Azerbaijan is the only Muslim country in the world where Sunni and Shiite populations have always lived peacefully, so the current events taking place in the Baku settlement of Nardaran reflect the influence of external forces, which are interested in destabilizing Azerbaijan. Arzu Nagiyev and Chingiz Abdullayev spoke about this in an interview for a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza.
The Deputy Director General of the Information Agency Trend, political commentator Arzu Nagiyev, expressed confidence that those who are interested in destabilizing the situation in Azerbaijan and the region as a whole are from the radical group Taleh Bagirzade. "I wouldn't describe the events in Nardaran as social unrest. The situation in the settlement cannot be related to all the residents of Nardaran, as not all of them adhere to radical Shiite ideology. They are proper members, not only in Nardaran, but also in the southern regions and Ganja,'' he explained.
"After the events of September 11th, radicalism became one of the real threats to both national security and statehood in many countries. Radicals around the world are taking opportunities. These radicals, calling themselves Shiites, are led by Taleh Bagirzade, who was recently released from prison and was convicted once for the same actions. There are definitely some forces that intend to destabilize the republic and the region," Arzu Nagiyev said.
Writer Chingiz Abdullayev drew attention to Azerbaijan's uncharacteristic statements under the guise of religious differences. "It seems to me that we are the only Muslim country in the world which has always existed peacefully with Shiite and Sunni populations, without any confrontations. Certainly the events in Nardaran upset us, because we wouldn't like to see such excesses as low as possible, especially in our country, where religious parties in elections have never received any votes. We would still like to preserve the secular nature of our republic,'' he stressed.
According to the writer, educational work should be carried out more actively in Nardaran. "A lot of famous people, as well as writers, live in the country. A religious factor plays a significant role in this area and local people often believe that their demands are misunderstood in society. Such public figures as writers, scientists and religious leaders should work more actively with the villagers. In general, it is necessary to soften relations of confrontation in this area,'' he urged.
Chingiz Abdullayev noted that it is important to prevent such events in the Caucasus, as sometimes people are killed due to conflicts on some grounds. He also appealed to the mass media to understand the essence of what is happening now carefully in order not to mix different things up.
