AZERBAIJAN'S MFA AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONDEMN

UNCLAS BAKU 000293

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/PPD, NEA/I

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KPAO KISL PTER IZ AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN'S MFA AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS CONDEMN
AL-ASKARIYA SHRINE BOMBING

REF: STATE 28802

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.


1. (U) Per reftel, PAO and Pol/Econ Chief separately shared
texts of statements by President Bush and Ambassador
Khalilzad regarding the destruction of the Al-Askariya shrine
with Azerbaijani MFA Spokesperson and Americas Desk on
February 23. MFA Spokesperson Tahir Tagizade subsequently
issued a statement on the incident to two Azerbaijani
newspapers on February 24. An unofficial embassy translation
of the statement follows:

The Government of Azerbaijan strongly condemns the attack on
the Al-Askariya shrine and all forms of terror. As a country
with a tradition in which Shi'a and Sunni Muslims live
together, we call on the international community to support
the democratic development of a unified Iraq. As a coalition
partner working to ensure the peace and stability of Iraq, we
oppose actions that destabilize Iraq and condemn efforts to
create divisions among the Iraqi people. We call on all
Iraqis to be calm and patient.


2. (U) Separately, the Caucasus Muslim Board on February 23
issued a statement condemning the attack on the shrine.
"Only Islam's enemies, who try to aggravate the conflict
between different sects in Islam, could be happy with this
act. This crime does not have any relation to religion and
is political in nature." In the statement, the Board also
worried that the attack on the shrine may have serious
consequences and lead to more serious tragedies. The Board
called on Muslims "not to be instruments at the hands of
Islam's enemies, and not to allow ethnic separatism, but
rather jointly withstand these challenges."


3. (U) Azerbaijani religious activist and leader of the
unofficial Juma Mosque Ilgar Ibrahimoglu also issued a
statement February 23 condemning the attack on the
Al-Askariya shrine. Characterizing the attack as "an act of
barbarism and vandalism," Ibrahimoglu said the crime had
shocked all believers. He offered condolences on behalf of
the Juma Mosque community and said "believers pray that Allah
will grant peace to Iraqi land, strengthen the national
government of Iraq, withdraw foreign troops from the country
as soon as possible and strictly punish those who stir up
hostility between religions."


4. (SBU) Comment: The destruction of one of the Shi'a
community's most revered sites has had surprisingly little
resonance in this largely secular Shi'a nation. News
coverage over the last few days has focused instead on the
February 21-22 visit of Russian President Putin and the
February 23 collapse of a market roof in Moscow that killed a
number of Azerbaijanis. End comment.
HARNISH