Islamist trial in Baku causes few ripples in society

Hearings of the case of the leader of Islamic party of Azerbaijan Movsum Samedov and six more activists of this organization have started in a Baku court

. They are charged with grave crimes. Vice-president of the party Vagif Abdullaev, the head of the Astara regional party organization Rufulla Ahundzade, party activists Firdovsi Mamedrzaev, Faramiz Abbasov, Dajanat Samedov and Mikail Zulfugar (currently under house arrest) have been also charged. They have been charged under several paragraphs of the criminal code: 28, 214.2.1 (prearranged preparation for a crime by armed groupe), 28, 214.2.3 (preparation for a crime with the use of weapons), 228.3 (storage and  carrying of weapons) and 278 (violent capture of power). (“Turan”)

Footage on YouTube catalyzed the series of  arrests of the party members. In the clip, the party leader Movsum Samedov urged the Azerbaijani people “to rise and put an end to the despotic regime”, that is to overthrow the incumbent government of Azerbaijan by force. The prohibition to wear hijab in comprehensive schools, displeasing a certain part of believers has become the pretext. It is possible to assume that this statement has been made without intention to really overthrow the government (in current political situation such a scenario seems simply unreal) and has been aimed at winning support of malcontent believers and declaring the party the force capable of heading « the movement of the dissatisfied». Apparently, the reckoning  hasn't justified itself. Firstly, the Azerbaijani society isn't religious enough for the prohibition to hear hijab in secondary schools and an appeal of the leader of a radical Islamic party to go into the street and «overthrow the regime» to cause mass protest actions. Secondly, «the despotic regime» enjoys wide national support – according to sociological survey carried out in 2010 by request of the World Bank and the European Reconstruction and Development Bank, assurance level of the population of Azerbaijan to the president is 90 %.  The other point is that appeals to overthrow legitimate authorities are a priori punishable. The reaction of the authorities was quick - several days later the head and some party activists have been arrested. Islamists assert that the case has been fabricated. Also they say that the case is one of a political order. However, they do not disown the reel.  However, there is another point.

The case has shown that the ideas propagandizes by the party do not find a broad response among the public - neither in pro-authority circles, nor in clergy, nor among the opposition, neither "constructive", nor "radical". Frankly speaking, Islamists aren't liked by anybody in Azerbaijan, except for Islamists, and, as a result, the society has treated the fact of the arrest indifferently in whole.

The party  was registered  in 1992, during the Abülfaz Elçibay presidency. The part officially existed only till 1995. When Heydar Aliyev come to power, the party has been broken up, although it was not forbidden officially.

Historian Arif Yunus writes that in April, 1996 the Ministry of national safety of the republic  has detained on the border with Iran 18 young members of the party who, according to the official version, went to Iran for the further military and political preparation in special camps. In a month all the party leadership has been arrested  on charge of high treason and espionage in favor of Iran. In April, 1997 they have been condemned and sentenced to different terms of imprisonment. It was specified in the accusatory document  that the party regularly sent young citizens of Azerbaijan of the draft age to Iran for training in special military camps. As it followed from the official charge, secret services of Iran tasked the party leadership to launch wide campaign against the USA and Israel and not to admit realization of oil contracts with participation of western companies, establish close contacts with national minorities and  strengthen the influence in the republic. (Arif Junus, «Islam in Azerbaijan»)

IPA is a Shiit party. So, the fact that it actively champions  the interests of the Iranian regime in Azerbaijan is undoubted, since the slogans of the party coincide with those we hear from Teheran. In his article "Iranian revolution or  Arabian spring in Azerbaijan - 2011" political scientist Hikmet Gadzhizade notices that «in foreign policy IPA acts synchronously with the Iranian government – in protection of Palestine, against "world Zionism" and  "western imperialism". Certainly, IPA continually comes out for the religious rights which are, according to IPA, more and more violated by the incumbent government.

Strong influence from abroad and radical ideas propagandized by the party have made  the party a pariah on the Azerbaijani political scene. For example, Müsavat party hasn't reached the agreement with IPA before parliamentary elections in 1998 since concepts of democracy of the classical opposition and Islamists have appeared opposite. Gagjizade writes about negotiations between Müsavat and IPA: «It became known that  the IPA leadership  understood democracy in the Iranian sense – as a system Velajate Fakih. So, a members of the IPA leadership,  retelling the essence of Velajate Fakih, willingly said to musavatists  that serious problems can not be trusted to people because to err is human. There should be religious leaders, theologians (ayatollah) who will determine the frameworks in which ordinary citizens will be able to vote” ... «The UN Declaration of Human Rights is written by people.  We recognize only the rights given to the person by God»

Thus, the union between Müsavat and IPA wasn't established, because of contradictions between the values of the two parties. Firstly, Islamists  reject the ideas of Turkism, fundamental for Müsavat. Secondly, for IPA democracy is just a method of gaining power. To put it otherwise,  the party doesn't mind reaching power via democratic election and  strangling this democracy subsequently, by replacing secular laws with Sheriyat laws. After all,  "democratically elected party" is not identical to "democratic party". Here it should be reminded that the National Socialist German Workers' Party has come to power in a legitimate way too,  having won the elections in the Reichstag in November, 1932.

However, even despite all these contradictions, the classical opposition continued to make advances  to Islamists until recently. So, members of the so-calle «Public chamber», visited rallies in Nardaran village early this year . Then opposition press wrote about possible cooperation of classical and Islamic opposition with enthusiasm. However, this process hasn't made progress. Firstly, due to the contradictions, and secondly, due to the fact that the union with IPA, opposing secular model of the state, would have undermined poor authority of the Azerbaijani opposition. 

Secularism is historically strong in Azerbaijan. It is caused by secular values, proclaimed in the Azerbaijan and 70-year membership in the atheistic USSR. It is due to these reasons that after the restoration of the country's independence, ideas of radical Islam haven't found support among the population, despite its increasing interest in its religious and cultural roots.  Many pre-Islamic customs and traditions, such as Novruz, exist in Azerbaijan. Express secular values popular among the Azerbaoijani and ideas of  Turkism, widely adopted in the first years after restoration of independence, have substantially limited possible influence of political Islam in Azerbaijan.

However, the role of the Islamic factor in Azerbaijan  shouldn't be underestimated . undoubtedly, the missionary work is carried out by Islamists purposefully among the most discontented strata of the society. After all, it was not merely by coincidence that in 1996 all the seven camps constructed by Iran for the Azerbaijani refugees, have been transferred to the western organizations. This decision was not made spontaneously. It was based on information on religious propagation regularly got from special services Besides, Islamists are trying to recompense their small number by radicalism. 

The system of recruitment among the youth should be also taken into consideration. It is possible to involve.  Some people may be attracted with the promise of theological education abroad,  some - with the prospect of "paid wedding», and some – with work in an «Islamic committee». Numerical strength of supporters is difficult to achieve in such country as Azerbaijan. However, the current considerably small electorate of Islamists provides necessary ballyhoo in the press  from time to time . Another matter is that if the probability of an "Islamic revolution» in Azerbaijan is insignificant today it doesn't mean that it can't increase tomorrow and elimination of the negative phenomena creating favorable conditions  for appearance of fundamentalism in the country, should remain one a priority problem of the political leadership of the country.

08.08.2011 Author: Orhan Sattarov, the head of the European department of VK