Construction of church in Old City not in national interest - Sheikh-ul-Islam

Having held a series of meetings on Wednesday, Archbishop Jean Lui Toran, Secretary of the International Relations Department of Vatican’s State Secretary, is scheduled to tour the Old City of Baku and perform religious rituals in the venue granted for the construction of a catholic church near the Maiden’s Tower. Toran arrived in Baku on Tuesday for a two-day visit.

Revealing his stance on the matter in an exclusive interview with AssA-Irada, Haji Allahsukur Pasazada, Sheikh-ul-Islam of the Caucasus, said he opposed construction of a Catholic church in the Old City.

“The restoration of an existing church is one matter, but construction of a new one is a different matter. I don’t oppose building any temples of other religions in the country. However, construction of a new church in the Old City contradicts our national interests. The Old City is our history and it is mostly connected with Islam,” Pasazada stressed.