The Analytical Group of AzVision.az |
The Devil Disapproves | Long Read // Who (and why) needs to denigrate the religious situation in Azerbaijan |
The United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) published a report a few months ago on
Azerbaijan which was flabbergasting, to say the least. The US Department of
State then went on to blacklist Azerbaijan as a country that engages in violation
of religious freedom. One can’t help but think of Kozma Prutkov’s famous
saying: ‘If you see a ‘buffalo’ sign on an elephant’s cage, do not trust your
eyes’. Anyone who has been to Azerbaijan even once and is aware of the
situation in the country finds these decisions nothing short of a
misunderstanding. The report claims
that Azerbaijani government violates the law on religious freedom, does not
register religious communities, and restricts religious literature, propaganda,
or missionary activity. Most provisions relate to politics rather than
religion. For example, the imprisonment of the Muslim Union Movement leaders, a
foreign-funded extremist organization, is not even worth mentioning. Radical
religious institutions are considered a threat all over the world, with
adequate measures taken against them. But we can and must talk of the remaining
issues raised in the report. History and Geography
Azerbaijan historically has seen no religious
discrimination, which is mainly due to geography. Rizvan Huseynov ,
Historian and Head of Centre for Caucasian History says , geography determines the consciousness of the
local population . Our landscape mainly comprises lowlands and intermontane
terrains. The region has been at the crossroads of all routes for millennia. Communities
living in such geographies must absolutely be tolerant, because their lives and
income depend on it. This is also why mountainous communities are much stricter
about issues of ethnicity, confession, and such. People living on the coast and
islands are different. Those living in the steppes, plains, and at the
crossroads realize that their safety, income and well-being depend on
establishing warm relationships with everyone. Religion also takes shape
following the demands of geography. |
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Rizvan Huseynov: ‘Geography impacts religious formation of a nation’ |
History confirms
geography: Azerbaijan has never in its history seen confessional wars like
in Europe. The church has
been the foundational factor in shaping the national consciousness in Europe.
Every community used to have its own church. These churches produced national
projects as society shifted to capitalism. These forces did not even hesitate
to commit massacres to snatch the monopoly from the Vatican. We do not have a
tradition of religious conflicts as we’ve not had such cases in our history.
Europe, the USA, and the Tsarist Russia artificially planted religious problems
in the Ottoman Empire and our lands. They employed the religious factor to
incite the Armenians, Eastern Christian communities, and the Christians in the
Balkans against the Muslims-Turks. Unfortunately, the same policy continues,
albeit having slightly shapeshifted. The attitude towards other
confessions remains unchanged to this day. Our religious tolerance can set an
example for many countries around the world even in modern times.
Representatives of religious minorities in the country confirm this and the
conditions created for them speak for themselves. ‘Azerbaijan is our home’ ‘I have headed the Catholic Church
in Azerbaijan for over 14 years. Azerbaijan is a modern secular state that
respects and encourages national traditions, spiritual and cultural diversity
in society’, says Bishop Vladimir Fekete, the Apostle Prefect of the
Catholic Church in Azerbaijan in his interview to AzVision.az. The bishop adds that Azerbaijan
deserves special attention as a rare example of good interaction among
religious communities and a harmony between religion and secular government. Robert Mobili, Chairman of the Albanian-Udi
Christian community, invited the representatives of the US Department of State
to Azerbaijan to see the situation for themselves. He has also held numerous
meetings at the State Department as a part of the official delegation to
discuss the matter. ‘Our community performs our
rituals in Albanian. How can one ever talk of curtailing religious freedoms
in Azerbaijan under such conditions?’, Robert Mobili questions. Archimandrite Alexy Nikonorov,
secretary of the Baku diocese, rector at the Cathedral of the Holy Myrrh
Bearers says that Azerbaijani society offers a unique tolerant
atmosphere, where the state pays special attention to cultural diversity while
guaranteeing rights and freedoms to all citizens regardless of their religious
or national affiliation. ‘Azerbaijan boasts unique
centuries-old experience of peaceful coexistence, interaction, and creative
collaboration among Muslims, Christians, and Jews. Azerbaijan has traditionally
been famous as a home for many peoples. The country does not have the problems
that hinder development or interreligious dialogue among citizens in so many
parts of the world’, the archimandrite explains. The situation with the Jews is
particularly interesting. The thesis of ‘guilty Jews’ made up the core of
Christian ideology historically. Persecuted, oppressed, and expelled from
Europe, they took refuge with the Ottomans and the Safavids. They have since
felt at ease and comfortable on these lands. Milikh Yevdayev, Head of the Mountain Jews
Community in Baku mentions that all religious communities in Azerbaijan receive
financial support from the state, which not only guarantees freedom of
religious beliefs but also plays an important role in protecting cultural and
religious diversity. |