Azeri Islamic Party official concerned at missionary activity

Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet on 15 June

"More than 3,000 missionary organizations [as published] are currently operating in Azerbaijan. Bahai's, Wahhabis, Nurchus [Islamic sect from Turkey] and Hare Krishnas are the most active," the head of the press service of the Islamic Party, Qurban Cabrayil, has told Olaylar news agency. He said that about 8,400 Azerbaijanis had embraced Christianity under the influence of missionaries.

Qurban Cabrayil believes that Wahhabis' activity in Azerbaijan is more dangerous. "They are destroying Islam. They put on Islamic clothes and take the Koran in their hands, but are confusing people. They penetrate their ideas into people's minds. These kind of people are destroying the foundations of our statehood," he said. Cabrayil is concerned at the fact that nothing is done to ban or at least regulate the activity of missionary organizations in this field.