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"Azerbaijan is truly a country of paradoxes and absurdities. Only in our country a special department for Fatwas could appear, under the non-governmental organization of the Caucasus Muslims Office. How can any department be engaged in fatwas?"
writes Azerbaijani portal "Haqqin.az" commenting on the statement of the “Caucasian Muslims Office "(CMO).

As stated in the article, the Azerbaijani "Caucasian Muslims Office" (CMO) has warned various religious sects in Azerbaijan about making statements having the nature of fatwa. Head of fatwas Department of CMO Haji Miraziz Seyidzadeh stated that in the statement addressed to these religious communities and sects it was told that only CMO is endowed with a power to issue a fatwa among Muslims of Azerbaijan and the whole Caucasus(?).

He noted that no structure except CMO has the authorities to appear with fatwa: "Those who do this make a grave mistake. CMO never appears with fatwa in connection with any fight. Cases involving Sharia is carried out only by our administration."

CMO representative has made a serious warning to those religious sects: "I want to tell them not to be self-willed and not to interfere in matters that do not concern them. Otherwise, the result of such actions will lead to undesirable consequences."

Author of publication expresses surprise at the fact that a department in NGO called the Caucasian Muslims Office may be engaged in fatwas. "First of all, Azerbaijan is not sharia state to publish any fatwa here. Secondly, a fatwa is a religious decision given to any issue brought up by mufti or alim (scholar) and is based on Islamic principles and precedents of Muslim legal practice," the article reads.

Azerbaijani portal emphasizes that "Allahshukur Pashazadeh and his religious institution do not have any legal or moral right to make such absurd statements."

"We are not even talking about the fact that this very warning voiced by non-governmental organization is a juridical nonsense. Or maybe the head of our state now is Allahshukur Pashazadeh, and we do not know yet? Thus the other day he made an almost presidential visit to Turkmenistan. And he was received with the state honors. It seems that among other troubles also Ayatollah fell down over our country!" sums up "Haqqin.az."