Ankara, Turkey - Representatives of the Muslim states and communities in the Balkans and Caucasus that took part in the "6th Eurasian Islamic Council" hosted by the Turkish Religious Affairs Directorate complain about the missionary activities in their countries.
The Muslim representatives asked the Islamic countries to back them. Caucasian Muslim Religious Administration Chairman Allahshukur Pashazade said: "Missionaries generally come in the name of humanism. The only way of resisting this is educating well our people in terms of faith."
Pashazade asked these countries for the support of publications of a religious content. Belgrade Mufti Muhammad Yusuf Spohich called for cooperation in order to save the Muslim population from the yoke of the missionaries.
The 6th Eurasian Islamic Council that has been convening for three days continued with sessions where the subjects of "Religion, Culture and Identity in Central Asia" were the topics of discussion.
Representatives from different countries of Central Asia, in the papers they presented, pointed out that they made huge efforts to remove the gap in the religious field that appeared after communism, and that some missionaries and banned sects who want to profit from the same gap increased their activities.
Professor Vasif Mehmet Aliev from Baku State University Theology Faculty said people are forced to change identity as well as religion.
The Azeris who were converted to Christianity are inculcated by the missionaries saying: "You are Christian from now on. Your co-religionists are the Armenians."
Pashazade said they received the greatest support against missionaries from the religious leaders and that the people are made conscious about the perverted movements.
Kazakhstan Foreign Language and Professional Career University Rector Professot Sabri Hizmetli claimed nearly half a million people in Central Asia were converted to Christianity in the last 14 years.
"If people choose a religion voluntarily, this must be respected. However, ignorant people are being deceived and converted to another religion with the promise of finding a job," Hizmetli said.
Belgrade Mufti Spohich on the other side pointed at the missionaries as the biggest danger in the Balkans for Muslims.