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ABOUT OUR GROUP |
| Address:
Baku, Azerbaijan The Center for Religion and Democracy (CRD) is functioning since 1998. It has held a variety of events aiming at the fulfillment of its goals which mainly consist of further improving interreligious links among the population of Azerbaijan, ensuring that Muslim majority along with other confessions take active part in civil society building affairs, propagating the real religious values in a scientific way, organizing the sound religious enlightening work with the purpose to help create the climate of interreligious understanding in the country. Our concept on how to place Islam in Azerbaijan society provides for gross religionization of population and establishment of a perception mechanism of religious instructions that would limit Islam with moral and cultural spheres. Religious interpretations of Koranic logic are targeted at religious justification of generally accepted values of democracy, human freedoms. We deeply believe along with goals to provoke in a positive way a certain shift in the religious conscience of Muslims towards perceiving the values of democracy as religiously generated or justified ones and thus not alien or forcedly planted from abroad that the strategic burden of this kind of theological initiatives have also certain positive political prospects for dynamic culture change processes in post-Soviet Muslim countries. These ideas claiming to affect the religious conscience of people identify topic of discussions held by the Center at many events (seminars, conferences, round tables, lectures, meetings with the believers in mosques and so on). The leader of the Center
is Dr.Nariman Gasimoglu who is the author of the very popular
version of the translation of Koran and many studies in Islamic
theology. |
Azerbaijan Center for Religion and Democracy
“Had not it been that God protects one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques wherein the name of God is mentioned much would surely have been pulled down…” (22, 40).
Islam: Religion of Freedom, Democracy, Tolerance, Modernity
Islam
has a single and unshared written source: Holy Koran. The word “Koran”
means “Reading”. Following our Lord’s order please read this Holy Writ
which is quite readable and worthy reading.
Fanaticism and ignorance have nothing to do with our religion because revelations and verses coming from All-mighty God are also called in Koran “knowledge”: “…Were you to follow their desires after the knowledge which has come to you, then you will not have any protector or defender against God” (13, 37). For fanaticism strips the human-being of his or her humanity our Lord says: “And among mankind is he who disputes concerning God without knowledge, and follows every rebellious Satan” (22, 3).
Human-being has a free choice in religion: “There is no compulsion in religion” (2,256).
Our
Lord teaches us to be tolerant even towards those who are described
as infidels. “Nor you worship what they worship neither they
worship what you worship, they have their own religion and you have
your own religion…” (109, 4-6) – reads Koran. The latter verses
is excerpted form the chapter “Infidels” and even the infidelity is
viewed as a religion and therefore should be set free to be practiced.
Racial or national discrimination are unacceptable as closeness or intimacy to God are not to be identified by racial or national differences: “O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another or you may network with one another. The most respectful one in the presence of God is who is the most pious…” (49, 13).
Our
Holy Book calls all the sacred persons in other religions as true messengers
of God. in a very reverent way depicts and repeatedly mentions Noah,
Abraham, Moses, Jesus are depicted and repeatedly mentioned in Koran
in a very reverent way and equally prophets along with prophet Mohammad.
This reverent attitude towards the believers from other religions comes
from the very logic of the holy text: “…Had not it been that God protects
one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues
and mosques wherein the name of God is mentioned much would surely have
been pulled down…(22, 40). Koran indicates that heavenly
paradise is heralded also for believers of other religions like true
Muslims surrendering to God: “Surely who believe, and those
who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes
in God and the last day, they shall have their reward from their Lord…”
(2, 62).
As for inter-religious dialogue Our Lord sets a certain rule for this with a following instruction: “Do not argue with the People of the Book unless it is in the best manner, except for those of them who do wrong. Say "We believe in what has been sent down to us and what has been sent down to you. Our God and your God is One, and to Him we are surrendering” (29/46).
Islam does not accept the “religious instructions” taken from other sources which aggravate and put certain burdens on life of human-being: “God wants to grant you easiness” (4, 28).
Women rights get granted for sacredness in light of Holy values. One of the Koranic chapters is called “Women”, the others are “A woman tested” and “Maria”.
“The believers, men and women are helpers, supporters, friends, protectors of one another; they enjoin good and forbid people from evil…” (9, 71). This verse shows that men and women are equally partners in social live as women have a say in governing societal and political issues along with men.
It is wrong to think of Jihad as a “holy war” against non-believers. Steming from the verb ja-kha-da, meaning mainly striving, struggling, endeavor, strain, exertion, effort, diligence, in the Koranic context striving and struggling on the path of God for good deeds to be implemented, this notion in classification given by Mohammed the prophet was identified into 4 meanings: jihad against lust (struggle against lust, self-purification); jihad in words (struggle for freedom of speech); jihad in actions; and jihad with weapon. Mohammed the Prophet called jihad against lust as “the greatest jihad” and jihad with weapon on the path of defending the homeland as the “smallest jihad”.
Islam is a Religion of Mercy, but not a Religion of Hatred, Terror
113 out of 114 chapters in Koran begin with the words “in the name of God, the most Gracious, the most Merciful”.
“…He said: My punishment I afflict therewith whom I will, but as for My Mercy it embraces all things…” (7, 156). This verse clearly explains that God’s punishment, His hatred towards infidels are limited to certain circumstances, but His Mercy is unlimited.
Our
lord says about Mohammed the Prophet upon whom He sends down the revelations:
“And We have sent you not but as a mercy for all creatures” (21, 107).
“The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend. But none is granted it except those who are patient – and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion in this world” (41, 34-35). This verse explains that only those of great soles or prophet-like brilliant personalities are destined to overcome the evil with the use of good deeds. Our Lord offers us to prefer to behave mercifully in order to reach the highest pillars of faith.
Terror, unjustly shedding blood are a great sin. Our Lord says: “…We ordained for the children of Israel that is anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or to spread mischief in the land – it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved all mankind…” (5, 32); “…Kill not unjustly whom God has forbidden…” (6, 151).
Do
those who commit terror or suicide in the name of Islam know that they
are warned in Koran about absolute hell they are destined to go: “Do
not kill yourselves. Surely god is Most Merciful to you. And whoever
commits that through aggression and injustice We shall cast him into
the fire…” (4, 29-30).
Nariman Gasimoglu,
Chairman of Center for Religion and Democracy
ngasimoglu@yahoo.com
http://reldem.net
