophet Muhammad so
that he conveyed to them the most perfect religion which is Islam.
Today Islam is the perfect religion in the world and the most
acceptable for Allah. "
It is this paragraph that is offensive to the representatives of two
religions. "This is an offence to our religion. What does the phrase
saying that "over time, such traditional religions as Christianity and
Judaism were eventually changed by the Christian and Jewish religious
leaders" mean? Does it mean we have changed the Torah?" Melih Evdayev
the head of the community of Mountain Jews wonders.
Not a letter can be changed in Torah, the head of the community
stated. "Because it is a blasphemy," said Melih Evdayev.
Ilya Zenchenko, the senior pastor of the Baptist Church in Azerbaijan,
agrees with the head of the community of Mountain Jews. "Inclusion
of the phrase "over time, such traditional religions as Christianity
and Judaism were eventually changed by the Christian and Jewish
religious leaders " in the textbook is an exaltation of one religion
and humiliation of another one," I. Zenchenko notes.
As the senior pastor noted, the question of which religion is more
perfect, is a subject of debate among theologians. "I think there is
no need to pull the school children into this discussion," he said
and noted that he was familiar with this tutorial, because his son
studies at school.
Haji Shahin, the head of the religious community "Meshedi Dadash,"
stated that Azerbaijan is a secular, but a Muslim state. "That is
why I do not think that a serious error is made in this case," Haji
Shahin said.
Note that in the U.S. State Department report on "Freedom of religion"
it says that despite of the fact that the Constitution of Azerbaijan
provides freedom of religion, in practice, the laws and policies
of the authorities restrict this freedom. In 2011, the Azerbaijani
authorities carried out raids in some religious services, confiscated
religious materials, and harassed and arrested members of Muslim and
Christian communities.
In addition, religious groups face onerous demands by the government
when registering. Registration process itself is a kind of lever that
is used by the authorities of Azerbaijan against unwanted religious
groups. The groups that operate without registration are harassed by
the authorities, including fines and court cases which demand their
closure, U.S. State Department report reads.
The International Organization for the protection of religious rights
and freedoms "Forum 18" noted that Azerbaijani police regularly holds
raids on the homes of religious people, and some Christian clergymen
have even been imprisoned for their faith.
Source: Panorama.am
10:34 22/04/2013 " SOCIETY
The head of the community of Mountain Jews of Azerbaijan Melih
Evdayev and senior pastor of the Baptist Church in Azerbaijan Ilya
Zenchenko believe that the Azerbaijani textbook for the 5th grade
offends Christians and Jews, the Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo states.
As stated in the material, the fifth grade textbook entitled "Knowledge
of the world", approved by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan
in July 2012, reads:
"The first man, Adam, is also the first prophet. All the prophets
from Adam to Prophet Jesus preached people faith in one God, and how
he should be worshiped. However, the roots and the dictates of creed
they preach, were eventually broken, and their origins were lost. For
example, over time, such traditional religions as Christianity and
Judaism, were eventually changed by the Christian and Jewish religious
leaders and lost their original meaning. Then Allah Almighty decided
to warn all the people once again and chose the Prophet Muhammad so
that he conveyed to them the most perfect religion which is Islam.
Today Islam is the perfect religion in the world and the most
acceptable for Allah. "
It is this paragraph that is offensive to the representatives of two
religions. "This is an offence to our religion. What does the phrase
saying that "over time, such traditional religions as Christianity and
Judaism were eventually changed by the Christian and Jewish religious
leaders" mean? Does it mean we have changed the Torah?" Melih Evdayev
the head of the community of Mountain Jews wonders.
Not a letter can be changed in Torah, the head of the community
stated. "Because it is a blasphemy," said Melih Evdayev.
Ilya Zenchenko, the senior pastor of the Baptist Church in Azerbaijan,
agrees with the head of the community of Mountain Jews. "Inclusion
of the phrase "over time, such traditional religions as Christianity
and Judaism were eventually changed by the Christian and Jewish
religious leaders " in the textbook is an exaltation of one religion
and humiliation of another one," I. Zenchenko notes.
As the senior pastor noted, the question of which religion is more
perfect, is a subject of debate among theologians. "I think there is
no need to pull the school children into this discussion," he said
and noted that he was familiar with this tutorial, because his son
studies at school.
Haji Shahin, the head of the religious community "Meshedi Dadash,"
stated that Azerbaijan is a secular, but a Muslim state. "That is
why I do not think that a serious error is made in this case," Haji
Shahin said.
Note that in the U.S. State Department report on "Freedom of religion"
it says that despite of the fact that the Constitution of Azerbaijan
provides freedom of religion, in practice, the laws and policies
of the authorities restrict this freedom. In 2011, the Azerbaijani
authorities carried out raids in some religious services, confiscated
religious materials, and harassed and arrested members of Muslim and
Christian communities.
In addition, religious groups face onerous demands by the government
when registering. Registration process itself is a kind of lever that
is used by the authorities of Azerbaijan against unwanted religious
groups. The groups that operate without registration are harassed by
the authorities, including fines and court cases which demand their
closure, U.S. State Department report reads.
The International Organization for the protection of religious rights
and freedoms "Forum 18" noted that Azerbaijani police regularly holds
raids on the homes of religious people, and some Christian clergymen
have even been imprisoned for their faith.
Source: Panorama.am