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“Voice of Azan shall be heard outside the Juma Mosque like in other mosques”

October 18, 2016
 
Tural Gurbanli 

“About 10 years ago, people living around the Juma Mosque in Meidan Square, Tbilisi, complained about the Azan voice transmitted from the mosque (Azan is a pray, which is read only by Imam). Since then, Azan is not heard from the mosque,” ethnic Azerbaijani Javid Gurbanov complained. He attends prayers in the Juma Mosque, located close to famous sulfur baths in the Old Tbilisi Center. Javid said, in the past, the Azan voice was heard in the entire neighborhood, but now it can be heard only inside the mosque because use of amplifiers was prohibited.

“Azan is one of the major elements of Islam. Everyone has right to conduct religious rituals. Like in other mosques, the Azan voice shall be heard outside the Juma Mosque too. It is right of all Muslims who pray in and live near that mosque. Restriction of the right does not prove tolerance towards other religions,” Javid said. 

Azan means notification and statement in Arab language. Its main purpose is to notify the followers about the pray time – Namaz and call on Muslims to perform it. In many countries, the Azan is transmitted with voice amplifiers. The same is done in Georgia because 10, 7% of Georgian population is Muslim. However, in the Juma Mosque, Azan is heard only inside the building. 

Ilham Amyanoglu also goes to the Juma Mosque to pray. Ilham believes the Azan shall be voiced with amplifiers at least on holly Fridays. “I do not expect the Government of Georgia will give us permission to voice Azan with amplifiers in the Tbilisi center several times per day. But at least they will allow us to use amplifiers on Fridays. We are also citizens of this country and want to perform religious services in accordance to our traditions.”

Islam is the second most spread religion in Georgia after Christianity. There are up to 500 000 Muslims in the country (mostly ethnic Azerbaijani people, Kists and Adjarian people). There are about 250 mosques in Georgia. 140 of them are located in Adjara Autonomous Republic; up to 50 mosques are in Kvemo Kartli. The Juma Mosque is the only one located in Tbilisi. 

“The Juma Mosque is one of the most ancient mosques in Georgia. Shias and Sunnis pray there together. It is an example of tolerance and Azan voice must be heard from this mosque,” one of the Imams of the mosque Rami Huseynaliyev said and added that restrictions were imposed in 2006.
There are people who support to install amplifiers in the mosque and those who are against it among the residents of the neighborhood. 30-years-old Sandro Asatiani said Georgia is homeland of people with various religions and everybody’s freedom of religion shall be respected. “Ethnic Azerbaijani people are also citizens of Georgia. They always stand besides us in all troubles. The Government of Georgia shall also respect their faith. I live in Meidan and Azan Voice does not bother me.”

Giorgi, 24, is against transmitting Azan with amplifiers in the Meidan Square. “There are mosques, where Muslim people can perform all rituals. What else do they want?! Shall they propaganda their religion with loud prayers?! I do not want to hear the Azan. Not only Muslims live in the Meidan square. People with different religions live here and we will be bothered with that voice.”

Gvantsa, 3rd year student, who also lives close to the Meidan, said hearing the Azan with amplifiers 5 times a day, will bother her too. “In general, I am against transmitting prayers of any religion with amplifiers. Georgia is Christian country. Many tourists come here. More Christians live in the Meidan than Muslims. Why should tourists think that many muslims live here? The Azan will cause misunderstandings about Georgia among foreign guests.”

Chairman of the State Agency for Religious Issues Zaza Vashakmadze refused to comment about the issue and forwarded us to the Council of Muslims.
Mufti of the Muslim Council Yasin Aliyev said it is inadmissible to ban use of amplifiers for Azan prayers. “The law shall regulate all such problematic issues. In any case, the Azan shall be transmitted with amplifiers in the Juma Mosque. Azan is one of the main attributes of the Islam.”

Chairman of the legal commission at the Tbilisi City Council Tedo Kobakhidze said there is no restriction on transmitting the Azan prayer with amplifiers in the Juma Mosque. “There is no official document and resolution to ban amplifiers for the Azan prayer.”

Human rights defender Lia Mukhashavria said the problem can be resolved so that rights of neither Muslim people nor other residents of the neighborhood will be breached. “Muslims praying in the mosque have right to conduct their religious rituals. If the Azan voice is loud and bothers people living near the mosque, the executive authority of the city shall make relevant decision about it. They shall regulate how loud the voice can be. The problem shall be tackled in full respect of everybody’s rights.”

“I do not believe that Azan voice bothers Georgian people living in the neighborhood. They always respected people of other religions and ethnicity. Tbilisi is common city for the people with different ethnic and religious background. It is the main attraction of Tbilisi,” Javid Jurbanov said and walked down the cobblestone of the Old Meidan Square to his house after Namaz prayers in the mosque. 

The article was prepared in the frame of the project implemented by Human Rights House Tbilisi with financial support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Georgia. HRHT bears sole responsibility for the content of the article. The article does not necessarily reflect the views of the donor.



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