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The Islamic Factor in Azerbaijan - Baku: «ADILOGLU», 2013 - 280 Pp

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The Islamic Factor in Azerbaijan - Baku: «ADILOGLU», 2013 - 280 Pp INSTITUTE FOR PEACE AND DEMOCRACY ARIF YUNUSOV THE ISLAMIC FACTOR IN AZERBAIJAN ADILOGLU Baku-2013 Published by the Institute for Peace and Democracy with financial support from the National Endowment for Democracy The publication expresses the author’s private opinion The National Endowment for Democracy does not bear responsibility for the contents of the book Translation by: Nazim Guliyev, Aleksey L. Seytlin Arif Yunusov. The Islamic Factor in Azerbaijan - Baku: «ADILOGLU», 2013 - 280 pp. Based on the years-long field studies, monitoring of the mass media and many interviews, the monograph looks into the role of the Islamic factor in contemporary Azerbaijan. The book presents information about the Islamic parties, organizations and structures which have a dominant role in modern life of Azerbaijan and are regarded as part of 'political Islam A particular focus is given to analysis of the religion policy of the government. The book is finally supplemented with findings of the public survey. The book is intended for anyone interested in problems of Islam in Azerbaijan and prospects for regional developments. ISBN 978-9952-25-134-0 4722110018 qrifli nəşr 121 - 2013 © Arif Yunusov, 2013 2 CONTENTS PREFACE .......................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 1. ISLAM AND THE RELIGIOUS FACTOR IN THE HISTORY OF AZERBAIJAN: MILESTONES AND STAGES .............. 10 Religious diversity before Islam ....................................................................... 10 Islamisation ....................................................................................................... 11 Dualism ............................................................................................................. 13 Russian period in the history of Islam in Azerbaijan ........................................ 17 Islam and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic ................................................ 19 The Soviet period or atheistic factor ................................................................. 20 Implication of the Soviet regime ....................................................................... 22 Disintegration of the Soviet Union and re-Islamisation of Azerbaijani Muslims ............................................................................................................. 24 Present confessional breakdown ....................................................................... 25 Islamic palette .................................................................................................. 26 CHAPTER 2. SHIITE STRUCTURES AND ORGANIZATIONS .... 30 1. Pro-Iranian structures ................................................................................. 30 Islamic Party of Azerbaijan ............................................................................... 30 Fazilat Party ...................................................................................................... 37 Azerbaijani branch of Hezbollah ...................................................................... 38 Religious Organizations in the South of Azerbaijan ......................................... 41 Iranian Organizations in Azerbaijan ................................................................. 43 2. Independent structures ................................................................................. 46 The Juma mosque community and DEVAMM ................................................ 47 The community of Meshadi Dadash mosque .................................................... 50 The representatives of marja at-taklid in Azerbaijan ........................................ 51 CHAPTER 3. SUNNI STRUCTURES .......................................................... 56 1. Linked with Turkey .................................................................................... 56 Official representatives of Turkey .................................................................... 56 Tarikats .............................................................................................................. 57 Followers of Nurchu ......................................................................................... 62 Local structures ................................................................................................. 74 2. Salafis (Wahhabis) .................................................................................... 75 Salafism in the history of Islam ........................................................................ 76 Ideology of Salafism (Wahhabism) .................................................................. 80 First steps of Salafism (Wahhabism) in Azerbaijan .......................................... 82 Anti-terror campaign and Wahhabism .............................................................. 87 Breakup among the Salafi of Azerbaijan .......................................................... 95 3 CHAPTER 4. THE RELIGIOUS POLICY OF THE AUTHORITIES…107 1. The stance of the authorities on Islam in 1991-1993 ................................ 107 The situation close to the collapse of the Soviet Union .................................... 107 The stance on Islam in the reign of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan……………………………………………………..………….…. 109 2. Islamic Factor and Heydar Aliyev ............................................................... 111 The initial period ............................................................................................... 111 Embarking on a new religious policy ............................................................... 113 Control over the official clergy ......................................................................... 114 Establishment of a state committee to control religious developments ........... 118 Confrontation between SCWRO and BMC ...................................................... 121 3. Islamic Factor in Azerbaijan after 9/11 ...................................................... 125 Transition period: Heydar Aliyev already not, Ilham Aliyev not yet at the steer ................................................................................................................... 128 4. Ilham Aliyev’s Religious Policy ................................................................... 129 A) Policy of control ...................................................................................... 131 B) Policy of repressions and persecution of religious dissidents ................. 139 C) The Islamic factor in propaganda ............................................................ 159 CHAPTER 5. THE POPULATION OF AZERBASIJAN ABOUT ISLAM AND THE SOCIAL ROLE (Results of Sociological Survey ....... 164 1. Ethnic & Social-Demographic Composition ............................................ 166 2. Religious identity of the population ........................................................ 168 3. Religious affiliation of Muslims ............................................................... 169 4. Convictions of Muslims ............................................................................ 170 5. Gender issue ............................................................................................. 171 6. Role of Islam ............................................................................................ 173 7. Religious tolerance ................................................................................... 174 8. Religious education .................................................................................. 176 9. Attitude to official leaders ........................................................................ 177 10. Islam and politics .................................................................................... 179 CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................ 180 APPENDIX ..................................................................................................... 183 AFTERWORD ............................................................................................... 195 The Baggage of the Past ................................................................................... 195 Outcomes of re-Islamisation ............................................................................. 196 Prospects and Chances for Islamic Revolution .............................................. .'.197 Involuntary Radicalization of Muslims ............................................................ 198 NOTES ............................................................................................................. 201 PHOTOS……………………………………………………………………...240 4 PREFACE Dedicated to my beloved daughter Dinara The disintegration of the Soviet Union put an end to the cold war and triggered emergence of 15 independent republics on its ruins. Once-stiff ideological and political barriers collapsed, and the sixth part of the world began to reclaim religious bases. Islam began to flourish in the Caucasian and Central Asia nations; old mosques were reconstructed, and new ones were built; fellow believers were finding each other in different parts of the-now- former Soviet Union. But it soon became clear, that these developments sparked not only interest, but also fear of both the post-Soviet societies and beyond. Especially as the Islamic factor was increasingly emerging in the conflicts of the 90’s all over the space of the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, and as the
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