Creation of Management of Muslims of Georgia is Saakashvili's attempt to use Islamic groups in his purposes

The chairman of the National Congress of the Azerbaijanians of Georgia, the activist of party “Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia” Ali Babayev tells to what consequences led the scandalous known Management of Muslims of Georgia creation by Saakashvili's regime, is there a communication between this event and growth of popularity of Wahhabism in Georgia about these and other subjects in interview “The world and we”.

- What purposes were pursued by Saakashvili's regime at the creation of Management of Muslims of Georgia?

About 500 thousand Azerbaijanians and only about 750 thousand Muslims live in Georgia. These are Azerbaijanians, Turks-Meskhetians, Adzharians and there are a lot of other nationalities. The first step to the creation of Management of Muslims of Georgia was made by Saakashvili's regime in 2010 – then the convention of the Congress of Azerbaijanians in Georgia was carried out illegally. For that period I was the chairman of this organization. This congress was carried out with full violation of laws of Georgia about non-governmental organizations. Our four founders were against their seven people. They carried out the convention and illegally elected the new chairman of the Congress from the civil servants – the deputy governor of Kvemo-Kartli Guseyn Yusupov.

In addition, Saakashvili the Ministry of Justice entered the non-governmental organization and more 26 state officials into the congress. Such attention to this organization was caused by that Islam becomes recently more and more popular in Georgia, the Muslim youth goes to mosques for Koran and prayer studying more and more. And Saakashvili's regime decided to put this phenomenon under control. The creation of non-governmental organization Management of Muslims of Georgia became the following step. Officially they declared that this organization is created for the protection of the rights of Muslims in Georgia. But what occurred actually? In June, 2011 they carry out the illegal congress of this “non-governmental” organization at which there were only three religious figures and all the others are the state officials, deputies, directors of schools. And they elect the sheikh, mufti and imam to themselves. And, the sheikh elected with the criminal past. It worked once as the director of a cemetery, and happened that prayed on a funeral. And this person became a sheikh!

- Does the emergence of the interfaith conflicts in Georgia possible in connection with the creation of the Management of Muslims of Georgia and attempt of split of Muslims of Georgia?

At creation of this organization there was a gap with the Management of Muslims of the Caucasus which is located in Azerbaijan. It led to split. In Georgia there are three Muslim groups – Shiites, Sunnites and Wahhabites. The decision on creation of the Management of Muslims of Georgia brought the split between different groups. For example, non-recognition of this new organization became the first step of the Adzharian Muslim management. And, thus, today in Georgia it turns out that one Azerbaijani village believes in this management and the other doesn't trust.

Besides, after the Management of Muslims of Georgia creation, the Turkish, Saudi and Iranian influence amplified. Saudi Arabia influences Wahhabism, Turkey influences Sunnites. Thus there is a full ignoring of Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, that fact is very unpleasant to us that today in Georgia all other faiths, for example Orthodoxy or Catholics, submit to the central church organizations. The only who stirred Saakashvili, as it appears, is the Azerbaijani sheikh who is very authoritative person in Muslim society. He often came to Georgia and always declared that Georgia our neighbour and the friend and Ilia II is the father of the Caucasus. And here in such friendly atmosphere the decision on creation of the Management of Muslims of Georgia is suddenly made and there is a split between Muslims.

Thus, despite the declared purposes of the Management of Muslims of Georgia about protection of the rights of Muslims in Georgia, we have considerable difficulties here. For example, there is no definiteness with the status of mosques. Today there are many mosques which are simply rural house or the person constructed himself and it is his property as there is no corresponding status for mosques. For example, the mosque was constructed in Kvemo-Kartli in 2001 and recently there was a question of its repair. Because of what there was a big scandal – several times the Georgian parliament was asked to give the status of a house of worship to the mosques, but it is impossible from the point of view of laws of Georgia.

The law which was accepted by the last Georgian parliament completely ignores the rights of Muslims in Georgia. This law was created to restrain the Muslims, I can openly declare. Besides there are cases when the Muslims don't allow to pray. Recently such was occurred in Nivigiziani's settlement. There were the refugees from Adzharia in the family, they couldn't pray at home. Certain provokers started protesting, provoked the population that they have no right to pray here in a Muslim way.

But I think that thanks to the new power led by Bidzina Ivanishvili and the majority in parliament these negative tendencies will be suspended since the time of Saakashvili. As Georgia accepted the European documents of the rights of national minorities where everything is accurately registered. And if Georgia seeks to enter NATO and EU, it has to consider these arrangements.

- What do you think of the opinion that one of the purposes of creation of the Management of Muslims of Georgia was reduction of the international Islamic extremism in the person of the Turkish-Saudi Wahhabism to the borders of Russia for situation destabilization in Russia on the Arab money?

Georgia is the neighbour of Russia. Any extremist groups, mujahedins, diversionary groups earlier could get to Georgia at the time of the Chechen war. But the Muslims of Georgia never interfered with these questions and any Azerbaijanian in Georgia didn't interfere with these affairs, had no extreme or terrorist views. Georgia is our earth and homeland, we live here for eyelids with Georgians and we had never any conflict between us. Also it is impossible that such moods arose today.

- Yes, it is clear that Azerbaijanians never would do such, but is it possible that Saakashvili, carrying out the arrangements with some western or Arab countries, by means of the Management of Muslims of Georgia tried to realize such plan – to provide the Arab money to Georgia for creation of certain extremist groups?

The Wahhabism develops in Georgia, I can say precisely. They have more opportunities, than the ordinary Muslims of Georgia. This group extends in Georgia very strongly because today the economic and social situation in the country is the very heavy...

I personally as the representative of the Azerbaijani community often meet the Wahhabites and ask them why they started adhering to this group. They answer: we should keep a family, it is necessary to work, situation is heavy for us and they pay us, do a lot of things, help us. But it is important to note that today any Wahhabite in Georgia wasn't detained or arrested yet for commission of any radical actions.

I think that this process on creation of the Management of Muslims of Georgia had any far-sighted purpose. It is known that some religious trends including a Wahhabism are supported today from Saudi Arabia. But while there are no extreme views among the Azerbaijanian Wahhabites in Georgia. I often visit the settlements of Kakheti where this group generally develops and I can claim that any Azerbaijanian isn't “mad” about the questions of terror, extremism, diversionary groups. Today a situation is such is and will see what be further. But I consider that now when the power peacefully passes from Saakashvili to our leader, any negative scenarios become almost impossible.