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ISLAMIC PROCESSES IN AZERBAIJAN
Araqs Pashayan
http://www.noravank.am/en/?page=analitic s&nid=1254
26 June 2008
Religious processes in post-Soviet Islamic secular republics,
including Azerbaijan, have their specificity. They considerably
differ from analogical processes occurring in other regions where
Islam is traditionally spread and where Islamic institutionalism has
deep historical roots.
In the Soviet period, being deprived of social-political role, Islam
in Azerbaijan was reduced to traditional and everyday functions. After
independence was gained the role of Islam was overestimated: it became
one of the component parts of Azerbaijani identity. Great number of
old and new mosques and religious schools (madrasah) were opened,
was formed a strata of people who got education in well known foreign
Islamic centers. Were restored Islamic holidays, the propaganda of
Islam was raised to the governmental level. Islam was considered to
be a most important value by the state and was underlined unique,
national character of Azerbaijani Islam.
State-religion relations were regulated by certain laws, and
a regulation about the freedom of religion was adopted in the
constitution. Pilgrimage of the president Heydar Aliyev to Mecca in
1994 grew the importance of religion in the country.
However, these realities did not further institutionalization of Islam,
specification of its role in social life. Although in Azerbaijan
there are structures regulating both religious (Administration of
Caucasian Muslims) and state (State Committee in Charge of Religious
Organizations) structures, however, separate social structures don't
trust traditional religious institutions and little by little get
involved in non-traditional ones.
Religious radicalism is also spread, which makes a ground for Islam
to be politicized. In the reports of human right organizations and
different international organization relating to Azerbaijan the state
authorities are advised to organize public discussions on Islam and
Islamic institutions involving independent and official clergymen,
representatives of social organizations and intellectuals in them.
In comparison with Christian churches trying to centralize
religious issues to regulate them, there is not such a structure
in Islam. In Azerbaijan most of the religious groups collaborate
with the government and recognizes spiritual authority of the state
supported Administration of Caucasian Muslims. However, there are
separate spiritual groups, which don't obey the Administration, and
such groups don't have that much authority in society. In separate
cases independent imams are more influential which represent both
traditional and non-traditional branches of Islam in Azerbaijan. For
example, the Imam of Abu Baqr mosque imam Hamet and the former imam of
Juma mosque, human rights advocate Ilghar Ibrahimoghlu. The religious
elite make no attempts to have any dialogue with them apprehending
the fact of religious dissidence in the country quite painfully.
Although Azerbaijan is a Shiite state, from the standpoint of religious
institutionalization it is different from the biggest Shiite state,
Iran.
There is no Shiah spiritual hierarchy, no marja' al-taklid - religious
firstprimary source - the faithful should follow. Sheikh ul-Islam
of Azerbaijan is not considered to be the absolute interpreter of
dogmata and holly laws.
According to the survey carried out in 2006, 7.2% of population is
profound believers, 49.7% believe in God but don't use the principles
of Islam in practice. 2/3 of the Muslim population is Shiites, 1/3
- Sunnis.
In its turn the state avoids of spreading the influence of Islam in the
country's social-political life and aspires to restrain religion and
preserve secular principles in the country. Azerbaijani authorities
periodically exerted pressure and used violence to religious and
political parties, pro-Islam figures and non-traditional Islamic
directions and religious activists in Azerbaijan. These realities have
considerably hampered progressing of Islamic discourse, specifying
the role of Islam and its social-political life.
>From the beginning of 2006 the Islamic factor acquired more important
role in Azerbaijan's social-political life, which was conditioned both
by outward and inward factors. As a result of the usual falsification
of parliamentary elections of 2005 caused disappointment to western
values and the west in general. Gradually advocates of the Islamic
way of development appeared in the political field.
The Azerbaijani community also became more sensible to the realities
relating to Iran in geopolitical developments, which revealed
anti-American moods. Azerbaijan also responded to the war waged by the
Prophet Mohammed's caricature in 2005. In the beginning of February
Baku, later on also in Nardaran (religious district not far from Baku)
were held protest action. Were burnt the flags of the US, Israel,
Denmark as well as Armenia and Switzerland. On February 11 not that
well-known Azerbaijani newspaper "Yeni Khabar" printed caricature
of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. In April Jewish organizations
were threatened by some unknown "Muslim brothers." In summer 2006,
during Israeli-Lebanon war, were held crowded anti-Israeli rallies
in Baku and a few other places, which were unprecedented.
According to the data of survey carried out in April-May of spring
2006 by the Center for Religious Studies in Baku and Sumgait, 9% out
of 600 young Azerbaijani responders was for the creation of Islamic
state in Azerbaijan.
It is also noteworthy the survey carried out in April-May of 2006 by
the Center for Economic and Political Studies among 1000 responders
all over the country. In this case for the creation of Islamic
republic was 19% of responders, 30% were for partially. If we put it
in another way, for about half of the responders was for Islamic moral
values. 40% of responders are ready to support any Islamic republic
in international relations if the latter one has a problem with any
of the Islamic countries.
The number of people wearing Islamic kerchief in Azerbaijan has been
increased recently causing many social problems. In 1999 a law was
adopted on not wearing kerchiefs while photographing for official
documents. In 2007 the Azerbaijani parliament was going to discuss a
bill "on education" prohibiting to wear kerchief in the educational
institutions.
However, the problem got a wide public resonance and was taken out
of legislative plane.
Today there are religious circles in Azerbaijan which put forward
the ideas of declaring Islam as a state religion, including the
Islamic laws into legislation, increasing Islam's influence in social
life. For example, in Azerbaijan was risen the questions of polygamy
and temporarily marriages.
It was required for women not to be prohibited to wear kerchief in
photos for official documents.
One can notice certain religiosity in separate circles of youth
and intellectuals as well as in Baku. It goes without saying that
activity of the Islamic structures is more effective in needy stratum
if population, which in the context of the state's inaction see their
support in Islam.
In this sense Islam has a considerable potential to become the
ideological basis of social-political movements.
According to separate Azerbaijani researchers, the problems one
can witness in the religious field hinder formation of democracy
and civil society, pose threat to the existence of secular state
and it is necessary to work out corresponding conception to overcome
them. According to an arabologist Nariman Gasimoglu, suchlike problems
occur only because the state hasn't determined the place and role
of Islam in the civil society, which is of strategic importance. It
is mentioned that the authorities are not able to settle religious
problems only through administrative-legal mechanisms.
The Institute for Islam and Democracy headed by Gasimoglu, has
worked out "Conception of determining the place and role of Islam in
Azerbaijani society" the key element of which is religious-enlightening
activity of the state. The state, in spite of its secular character,
should lead it.
Islam is to be the monopoly of the nation and not of separate people,
religious figures or the community. In education programs are to be
included the lessons of the Koran and to avoid of discords the Islamic
principles should be interpreted only from the standpoint of the
Karan but not at all of other Islamic firstprimary sources. Religious
rites, ceremonies and preaches are to be held only in the Azerbaijani
language for Islam to be understandable to all. This very course may
unite the society around common religious-ethnical values, overcome
religious dissociation and radicalism and avoid of threats directed
against secular principles.
It should be mentioned that growth in religiosity is furthered by
polarization in the Azerbaijani society, devaluation of moral criteria
and lack of democracy resulting disappointment in traditional religious
institutions and secular values.
However, at present the society demands preserving secularity. The
surveys regularly carried out have come to prove it. In the visible
future traditional and non-traditional religious directions have
no chance to be risen to the political level. A few groups, which
publicly speak about creation of the Islamic state, have insufficient
strategic conceptions and mechanisms of influence. In their turn,
the authorities exaggerate the threats coming from Islam to ground
violent acts and control the religious field.
Other issues of author ANTI-IRANIAN MOODS IN ARABIC CIRCLES
[09.06.2008] THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP REPORT ON ISLAM IN
AZERBAIJAN [19.05.2008] ISLAMIC CONFERENCE ON THE WAY OF MODERNIZATION
[15.04.2008] On the issue of co-existence of the Western democracy
and Islam [22.12.2005]
Araqs Pashayan
http://www.noravank.am/en/?page=analitic s&nid=1254
26 June 2008
Religious processes in post-Soviet Islamic secular republics,
including Azerbaijan, have their specificity. They considerably
differ from analogical processes occurring in other regions where
Islam is traditionally spread and where Islamic institutionalism has
deep historical roots.
In the Soviet period, being deprived of social-political role, Islam
in Azerbaijan was reduced to traditional and everyday functions. After
independence was gained the role of Islam was overestimated: it became
one of the component parts of Azerbaijani identity. Great number of
old and new mosques and religious schools (madrasah) were opened,
was formed a strata of people who got education in well known foreign
Islamic centers. Were restored Islamic holidays, the propaganda of
Islam was raised to the governmental level. Islam was considered to
be a most important value by the state and was underlined unique,
national character of Azerbaijani Islam.
State-religion relations were regulated by certain laws, and
a regulation about the freedom of religion was adopted in the
constitution. Pilgrimage of the president Heydar Aliyev to Mecca in
1994 grew the importance of religion in the country.
However, these realities did not further institutionalization of Islam,
specification of its role in social life. Although in Azerbaijan
there are structures regulating both religious (Administration of
Caucasian Muslims) and state (State Committee in Charge of Religious
Organizations) structures, however, separate social structures don't
trust traditional religious institutions and little by little get
involved in non-traditional ones.
Religious radicalism is also spread, which makes a ground for Islam
to be politicized. In the reports of human right organizations and
different international organization relating to Azerbaijan the state
authorities are advised to organize public discussions on Islam and
Islamic institutions involving independent and official clergymen,
representatives of social organizations and intellectuals in them.
In comparison with Christian churches trying to centralize
religious issues to regulate them, there is not such a structure
in Islam. In Azerbaijan most of the religious groups collaborate
with the government and recognizes spiritual authority of the state
supported Administration of Caucasian Muslims. However, there are
separate spiritual groups, which don't obey the Administration, and
such groups don't have that much authority in society. In separate
cases independent imams are more influential which represent both
traditional and non-traditional branches of Islam in Azerbaijan. For
example, the Imam of Abu Baqr mosque imam Hamet and the former imam of
Juma mosque, human rights advocate Ilghar Ibrahimoghlu. The religious
elite make no attempts to have any dialogue with them apprehending
the fact of religious dissidence in the country quite painfully.
Although Azerbaijan is a Shiite state, from the standpoint of religious
institutionalization it is different from the biggest Shiite state,
Iran.
There is no Shiah spiritual hierarchy, no marja' al-taklid - religious
firstprimary source - the faithful should follow. Sheikh ul-Islam
of Azerbaijan is not considered to be the absolute interpreter of
dogmata and holly laws.
According to the survey carried out in 2006, 7.2% of population is
profound believers, 49.7% believe in God but don't use the principles
of Islam in practice. 2/3 of the Muslim population is Shiites, 1/3
- Sunnis.
In its turn the state avoids of spreading the influence of Islam in the
country's social-political life and aspires to restrain religion and
preserve secular principles in the country. Azerbaijani authorities
periodically exerted pressure and used violence to religious and
political parties, pro-Islam figures and non-traditional Islamic
directions and religious activists in Azerbaijan. These realities have
considerably hampered progressing of Islamic discourse, specifying
the role of Islam and its social-political life.
>From the beginning of 2006 the Islamic factor acquired more important
role in Azerbaijan's social-political life, which was conditioned both
by outward and inward factors. As a result of the usual falsification
of parliamentary elections of 2005 caused disappointment to western
values and the west in general. Gradually advocates of the Islamic
way of development appeared in the political field.
The Azerbaijani community also became more sensible to the realities
relating to Iran in geopolitical developments, which revealed
anti-American moods. Azerbaijan also responded to the war waged by the
Prophet Mohammed's caricature in 2005. In the beginning of February
Baku, later on also in Nardaran (religious district not far from Baku)
were held protest action. Were burnt the flags of the US, Israel,
Denmark as well as Armenia and Switzerland. On February 11 not that
well-known Azerbaijani newspaper "Yeni Khabar" printed caricature
of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. In April Jewish organizations
were threatened by some unknown "Muslim brothers." In summer 2006,
during Israeli-Lebanon war, were held crowded anti-Israeli rallies
in Baku and a few other places, which were unprecedented.
According to the data of survey carried out in April-May of spring
2006 by the Center for Religious Studies in Baku and Sumgait, 9% out
of 600 young Azerbaijani responders was for the creation of Islamic
state in Azerbaijan.
It is also noteworthy the survey carried out in April-May of 2006 by
the Center for Economic and Political Studies among 1000 responders
all over the country. In this case for the creation of Islamic
republic was 19% of responders, 30% were for partially. If we put it
in another way, for about half of the responders was for Islamic moral
values. 40% of responders are ready to support any Islamic republic
in international relations if the latter one has a problem with any
of the Islamic countries.
The number of people wearing Islamic kerchief in Azerbaijan has been
increased recently causing many social problems. In 1999 a law was
adopted on not wearing kerchiefs while photographing for official
documents. In 2007 the Azerbaijani parliament was going to discuss a
bill "on education" prohibiting to wear kerchief in the educational
institutions.
However, the problem got a wide public resonance and was taken out
of legislative plane.
Today there are religious circles in Azerbaijan which put forward
the ideas of declaring Islam as a state religion, including the
Islamic laws into legislation, increasing Islam's influence in social
life. For example, in Azerbaijan was risen the questions of polygamy
and temporarily marriages.
It was required for women not to be prohibited to wear kerchief in
photos for official documents.
One can notice certain religiosity in separate circles of youth
and intellectuals as well as in Baku. It goes without saying that
activity of the Islamic structures is more effective in needy stratum
if population, which in the context of the state's inaction see their
support in Islam.
In this sense Islam has a considerable potential to become the
ideological basis of social-political movements.
According to separate Azerbaijani researchers, the problems one
can witness in the religious field hinder formation of democracy
and civil society, pose threat to the existence of secular state
and it is necessary to work out corresponding conception to overcome
them. According to an arabologist Nariman Gasimoglu, suchlike problems
occur only because the state hasn't determined the place and role
of Islam in the civil society, which is of strategic importance. It
is mentioned that the authorities are not able to settle religious
problems only through administrative-legal mechanisms.
The Institute for Islam and Democracy headed by Gasimoglu, has
worked out "Conception of determining the place and role of Islam in
Azerbaijani society" the key element of which is religious-enlightening
activity of the state. The state, in spite of its secular character,
should lead it.
Islam is to be the monopoly of the nation and not of separate people,
religious figures or the community. In education programs are to be
included the lessons of the Koran and to avoid of discords the Islamic
principles should be interpreted only from the standpoint of the
Karan but not at all of other Islamic firstprimary sources. Religious
rites, ceremonies and preaches are to be held only in the Azerbaijani
language for Islam to be understandable to all. This very course may
unite the society around common religious-ethnical values, overcome
religious dissociation and radicalism and avoid of threats directed
against secular principles.
It should be mentioned that growth in religiosity is furthered by
polarization in the Azerbaijani society, devaluation of moral criteria
and lack of democracy resulting disappointment in traditional religious
institutions and secular values.
However, at present the society demands preserving secularity. The
surveys regularly carried out have come to prove it. In the visible
future traditional and non-traditional religious directions have
no chance to be risen to the political level. A few groups, which
publicly speak about creation of the Islamic state, have insufficient
strategic conceptions and mechanisms of influence. In their turn,
the authorities exaggerate the threats coming from Islam to ground
violent acts and control the religious field.
Other issues of author ANTI-IRANIAN MOODS IN ARABIC CIRCLES
[09.06.2008] THE INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP REPORT ON ISLAM IN
AZERBAIJAN [19.05.2008] ISLAMIC CONFERENCE ON THE WAY OF MODERNIZATION
[15.04.2008] On the issue of co-existence of the Western democracy
and Islam [22.12.2005]