Ayatollah issues fatwa against two journalists in Azerbaijan

Reporters Without Borders voiced deep concern today about a fatwa (religious decree) issued by an Iranian ayatollah calling for two journalists in neighbouring Azerbaijan to be killed for an allegedly blasphemous article. The fatwa?s targets are Rafiq Nazar Oughlo Taghizadh of the Azerbaijani fortnightly Sanat (’Industry’) and his editor Samir Sadaght Oughlo. The offending article was written by Taghizadh, 56, for the newspaper?s 6 November issue. Entitled ‘Europe and us,’ its claim that European values were superior to those of Muslim countries sparked outrage in both Azerbaijan (a Muslim country) and Iran. Fazel Lankarani, one of the Islamic Republic of Iran?s leading ayatollah?s, issued the fatwa in response to appeals for advice from Azerbaijani Muslims. Posted on his website (www.lankarani.org) on 25 November, it calls for both the ‘apostate’ journalist who wrote the article and the editor who published it to be killed. (Reporters without Borders,December 04, 2006)

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