Islamic Activism in Azerbaijan: Repression and Mobilization in a Post-Soviet Context
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STOCKHOLM STUDIES IN POLITICS 129 Islamic Activism in Azerbaijan: Repression and Mobilization in a Post-Soviet Context Islamic Activism in Azerbaijan Repression and Mobilization in a Post-Soviet Context Sofie Bedford ©Sofie Bedford, Stockholm 2009 Stockholm Studies in Politics 129 ISSN 0346-6620 ISBN 978-91-7155-800-8 (Stockholm University) Södertörn Doctoral Dissertations 33 ISSN 1652-7399 Södertörn Political Studies 6 ISSN 1653-8269 ISBN 978-91-89315-96-9 (Södertörns högskola) Printed in Sweden by Universitetsservice US-AB, Stockholm 2009 Distributor: Department of Political Science, Stockholm University Cover: “Juma mosque in Baku behind bars”, Deyerler 2 2004. Reprinted with the kind permission of Ilgar Ibrahimoglu. Acknowledgements It is quite amazing how much life depends on coincidences. Upon graduating from university I wanted to do an internship with an international organiza- tion in Russia or Ukraine but instead ended up in Baku, Azerbaijan. That turned out to be a stroke of luck as I fell in love with the country and its peo- ple. When I later got the possibility to do a PhD I was determined to find a topic that would bring me back. I did, and now after many years of some- times seemingly never-ending thesis work the project is finally over. A whole lot of people have been important in making this possible, but I would like to start by thanking Anar Ahmadov who helped me a lot more than he realizes. It was after our first conversation over a cup of coffee, where he told me about the growing religiosity he observed in the country, that I un- derstood that studying Islamic mobilization in Azerbaijan would actually be feasible. Later on, when I felt my thesis work had come to a standstill, he helped me move on by introducing me to some new interesting people. Another person that has been crucial in the process is my supervisor Johan Eriksson (Södertörn University). He has been nothing but supportive during my winding journeys, theoretical as well as geographical. It is owing to him that my project, which at times literally was all over the place, was narrowed down into an actual dissertation. I would also like to thank my assistant supervisor Drude Dahlerup (Stockholm University) for all her input and especially for seeing more in my work than I did myself. I enjoyed working at the multicultural and multidisciplinary environment at BEEGS. It was very valuable to participate in academic and other activi- ties together with likeminded friends and colleagues and I would like to thank among others Margrethe Søvik, Terhi Tikkala, Olga Elizarova, Anders Nordström, Jenny Svensson, Johnny Rodin, Pelle Åberg, Mathilda Dahl, Piotr Wawrzeniuk and Fredrik Doeser for great company through the years. Surely I would not have got through this without you! Thanks also to Tho- mas Lundén that shared and encouraged my interest in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Additionally I benefited from being part of the political science departments at both Södertörn and Stockholm University and am especially grateful to Inga Brandell who always found time to comment on my work. As for my time in Azerbaijan, I am of course obliged to everyone that kindly agreed to talk to me in the Juma and the Abu Bakr mosque communi- ties. Special thoughts go to the Imams who were always were very hospita- ble. I likewise appreciate the representatives of the Caucasus Muslim Board and the Committee for Work with Religious Associations, especially the chairman at the time, Rafik Aliyev, being so accommodating. Furthermore there were a number of people in Azerbaijan that contributed to making my empirical work possible. Kenan Guluzade, Rauf muellim, Altay Göyushkov, Bayram Balci, among others, were crucial for the gathering of information and contacts. On a different note I would like to say cheers to Amanda and Paul for giving me a home away from home when needed. As space is lim- ited I cannot really make this list longer, but I am truly grateful to everyone that helped me throughout the work process. Those trying to help me on my, as it turned out, rather complicated mis- sion to study Islamic mobilization in Uzbekistan equally need to be thanked. First, without the administrative support from the French Institute (IFEAC) in Tashkent, and especially Kirill Kuzmin, I would never have made it there in the first place. I also owe a lot to Alisher Abidjanov who helped me with meetings and introductions, making my second trip much more organized than the first. Some other new friends helped out greatly as well. Shukhrat, among other things, made sure I finally got to the Ferghana Valley and An- var on many occasions let me partake of his never ending knowledge about the region. Sincere thanks go out to them and everyone else that accommo- dated me during my time in Uzbekistan. The thesis project was made possible by the Foundation for Baltic and East European Studies that financed it all. Additionally I would like to thank the Helge Ax:son Johnson foundation which covered some of the costs for my second round of fieldwork. My deepest gratitude also to the administra- tion at BEEGS/CBEES, Lena Arvidsson, Lena Andersson, Nina Cajhamre, Ewa Rogström and the others that provided excellent support in every prac- tical matter. In the same way Dace Lagerborg at the Södertörn University Library has accommodated all my literature needs. Finally, I am grateful to Luis Conde-Costas who spent his Christmas holidays improving my English. To conclude I would like to tell all my friends and family all over the world how much I have appreciated their encouragement over the years. In particular I would like to thank Karin Bogland for being a good friend and a great source of inspiration. I am forever indebted to my sister Hanna Linnea who at all times is ready to look after her nephew, even when severely jet- lagged. A final mentioning — my husband Garth has provided valuable comments and always been ready to help. His support has been essential for the completion of the project as he continuously got me back on track when I wanted to give up. I dedicate this thesis to him and to our son Kaj, who might not always have been so helpful, but certainly motivated me to get the job done. Almaty, December 31 2008 Contents 1. Introduction....................................................................................... 15 Islamic mobilization at the “bridgehead of secularism” ...................................15 Aim(s) and research questions .............................................................................16 Juma and Abu Bakr mosque communities as social movements ...................18 Defining social movements theoretically .......................................................18 Islamic activism: Islamic mobilization from a social movement perspective..........................................................................................................19 Defining social movements normatively........................................................22 The “core democracy bias” of social movement theory ...................................23 Outline of the thesis................................................................................................24 2. Social Movement Mobilization: Organization, Cognition and Context.................................................................................................... 25 The political process approach..............................................................................25 Organizational aspects of mobilization................................................................27 Members, networks and social relationships ................................................27 Leaders ................................................................................................................29 Free spaces .........................................................................................................30 Cognitive aspects of mobilization .........................................................................30 Collective identity...............................................................................................31 Frames .................................................................................................................32 The role of religion in the process of identity formation.............................33 Political aspects of mobilization ............................................................................34 An inopportune political context......................................................................35 Prevailing paradigms and path dependency .................................................37 Extrinsic aspects of mobilization...........................................................................39 Direct involvement.............................................................................................39 International constraints ..................................................................................39 Diffusion of ideas and activists........................................................................40 3. Mobilization as a Reciprocal Relationship ................................... 43 The interaction context ..........................................................................................43 Movement types, strategies and tactics..............................................................44 Repression and mobilization..................................................................................48 Hard and soft repression